Fez opens museum exploring Morocco’s Jewish heritage
The permanent exhibition spans two levels, covering Jewish history in Morocco alongside the community’s religious and social institutions.
A new museum devoted to Morocco’s Jewish heritage has opened to visitors in Fez’s former Jewish quarter. Political and religious figures attended its inauguration, which marked the opening of a collection encompassing historical records, cultural objects and items from daily life.
Visitors can explore a history stretching back more than 2,500 years on the ground floor. Upstairs, the exhibition examines community institutions, including synagogues, Hebrew schools and rabbinical courts. Clothing, jewelry, musical instruments and artworks appear alongside archival material and historical manuscripts.
Mehdi Qotbi, president of the National Foundation of Museums, said the museum seeks to highlight Fez’s shared cultural history. He expressed hope that it would illustrate peaceful coexistence among the different communities that shaped the city, whose influences include Jewish, Arab, Amazigh, Spanish and French cultures.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rabbi Joseph Israel described the everyday objects on display as evidence of Jewish life in Morocco. He said the museum could teach young people about the community’s history and its relationships with Muslim neighbors.
Following major waves of emigration during the 20th century, around 2,500 Jews remain in Morocco, where Jews once represented 5% of the population. Now, 99% of people of Moroccan Jewish heritage live outside the country. Serge Berdugo, chairman of the Foundation for Judeo-Moroccan Cultural Heritage, emphasized that the community extends beyond those still living in Morocco.
