Learning the Stories over Tea

Brief History Lesson...
The importance that Jews once played in the country is not readily apparent. Much of Jewish Morocco is hidden from view, but with a trip to a local silversmith artist just outside of the Todra Gorge, we gained a first-hand understanding of not only the rich artistic trade of silver craftsmanship that the Jews taught to the Moroccans, but also the fascinating role of Jews in Moroccan society. In short, the Jews and Arabs lived a symbiotic existence until the middle of the twentieth century. Moroccan kings protected the Jews from harm and helped some of them develop the wealth that sustained the monarchy for many years. Today, no more than 5,000 Jews remain, compared to 300,000 in 1950. And from what this particular artist told us, it's his understanding that all the Jews have left Morocco.

Diving into more depth...
The symbiotic but occasionally tense relationships with Muslim Arabs and Berbers were destabilized by colonial powers beginning in the mid-19th century. Increasing control by colonial powers and popular resistance to colonization prevented Moroccan Sultans from protecting Jewish communities. In forcing Morocco to become a protectorate in 1912, France justified its intervention partially on claims by non-Moroccan Jewish organizations that Moroccan Jews were being mistreated.

France encouraged the secularization of Moroccan Jews and their identification with the colonial powers. To strengthen French control over the country, French administrators purposefully created divisions between Jews and Muslims. Morocco’s experience under Vichy France from 1940-1942 convinced Jews that the Sultan could not protect them, even if he wanted to.

By the end of WWII, a large percentage of Jews were living in poverty, leading many to migrate to overcrowded urban mellahs from rural towns.

Nationalist solidarity with Arabs resisting the establishment of Israel, and French incitement of anti-Semitism created antagonism between Jews and Muslims. Jews felt a sense of alienation when Nationalists discouraged them from joining the struggle for independence. Zionist groups exacerbated feelings of insecurity among Moroccan Jews. They argued that life would be better for them in Israel. Non-Israeli Jewish organizations facilitated emigration, both directly and indirectly. Upon independence in 1956, under pressure from the World Jewish community, Morocco granted the Jews full citizenship, but prohibited them from communicating with Israelis or emigrating to Israel. Israel’s Six-Day War in 1967 and Muslim solidarity with Arabs panicked many Moroccan Jews. By this time, the remaining Moroccan Jews had adequate resources to emigrate to Canada, Europe, Latin America and the US. They emigrated despite their inability to take most of their savings and assets with them.