TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Jewish Tunisians who organize an annual pilgrimage to one of the world’s oldest synagogues are planning a scaled-down event next month, citing concerns about security less than a year after a deadly shooting there shook their community. Thousands regularly make the journey to Djerba — the North African island where many of Tunisia’s remaining 1,500 Jews reside — to celebrate the Jewish holiday Lag B’Omer. But this year, the community has decided to limit them to the 26-century-old El-Ghriba synagogue instead of the island-wide events traditionally held. “Those who come to visit are welcome and they can hold religious rituals, light a candle, inside the synagogue,” Perez Trabelsi, the head of the island’s Jewish community, told The Associated Press. The decision comes more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war, which has reverberated throughout the Middle East and North Africa, inciting mass street protests from Morocco to Iraq. In Tunisia, most of the protests have been peaceful but in October, demonstrators desecrated a synagogue in Al-Hammah on the mainland. |
Young Entrepreneurs Turn Fine Art into GenSmall Chinese Town Goes Big with Magic of AnimationAsian Para Games Day 2: China Claims 36 Golds with Tons of New RecordsLife Skills Improve Lives for Those with DisabilitiesVolkswagen invests 2.5B euros to expand innovation hub in ChinaWorld 5G Convention Kicks off in Zhengzhou, C China's HenanImproved Logistics Spur Global Market in 'Double 11' Shopping FestivalChina's HIV Infections, Mortality Rates at Low Level GloballyChina Launches ShenzhouKey Meeting Outlines China's Tasks for 2024 Rural Development