El Ghriba Synagogue

This entry contains information known to us from a variety of sources but may not include all the information currently available. Please be in touch if you notice any inadvertent mistakes in our presentation or have additional knowledge or sources to share. Thank you. In Homer’s Odyssey, a storm blows Ulysses and his ship onto the land of Lotus-Eaters. The people of the island feed the men lotus flowers, causing the crew to forget all thoughts of journeying homeward. Supposedly, this place was Djerba, an island off the coast of mainland Tunisia which Jews have inhabited for 2,600 years [1]. Much like the island itself, the founding of El Ghriba is also tied to legends. El Ghriba Synagogue in the village of Hara Saghira is the most famous synagogue in Tunisia and the most powerful symbol of Djerba’s Jewish population. The current structure was constructed in the late 19th to early 20th century, but the site is believed to have existed for the past 1,900 years. Legends regarding the origins of the synagogue say that its foundational stone and door came from Solomon’s temple. Alternatively, another legend claims that the synagogue was built in honor of the pious woman El Ghriba who died during a fire. Tunisian Jews have for centuries made an annual pilgrimage to the site on the minor Jewish festival of Lag Ba’ Omer [2]. It’s said that the high priest Tzadok and his fellow rabbis fled the destruction of the First Temple to Djerba, bringing with them a stone from the original Temple that was built into El Ghriba [3]. Another legend claims that this synagogue stands where "a holy stone fell from heaven" and shortly afterwards, "a mysterious woman arrived ... to oversee the construction of the synagogue" [5]. Local tradition states that the current synagogue stands in the exact place as the original one built in ancient times. The majority of the current structure was built in the 19th century, with heavy renovations in the 1920s and 1930s [13]. The architecture is well known for its stunning detail and its bright colors indicate Tunisian and Moorish influence [3, 12]. At one point, the synagogue was similar to a mosque in that there was an open prayer area and an enclosed one [12]. However, the open area was enclosed to create a large interior sanctuary. Currently, there are two main halls in the synagogue: the main hypostyle sanctuary for prayer at the center and the kodesh kadashim (holy of holies) near the back [11,13]. The latter is where Torah scrolls are kept, including the world’s oldest handwritten Torah scroll [11,12]. The main prayer hall had 12 windows, "alluding to the Zohar--the principal book of the Kabbala--and symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel" [5]. The main praying hall is also divided into three aisles by two rows of columns [10]. The final column is absent in order to commemorate the destruction of the First Temple [10]. The annual pilgrimage to El Ghriba is “an opportunity for Tunisian Jews to reconnect with their homeland” [16]. Although Jewish pilgrims come from all around the world, most are from Israel and Europe [18]. The influx of pilgrims is especially high during Yom Kippur and Lag B’Omer, a feast that also honors Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai [11,15]. Female pilgrims with hopes for healing, fertility, marriage, children, or luck write their wishes on eggshells [3,7,16]. Afterwards, they go through a "candle-lit crawlspace" and tuck their eggs into the inner sanctuary wall [7,16]. In line with the community’s longstanding history of tolerance and peaceful Jewish-Muslim coexistence, this tradition is open to all and “everyone’s eggs sit side by side in the heart of synagogue” [3,16]. The highlight of Lag B’Omer is when the Grande Menara, a ten-foot, five-tiered candelabrum covered in veils and silk scarves, is paraded through the village [7,17]. The decorative veils are reminiscent of a bride, "signifying the union between the people of Israel and God" [15]. Underneath the fab