Hanukkah in North Africa: History and Custom

In "Hanukkah in North Africa: History and Custom," Eli Mercer presents a regional history of Jewish communities across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, examining their observance of Hanukkah within diverse political, linguistic, commercial, and religious contexts. This study explores both urban and rural variations in practice, including synagogue networks, household lamps, traditional foods, women’s customs, educational practices, and the impact of colonial transformations, wartime disruptions, and subsequent migrations. The author analyzes shared characteristics while acknowledging distinctions between communities and across centuries, utilizing a range of sources such as Arabic, Judeo-Arabic, Spanish, French, Italian, and Hebrew texts, alongside photographs, artifacts, memoirs, and oral histories. The book distinguishes between historical reconstruction of the Maccabean revolt and the traditional oil narrative found in the Babylonian Talmud, and places the Al HaNissim prayer within its liturgical setting. Mystical practices are identified by their specific community origins rather than being presented as uniform Halakha.

The volume details how various forms of evidence support historical claims and addresses instances where memories diverge. Later sections trace the journeys of North African Jews to Israel, France, the Americas, and other regions, investigating the preservation, standardization, or re-emphasis of recipes, songs, and lamps. Rather than offering a singular "North African Hanukkah" as an alternative, this work aims to restore multiple communities to their specific landscapes and historical trajectories. This book offers a factual and informative account, suitable for readers interested in history, religion, spirituality, and reference materials concerning Jewish cultural heritage and the history of Jewish communities.