Tunisia’s Jewish pilgrimage sees drastic decline

Only around 30 people attended this year’s Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue on Tunisia’s Djerba island, AFP reports, amid heightened security fears and regional instability. The event, once drawing thousands from Europe and Israel, has sharply declined following a deadly 2023 attack that left five dead, including two worshippers.

This year’s pilgrimage was limited to indoor ceremonies, with organizers citing global tensions and the ongoing Gaza war as contributing factors. “In 30 years, I have never seen the Ghriba synagogue so empty,” said its manager, Khoudhir Hanya.

The pilgrimage, central to Tunisia’s small Jewish community—now numbering roughly 1,500—has historically weathered periods of unrest, including a 2002 Al-Qaeda bombing and a 1985 shooting.

Earlier this month, a local Jewish jeweler was stabbed in an attack whose motive remains unclear. Organizers had hoped for better turnout, noting 5,000 attended in 2023 and 8,000 in previous years.