The Jews of North Africa and Maghrebi Judaism

The Jewish communities of the Maghreb — in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya — are among the oldest in Africa, with roots reaching back to Antiquity, predating the arrival of Islam. They were enriched by the influx of exiles from Spain after 1492, who mingled with the indigenous populations (Toshavim), giving rise to plural liturgical and cultural traditions. Maghrebi Jewish life is characterized by a distinct Judeo-Arabic language, its own customs, and a piety marked by the veneration of saints. In the colonial era, the influence of the Alliance Israélite Universelle and, in Algeria, the Crémieux Decree of 1870 granting French citizenship, transformed the trajectories of these communities. In the 20th century, virtually all of them emigrated, principally to Israel and France.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan