Jewish Pilgrimage Returns to Tunisia’s El-Ghriba Synagogue

The annual Jewish pilgrimage to the ancient El-Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, drew a modest but symbolic return of international visitors this year, as worshippers gathered under tight security from April 30 to May 6.

The pilgrimage, held around Lag B’Omer, is one of the oldest Jewish gatherings in Africa and remains a central event for Tunisia’s small Jewish community. This year’s return came three years after a deadly attack near the synagogue disrupted the festival and sharply reduced attendance.

Participants estimated that about 500 people attended this year’s pilgrimage, while Tunisian reports cited organizers saying about 200 pilgrims came from abroad. Visitors arrived from France, China, Ivory Coast and Italy. France’s ambassador to Tunisia also attended in a symbolic presence after two French citizens were among those killed in the 2023 attack.

Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times, and the El-Ghriba pilgrimage has long drawn local worshippers and members of the Tunisian Jewish diaspora returning to their ancestral roots. In past years, the gathering attracted thousands of visitors from around the world.

Inside the synagogue, the atmosphere was calm and devotional, while also serving as a meeting place for families and longtime visitors. Worshippers lit candles, read sacred texts and wrote wishes on eggs, later placing them in a sacred cave within the complex, a tradition associated with blessings.

Among those who returned was Redj Cahen, a Tunisian-Italian pilgrim who missed last year’s gathering.

“We are back, and we are proud to be Tunisian Jews,” he said. “It is a feeling you cannot explain. Only those who come here understand.”

Security was visible across the island. Police checkpoints and barricades controlled access points to Djerba, while vehicles were searched and identification documents were inspected. Security was especially concentrated in Hara Seghira and Hara Kebira, the island’s main Jewish quarters.

Despite those concerns, the traditional Minara procession took place for the first time since the 2023 attack. The Minara, a pyramid-shaped tower of gold and silver, is placed at the center of the synagogue. Women drape it with colorful scarves in a gesture associated with good fortune, fertility and marriage.

A symbolic auction of paintings and Jewish religious items is held as part of a fundraiser for the synagogue’s maintenance. The scarf-covered Minara is then placed on a cart and paraded outside with darbuka drums, singing and candy before being returned to the synagogue.

“This year’s Ghriba pilgrimage marks a gradual return,” former Tourism Minister René Trabelsi said. “We are returning little by little.”

The pilgrimage was badly shaken in 2023, when a national guardsman shot and killed two Jewish pilgrims and three security officers near the synagogue. The site was also targeted in 2002, when an al-Qaida truck bombing killed about 20 people.

Trabelsi said Tunisian authorities had pushed to maintain the pilgrimage despite the challenges. The event also supports Djerba’s local economy and has long been seen as a symbol of coexistence, drawing Muslim visitors alongside Jewish pilgrims.

Khedir Hnaia, who has worked at the synagogue for more than three decades, said the return of familiar visitors was important. “We would like to reflect a good image to the world, to bring back the glory of Ghriba and make it even better than how it used to be,” he said.

Haim Haddad, a member of the pilgrimage organizing committee from Zarzis, said Tunisian Jews remain attached to the country. “We need to stand up for our country, we love Tunisia very much and in the same way our country stood up for us we will always stand up for it,” he said.