DJERBA, Tunisia — This year’s Jewish pilgrimage on Tunisia’s island of Djerba saw a “marked return” of worshippers, organizers said, after two years of scaled-down turnout due to safety concerns.

The annual pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, Africa’s oldest, has in the past drawn thousands of pilgrims from Europe and beyond, attracting international and local tourists as well.

But after a deadly 2023 attack on the synagogue that killed two worshippers and three police officers, fewer pilgrims have been turning out, while officials also placed restrictions on the event.

“This year, there has been a marked return of pilgrims to the island. We estimate that around 200 people have come from abroad,” said Rene Trabelsi, a former tourism minister and co-organizer of the event.

Just several dozen people turned up in each of the past two years.

Djerba, whose palm trees and beach resorts attract flocks of tourists each year, is home to one of the largest........

© The Times of Israel