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Bizerte Jewish Cemetery, Bizerte, Tunisia
At the gate of the Jewish cemetery in Bizerte is a list of all the Jewish families whose loved ones rest within the cemetery walls. Established in the 18th century, the Jewish cemetery in Bizerte was ransacked and all but two tombstones were destroyed. The cemetery was partially restored and a monument made from the broken pieces was erected.
Description
Jewish Presence in Bizerte: Jews are believed to have first settled in Bizerte during ancient times, making a living through fishing, trading, and agriculture. In 1534 the Jewish community of Bizerte was exiled by the Spanish and was unable to return till 1572 when the Ottomans took over the city. Under Ottoman rule, the city flourished, and in the 17th century, Italian Jews from Livorno began to migrate to Bizerte. The Jewish community continued to flourish in the 19th century, growing from 600 to 1,522 in 19211.
The Jewish Community During the 20th Century: The Nazi occupation of Bizerte lasted from 1942 to 1943 and during this time the French military base was converted into a forced labor camp that interned around 500 Jews. When Tunisia gained independence in 1961, the government incited a crisis when they demanded the French hand over their naval base in Bizerte. This crisis caused the Jewish community to flee and 130 of these Jews2 had to be evacuated by the Israeli and French governments. After the crisis was settled, 200 Jews moved back to Bizerte but by this time Tunisian Jews had started to emigrate at massive rates. By 1976 only 15 Jews3 were currently living in Bizerte.
Sources
Notes
1 Haim
2 Haim
3 Haim
Works Cited
1. Haim Saadoun. ‘Bizerte (Banzart, Bizerta)’. In Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, edited by Norman A. Stillman, Phillip I. Ackerman-Lieberman, Yaron Ayalon, Avigdor Levy, Vera B. Moreen, Meira Polliack, Angel Saenz-Badillos and, and Daniel Schroeter. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://referenceworks.brillonline.com:443/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world%252Fbizerte-banzart-bizerta-SIM_0004400.
2. “Cemetery Information- Bizerte, Tunisia.” Jewishgen Online Worldwide Burial Registry. Museum of Jewish Heritage . Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/cemetery/jowbrshow.php?ID=TUN-05378.
3. “The Jewish Community of Bizerte.” ANU Museum of the Jewish People. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://dbs.anumuseum.org.il/skn/en/c6/e147996/Place/Bizerte.
http://www.profburp.com/plan37/image2.htm.
Tunisia Trip Summer 2016
Photos Courtesy of Chyrstie Sherman