Juifs et musulmans en Algérie

By Lucette Valensi

Book Description

This profound historical exploration examines the centuries-long relationship between Jewish and Muslim communities in Algeria, offering valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand interfaith coexistence and spiritual community dynamics. Lucette Valensi traces a remarkable journey from the arrival of Islam through Algeria's independence in 1962, revealing how two distinct religious communities navigated shared challenges and transformations across nearly a millennium.

The narrative unfolds through pivotal moments that shaped both communities: the early Islamic period, medieval dynastic competitions, integration into the Ottoman Empire, French colonization beginning in 1830, and the complex effects of the Crémieux Decree of 1870. Valensi examines how these communities weathered the anti-Jewish laws of the Vichy regime and the Algerian War, ultimately witnessing the end of a shared chapter in 1962 when most of Algeria's 130,000 Jews, once spread across 250 communities, departed alongside the French.

Through this lens of coexistence and separation, readers discover profound lessons about resilience, adaptation, and the forces that both unite and divide spiritual communities. The work illuminates how religious groups can maintain their distinct identities while participating in larger historical movements, offering contemporary readers valuable perspectives on interfaith understanding and the delicate balance between tradition and change in spiritual communities.