Date: 1917 Country: Tunisia City: Djerba
Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia is noted for its Jewish community which has dwelt on the island for more than 2,500 years. The origin of the community is shrouded in mystery. According to one legend, Jews fleeing the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE made their way across northern Africa and settled on the island; other Jews on the island arrived following the expulsion from Spain in 1492. . In the 19th and 20th centuries the yeshivot of Djerba produced many rabbis who served as leaders of several Jewish communities throughout North Africa. Rabbi David Aydan established a Hebrew printing press in Djerba in 1903 and this is one of the first Haggadot printed there.
Collection ID: CAT_052
Date: ca. 1940 Country: Tunisia City:
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.
Collection ID: CAT_065
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