Jews in Morocco? 🇲🇦 

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Morocco is a mosaic of cultures which is present in our food, language and history! My grandfather told me once that he loved his neighbour so much he would go to her house after school to eat, play and hung out before going home.

The Mellah as a residence for Jews began in the city of Fez and was called by this name because salt at that time was considered a treasure that had to be guarded and defended, so the king settled them in this guarded place near his palace. This is for the Jews who came from Andalusia, but the truth is that the Jews were present in Morocco before Christ.

“Jews under medieval Islam never suffered from the same general negative perception as in the Christian West. Despite regional variations and high medieval political instability, in medieval Islam multicultural environments, combined with active engagement in sciences and literature, led to something of an Islamic golden age for the Jews, at least according to most historical accounts. It has been primarily in the context of recent political developments that the once assumed positive views of Jewish life under medieval Islam have been seriously questioned.” Professor Dean Phillip Bell, who is dean and professor of Jewish history at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago Jews in the Early Modern World. New York, 2008, p. 25.

Hi Erin, Just a couple of facts: 1- Jews came to the area way before the arabs. In fact, there was a sizeable jewish population of Amazigh jews. Some of them still live in Israel today. With regards to the jews who came from Spain, it wasn't just the jews. Both muslims and jews who live in Spain and Portugal at the time, were forced to either change their religions to Chritianity, leave, or be killed. It is called the Spanish reconquista, which is a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian kingdoms waged against the Muslim kingdoms in Al Andalus (modern day Spain). Most of the Jews from Spain settled in the northern towns, such as Chefchaouen, and Tetouan. 2- Jews were not made to live in the Jewish quarters or Mellahs. Jews who lived in the Mellahs, did so in order to preserve their culture and to keep their traditions, especially their religious traditions. Being a minority, their survival (anywhere in the world) depended on them staying together.

Some studies indicate that the Mallah was named this because the first Jewish neighborhood built in Morocco was in the city of Fez, which was the capital of Morocco for several centuries. It was built in an area where salt was collected and stored in preparation for export via caravans to Europe

Thank you for sharing this video with us ❤we have a lot of jwsh people originally they are Moroccan ❤

Thank you so much for this video full of information 🥰🥰🥰

Beautiful darija very good speak 😊😊

Very interesting Erin. Many people don’t know about the history of Jews in Morocco. Let me tell you that Jewish still living in Morocco are entire Moroccans, they feel that way and they are proud to be Moroccans. I’m so happy that Casablanca has a museum of Jewish heritage. I’m due to visit it one day. Thanks again for getting all those facts and for doing that video. Good job 👍

You are beautiful and your voice in Arabic is very beautiful. I hope you stay in Morocco for a year and do not stop at videos so that Moroccans get to know you.❤

اليهود في المغرب منذ عهد سيدنا موسى عليه السلام لانه هناك قبائل يهودية ذهبت مع سيدنا موسى عليه السلام الى سيناء وقت هروبهم من مصر و هناك قبائل فضلت ان تتجه غرب مصر وصولا الى المغرب يعني قبل 3.200 سنة

Jewish communities have a long history in Morocco, dating back over two millennia. The interaction between Jewish and Amazigh cultures has influenced various aspects of Moroccan art, including jewelry. Many traditional Amazigh jewelry pieces incorporate symbols and motifs that reflect this rich cultural interplay. The legacy of these communities is still evident today in the diverse cultural landscape of Morocco

All Morocan are amazigh even if we dont speak Amazigh. alot of us were arabised. proud to be MOROCAN.Amazighia is our real identity

Jews was in Morocco before Islam the 15th century was the safardic

If I am not wrong, there is also a museum in Essaouira dedicated to jewish living in Morocco. There used to be significant jewish community in Essaouira.

U have the chance mom to explore this beatiful place. Thank u for all information.

That building you showed there, is an Academic Council responsible for Scientific affairs or something like that, lol idk exactly what it is but that's what i found about it, the Arabic writing translates to "Mohammedan Association of Scholars"

Morocco is a mixture between Arabs and Amazighs, we have been living in peace for centuries, the official religion is Islam and there are Jewish and Christian minorities as well, you will not find a land more beautiful than Morocco with its diversity of cultures

0:39 we won’t why would we you are making progress with everything kudos super Mama ❤

The presence of the Jews in Morocco ismore than 2000 years ago, even before the arrival of the Jews fleeing from the massacres by the Spanish Inquisition along n with the Muslims of Andalusia. This shows the hospitable nature of the Moroccans and the civil coexistence between religions. And it is still so...... ❤️

That's not actually true, Jewish people were here living with the amazigh people in Morocco waaaaaay before the Arabs came. There were other Jewish people who lived in Islamic Spain. But they had to get back to Morocco because of the Spanish reconquista.

There is a thing in rabat, if you ask people from rabat about directions, they will direct you the wrong way 😹

تحية طيبة( azol) عشت في الملاح مع بعض اليهود جنبا لجنب .دامة المحبة وسلام

Very interesting vlog 👍

When they came to Morocco they found amazigh Jews so they lived together with the Muslims Moroccans

I dont know who was first but i advised you to go to mellah 🤗🤗🤗

The jews lived there a long long time ago in Morocco before al andalus and did yk that morocco wasnt a Muslim country it became muslim cuz of the arabs they made us muslims

Les juifs vivaient au Maroc depuis 26 siècles, des écritures sur des tombes dans un cimetière juif près de la ville de Midelt le confirmait (émission Amodou)....

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW MOROCCO LOVER

Thank God for the security and safety in our beloved kingdom ❤❤

In every town, we have Mellah where our citizens of Jewish religion lived. In Meknes, the Mellah still stands tall ! Excellent topic and video!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

In your video at 16:30 the building is called in Arabic arabitah Mohammedia lil3olamaa means Mohammedan League of Scholars it's the headquarters of all Moroccan Islamic scholars

Fez is one of the oldest cities in Morocco with the original buildings building materials and the best museums in morocco.

Al hamdo lilah kolchi mazian Allah yahfdak❤❤❤

Thank you for teaching me what the Saca logo looks like. I ... never knew what the logo meant lol

ههههه اصبحت تتقنين العربية جيدا ليحميك الله انت وابنائك

Yes, this is the old Jewish cemetery in the city, but there is another cemetery on Hassan II Avenue before Liberty Avenue, near the Agdal train station.

The history of Moroccan Jews goes back a long way, in fact it is over 2,000 years old. At that time they emigrated from the Middle East or Egypt. Morocco was also called something different by the locals back then. The Amazighen were partly Christianized under Roman rule, and some also adopted the Jewish faith. In the 15th century, the expelled Jews from Andalusia also arrived.

the building at 16min30 is the former building of the CNDH ( conseil national des droits d'hommes ) it's a gouvernement office for human rights it used to be their main building but now they are located in hay riad near mahaj riad.

Morocco has a long-standing tradition of welcoming Jews, which continues to this day. The late King Hassan II and current King Mohammed VI have upheld this tradition, fostering an atmosphere of coexistence and mutual respect between Jews and Muslims. Moroccan authorities have taken steps to preserve Jewish heritage, including the restoration of synagogues, cemeteries, and Jewish quarters (mellahs) across the country. King Mohammed VI has made public statements emphasizing that Moroccan Jews are an integral part of the nation’s identity and history. In 2011, the Moroccan Constitution was amended to recognize the Hebrew component as part of Morocco's diverse cultural heritage. This official recognition has solidified Morocco's position as one of the few Arab countries with an open, welcoming attitude toward its Jewish community. In addition, Morocco maintains close ties with its Jewish diaspora, especially in Israel, France, and Canada. Moroccan Jews often visit the country for pilgrimages to religious sites, family roots trips, or to participate in cultural festivals celebrating Jewish history. Since the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel in 2020, these ties have grown stronger, with increased cultural exchanges and cooperation. This inclusive policy has earned Morocco a reputation as a haven for religious tolerance in the region.

You are right Morocco is not an Arabe country the whole north Africa is not arabe, Arabs are in Asia. thank you for spreading the truth.

The history of Jews in Morocco dates back over 2,000 years, making them one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. Jewish presence in Morocco is believed to have begun after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem (586 BCE), when some Jews fled to North Africa. Over centuries, especially after the Roman conquest of Judea and the rise of Islamic empires, Jewish communities grew and integrated into Moroccan society. In the medieval period, Jewish life flourished, especially in cities like Fez, where Jews played key roles in trade, crafts, and intellectual life. During the Islamic rule, Jews lived under the dhimmi status, which allowed religious freedom but included certain restrictions and taxes. Many Jews from Spain and Portugal also found refuge in Morocco after the expulsion of 1492. In the 20th century, during the French and Spanish protectorates, Jews enjoyed significant economic and political influence, although emigration to Israel and Europe accelerated after Moroccan independence in 1956. Today, Morocco has a small but vibrant Jewish community of around 2,000 people, and the country maintains strong cultural ties with its Jewish heritage.

Nice vlog 👍👍

ERIN you have to see a documentary called tinghir jerusalem to understand more about morrocon jewish

Amazing video!! Please share 🙏

Morocco has a mixture of people races, the berbers were the 1st people whom were living here before arab entered in 788 by the Idrissid, and arab lived together with berbers peacefully and are like a well fit, and even berbers gets married with arabs and thats fine, and another fun fact in Morocco, that you'll find most of Hanouts around runned by berbers, so without berbers we'd hungry hehe, and i am an arabic person that has a good friend of mine thats berber

There's one in front of Rabat Agdal train station on the side leading to the sea sis

mallah (from malha "salt") means "salt-man" and it's because they were salt traders (you can find a mallah square in every big city approximately)

Very good video!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

مساء الخير السيدة إرين، جاك ، كامرين، فين هاذ الغيبة ؟ توحشناكم جميعآ، ياك الصحيحة لاباس ؟ كلشي بخير ؟ يومكم سعيد ❤❤❤

The sign means :association of scientists.

Jewish lived with Moroccan in Andalusia for 800 years and they came back to Morocco but not only in 15th century... Jewish people came to Morocco at the time of Moses before the Arabs few people know this..but the Berber knows they lived with them before the Arabs got here

13:42 ask early 2000 moroccan kids who used to farm pigeons as their hobbies, no phones or games, just flexing your rare race pigeons over your friends, and secretly stealing your neighbors pigeons by feeding them well, and catch em in cage

The place you askinf for in the last of the video is: " La rabita mohammadia des oulémas " is a Moroccan general interest association created by King Mohammed VI in 2006, whose mission is to promote a tolerant and open Islam

Salam de Belgique Dima marrib hamdoulah Macha Allah 💚❤️✌️🦁🇲🇦🦁

The history of the jews of Morocco goes back 3000 years there are Jewish cemeteries in essaouira that are 3000 years old and over ❤

King Mohammed V of Morocco is remembered for his crucial role in protecting the Jewish community during World War II. When Morocco was under French Vichy rule, which collaborated with Nazi Germany, anti-Jewish laws were imposed, and Jews were required to register and wear identifying badges. The Vichy regime also intended to deport Moroccan Jews to concentration camps. However, King Mohammed V, despite the pressures of Vichy officials, refused to implement these discriminatory laws fully in Morocco. He is famously quoted as saying, "There are no Jews in Morocco, only Moroccans," signaling that he saw all his subjects as equal. He protected the Jewish community from deportation and ensured their safety, asserting his sovereignty over all Moroccans, regardless of religion. This act of defiance has made King Mohammed V a respected figure in Jewish history, and Moroccan Jews have maintained strong feelings of gratitude towards him and his legacy. Today, his stance is often highlighted as a key moment of Jewish-Muslim solidarity in Moroccan history.

We don't eat adult pigeons tho, only the small ones (with tender meat) and they need to be farm-raised

In the 15th century oudaya was very dangerous for Europeans, in fact thousands of Europeans were enslaved by pirates of oudaya

During the World War, the French government of Vichy under Nazi occupation had asked King Mohammed V to send him the Jews of Morocco. The king answered them: I have neither Christians, nor Jews, nor Muslims, I have only Moroccan citizens. The French government then asked him to put a yellow plate on their chests. His Majesty refused.

Your all wrong my friend 🤣. Dont say that to moroccan jews, you ll get in big trouble

Sooooo much love to our Jewish community worldwide 😎

in the Moroccan constitution, the definition of Moroccan identity includes the Hebrew side, they have been there for more than 3500 years.

Les juifs au Maroc sont anciens avant l’arrivée des musulmans. Ils habitent cette terre des Maures depuis plus de 3 000 ans Le Roi Mohammed 5 les a protegé contre la France Nazi En 2022 , le Roi Mohammed 5 fût honoré par la distinction de « Juste parmi les Nations »

Instead of "arab world" just call it MENA (middle east and north africa)

Most jews is original moroccans before 3200 years . jews spanish just in 1492

Hi,sis,do you know any idea about multiple entry visa from india

Jewish people lived in Morocco with amazigh before Arabs people came

الدعاء والمدح والترحيب ودروس عن تاريخ المغرب ... ووو ووووو و و و و ... واخواننا في فلسطين مع جثث أطفالهم الأبرياء ، يذبحون ويقتلون فوق أرضهم التي اغتصبت منذ أكثر من ٧٥ عاما !!! حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل .

You can say 'the Jewish Museum in Casablanca is the only one of its kind in the MENA region,' and you'll be good to go!

Thank you Irene, I have never visited the Mellah in my life. Thank you...but you should know that the second religion in Morocco is Judaism.

I'm sorry but don't rely on chatgpt. True some came from Spain but jews in Morocco are older than that and they're Moroccans so we don't see religion as a different entity we share so many celebrities and that's why you can see buildings and cemeteries everywhere.

It says here the Mohammadian Association of Scientists 16:36. So I guess it some sort of research center.

بالتوفيق

in Morocco we love our jewish brothers...and the jews were in Morocco way back 3000 years ago before 1500 , so ChatGBT is AGAIN WRONG

I don't know where you got that preseving heads of criminals with salt from but there is no historic evidcance for that , the reason it was called the neighborhood of salt because they were famous for making pickled products with salt .

You didn’t visit the jewelry museum there ?

16:37 The Alrabita Mohammadia of the Ulemas Association

16:49 There's a meme about people from Rabat and how they are the worst at giving directions.

I want to welcome you but you are in your country. A thousand welcomes

Many races fleed spain from christians to morocco. The king gave every race to choose one business and have almost monopol of it. Jews choose salt that was at that time a very very big deal.

The Jewish people came to Morocco 3 centurys before JC. The first community was in the area between agadir and saouira

The je wish considère their grave yard very holly, They considère their deads as if they are still alive near God. The cemetery is called the House of the living:" Beit ha Haiim"

😅Your darija is better now... ❤️❤️

مرحبا اختي بك في مغرب السلام ❤والحب ❤

سلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته مساء الخير أختي إيرين

In 1948, there were 500,000 Jews here in Morocco, but today there are less than 2,000 Jews, and all of them have left for Israel to settle there.

The jewish and amazigh are living in morocco before islam and every big or small city in morocco have some jewish heritage and you have to know that there are jewish amazigh they are moroccans .when islam had came to morocco there was some jewish families that converts to islam and others conserved their religion but we all are moroccans jewish and muslims . In my city azilal in the haut atlas we have a small jewish cimetery .

جولة ممتعة

Imagine if mom of 4 was native Moroccan could be from the north chamal .. what do u think fans?

To correct irene maroccan jwes have been living in morocco for 2000 years the jwes were expelled form spain in the 15 th century by the inquisition maroccan jews are found in almost all cities such as marrekesch essaouira dar al beida rabat fez meknes tangier

it doesnt mean the salt it means the good

The largest Jewish community in the Middle East outside of lsraeI is in lran, in fact many Jews fled to lran from lsraeI seaking asylum after October seven.

No Jewsish people were in Müorocco since long befire Isla but these were the Amazigh Jewish people, the pones ypou referred to were the Sepharades and it requires a bit more explanations than I have time for sugfice to say they did not just magically appear in spain and then went to Morocco this is a bit more complicated and intertwined with the moors meaning Moroccans

Melah is the place where they concerve the meat 🍖 and fish with salt with is milh in arabic

JUST FEEL FREE TO SAY ARAB WE MIXED AND LIVING IN HARMONY AMAZIGH AND ARABS BOTH MUSLIMS AND YOU CAN TEVEN TELL IF YOU AMAZIGH OR ARAB THE MAJOIRITY IS MIXED AND WE PROUD F BOTH OUR IDENTITIES THE NORTH AFRICAN AND THE ARABIC MUSLIM WE JUST CULTURAL RICH FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD

❤❤❤😮😊 الله الوطن الملك ❤

jewish peaple are already in morocco befor that.. they were in morocco befor islam .. and the jewish peaple came back from spain to morocco only because their is already jewish here .. most of them were amazigh and live in the south .. the jewish peaple who lives in the north and fes rabat and taza and other cities are the one who came back from spain ... i am from Tinghiir we are amazigh.. my grandmother remembers her neighbors who were jewish and she tells me how they live together the same language the same traditions clothes that's because jewish and islam share a lot of things so they use to live together ..where i live they were mostly known for making silver jeweles ... but they were here befor islam even was in this world ...

The thing that happened was the reconquista