A Cultural Journey Through Time

Culture

The Traditions of the Jews of Libya

Libyan Jewish culture grew from the meeting of North African, Ottoman, and Italian worlds. Families spoke the Judeo Arabic of Tripoli and, by the twentieth century, Italian. In small towns and in the mountains, Jews lived side by side with Muslim and Berber neighbors.

Food is at the heart of Libyan Jewish life. Mafrum, potatoes stuffed with meat; chraime, fish in a spicy red sauce; and couscous on Friday nights are still served in Libyan Jewish homes from Rome to Israel.

Since the community left Libya, Libyan Jews in Israel and Italy have kept their traditions alive, and JIMENA, cofounded by Libyan born Gina Bublil Waldman, shares their story through oral histories and education.

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