The historical narratives embedded in a curriculum have power. They have the power to foster curiosity and nuanced thinking about individuals, groups and institutions. They have the power to inspire students to connect disparate narrative threads in history to the present. They have the power to cultivate belonging and to humanize people across lines of difference.

The inverse of this is that leaving certain narratives out of our curricula can suppress different voices, ostracize people and reinforce preconceived notions about history instead of broadening our perspective and deepening our knowledge. 

From a 1919 postcard featuring a photograph of a Moroccan Jewish woman. getarchive[dot]net

“The Holocaust and Jewish Communities in Wartime North Africa,” a series of lessons created by Facing History & Ourselves, brings to light historical narratives of Jews of North Africa and explores the impacts of the Holocaust on the Jewish communities of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. These lessons seek to channel the power of historical narratives to add nuance to understandings of diversity within what it means to be Jewish and to invite reflection on the range of choices people can make in the face of attacks on human dignity.

Glimpses into the narratives embedded in the lessons convey what is at stake in bringing this history to students today. 

Understanding the diversity in the context of what it means to be Jewish 

The diversity within the Jewish world spans thousands of years of history and extends throughout the globe. There is no definitive way to be Jewish, to look Jewish, to sound Jewish, to practice Judaism and so on. Nevertheless, some stories of what it means to be Jewish are told more often than others, with a modern historical bias towards narratives from Eastern Europe. This phenomenon is evident in K-12 curricula in the United States, and it can lead to a limited view of the diversity and complexity of Jewish identity. 

In disseminating lessons on Jewish communities of North Africa, Facing History and Ourselves takes a step towards addressing the reality of missing narratives by lifting up voices of North African Jews from before World War II and pointing to the complex history of Judaism across the region often referred to as the Maghreb. This Jewish history originates in pre-Islamic times, with some evidence of Jewish communities in the region dating back more than 2000 years. And yet, in an interview with Facing History, UCLA Professor Sarah Abrevaya Stein emphasizes that “we make a mistake if we speak about North African Jewry as a singular phenomenon.” Stein expands on the different historical origins of Jewish communities in the Maghreb before going on to highlight further sources of diversity in terms of geography (urban, rural, coastal, mountain, desert), socio-economic status, proximity to power, language, religious rites, culinary traditions and more.

An introduction to the range of experience and expression of Judaism in North Africa helps students to grapple with the expansiveness of what it means to be Jewish. The impact of this learning is twofold: First, for Jewish students who have roots in North Africa, it can be part of the path to ensuring that they feel seen where they may have previously felt invisible because their heritage was not reflected in the curriculum. Second, for both Jewish and non-Jewish students it can instill curiosity about the incredible diversity of the Jewish world, and this curious mindset can extend to other ways of relating to the complexity of individual identity and group membership. 

In general, the pedagogy of Facing History and Ourselves starts with reflections on identity, and before introducing a historical case study that examines the persecution of a specific group, there is an intentional emphasis on exploring the beauty and diversity of the targeted group. This helps to actively counter stereotypes before engaging in inquiry into dehumanization and the responses to injustice on individual and collective levels. 

A range of lessons on responses to attacks on the human dignity of Jews

The series of lessons includes multiple vivid accounts of resistance to the dehumanization of Jews, conveying the power of both individual and collective action. There are the confident words of a Jewish teenager in Libya who arms her sense of self-worth in response to social denigration and exclusion; a scholarly account of a Jewish collective underground campaign in support of the Allied invasion of Algeria; and diary entries that convey the power of spiritual resistance in labor camps that were set up across the Maghreb. These sources provide windows into the nature of resistance situated in particular contexts in North Africa, but which resonate across time and space. 

On an individual level, there are stories in the lessons that illuminate what it means to arm one’s sense of self-worth in the face of the prejudice and hatred of others. For example, in an essay written in 1939, Marie Abravanel shares her personal response to the antisemitism she faced as a teenager in Libya, describing her experience of dehumanization: 

“In the street, at shows, all these eyes that look at me, do they not reproach me for crimes, do they not seem to banish me from the room, do they not condemn everything about me, down to the way I dress, the way I sit? I feel as if I must no longer go out, as if I must hide at home to examine my thoughts and behavior.” 

Ultimately, her reflection leads her to a place of internal confidence in her Jewishness: 

“Following my initial despondency comes a new drive and hope: I look everyone in the eyes, sure of my innocence, of my right to life… I am no longer afraid, nor am I ashamed of being Jewish, and I glory in it…” 

This affirmation of her sense of dignity and purpose can relate to students across contexts, especially as antisemitism is on the rise. 

The lessons also include the story of Jewish resistance in Algeria, a story of courage and ingenuity that involved supporting the Allies as they moved through North Africa into Europe. In November 1942, Algeria was under the control of Vichy forces allied with the Nazis, and a Jewish underground organization in Algiers played a pivotal role in enabling the Allied forces to take the city without a fight. This success story of Jewish resistance highlights the power of organizing to combat hate, and it can open inquiry into ideas of responsibility and upstander behavior. 

In addition to the history of physical resistance in Algeria, the lessons also include stories of Jewish spiritual resistance in the labor camps set up by Axis powers across North Africa. A clear example can be found in the diary of Jacob André Guez in which he describes his experiences as a prisoner in the Bizerte labor camp in Tunisia while the country was under direct Nazi occupation from November 1942-May 1943. He writes about Jewish inmates in the camp celebrating Purim: “Hope, the immense strength of the Jews, fills our chests. In the midst of captivity, cries of joy rise up towards heaven in memory of our liberation, centuries ago, in memory of the fall of evil men. Even with nothing, the Jews will celebrate Purim!” This description illuminates how Jewish tradition and spirituality offers structure to cultivate hope and resilience in the face of challenging times. 

Overall, integrating these lessons can deepen understanding of diversity within the Jewish world, enable students to see themselves in the curriculum where they might have felt absent, and inspire reflection on choices to stand up to injustice and dehumanization. 

David Rhodes is a program associate on the Jewish education team at Facing History and Ourselves.