Jews Of Morocco

The Jewish presence in Morocco is very old and was nurtured by various waves of refugees following the vicissitudes and persecution suffered by the Jews in history.

  This community has two subsets ethno-cultural: the toshavim "indigenous" and megorashim "expelled (from Andalusia ) "some of which are the source of toshavim.

If the Jewish community found itself high hundreds of thousands of people until the ^twentieth century , there it is now reduced to count between 3000 and 7000 members ^History

Antiquity

The earliest epigraphic evidence dates from the ^second century BC. BC , funerary inscriptions were mainly in Hebrew and Greek found in the ruins of Volubilis Roman. Cities like Salt ( Chella ) near the Rabat current and Larache (former Lixus) become important trading centers for Jews of Morocco practicing the trade of gold and salt Algeria is one of the many Jewish country. Template: Rfnec

In early Christian era, the Romans invaded the region without the Berber tribes, n'opposent great strength, and give to Morocco (and part of the current western Algeria) the name of Mauretania Tingitana ( of Tingis , former name of Tangier , which was the capital). Archaeological evidence attest to a significant Jewish presence in these new Roman provinces ^{Pre-Islamic Period}

Note that this flag was actually at a time the flag of Morocco. Indeed, the red flag of the Alawite was accompanied by a Star of David or Seal of Solomon / Sulaiman at the request of the French protectorate in 1912, but General Lyautey asked in 1915 to remove the star and replace the current five-pointed star (which may well represent the five pillars of Islam, obviously).

From the year 429 , the Vandals of King Geiseric begin to invade the Mauretania , and about 430 , drove the Romans of Africa romana. The Vandals are in the Jews strong allies and they are experiencing freedom of worship for a century.

In 533 , General Belisarius , sent to Africa by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian to chase the Vandals, invaded the region and impose the laws of the Byzantine Empire. The Jews will then see a very dark period, between bullying and forced conversions, religious persecution and restricted. However, this will not prevent the migration of Jews to the region of the Iberian Peninsula, fleeing the repression exercised by the kings Visigoths of Spain (now Catholic) early in the ^seventh century (with King Sisebut ).

From the Arab conquest in the French protectorate

Ibn Khaldun

According to the historian Ibn Khaldun , on the eve of the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb , several Berber tribes practiced Karaism . He reports: "Part of Berbers professed Karaism, religion they had received from their powerful neighbors, the Jews of Syria. Jews among the Berbers, were distinguished Djeraoua tribe who lived in the bush and which belonged Kahena woman who was murdered by Arabs at the time of the first invasions. Other Jewish tribes were Nefoua, Berbers of Ifrikia the Fendelaoua the Mediouna the Behloul the Ghiath and Fazazi, Berbers of the Maghreb el acsa .

But after Gabriel Camps , the two Berber tribes, Djerawa and Nefzaoua were of Christian faith before the arrival of Islam .

From the conquest to the period Almoravid

In ^the seventh century , Arabs had tried several expeditions to the far Maghrib no tomorrow. But it was in the early eighth ^century the governor of Ifrikya (corresponding to Tunisia and eastern Algeria today), Moussa Ibn Noar definitively held Tangier , pushed up Sijilmasa (now Rissani ) and imposed of Islam to the Berber tribes . But the movement kharidjite , will spread in these tribes and feed many uprisings against the Arab emirs of Kairouan , representatives of the caliphate. In these turbulent times, Jews living in the capitals of kingdoms kharidjites including Tlemcen and Sijilmasa .

In the late eighth ^century, another opponent of the Caliphate, Ibn Abdullah Idris , a descendant of Imam Ali , was welcomed by the tribe Awarba and founded the city of Fez , which became later the capital of the kingdom its successors, Idrissids . Early in the ^ninth century , Jews came from Andalusia settled in Fez , where they coexist with indigenous Jews, and pay the poll tax, the jizyah .

Fatimids in Kairouan and their domination of Syria to Fez and Sijilmasa, in central Morocco, North Africa experienced a period of prosperity encourages trade, which reflects on the Jewish communities and promote urban development. But these good times are followed by periods of crises, revolts and struggles between central government and Berber tribes, or simple political rivalry that dot the history of the Maghreb ^of the ninth to the eleventh ^century. The Jews tried to stay away from these events, but were often targeted or trained in these crises, including the community of Fez : deportation in 979, killing thousands of Jews by a sheikh who sacked the city Berber in 1032 .

In the mid- ^eleventh century , the Berber nomads of the Sahara, the Almoravids , launched a crusade to impose military and religious orthodoxy Maliki rigorous. Under the direction of their leader Yusuf Ibn Tasufin , they conquered Sijilmasa , founded the city of Marrakech (circa 1060), are Fez , Tlemcen , Oran , Algiers. In 1086, called for help by the Muslims in Spain, they crush the army of Alfonso VI of Castile. Then they consolidated their empire that stretches from Valencia in the Sahara and the Atlantic to Algiers . Jews were tolerated in their status as dhimmi and pay the poll tax. But the rigor of religious Almoravids did not seem it, led to religious persecution and dissemination of Arabo-Andalusian Maghreb in the West has contributed to the tolerance and harmony among religions. Trade flows towards Spain and especially Cordoba grow and contribute to the intellectual development of communities . This is the time of Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi , who is leaving Fez to Cordoba in 1088, correspondence with Rashi of Troyes. It is indeed a Golden Age which flourished.

In 1140, making Sijilmasa by Almohad conquests and ensuing fall as a tragic failure.

The Almohad persecutions and the reorganization of communities

At the beginning of the twelfth ^century. appears in the Berber tribes, and sedentary mountain located in the Anti-Atlas, a charismatic figure who will impose a strict and puritanical moral theology and a fiercely monotheistic favoring a return to primary sources of Islam. Using the Berber language to disseminate its ideas and relying on a small circle of followers, who became the "Mahdi Ibn Toumert will revolutionize lasting relationship with religion Berbers. After his death around 1128, his closest faithful, Abd al-Mumin took the title of Caliph in reference to the first companion of the Prophet, Abu Bakr , five centuries ago.

Under the leadership of Abd al-Mumin , tribes Almohads will, in twenty years, overthrowing the Empire Almoravid , extend their power over the whole Maghreb and southern Spain and impose a strict Islam, intolerant and extremist that will endure long after their fall in the early ^thirteenth century . The doctrine of the Mahdi could only reinforce the intolerance towards other religions of the Book. As noted by Andr Chouraqui, the Almohad highlighted the fact that five hundred years after the appearance of Muhammad , obviously, the Messiah of Israel was not yet ripe and that, in a manner no less certain, Christ had not returned. Jews and Christians could no longer persevere in their error and had only the choice between Islam and death. The application of this policy as and conquests Moroccan installed a deep terror and caused many forced conversions but also executions: a document mentions the execution of 150 Jews Sijilmasa , the head of the Jewish community of Fez , Rabbi Judah Hacohen ibn Shushan runs in 1165. Some Jewish families are able to escape, however, especially that of Maimonides.

In other regions of the Maghreb, Jews are allowed to go into exile . After the great waves of conquest, the attitude of Almohad become less intransigent. Synagogues have reopened, families converted back to the practice of Judaism after two or three generations. In the ^thirteenth century , a document from the Geniza of Cairo indicates the presence of seventeen Jewish communities in Morocco. In 1232, we note the existence of a Jewish community in Marrakech. But this tolerance remains fragile and the wearing of distinctive clothing for Jews is imposed by the caliph al-Mansur , and when riots broke out, the rebels often attack Jews, as at Fez in 1276, where fourteen Jews were massacred.

1391 and 1492: the great waves of immigration of Jews from Spain

The Jewish communities of the Empire until the nineteenth ^century Shereefian

• see Tuat (people)
• see Berghouata
• see Peoples of the Draa Valley

The Alawite dynasty

The twentieth ^century

Jewish wedding in Meknes , by Eugne Delacroix , Louvre , Paris

Moroccan Jewish population was numerically important in the middle of the twentieth ^century.

The Dahir of 31 October 1940 implementing in Morocco the status of Jews is scheduled for implementation from 1 January 1941. The Jewish officials losing their jobs, and many are recycled in the trade. The king is not perceived as being responsible for these measures imposed by Vichy . A diplomatic telegram from 1941 presented at the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco in 1985, cites "tensions" between the king and the Resident-General Charles Nogues about the status of Jews . Sometimes Muslims or Christians are helping to limit the impact of confiscation of Jewish property .

Already there are waves of emigration to Palestine from the late ^nineteenth century and early ^twentieth century. The Moroccan Jews, even during the colonial period, have remained subjects of Moroccan nationality, as the Tunisian Jews, Cremieux decree being applicable only then French Algeria.

There were also Jewish Tunisian and Algerian living in Morocco as a protectorate. In a book published in 1980 , a French teacher from a family of Tunisian Jews who spent his youth in Casablanca reports that "my parents had a lot of contempt for Jews in Morocco. They accounted for their obscurantism, the attachment to religion. "Tunisian Jews regarded themselves as a sort of aristocracy," they had been colonized by the French before the others and were more anglicized than the Moroccans. " Some, like the banker Felix Nataf , played an important role in the "Moroccan Friendship" as intermediaries between the Nationalists and Moroccan Muslims the French political authorities in Morocco and Paris, during the process leading to Morocco's independence . ^{Genetic Study}

Recent genetic studies have been conducted on various Jewish populations worldwide, but historians have not yet voted to draw conclusions about the origin of these populations.

Culture

Since 1997, Casablanca is home to the "Museum of Moroccan Judaism." Unknown to the general public the museum is devoted to the Jewish component of the Moroccan culture. We can visit exhibitions and other permanent routes. Over 600 m ² visitor can admire the Moroccan caftans decorated with the Star of David, costumes, lighting of Hanukkah and other objects of cultural heritage of Morocco. One can also find synagogues Moroccan style. In addition, the museum contains a library, video library and photo library.

Moroccan Jewish communities worldwide

A synagogue in Fez.

Each year, expatriates from around the world are found around the tombs of saints located Ouezzane , Safi , Essaouira and Taroudant to celebrate hiloula , Jewish version of moussem, recalling the splendor of the past and celebrates the commitment to land ancestors.

In Montreal , their arrival has changed the relationship between Quebec nationalists and Jews, in almost all English speakers (or Yiddish ) and pro-federalists, creating a new ( cultural community ) quickly with French Jewish community structures specific.

In Israel, as early as 1950 there were riots among Moroccan Jews herded into the cities development. In the 1970s were even created the Black Panthers (HaPanterim HaSHkhorim) on the model African-American Black Panther Party , but in the last quarter of the ^twentieth century, their political clout has increased considerably, becoming more consistent with their importance population, mainly through ethnic parties as Tami , Gesher and especially Shas. They are among those that qualify in Israel of Orientals ( Mizrahim ) or wrongly (since only part comes from the Iberian peninsula), the Sephardim.

References

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