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.

Statement of Purpose

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.comhttp://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.

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Activities

  • Continue to gather and preserve all elements of our culture. Already more than 157.000 pages of documents, 45.000 photos and hundreds of audio and video documents are offered on the web sites. 
  • Organize cultural events, art shows, expositions, conferences, cultural and religious celebrations. 
  • Create a social service to help members of the community.

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Participation - Many Possibilities

  1. BENEFACTOR The equivalent of a Gardian Angel. Becomes automatically a member of the Board of Directors. Click here.
  2. SPONSOR Sponsor a section or an event and receive in exchange advertising banners on all our sites. Click here.
  3. FOUNDER Participation to the Board of Trustees, in charge of a commitee and its decisions. Click here.
  4. CONTRIBUTOR Multiple forms of contribution are possible. Click here.
  5. ACTIVE MEMBER Harissian(e) par excellence. Click here. You will receive a prestigious email address @harissa.com and you will be able to consult your mail from any computer anywhere in the world. 

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Location

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.

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Who may participate?

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.

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Organization

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.

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Confidentiality and Responsibility

  • We will never share your personal information with anyone without your permission and we will never bother you with repetitive emails. 
  • By registering to join our effort, you promise to act on behalf of the Foundation and its defined goals. 
  • Harissa Foundation reserves the right to refuse anyone's participation without having to give a reason.

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I WISH TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION ONLINE

Contact Us

foundation@harissa.com