THE HOLOCAUST AND THE UNITED NATIONS OUTREACH PROGRAMME

97
Holocaust Remembrance
and Education in Morocco
by Mr. Elmehdi Boudra
Despite some fluctuations in tension that has marked the relations
between Jews and Muslims in North Africa, in Morocco Jews and
Muslims have historically enjoyed a relatively peaceful coexistence.
At the time of the Holocaust in Europe, Moroccan Jewry constituted
the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world and the largest
non-Ashkenazi Jewish community.
The roots of this community go back to antiquity and its number
grew dramatically after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492.
Many of these Jews found refuge in Morocco alongside with Muslim
Andalusians who were also expelled from Spain by the Inquisition
brought about by the Catholic Church. The local Jewish community
was called the Toshavim and the Jews from Spain were called
the Megorashim. 1 The Megorashim and the Toshavim managed to
merge as unique Sephardic traditional community. The two groups
were living in the same neighborhoods (Mellah) around all cities in
Morocco and many villages. During the Second World War, the Jewish
population in Morocco reached 300,000. 2
Between 1948 and 1967 thousands of Jews migrated from Morocco
to Israel, France, Canada, United States and South America, which
significantly decreased the number of Jews in Morocco. Today, the
Moroccan Jewish community living in Morocco does not exceed 4,000
members out of a population of 34 million inhabitants in Morocco.
However, this active community remains one of the strongest Jewish