By Rabbi Mordechai Becher
Journey to Djerba—an island where Judaism has flourished for 2,500 years, blending ancient Torah, vibrant tradition, and living faith in one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities.
Where did Jonah try to escape when he fled from G-d’s command? Where did King Solomon’s ships set sail to bring back ivory, monkeys, and peacocks? The Bible calls it Tarshish—a name wrapped in mystery and legend. Isaiah himself speaks of the mighty “ships of Tarshish.” But what if I told you that Tarshish may not just be a place in ancient text, but a land you can still walk upon today?
Jewish commentators across the centuries identified Tarshish with ancient Carthage, the great North African power whose ruins still rest in modern-day Tunisia. As a young yeshiva student first encountering the word Tarshish, I never imagined I would one day set foot there. Yet, about 15 years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel as a scholar-in-residence with Miriam Schreiber’s Legacy Kosher Tours—and Tarshish became more than a word in the Bible. It became real.
Tunisia: A Land of Wonders
This past summer, I once again set out for Tunisia and I discovered something different: not just another exotic destination, but perhaps the most inspiring Jewish experience I have had outside the Land of Israel. And at the heart of it all lay the jewel of Tunisia: the island of Djerba.
Mainland Tunisia itself is a wonder. Imagine walking through a fully intact Roman coliseum, wandering an ancient city frozen in time, or driving from the endless golden sands of the Sahara Desert to lush groves of olives and dates. Tunis, the capital, boasts an active synagogue built in elegant Art Deco style—still active and serving the local Jewish community of about 300 people— a Jewish school, and even a kosher butcher. Incredibly, there’s a synagogue at a beach resort that still holds three daily prayer services throughout the summer.
Djerba: The Living Gem of Jewish History
The highlight of our trip to Tunisia was Djerba. Djerba is an island of about 200 square miles and a population of 185,000. The Jewish community on Djerba is about 1,300 strong and is arguably the oldest, continuous Jewish community in the world outside Israel.
It is believed that the first Jews arrived in Djerba after the destruction of the First Temple about 2,500 years ago. Those who came were mostly Cohanim, descendants of Aaron the High Priest, who brought with them a stone from the altar in the Temple and embedded it in the foundation of the Al Ghriba synagogue.
Today the Jewish population of Djerba is mostly Cohanim, and the Al Ghriba synagogue, albeit not the original building, is still a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Jews around the world. In the first and second centuries BCE, Jews settled in Djerba when it was first Carthage and then under the rule of the Roman Empire. After the destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE, more Jews came to Djerba where the community flourished under the Romans although experiencing some pressure under Byzantium.
Following the Arab conquest of North Africa, Jews in Djerba were granted dhimmi status — a protected but subordinate position under Islamic rule that required the payment of, jizya, a special tax. The Jewish community thrived, enjoying a degree of autonomy that allowed for the preservation of its religious and cultural identity.
Tunisia as a Center of Torah
During the medieval period, Tunisia emerged as a significant center of Torah study and served as a vital conduit for the transmission of Torah teachings from the academies of Babylon to the shores of the Mediterranean. Historical records mention the presence of prominent scholars from the academies of Babylon and Italy residing in Tunisia.
A well-known legend tells of four leading Torah scholars who were captured by pirates while traveling across the Mediterranean. These scholars were later ransomed by Jewish communities in Cordoba (Spain), Narbonne (France), Alexandria (Egypt), and Kairouan (Tunisia), thereby dispersing their knowledge across these important centers of Jewish life.
One of the most remarkable artifacts from this era is a letter preserved in the Cairo Genizah, written by a Gaon (Torah Sage) of Kairouan to a relative in Egypt, dated to the 10th century CE. Kairouan itself was home to a renowned yeshiva headed by Rabbi Yitzhak al-Fasi. He later relocated to Spain, where he established another influential yeshiva in Lucena. Among his distinguished students were Rabbi Yehuda Halevi and his close friend Rabbi Yosef ibn Migash. The latter became the teacher of Maimon, whose son—Moshe—became known to the world as Maimonides.
By the 11th and 12th centuries, Djerba had become a notable center of Jewish scholarship and Kabbalistic activity. At the heart of this intellectual and spiritual life was the El Ghriba Synagogue, which emerged as a cornerstone of religious practice and tradition, drawing pilgrims and scholars alike. In the 15th and 16th Centuries after the expulsions from Spain and Portugal many refugees came to Tunisia bringing their Andalusian heritage and culture to North Africa.
Ottoman and Colonial Periods
In 1574, Djerba and the wider Tunisian region came under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Under the millet system, which allowed religious minorities to manage their own communal affairs, the Jews of Djerba maintained a distinct cultural and religious identity. This period of relative isolation helped preserve ancient traditions, including the use of the Judeo-Arabic language and the meticulous maintenance of priestly (Cohen) lineage.
The onset of the Colonial Period in 1881, when Tunisia became a French protectorate, brought profound changes. The influence of French culture and modernity introduced new educational opportunities, notably through schools established by the Alliance Israélite Universelle. These changes prompted some members of the Jewish community to seek economic or educational opportunities elsewhere, leading to migrations from Djerba to Tunis, France, and Algeria.
Challenges of the Modern Era
Following Tunisian independence in 1956, President Habib Bourguiba adopted a tolerant approach toward minorities, allowing the Jewish community to continue its religious life. However, in 1967, during the fallout of the Six-Day War, anti-Jewish riots broke out, triggering a significant wave of emigration — many Djerban Jews moved to Israel or France in search of security and stability.
Tragedy struck again in 2002 when Al-Qaeda orchestrated a terrorist bombing near the El Ghriba Synagogue, killing 21 people. This attack brought global attention to the community and raised serious security concerns, which subsequently were addressed by the Tunisian government.
