Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 18 april 2019

Morocco is a trove of Jewish history if you know where to go

By LEANNE ITALIE guese fishing town. It was
Associated Press also a stop for 1960s and
NEW YORK (AP) — With ‘70s rock stars who made
its mountains and desert, pilgrimages to Marrakech.
beach resorts and Berber The town, dating to the
villages, Morocco is a feast 1700s, has a synagogue,
for travelers of all kinds, in- cemetery and mellah, with
cluding those who want plaques indicating build-
to explore the kingdom’s ings where ancient, long-
deep Jewish roots. gone synagogues once
The presence of Jews in stood.
Morocco stretches back A particular highlight for
more than 2,000 years. Be- Mittelman is the Tomb of
fore the founding of Israel the Sainted Rabbi, Haim
in 1948, estimates put their ben Diwan, just over an
number as high as about hour south of Marrakech.
275,000, which was con- Jews still gather at the spot
sidered the largest Jewish in the high Atlas Mountains
community in the Muslim in the village of Tagadirt
world, said Roy Mittelman, n’Bour near Anrhaz for a
director of the Jewish stud- traditional “hiloula” cele-
ies program at The City Col- bration of his life.
lege of New York. Mittelman leads groups up
Today, after vast waves of This March 27, 2019 photo shows the sanctuary at Temple Beth-El in Casablanca, Morocco. The a hill for a picnic near the
departures over the years, Jewish synagogue is often considered a centerpiece of a once vibrant Jewish community in tomb.
only about 2,000 Jews re- Casablanca. “It’s our little pilgrimage
main in Casablanca and Associated Press spot. You see mountains all
about 500 elsewhere in ish writer Elias Canetti, “The Morocco, especially the Torah scrolls were written around you and you hear
Morocco, but the Jewish Voices of Marrakesh: A Re- Casablanca community. on gazelle parchment, ac- wind going through the
presence is still alive in a va- cord of a Visit.” Her email address is dorith- cording to the synagogue’s mountains. Sensually it’s an
riety of sights. The Museum Mittelman has honed his benmoha@hotmail.com. Muslim guide. Visitors can incredible experience,” he
of Moroccan Judaism in travel itineraries over the Her cell and WhatsApp have a look at Lazama’s said.
suburban Casablanca, for years. Here are some of his number: +212 6 61 20 39 81. mikveh, the traditional Jew- FES
instance, is the only muse- favorites and other sights: She has an insider’s view. ish ritual bath down some The city had a large Jewish
um on Judaism in the Arab CASABLANCA MARRAKECH winding stone steps. community in the 17th cen-
world. The last Moroccan Jewish Just over 100 Jews remain The mellah isn’t the only tury and has a well-known
Jews of Moroccan de- day school, Neve Shalom, in Marrakech, including a place for synagogues. Orthodox synagogue, Ibn
scent, in Israel and around is in Casablanca, which is handful who live in the old Head to the city’s newer Danan. Once crumbling, it
the globe, return to the the economic and business Jewish quarter, Mittelman section of Gueliz, with a was refurbished in the 1990s
North African kingdom of- center of the kingdom. Ask said, but the mellah is bus- heavy European influence, with help from the World
ten and some maintain for Principal Jacky Sebbag. tling. for shabbat services at Monuments Fund and
second homes in familial re- Watch the children playing Among the synagogues Temple Beth El Synagogue. American Express. King Mo-
gions. Jewish heritage tours outside in the yard, enjoy that remain is the tiny blue- Any taxi driver should know hammad VI has commit-
to Morocco are abundant them singing Jewish songs and-white Lazama, along how to get there. ted to reviving Jewish sites
and easy to track down. and learn more about the a narrow street. Ask a lo- Two hours south of Mar- around Morocco.
Most cities have a mellah, school’s Hebrew classes cal how to find it. Visitors rakech is a little town called The mellah here is a maze
which is an old Jewish quar- and Bible studies, Mittel- may enter for a small fee. Anouim, where the mysteri- within walls. You WILL get
ter, along with Jewish cem- man said. There’s an inviting riad-style ous rabbi and healer Wa- lost and that’s half the fun.
eteries and synagogues. Visit the Tahiti Beach Club, courtyard with a fruit tree zana once lived. It was the first mellah in Mo-
Mittelman, who has spent once a local Jewish hang- and a few chairs for weary For another day trip out of rocco, dating to around
40 years absorbing the his- out. travelers. Marrakech visit the Jewish 1438.
tory, culture and religious Among Mittelman’s walk- The original synagogue heritage sites at Essaouira, In addition to a Jewish
practices of Jews in Moroc- ing tours of Jewish residen- dated to 1492 but it was lat- once a thriving Jewish cemetery, where a couple
co, leads groups of students tial areas in Casablanca er rebuilt. The synagogue’s center and a former Portu- of eminent medieval rabbis
on tours of Jewish sights as are stops at the Beth El and are buried, there’s a site in
part of an advanced semi- Eim Habanim synagogues. Fes that is considered sa-
nar. He said there’s plenty There’s also a newer syna- cred among women, the
to read ahead of a visit. gogue, David Ha-Melech, Tomb of Solika. With a last
He recommends Shlomo in the tony, beachside Cor- name that varies, Solika —
Dessen’s “The Mellah So- niche quarter not far from as one retelling goes — was
ciety: Jewish Community the beach club. a Jewish woman of great
Life in Sherifian Morocco” Casablanca has a tradi- beauty who was behead-
for more on pre-colonial tional kosher bakery and ed in 1834 for refusing to
Morocco, based on the kosher restaurants, as do convert to Islam.
writings of 18th- and 19th- other cities. Maimonides, one of the
century Judeo-Moroccan Mittelman sings the praises most prolific and influential
sages. of guide Dorith Benmoha of Torah scholars in the Middle
To learn more about the the American Jewish Joint Ages, lived in Fes from 1159
spiritual history of the Jew- Distribution Committee. to 1165. His stone home,
ish quarter in Marrakech, She’s based in Casablanca This March 27, 2019 photo shows the Torah scrolls in the ark of with weathered engrav-
he recommends the trav- and is considered an ex- Em Habonim Synagogue of Casablanca, Morocco. ing marking the location, is
elogue of Bulgarian Jew- pert on all things Jewish in Associated Press worth a stop.q