Tunisia was conquered by the French in 1881 and this Hagaddah, printed in Tunis in the early 1940’s, incorporates both Judeo-Arabic and French translations into its text, reflecting the historical circumstances of its creation. During World II, most French colonies, including Tunisia, fell under Vichy government rule and were subject to its anti-Jewish legislation. In the six-month German occupation of Tunisia from November 1942 to May 1943, over five thousand Jewish men were rounded up by the Comité de Recrutement de la Main-d'Oeuvre Juive. This fragile Haggadah, produced during the difficult war years, documents the continued efforts of the Jewish community of Tunisa to maintain their culture and their religious identity.

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