This is a portrait of Rabbi Moshe Kalphon HaCohen, a Zionist and leader of the Jewish community in Djerba, Tunisia. The portrait, painted by Lev Ostrovsky from a photograph of the rabbi, shows Rabbi Moshe Kalphon HaCohen with a long, white beard and a black, felt hat.
Born into a rabbinic and priestly family in 1874 on the island of Djerba, Rabbi Kalphon studied and worked as a shochet (ritual slaughterer) and member of the Djerba Beit Din (rabbinical court). He served as the head of the Beit Din from 1935 until his death in 1950. Rabbi HaCohen was known for his modesty and concern for the poor. He refrained from eating meat during the week and refused to benefit from his prominent status in the community. He was a Zionist and a co-founder in 1919 of Atereth Zion, a movement which encouraged aliyah, Hebrew language instruction, and support of the Yishuv. While Rabbi HaCohen wrote prolifically, but only a few works were printed in his lifetime; more were printed after his death, and many remain in manuscript form. One of Rabbi HaCohen’s rulings was that the Jews of Djerba would celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) for three days in a row. Rabbi HaCohen prepared to move to Israel in 1949, but his health deteriorated and prevented him from moving. He died in Djerba in 1950 and was buried there. Fifty-five years later, in 2005, his remains were brought to Israel and were reburied in Jerusalem’s Har Menuchot cemetery.
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Jewish Community of Djerba, Tunisia – The Jewish community of Djerba is considered one of the most ancient in the world. The island has two communities. The community located in the south of the island are, according to tradition, descendants of the Tribe of Zebulun who arrived there during the rule of King Solomon. The other community are descendants of the kohanim (priests) who, it is said, resettled in the island after the destruction of the First Temple. Community tradition holds that eighty percent of the Jewish population of Djerba are kohanim. The Jews of Djerba worked as farmers and artisans such as weavers and goldsmiths. The situation of the Jews worsened with the Muachidin conquest in the twelfth century and again when the Spanish conquered Djerba. In the sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire ruled in the area, and the situation of the Jewish community improved. The Jews became merchants and traded with Italy and Malta. In one of Maimonides’ letters he wrote about the righteousness of the Jews of Djerba, and indeed it became one of the leading communities of North Africa. Djerba also became a leading regional centre for the printing of Jewish books. During the Holocaust, Tunisia was under French Vichy control, and in 1942 the Jews of Djerba were taken to forced labour camps. The Allies liberated Djerba in 1943, a day after the Jewish community had paid a large ransom of gold to the Germans who had threatened to kill them. After the war, there were almost 5,000 Jews living in Djerba. Many moved to Israel and France, and today there are about 1,000 Jews still in Djerba. Despite some anti-Semitic attacks, the Jewish community generally has good ties with their Arab neighbours. On Lag B’Omer, a large celebration is held in Djerba, bringing thousands of Jews to pray in the El Ghriba Synagogue.
