A Rabbinical Critique of Colonial Space-Time in Algeria

Abstract This article examines the Jewish experience in French colonial Algeria through a 1934 text by Rabbi Yosef Messas. Written during his tenure in Tlemcen, the text offers a rare, first-hand account of how colonial structures disrupted the temporal and spatial fabric of traditional Maghrebi Jewish life. Additionally, the paper delves into the convergences and divergences between the experiences of Muslims and Jews under French colonialism. Through Messas’s text, this paper contributes to reshaping narratives surrounding native Jews’ interactions with colonial policies, fostering a deeper understanding of colonialism’s intricate effects. It also identifies instances where sociological minority groups, such as Jews and women, intersect. Ultimately, the paper portrays Algerian Jews as both colonized and peripheral within the society shaped by colonial forces, a status shaped by distinct colonial encounters and varying social positions.