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AIU School at Tripoli, Libya

The first Alliance school in Tripoli opened on October 1, 1896, with 100 students. After suffering closure during the Second World War, the city's schools experienced a revival, growing to include three schools with 25 teachers serving 1,765 students. This heyday, however, was short-lived. On April 2, 1960, the Libyan government forcibly closed all Alliance schools, bringing an end to over 70 years of educational achievements. The exact location of this school is unknown [1].

Description

Although little is known about the first Jewish settlers in Tripoli, it is believed that they may have lived in the region as early as the time of King Solomon or the Phoenicians. Sources indicate that there may have been a thriving Jewish community in Tripoli between the ninth and twelfth centuries, although the Almohad occupation of Tripoli in the twelfth century led to the expulsion of many Jews. Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, the condition of the Jewish community in Tripoli became gradually better through population increases and economic and political changes. However, by the early 1800s, Jews were subject to the laws of "dhimmas" (non-Muslims) which only ended in 1835. The 1940s were marked by increasing anti-Jewish violence, leading to hundreds of deaths, property damage, and the destruction of historic sites. By 1949, Jews from across North Africa were prepared to leave their countries, and--with the assistance of the Jewish Agency, the Joint Distribution Committee, and the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants--over 35,000 Jews emigrated to Israel before 1952. Although a few Jews remained in Libya, the declaration of Libyan independence in 1951, the rise of Arab nationalism, and the Arab-Israeli conflict increased tensions between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Tripoli. As such, the remaining Jewish community in Libya was evacuated to transit camps in Italy in 1967, with a third remaining in Italy and the remainder emigrating to Israel [2].

Tripoli, Libya

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