JEWISH HERITAGE JOURNEY – Memorable Morocco

JEWS IN

MOROCCO

With its mountains and desert, beach resorts and Berber villages, Morocco is a feast for travelers of all kinds, including those who want to explore the kingdom’s deep Jewish culture. The presence of Jews in Morocco stretches back more than 2,000 years.by the 1st century AD. They accompanied the Phoenicians on their trade expeditions across Europe. Jews also joined the various waves of Muslims who escaped persecution during Christian contests of Southern Spain in 1492.Since the Arabic-Islamic colonization Morocco from the 7th century Muslims and Jews have coexisted peacefully together, including Jewish Berber communities that were already well established in Morocco included farmers, metalworkers, dyers, glassblowers and bookbinders.

The Rise of

Mellahs

Under the Saadians, Jewish communities also took up crucial roles as dealers of the hottest Moroccan commodities of the time: salt and sugar. While European Jewish communities faces the Inquisition, forced conversions and summary executions, the comparatively tolerant Saadian dynasty provided Jewish with some security, setting

Before the founding of Israel in 1948, estimates put their number as high as about 275,000, which was considered the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world.

Today, after vast waves of departures over the years, only about 2,000 Jews remain in Casablanca and about 500 elsewhere in Morocco, but the Jewish presence is still alive in a variety of sights. The Museum of Moroccan Judaism in suburban Casablanca, for instance, is the only museum on Judaism in the Arab world.

Jews of Moroccan descent around the globe, return to the Moroccan kingdom often and some maintain second homes in familial regions. Most cities have a Mellah, which is an old Jewish quarter, along with Jewish cemeteries and synagogues.

After all, this Jewish Journey Heritage experience will be one of the most unique journeys of your life and we want you to enjoy it in the most interesting way possible. We didn’t mention any itinerary here, because any Morocco tour can be different regarding your request.