Djerba, Tunisia — Organizers of the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the El-Ghriba synagogue, one of many world’s oldest synagogues situated on the Tunisian island of Djerba, have introduced plans for a scaled-down occasion subsequent month as a result of safety considerations.
This resolution comes lower than a 12 months after a lethal taking pictures on the website deeply affected the group.
The pilgrimage, which attracts 1000’s to have fun the Jewish vacation of Lag B’Omer, will probably be confined to the synagogue itself, somewhat than the island-wide festivities which can be historically held.
“Those who come to visit are welcome and they can hold religious rituals, light a candle, inside the synagogue,” mentioned Perez Trabelsi, the top of the island’s Jewish group, in an interview with The Associated Press.
This 12 months’s extra subdued observance is influenced by heightened safety fears following not solely the native incident but additionally because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas struggle, which has sparked mass protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
In Tunisia, protests have remained largely peaceable; nevertheless, an incident in October noticed a synagogue on the mainland in Al-Hammah desecrated throughout demonstrations.
Trabelsi emphasised that the choice to restrict the scope of the Lag B’Omer celebrations was particularly because of the taking pictures incident and never immediately associated to the broader geopolitical tensions, stating that whereas the group doesn’t really feel threatened, its leaders really feel a powerful accountability to make sure its security.
He additionally highlighted the assist of the Tunisian authorities in securing the occasion, expressing confidence within the nation’s dedication to stay a land of “tolerance, coexistence, and peace.”
Similar safety considerations have additionally affected Jewish communities in Morocco, the place the International Federation of Moroccan Jews just lately suggested in opposition to public celebrations of the Mimouna vacation, echoing the cautious method taken by their Tunisian counterparts.
The changes to conventional celebrations underscore the fragile steadiness communities should strike between preserving cultural and non secular traditions and making certain the security and safety of their individuals in occasions of heightened tensions.
https://www.africanexponent.com/facing-security-concerns-jewish-community-in-tunisia-plans-scaled-down-pilgrimage/
