Jewish Communities in French North Africa: Comparing Strategies and Outcomes

The article describes Jewish communities’ stances in relation to Zionist movements in France and in territories administered by France that were primarily populated by Muslims. It considers the actions of North Africa Jews in the Zionist movement, particularly during the Second World War, and how the war influenced Zionism. The Jewish communities in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia had different statuses influenced by and mirrored in the various colonial administrations, local authorities, and populations. Besides, those differences related to their degree of involvement with Zionism, which was anything but homogeneous and ranged from strong support to a lack of interest. Based on material collected from various archives (mainly Yad Vashem and the Central Zionist Archives), the article uses a selection of testimonies that describe the diversity of North African Jewish communities and their different levels of engagement with Zionist activities. In this way, the stories of these actors and witnesses will directly reveal the heterogeneous worlds of Judaism and Zionism in North Africa. The article also confirms the diversity of the French Empire despite the shared concept of assimilation and the impact of the colonial administration, that was organized in different ways depending on the local situation and on social relations in North African societies.