150,000 Muslims and a thousand Jews make up the population of the island of Djerba, off the Tunisian coast. It is one of the last Jewish communities in the Arab world.

If you take a stroll through the countless alleys and narrow lanes, you will see names written in Hebrew, identifying the goldsmith traders. Internationally acclaimed jewellers like Youssef Gamoun still follow this age-old tradition.

El Ghriba is without doubt one of the most significant and most visited synagogues in Africa. It is presented as ‘the ante-chamber to Jerusalem’, because it is said to contain the remains of Solomon's Temple. It is also the site of an annual pilgrimage on the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer. From one of the pilgrims, Ruth Davis, an English ethnomusicologist, we discover the many rituals that are performed in the synagogue, mostly by women seeking health and fertility.

Documentary: Wonders of Men – Episode 15: Tunisia, El Ghriba Synagogue (2016)
Direction: Celia Lowenstein & Lysiane Mercier
Production: ZED

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