When visiting Morocco today, the role of Jews have played in this society is not exactly in-your-face; it is rather hidden from plain view. But, the right tour guide, such as Deluxe Kosher Tours, of course, can help to introduce you to this fascinating historical Jewish community and the role that Moroccan Jews have played throughout Jewish history.
Morocco is an Arab country where until the middle of the 20th century, Jews and Arabs existed symbiotically. Jews have been a vital part of Moroccan society since they first arrived in the country about 2,000 years ago. During the spread of the Roman empire, a number of Jews settled in present-day Morocco.
Throughout its history, Moroccan leaders had a special interest in assuring the security of the Jewish community and they believed this greatly contributed to the stability of their regimes. Together, Berbers, Arabs, and Jews have built the country that today is Morocco. Although these groups lived in separate cultural worlds, they developed mutually supportive roles within the urban society.
In Morocco, Jews were always a tiny minority. It is estimated that in the late 15th century, following the arrival of Jews expelled from Spain, there were 80,000-100,000 Jews in a total population of approximately 4 million so that Jews at that time made up only about 3.5% of the population.
Under Islamic law, Jews were considered dhimmis, a protected but disdained people. Within limits, Islamic law allowed the free exercise of Judaism so that Jews could practice their traditions, hold property, govern their community, and enforce their own civil law system. Under the rules governing dhimmis, Jews must recognize Islamic sovereignty, show respect for Islam, exercise their religion discretely, refrain from proselytizing, pay special taxes and wear special clothing. These laws were rarely applied with exactitude, but they remained written as law until 1912 when Morocco became a French Protectorate.
In 1952, the Jewish population reached its height, numbering more than 200,000. During the 1960s, however, the majority of Jews emigrated from the country, leaving a small population of only about 5,000. In a country with a total population of 24 million, this is indeed a small minority. The creation of the state of Israel marked a steep decline in the number of Jews living in Morocco. Today, as much as 15% of Jews living in Israel are of Moroccan decent.
Currently, the majority of Jews living in Morocco reside in Casablanca where there is a Jewish religious and communal life with several synagogues and community organizations. For more details and photos of Morocco’s fascinating Jewish history, please visit the Jewish Morocco blog here.
