Synagog of Ghriba

The synagog of Ghriba is located in the Village of er-Riadh (in the past Hara Sghrira) on the island Tunisia of Jerba. This village shelters a Jewish community several hundreds of people.

Grhiba most famous and are venerated of the 20 Synagog S and houses of prayer which still functioned in the 3 Jewish villages of Jerba in the Années 1950. In the er-Riadh village, there exist also 5 Yeshiva S. Cependant, the rollers of the Torah are kept in Ghriba following a decision taken by the Rabbin S buildings, at the end of the 19th century, in order to maintain the preeminence of Ghriba. The village community meets there at the time of the Shabbat.

Ghriba means “marvellous” or “strange” in Arab and reflects the special statute of the synagog in the Jewish traditions of Tunisia. It is most known of a certain number of synagogs bearing the same name and located in other countries of North Africa (in particular with Annaba). The fame of the synagog is based on the many traditions and beliefs which underline its seniority and its importance among the local Jews and those of the old Jewish communities of Tunisia and the close Libya.

History

It is reported that the creation of this synagog goes back to sixth century BC, doing this one the oldest synagog of Africa and one of oldest in the world. According to the tradition, one thinks that the construction of the synagog would be connected to the establishment on the island of Jerba of a group of cohanim (priests of the Temple of Jerusalem) just arrived after the destruction of the first temple by the Babylonian (586 av. J. - C.). The tradition wants that these refugees brought with them a door and a stone of the furnace bridge of the destroyed temple. Today, the visitors can see a stone incorporated in the one of the Voûte S of the synagog and which would be the brought back original stone of Jerusalem. The establishment takes the name of Hara Sghrira. One also knows it under the name of Dighet, name coming from an alternative meaning Berbère of the Hebrew word “carries”.

Other traditions try to explain the importance and the holiness of the synagog. According to one of them, the synagog is set up in first half of the 19th century at a place previously occupied by a strange young girl ( ghriba ) who was not accepted by the inhabitants of the island. When she would have died in a fire consuming her Hutte but not her body, the Jews of Jerba thought that she was Saint E and decided to establish a synagog on this site. Another alternative tells that the girl was a Jewish refugee who had saved ground of Israel while bringing with it a roller of Torah and a stone of the temple of Jerusalem, the synagog being set up where it would have died of exhaustion by reaching Jerba.

Building

According to the actual position of the building, it was probably set up in second half of the XIXe century to replace former structures: the synagog is mentioned at the 16th century whereas it is destroyed at the time of a military forwarding Spanish. The current synagog, modest Blue building with the reflections t-pieces, is composed, unlike the other synagogs of Jerba, of 2 covered rooms. After various additions architectural, it proves that the first room was, at the beginning, a court open but covered later to adapt to a number larger believers. At the entry of this one 2 lines of columns are dividing it into 3 parts. This room is connected to the room of principal prayer by 3 vaults. This dernère room also counts 2 two lines of vaults which support a high and open open-type screen of many windows. In the beginning, there were of them 12 which symbolized, according to the local tradition, itself based on an instruction of the Kabbale, the 12 tribes of Israel. However, with the restorations and the posterior modifications of the building, the number of windows increased. The posterior modifications are particularly obvious northern side of the building where they caused changes compared to the original symmetrical plan of the building. The téva is located under the open-type screen (at the Western end of the room of prayer). However, the last column, east coast, are absent and was probably never built. The local tradition sees there a sign of the memory of the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. Moreover, it is affirmed that the building should never not be finished because “nothing is perfect except the divinity”. The benches are placed around the téva. The interior walls are decorated with Faïence S with blue, white and brown reasons decorative with the difference of the external walls which are painted in white. A niche below the holy arch indicates the place where the body of the young girl would have been found: one knows it like “the cave of the girl”. The interior court is surrounded by Loggia S covered and built on vaults and columns. The adjacent buildings are used as housing to the pilgrims, oldest having been set up at the end of the XIXe century and having been followed of a second established structure to the beginning of the Années 1950.

The religious atmosphere is maintained there by the oil lamps and the Chant S chants the batlanim which recite against contribution of the believers. The pilgrims of passage slip to them of small tickets which beseech a cure or a success. With the wall, Ex-voto out of metal represent houses, vases and stars of David under a beautiful carved woodwork.

Like other synagogs of Jerba, Ghriba is located near a ancient Jewish cemetery.

Management

The synagog is controlled by an administrative commission independent established at the end of the XIXe century (when Jerba was under French protectorate like all Tunisia). The organization of the annual pilgrimage became the principal concern of this commission. The incomes of this pilgrimage are transferred with the old inhabitants of the village like to the local students of the Torah.

Pilgrimage

A annual Pèlerinage (taking place with the 33e day of the Jewish Passover) gathers the Jews of North Africa. The festivities begin the 14 Iyar for the commemoration of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess and continue until the 18 Iyar (festival of the Lag Ba' omer), day of the memory of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochaï (locally known under the name of Rabbi Shem' one). The pilgrimage includes a visit with the synagog, the Aumône, Prière S and the participation in the one of the 2 processions which take place during the last 2 days of the pilgrimage. The procession includes visits in other rooms of prayer of the village. The participants carry large a Menorah assembled on 3 wheels. The Luster is decorated with symbols representing the 12 tribes of Israel, the names of venerated Tunisian rabbis, the names of the 3 patriarchs and the 4 “matriarches” and the blessings in the honor of Meir Baal HaNess and Shimon Bar Yochaï. At the top a star of David with the inscription Shaddai is (name of the divinity). The structure is crowned by the Tables of the Law. The gloss is decorated with various fabrics, of scarf S of luminous colors and veil S. the procession resembles thus a ceremony of Mariage which means the mystical union between the people of Israel and the divinity. The participants then sing songs in the honor of Rabbi Shem' one of which a sentence known as: “Oh Shimon rabbi! When you come to deliver us exile! ”. In evening, the gloss is presented inside the synagog and of the Bougie S are lit on the 5 lines. The Jews of Jerba, as well as of the foreign pilgrims, mix inside the synagog. It is also the only occasion where there is no separation between men and women. In the Years 1990 and 2000, the majority of the pilgrims come from abroad.

According to another local habit, the women deposit eggs marked of the name of an unmarried young girl on a vault marking the place where, according to the tradition, the body of the young girl would have been found. The egg, left close to a candle for the duration of the festival, is then turned over to the single person who, after having eaten it, would be sure to find a groom.

Synagog of Ghriba

History

Building

Management

Pilgrimage

Attack