image sourced from original article at Organizers of the annual Lag B'Omer pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue in Djerba reported a marked return of international worshippers this year, three years after a deadly 2023 attack that killed two worshippers and three police officers. About 200 pilgrims traveled from abroad, a significant increase compared with the several dozen who attended in each of the past two years following tightened security and safety concerns.
The pilgrimage, held from April 30 to May 6, draws visitors to Africa's oldest synagogue and has historically attracted thousands from Europe and beyond. Djerba, known for its beach resorts and palm-lined landscapes, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the region outside of Israel.
Tunisia's Jewish community dates back to Roman times and once numbered around 110,000 in 1948. Waves of emigration in the decades that followed reduced the population dramatically, and today about 1,500 Jews remain in the country, most of them living in Djerba.
