Ceuta and Melilla: Europe's most fortified border also serves as a Jewish religious boundary

Every year, Rabbi Aaron Peretz climbs into a Spanish Civil Guard patrol vehicle and drives along the 12-kilometer steel fence separating the Spanish city of Melilla from Morocco. For most people, the barrier is a symbol of European border control, but for Peretz, it serves a different purpose. As the city's Jewish community leader, he checks that the security fence remains intact, fulfilling a religious requirement known as an "eruv."

This halachic boundary allows Jews to carry objects on Shabbat, and in Melilla, the fence already provides this function, eliminating the need for additional construction.

While the fence's primary function is security, it has also become part of Melilla's Jewish religious life. This unique situation is not unique to Melilla; Ceuta, another Spanish city on the African continent, faces a similar challenge. Last week, Ceuta experienced a significant crisis when thousands of Moroccan nationals broke into Spanish territory, highlighted the vulnerability of these strategic border cities.

Melilla, home to one of Spain's most vibrant Jewish communities outside of Madrid and Barcelona, has a rich history of multicultural coexistence. The city's Or Zaruah Synagogue, a stunning Neo-Mudéjar style structure completed in 1925, remains an active center of Jewish life. Founded in the 19th century by Moroccan Jews who settled in Melilla following the Hispano-Moroccan War, the community has endured through various challenges, including the Egoz tragedy in 1961, which resulted in the death of 44 Jewish passengers aboard a clandestine vessel.

Despite Spain's sovereignty over Melilla and Ceuta, both cities have been the focus of international attention due to their disputed sovereignty by Morocco. Since 1497, Melilla has been a part of Spain, while Ceuta's ties to Spain date back several decades earlier. Spain maintains that both cities have been Spanish for centuries before Morocco gained independence in 1956.

The recent crisis at Ceuta's border, though primarily a migration emergency, has raised concerns among the local population. Some residents believe that Moroccan authorities were aware of the impending invasion, while the Spanish government maintains that Morocco was not involved. Regardless of the cause, the crisis has altered perceptions of Ceuta and Melilla, shifting the focus from merely a migration issue to a broader concern about Spain's security and sovereignty on its African frontier.