“A Jewish Childhood in the Muslim Mediterranean” is a compelling collection of thirty-four essays and stories that illuminates the oft-overlooked experiences of Jews in Muslim-majority countries. From the streets of Morocco to the shores of Turkey, this poignant collection offers readers a rare — and personal — glimpse into the vanished world of nearly one million Jews, who once found a home in countries where Islam was the dominant religion. Prompted by French Algerian novelist Leïla Sebbar to reflect on their childhoods, each author tackles questions of belonging and memory, of childhoods long gone and worlds mostly lost. Despite these shared themes, which include the dynamics of the Jewish experience in Muslim-majority countries under French imperial rule, each essay stands as a testament to individuality. They caution against collapsing the history of Jews from the Arab world into a monolithic, simplistic, or moralistic memory tale. A Jewish Childhood in the Muslim Mediterranean is a vital contribution to our understanding of memory, belonging, identity, and the diverse Jewish experience in the region. Mirroring the broader historical reality of Jewish displacement and exodus, and underscoring the urgency of preserving these forgotten memories, only one of the thirty-four authors still resides in her country of birth. The original version of the book, published in French in 2012, was awarded the Prix Haïm Zafrani, a prize given by the Elie Wiesel Institute of Jewish Studies to a literary project that centers Jewish civilization in the Muslim world.” Judges’ remarks; finalist, National Jewish Book Award, 2023.
REVIEWS AND RELATED MATERIALS
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- For a discussion of A Jewish Childhood in the Muslim Mediterranean, view co-editors Lia Brozgal and Rebecca Glasberg (Stanford) in conversation with Jill Jarvis (Yale). Event sponsored by UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies.
- Entire volume available in open-access format via UC Press’s Luminos Platform
- Reviewed in French Studies and Sephardic Horizons