Our first stop was the neighborhood known as Habous, located in a very central and old part of town. There is all kinds of beautiful and old architecture in the area, including the Habous Mosque and the Casablanca City Council building. Here is a picture of me outside the Habous market and arcades with the Habous mosque in the background.
Our next adventure, and one of the most important places I think I will visit on this journey, was at the Musée du Judaïsme Marocain. This is the only Jewish Museum in the Arab World and it is a testimony to the value of Moroccan Jewish heritage and the strong bonds between people of Moroccan Jewish ancestry and this beautiful country. Here is a picture of me with my French colleague, Laure-Hélène, and our Moroccan hostess, Najat, in the courtyard outside the museum (now housed in what was once an orphanage for Jewish children):
We has a guided tour and it was very informative. I wish I had the time to share here all that we learned. There was definitely enough for me to create some very engaging cross-curricular lessons for my students and to challenge some of our stereotypes of Jewish culture as well as the Arab-Jewish relationship. As we toured this museum, I was pleasantly surprised to learn how well respected the Jewish people of Morocco were throughout time and the countless ways they shared in a common cultural heritage with their Muslim countrymen (and women). Their example of living together and respecting the beliefs and practices of others while preserving their own traditions is so important today. If I had to sum up the real value of what I learned in touring this museum, I would have to say: We all share in a common humanity that unites us culturally, emotionally, ethically, and spiritually. We have more to learn from each other by exploring what we have in common than by emphasizing what makes of "different".
A tapestry from Azemmour, 18th Century
For millenia, Jewish people have lived in Morocco. They were not the first people to settle here, but they blended with local Berbers who eventually adopted their beliefs. Then there were centuries of Roman occupation and then Christian influence during which the Jewish people of Morocco adapted and thrived. Then came the arrival of Islam and Arab people, and still the Jewish people of Morocco adapted and thrived. The Jewish identity has suffered from the massive exodus of Moroccan Jewish people to Israel in the 1960's and 1970's, but there are efforts now to preserve this very ancient and unique culture. I am so grateful that this museum is doing its good work. The director has agreed to help me as I develop lessons for my students and I believe she will help me share these lessons with other teachers who show an interest in this subject.
Here are some pictures of things we saw today:
A green Moroccan Jewish wedding dress from the Imperial city of Fès
A tapestry from Azemmour, 18th Century
A Torah scroll from a Moroccan synagogue, with silver pointing tools so the reader would not touch the sacred Torah:
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