|
HARISSA.COM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HARISSA FOUNDATION SO THAT OUR PAST MAY HAVE A FUTURE Harissa Foundation has been recognized as an organization described in section 501 (c) (3) by the Internal Revenue Service.
More
than one million Jews lived in North Africa until the middle of the
20th century and today, only a handful remain there. The refugees, who
had to leave abruptly in the mid-50’ s, are scattered throughout the
world (US, Canada, France and Israel) and their distinctive culture,
customs, language and foods, the deepest elements of their identity,
what they have spent millenaries acquiring and passing on, are in
danger of vanishing forever. The
objective of Harissa Foundation is to raise money to support
initiatives related to gathering and nurturing of this Jewish
North-African culture and assist members of its communities. The
Jewish North African culture dates as far back as the destruction of
the first Jerusalem Temple 2500 years ago when it is said that one of
the Temple doors was carried by fleeting Priests and was embedded in a
synagogue in Jerba.
Later,
Hebrew tribesmen came along with the Phoenicians and lived peacefully
among the local Berbers for many centuries before the Arab invasion in
the 7th century CE. These Jews were later joined by Jews from Spain
and Portugal who were fleeing the inquisition and followed in the 17th
century by an important contingent of Jews from Italy.
After
WWII, Arab nationalist forces fought for power and the three
countries, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco gained independence from
France.
For
the Jews of North-Africa, that was the beginning of the end.
With
the emergence of the state of Israel, which was viewed as an offense
to the Arab world and with their own nationalistic agenda, the new
Arab regimes grew more hostile to their Jewish minorities by enacting
targeted laws and leaving free reins to small activist groups.
These
tragic events triggered a large exodus.
Today,
two to three generations can look back on their Jewish North African
ancestry and are eager to learn everything about their secular and
religious traditions and customs, but are lacking the community
support that safeguards the values of the heritage they received from
their parents and grandparents. This
rich culture was transmitted from generation to generation and kept
alive for 2000 years, despite the different ordeals that they had to
suffer under multiple invaders. There
is an urgent need for gathering and preserving this rich heritage
through communication and exchanges of ideas, comments, memories,
historical documents, pictures, audio and video documents and so on.
The witnesses of these times are not going to be with us much longer
and if nothing is done to collect their testimonies, the inheritance
would be lost forever. Harissa
Foundation aims to address this challenge by gathering all relevant
information on Jewish North African culture, referencing it, enriching
it and offering it through popular community websites ( http://harissa.com
, http://zlabia.com , http://dafina.net
,) as well as by creating public events and celebrations. These
initiatives will serve as the springboard for these communities to
re-discover, enjoy and practice their own customs for the next
generations to come. I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
Participation - Many Possibilities
I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
Harissa Foundation is first and foremost located on the web. Activities and offices are planned in the USA, France, Israel and anywhere else harissians wish to create it. I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
Harissa Foundation is open to all who wish to help us accomplish the defined tasks. Our goal is to inform people about our culture, keep in touch with all members, meet and exchange in a friendly and leisurely atmosphere. I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
A board of directors is already in place with specific functions assigned to prominent members. The board welcomes your participation (Click here to tell us what you can do). A "Board of Trustees" is as well constituted, which would act as a council of sages and professionals wishing to bring their expertise to the Foundation. Click here to contact us. Thank you. I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE
Confidentiality and Responsibility
I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE Contact Us |
