Israelite Daycare

The Garderie Israélite was a philanthropic organisation founded in 1912 that aimed to improve the lives of disadvantaged Jewish children in the city. The building was designed by Jewish architect Victor Valensi in 1938. In the mid-twentieth century, the nursery of the Garderie Israelite was the largest Jewish nursery in Tunis. The organisation was especially active after the Second World War. Its leadership was made up of upper-class Jewish women who became volunteer activists, devoting time and resources to Jewish social service. Two of its most notable presidents were Mme Mathilde Bessis (née Valensi) and Mme Clara Smadja (née Afriat). In the 1950s and 1960s the Garderie Israelite was supported by the American Joint Distribution Committee for Jewish youth.