Jews in Tunisia Assured by Government of Interest in Their Problems

Assurance of the concern of the Tunisian Government for the religious and cultural life of Tunisian Jewry was given to a delegation of Jewish communal representatives by Tunisian Vice President Bahi Ladgham, it was reported here today from Tunis.

The delegation discussed with the Vice President various problems pertaining to Jewish communal institutions and left a memorandum with him outlining these problems. They were impressed with the friendly attitude he showed during the discussion.

The leaders of the Jewish community in Tunis are expected to convene a territorial congress in the near future at which the problems confronting local Jewry in each town are to be reported and analyzed. Such a congress used to be convened each year, but it did not take place last year for various reasons. A major reason was the reorganization of the communities subsequent to the new status which was accorded to them by Government decree.

The coming congress will occupy itself with rabbinical appointments, youth movements religious education and the problem of mixed marriages. Meanwhile, Radio Tunis was reported here today as conducting a series of broadcasts on the integration of the Jewish population in the “Tunisian nation.” The series included interviews with leading personalities in several communities. Prominence is given in these interviews to the new form of organizations of the Jewish communities as well as to the assistance rendered to them by the Tunisian Government.

A number of Jewish families who during recent years emigrated from Tunisia to France have returned to Tunis in the last few weeks. Their return is ascribed to failure to establish themselves in the French economy. Very few Jewish families have left for France during the first part of the current year, whereas last year during the same period their number was in the hundreds.