Jews of Algeria: French, Indigenous, or both?

Thursday, June 1

USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET

UK 8:00 pm / France 09:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

About this talk

Join us for an overview of the history of Jews of Algeria before, during, and after the French presence there.

Sixty years have passed since the mass exodus of 130,000 Jews from Algeria. Of the 850,000 who fled Arab countries, the Jews of Algeria were unusual: they held French nationality, although the community was indigenous.

In recent years, many former Algerian Jews have spoken out about their mid-century exclusion from their generational homes. Was there something inherently antisemitic about Muslim culture in Algeria? Or were Jews and Muslims part of a shared brotherhood, who were divided by the French colonial government?

In this talk, we will discuss some of these issues while learning about the unique history and culture of the Algerian Jews.

About Jessica

Dr. Jessica Hammerman is an associate professor of world history at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon. She has published several chapters and articles featuring her research on the history of Algerian Jews before and since French decolonization.

Choose your contribution amount

With your contribution, you will also be donating to Diarna (דיארנא ديارنا "Our homes" in Judeo-Arabic): The Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life, working to digitally preserve the physical remnants of Jewish history throughout the region.

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