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Reviving Morocco's multicultural past through the Museum of Moroccan Judaism (& other initiatives) - UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies

Captured 2025-11-22

100

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Reviving Morocco's multicultural past through the Museum of Moroccan Judaism (& other initiatives) - UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies

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This web page from the University of Washington's Jewish Studies program explores the remarkable story of Morocco's efforts to reclaim and celebrate its multicultural Jewish heritage through the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca. Written by Pablo Jairo Tutillo Maldonado, the article examines how Morocco is attempting to rehabilitate the memory of its Jewish population as indigenous Moroccan nationals, despite the fact that only about 2,000 Jews remain in the country today, primarily in Casablanca. The piece begins with a powerful 1989 statement by King Hassan II, who declared to Moroccan Jews in Spain: "I do not consider you Jews of Moroccan descent because Moroccan nationality is never lost... Your rights are guaranteed by the Constitution because there are two events in the reign of my father Mohammed V and mine." The article provides crucial historical context for understanding the dramatic demographic shift in Morocco's Jewish population. At its peak in 1948, Morocco was home to approximately 265,000 Jews, but this number plummeted due to rising Arab nationalism and anti-Israeli sentiment following Morocco's independence from France in 1956 and its entry into the Arab League in 1958. The migration was catastrophic: from 200,000 Jews remaining after independence, the population dropped to just 50,000 by 1968, 18,000 by 1978, 4,000 by 2011, and only 2,150 by 2018. During this period, Moroccan Jews struggled to maintain their place in society, with some like Abraham Serfaty from the Ministry of Industry writing in defense of their identity, stating "I am an Arab-Jew and I am Jewish because I am an Arab Jew." The Museum of Moroccan Judaism, established in 1997 and notably the only Jewish museum in the Arab world, represents a significant effort to preserve this vanishing heritage. Founded by the Foundation of Jewish Moroccan Cultural Heritage (FJMCH), the museum is housed in a former orphanage built in 1948 in memory of Murdoch Bengio, which later served as a yeshiva in the 1970s. The museum's creation reflects a broader initiative to restore and protect disappearing Jewish cultural sites throughout Morocco. The article suggests that despite lingering anti-Semitism and the virtual absence of Jews from modern Moroccan society, institutions like this museum are working to reintegrate Jewish history into Morocco's national narrative, positioning Jewish Moroccans as equal subjects of the Kingdom rather than a departed minority. This academic piece is clearly targeted at scholars and students of Jewish studies, Middle Eastern history, and diaspora studies, offering valuable insights into contemporary efforts at cultural reconciliation and historical preservation.

Citation (APA Style)

Reviving Morocco's multicultural past through the Museum of Moroccan Judaism (& other initiatives) - UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. (2025, 11 22). jewishstudies.washington.edu. https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/global-judaism/museum-of-moroccan-judaism-history-multiculturalism-morocco/

Technical Metadata

Domain jewishstudies.washington.edu
File Size 882 KB
Archived 2025-11-22T15:02:55.229691
Document ID #100
Languages 5 available