Hundreds of pilgrims flocked on Wednesday to the Ghriba synagogue on the Mediterranean island of Djerba where one of the last Jewish communities in the Arab world is still living there and seize the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the oldest synagogue to voice their wish for blessing.

After the internal focus on the Jewish experience of the Exodus, Mimouna celebrations were community affairs with families opening the doors to friends and neighbors.

This Tunisian fish dish is perfect for Rosh Hashanah, or any dinner party

The magic here and magically transported me to a place of rare beauty, the Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, the oldest synagogue in North Africa, it is said.

What is the best way to usher in the Passover season? Not with handwringing and housecleaning, but with celebration, blessing and sweet joy!

In the lively Tunisian Jewish community of the late 1930s, religious and secular Jews lived side by side, as did French-speakers and Arabic-speakers, Zionists and holders of French citizenship.

Here, in the heart of the Muslim world, the crowds were speaking Arabic. The band was Arab too, playing boisterous Arabic melodies. But the revelers were Orthodox Jews—as devout as they come.