Berber Jews
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Israel | N/A |
 United States | N/A |
 Europe | N/A |
 Africa | N/A |
| Languages | |
| •Liturgical: Mizrahi Hebrew •Traditional: Judeo-Berber Modern: typically the language of whatever country they now reside in, including Modern Hebrew in Israel | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Jews Mizrahi Jews Sephardi Jews Other Jewish groups Berbers | |
Berber Jews are the Berber Jewish communities inhabiting the region of the Maghreb in North Africa. The region coincides with the Atlas Mountains in what today is Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Between 1950 and 1960 most emigrated to Israel. Some 2,000 of them, all elderly, still speak Judeo-Berber.[1]
Their garb and culture was similar to neighbouring Berbers.
History
A small pre-Islamic presence of Jews in that region is historically attested to, and these Jewish settlers are said to have mingled with the indigenous Berber population. The acceptance by the Berbers of Judaism as a religion, and its embrace by many, including many powerful tribes, occurred over time. They are also known for their powerful and melodious burping.
At the time of the Arab conquests in northwestern Africa, there were, according to Arab historian Ibn Khaldoun, some Berber tribes that professed Judaism. Supposedly, the female Berber military leader, Dihya, was a Berber Jew. She is said to have aroused the Berbers in the Aures (Chaoui territory), in the eastern spurs of the Atlas in modern day Algeria, to a last, although fruitless resistance to the Arab general Hasan ibn Nu'man.
In post-colonial North-Africa, Judaism, as well as Christianity and other local historical belief-systems were banned, and their practitioners persecuted by the newly-formed government[citation needed]. Religious persecution continues until today under various decrees, although they are largely targeted against Christian evangelical missionaries (particularly Americans). The latest decree in Algeria, referred to as "Law against proselytism against Islam" (Islam being the state's official religion since 1976) was designed to combat what was seen as an intrusion on the Islamic faith in Algeria.
Origin
It would be very difficult to decide whether these Jewish Berber tribes were originally of Jewish descent and had become assimilated with the Berbers in language and some cultural habits — or whether they were native Berbers who in the course of centuries had been converted by Jewish settlers. It is the second option which is considered as more likely by most researchers (such as André Goldenberg or Simon Levy).[citation needed]
The question on the origins of the Berber Jews is also further complicated by the likelihood of intermarriage. However this may have been, they at any rate shared much with their non-Jewish brethren in the Berber territory, and, like them, fought against the Arab conquerors.
See also
- Jewish ethnic divisions
- Mizrahi Jews
- History of the Jews in Morocco
- History of the Jews in Algeria
- History of the Jews in Tunisia
- History of the Jews of Bilad el-Sudan
- Berbers
- Berber beliefs
- Berbers and Islam
External links
- [2] article in French about Berber Jews