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Tunisia welcomes thousands of Jewish pilgrims to the holiday island of Djerba

2022-05-22T14:40:26.398Z


Israel and Tunisia do not have diplomatic relations. Nevertheless, citizens of the Jewish state were now allowed to celebrate the Lag BaOmer festival with the local community on Djerba.


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Jews on Djerba

Photo: Cindy Riechau / dpa

Colorful headscarves, schnapps and tons of labeled eggs - on the Tunisian island of Djerba, thousands of Jews celebrated the pilgrimage to the Lag Baomer festival this year.

According to the Tunisian Tourist Office on Sunday about 6700 pilgrims to the synagogue La Ghriba, also from other countries.

Tunisia's Prime Minister Nejla Bouden was also there.

The festival was protected by a large police presence with helicopters and snipers.

After a two-year break due to the corona pandemic, Israelis were also allowed to go on a pilgrimage to Tunisia again.

The North African country has no diplomatic ties to Israel, but allows its citizens into the country as part of organized tours to the festival.

"It's my first time here and I'm very touched to see my parents' homeland," says one Israeli.

Believers also came from France and Italy.

»The pilgrimage is the moment of the year when everyone talks about us«

According to the president of Djerba's Jewish community, Perez Trabelsi, there are only around 1,800 Jews left in Tunisia itself.

Most of them are at home on Djerba.

In the middle of the 20th century there were still 100,000 Jews in Tunisia.

Muslims and Jews live together peacefully on Djerba, stressed Trabelsi.

A Muslim taxi driver showed understanding for the security checks.

'But the helicopters - that's too much.

That scares the tourists.” In 2002, 20 people died in an attack on the synagogue by the Islamist al-Qaeda, including 14 German tourists.

"The pilgrimage is the moment of the year when everyone talks about us," said Moche Uzan from the capital Tunis proudly, with a kippa on his head.

At home, the 33-year-old does not wear the Jewish hat.

"That would be strange for many there." The mood at the festival is exuberant.

Women in evening dresses squeeze into a grotto to lay eggs inscribed with wishes.

A rabbi seals the ceremony with a prayer and fig brandy.

dop/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-05-22

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