The Algerian Jewish community was among the most ancient in the world, dating back to the era of the Roman Empire. Hundreds of years later, Algeria became the new home of many Spanish Jews fleeing the inquisition.
Algeria became occupied by France in 1830. By 1870, Algerian Jews were granted French citizenship and were integrated in Algerian society.
In 1934, a pogrom broke out in the city of Constantine. Inspired by the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany, the violence left 25 Jews and dead and many injured.
In 1940, Algeria came under the rule of the Nazi-puppet Vichy regime. The Jews had their citizenship revoked, had their property confiscated and were targets of laws segregating them from social life. Up until the Allied liberation of Algeria in 1942, the Jews took active part in the local resistance movement.
There were approximately 140,000 Jews in Algeria by 1955. When Algeria gained independence from France in 1962, the government began passing anti-Jewish legislation.
Jews faced increased persecution and soon became stripped of political and economic rights. Synagogues were confiscated and turned into mosques. In 1963, a law made it impossible for Jews to hold Algerian citizenship. Within a short period of time, nearly all of the Algerian Jewish community fled to France and Israel.
In 1994, the terrorist organization Armed Islamic Group, notorious for its massacres of Algerian civilians, stated their intention to eradicate Algeria of all Jews. Soon after, most of the remaining Jews left Algeria and the last working synagogue was abandoned.
Today, there are very few Jews left in Algeria.
