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El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba (Jerba, Jarbah, جربة), Tunisia

In Homer’s Odyssey, a storm blows Ulysses and his ship onto the land of Lotus-Eaters. The people of the island feed the men lotus flowers, causing the crew to forget all thoughts of journeying homeward. Supposedly, this place was Djerba, an island off the coast of mainland Tunisia which Jews have inhabited for 2,600 years [1]. Much like the island itself, the founding of El Ghriba is also tied to legends.


El Ghriba Synagogue in the village of Hara Saghira is the most famous synagogue in Tunisia and the most powerful symbol of Djerba’s Jewish population. The current structure was constructed in the late 19th to early 20th century, but the site is believed to have existed for the past 1,900 years. Legends regarding the origins of the synagogue say that its foundational stone and door came from Solomon’s temple. Alternatively, another legend claims that the synagogue was built in honor of the pious woman El Ghriba who died during a fire. Tunisian Jews have for centuries made an annual pilgrimage to the site on the minor Jewish festival of Lag Ba’ Omer [2].



 

Description

Legendary Origins

It’s said that the high priest Tzadok and his fellow rabbis fled the destruction of the First Temple to Djerba, bringing with them a stone from the original Temple that was built into El Ghriba [3]. Another legend claims that this synagogue stands where "a holy stone fell from heaven" and shortly afterwards, "a mysterious woman arrived ... to oversee the construction of the synagogue" [5].  

A different version of the mythical woman’s story is reminiscent of saint’s cults from Maghrebi Berbers [14]. A poor young Jewish woman, El Ghriba (Arabic for “the strange or isolated one”), lived a solitary life in a remote wooden hut [8]. She died when her home caught on fire, but her body was left unscathed. [8] Realizing that Ghriba was a saint, the Jewish people decided to build a synagogue in her honor at the site of her house.

We see stories of the virtuous woman who died during a fire or pilgrims who carry a stone from the First temple appear at different sites across Northern Africa. El Ghriba is actually one of seven Ghriba synagogues found in the region, all of which have similar origin myths [17]. In this way, legends connect El Ghriba to the larger continuum of synagogues of Northern Africa

El Ghriba Synagogue

El Ghriba is one of 11 synagogues on Djerba [6]. Alongside this synagogue, in the town of Hara Sghira, there are also five separate prayer houses. [8] In the late 19th century, local rabbis were worried that the synagogue would lose its prestigious status. As a result, Torah scrolls have since been "kept exclusively at El Ghriba" [8].

Local tradition states that the current synagogue stands in the exact place as the original one built in ancient times. The majority of the current structure was built in the 19th century, with heavy renovations in the 1920s and 1930s [13]. The architecture is well known for its stunning detail and its bright colors indicate Tunisian and Moorish influence [3, 12].  

At one point, the synagogue was similar to a mosque in that there was an open prayer area and an enclosed one [12]. However, the open area was enclosed to create a large interior sanctuary. Currently, there are two main halls in the synagogue: the main hypostyle sanctuary for prayer at the center and the kodesh kadashim (holy of holies) near the back [11,13]. The latter is where Torah scrolls are kept, including the world’s oldest handwritten Torah scroll [11,12].  The main prayer hall had 12 windows, "alluding to the Zohar--the principal book of the Kabbala--and symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel" [5]. The main praying hall is also divided into three aisles by two rows of columns [10]. The final column is absent in order to commemorate the destruction of the First Temple [10].

Pilgrimage and Festival

The annual pilgrimage to El Ghriba is “an opportunity for Tunisian Jews to reconnect with their homeland” [16]. Although Jewish pilgrims come from all around the world, most are from Israel and Europe [18]. The influx of pilgrims is especially high during Yom Kippur and Lag B’Omer, a feast that also honors Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai [11,15].

Female pilgrims with hopes for healing, fertility, marriage, children, or luck write their wishes on eggshells [3,7,16]. Afterwards, they go through a "candle-lit crawlspace" and tuck their eggs into the inner sanctuary wall [7,16]. In line with the community’s longstanding history of tolerance and peaceful Jewish-Muslim coexistence, this tradition is open to all and “everyone’s eggs sit side by side in the heart of synagogue” [3,16].

The highlight of Lag B’Omer is when the Grande Menara, a ten-foot, five-tiered candelabrum covered in veils and silk scarves, is paraded through the village [7,17]. The decorative veils are reminiscent of a bride, "signifying the union between the people of Israel and God" [15]. Underneath the fabrics is  "decorative Star of David, an inscription for the Divinity, two tablets of the law. and symbols representing the twelve tribes of Israel" [7]. As the menara passes through the village, people sing to honor the rabbis and women spray it with perfume or add their own scarves while "requesting forgiveness and favors from the merciful Saint Ghriba". [7,15]

Jewish Life

Djerba is known as “the Island of Kohanim (priests)” because “approximately 80% of the community is descended from priests” dating all the way back to 586 BC [2,15]. The Jewish community is primarily focused at Hara Sghira (Er Riadh) and Hara Kebira (Es Souani) [5]. Djerba became an influential center for rabbis and authors after Rabbi Aharon Peretz arrived from Morocco and founded an important yeshiva in the 18th century [4]. During the French protectorate, rabbis rejected the Alliance Israelite Universelle school and built more Talmud Torah schools in response. [4] Even today, many children’s first language is Arabic, but they’re expected to learn Hebrew at school [9].

At the community’s peak in 1946, the Jewish population of Djerba was 4,900 people [4]. During the early 1950s, there were 20 synagogues and yeshivots located on the island [8]. Once Israel was established, around 1,500 Jews made Aliyah to Israel. [4] Many Jews also left once Tunisia gained independence in 1956 [14]. Since then, there was been a steady decline of the community: 2,400 people in 1955, 1,000 in 1976, and 900 in 1997. [4] However, at the present time there are about 30 new births every year-- a sign of hope [2].

The long-standing isolation of Djerba resulted in a very “undiluted” form of Judaism that separates Djerba from the rest of the Jewish world [9]. For example, “community members still bring their pots and challot to the local baker on Friday afternoon to have them heated in a warm oven over the course of Shabbot” [15]. People are capable of warming their food at home, but the community chooses to keep its traditions alive.

Recent News

The number of pilgrims peaked in 2000, with 10,000 people who visited that year [19]. However, on April 11, 2002, the site was victim to a terrorist attack. The bombing killed 21 people and temporarily shut down the synagogue, Al Qaeda claimed responsibility [4]. In 2011, the revolution in Tunisia introduced more instability to the region [3, 19]. However, the government increased security measures which aided the steady reemergence of tourism and pilgrims [4]. In April 2012, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki visited the synagogue to mark a decade since the bombing and ensure that he would work to protect Tunisia’s Jewish community [2].

Djerba, Tunisia

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