TUNISIAN JEWS With a history that goes back over 2,500 years in Tunisia, the Jews in this country have had a very bumpy ride. Yet, despite their shaky past, a glimmer of hope shines for peaceful relations, a model for other communities to follow, on the island of Djotba. show Jewish communal life going back at least 2,500 years, and Tunisia is mentioned several times in the Talmud, the ancient book of Jewish law. It is clear that Jews have been in Tunisia for a long time. However, over the centuries, the Tunisian Jews have faced various periods of prosperity and social equality as well as periods of persecution and oppression. With a parade of conquerors and invaders, the Jews found themselves at different points in their history under Roman, Arab, French, and Ottoman rule, among others. At tho most prosperous period for the Tunisian Jews, they enjoyed some equality and even helped to bring wealth to the country. finding themselves adept at trade and ‘commerce. At their lowest points in their history, they were persecuted, forced to convert, and segregated from the general population. The Jewish community reached the height of its population in Tunisia with over 100,000 Jews living in the country after World War Il. However, by 1967, the population had decreased to an estimated 20,000 - 23,000. By 1990, the population was around 9,000, and as of 2006, the population had shrunk to an estimated 1,500 people. Even so, Judaism is the third largest religion in the country, with an estimated 99% of the population being Muslim. The shrinking population of the Jewish people Is due to thousands of Jews leaving the country for France and Israel, perhaps due to rising tensions towards Jows in Tunisia. Yet, among the tensions that many Tunisian Jews may face, there remains hope for peaceful relations. The majority of the Tunisian Jews live in either Tunis or the on the island of Djorba, in apparent harmony with their Muslim neighbors. Djorba is, be the oldest Jewish settlement in the world.Awalk through Djorba’s Hara Kebira, the “large villago,” lots the visitor have a look at the past. Blue doors and windows mark the homes of the Jewish residents, many with a menorah or blue fish painted on the white walls. Here, the residents live and work side by side, Muslims and Jews alike. Residents say it has been this way for a long time. It is what they know. Even though the Muslim population exceeds that of the Jewish population, in Djerba, traditions of both cultures thrive. Jews are able to practice their religion and even have several synagogues, schools, and a cemetery. Here the Jews are traditional and conservative. Children leam Hebrew in school. Yet, in Djerba, the Jews have embraced the Arabic culture. They are taught the Torah in Arabic and ‘even speak Arabic, not Hobrow, at home. Every spring, the festival of Ghriba, meaning “strange” or ‘marvelous’, takes place on the island of Djerba. A Jewish celebration that attracts hundreds of pilgrims each year, it is significant to remember that this festival takes place in a predominantly Muslim country. Many view this festival as an example of the spirit of cooperation and harmony, demonstrating that pooplo of differont religions can accept each other. On April 41, 2002, the island of Djerba suffered an attack of aggression that would challenge its foundations of peace and harmony. An explosion outside the synagogue of Ghriba shocked the world, and the residents of the peaceful ‘community. However, residents of Djerba as welll as its visitors remain hopeful that, despite the bombing, Djerba will serve as an example to the world as a place where Muslims and Jews live and work side by side, in peace.