Jerusalem of the West
Encyclopedia
Jerusalem of the West was a term sometimes used to describe a place where Jews
had settled in Europe or Northern Africa.
was commonly associated with the term and was called Jeruzalem van het Westen in Dutch. Jews settled there in the 17th-century and in 1672, there were and estimated 7,500 Jews living in the city. Holland had a reputation of hospitality and tolerance which was rare in Europe at the time. It was "the first city in Europe where Jews were free from persecution and where they enjoyed religious liberty, ample economic opportunities and social equality." The epithet signalled that the Jews felt comfortable in the city.
In Northern Africa, Tlemcen
in Algeria
was called "Jerusalem of the West". In the 15th-century, the town was considered a major Jewish spiritual centre. André Chouraqui
believed that there was a genuine geographical correspondence between the town and Jerusalem. He wrote: "We were living our dream in the midst of the beautiful countryside of the Maghreb
. Tlemcen...resembles the city of David in altitude, climate, fauna and flora, to such an extent that we called in the Jerusalem of the Maghreb."
Other towns given the appellation include: Toledo
, Vilna and Antwerp. Many others towns in northern Africa were also called symbolically after Jerusalem: Ghardaia
, Mzab (Second Jerusalem), Djerba
, Tunisia
(Ante-chamber of Jerusalem, Jerusalem of Africa), Ifrane
, Morocco
(Little Jerusalem).
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
had settled in Europe or Northern Africa.
Applications
In Europe, AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
was commonly associated with the term and was called Jeruzalem van het Westen in Dutch. Jews settled there in the 17th-century and in 1672, there were and estimated 7,500 Jews living in the city. Holland had a reputation of hospitality and tolerance which was rare in Europe at the time. It was "the first city in Europe where Jews were free from persecution and where they enjoyed religious liberty, ample economic opportunities and social equality." The epithet signalled that the Jews felt comfortable in the city.
In Northern Africa, Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
was called "Jerusalem of the West". In the 15th-century, the town was considered a major Jewish spiritual centre. André Chouraqui
André Chouraqui
Nathan André Chouraqui was a French lawyer, writer, scholar and politician.Chouraqui was born in Aïn Témouchent, Algeria...
believed that there was a genuine geographical correspondence between the town and Jerusalem. He wrote: "We were living our dream in the midst of the beautiful countryside of the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
. Tlemcen...resembles the city of David in altitude, climate, fauna and flora, to such an extent that we called in the Jerusalem of the Maghreb."
Other towns given the appellation include: Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, Vilna and Antwerp. Many others towns in northern Africa were also called symbolically after Jerusalem: Ghardaia
Ghardaïa
Ghardaïa is the capital city of Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. The commune of Ghardaïa has a population of 104,645, with 82,500 in the main city according to 2005 estimates. It is located in northern-central Algeria in the Sahara Desert and lies along the left bank of the Wadi Mzab...
, Mzab (Second Jerusalem), Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(Ante-chamber of Jerusalem, Jerusalem of Africa), Ifrane
Ifrane
Ifrane [p] is a town and ski resort in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco .Ifrane is 1665 metres in altitude and is part of the Meknès-Tafilalet region...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(Little Jerusalem).
See also
- Nowa JerozolimaNowa JerozolimaNowa Jerozolima was a name of a small village erected in the western part of what is now the city of Warsaw for the Jewish settlers in Mazovia. Built by August Sułkowski, the village was liquidated shortly after its foundation and most of the Jews eventually moved to the city itself...
, a small village established in 1774 for Jewish settlers in Mazovia, Poland. - MokumMokumMokum is the Yiddish word for "place" or "safe haven". It is similar to the Hebrew word makom , from which it is derived. In Yiddish the names of some cities in the Netherlands and Germany were shortened to Mokum and had the first letter of the name of the city, transliterated into the Hebrew...
, Yiddish word meaning "safe haven", given to a number of towns in Holland and Germany.