AA/Djerba (Tunisia)
Hundreds of Jewish pilgrims from all over the world flocked to the Ghriba synagogue on Wednesday, on the island of Djerba (governorate of Medenine), a seaside resort located in southeastern Tunisia, to pray, light candles and singing, among other rituals of this annual Jewish procession.
The caretaker, Khodeir Hannah, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that until this followingnoon nearly 2,000 visitors have arrived at the small, tile-covered synagogue with columns painted white and blue.
Nearly 4,000 pilgrims from fifteen countries are expected for this unmissable religious event.
The Ghriba pilgrimage is at the heart of the traditions of Tunisians of the Jewish faith, of whom there are only 1,500, mostly settled in Djerba.
Albert, a 60-year-old French Jew, told AA: “My visit to the Ghriba synagogue represents something very important for me (…) last year I might not come, but this year I wanted to be there”.
During the first day, pilgrims perform several rituals in the left side of the synagogue, lighting candles and writing their wishes on eggs.
In the right part of the oldest synagogue in Africa, ceremonies take place, marked by ululations and songs.
The start of the Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba was given in the presence of the head of government, Najla Bouden, the president of the association of the Ghriba and head of the Jewish community of Djerba, Perez Trabelsi and the former – Minister of Tourism, René Trabelsi, indicates a press release from the Presidency of the Government.
On this occasion, Bouden inspected the security system put in place to protect this 2,400-year-old site and declared: “The Jewish pilgrimage to the Ghriba is a major and ancient religious event which demonstrates that Tunisia remains a land of peace, tolerance, openness and coexistence”.
For his part, Perez Trabelsi expressed his “thanks to the Tunisian authorities who have deployed all means to guarantee the success of this important event”.
“The large crowd at the Jewish pilgrimage heralds a promising tourist season,” added the head of the Jewish community of Djerba.
*Translated from Arabic by Majdi Ismail
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