Moroccan Judaism: A Culture in Danger?

I have recently written this review of a documentary which Youness Abeddour produced.  The documentary is very informative and professionally executed.  You may read my review here:

http://moroccoworldnews.com/2011/08/moroccan-judaism-a-culture-in-danger/

Jillali (جيلالي)  

The Batha Museum

Today I finally visited a museum which I have walked past many times.  I have often wanted to visit it to see what it contained, but I have always been too busy until today.  Finally, I took the time to walk through the museum and I was very pleased with what I found.  


The Batha museum which is located in the old medina of Fez, is housed in an old and spacious palace which includes gardens and fountains on the grounds.  I paid ten dirhams to get in and I think that a walk through the gardens would be worth ten dirhams even if the museum was not there.  The gardens are spacious and include several fountains.  The paths of course are paved beautifully with Moroccan tile work and well shaded by many trees, some of which are now weighed down with their summer fruit.  This is all enclosed in the courtyard of the palace.  

Here I stand in the courtyard of the palace.

 The palace is beautiful.  The doors and shudders are painted in a very old and beautiful style.  When entering the palace, the first thing that one comes to is  a room filled with spiritual, religious and scientific articles.  There one may see ancient Quranic manuscripts which are on loan to the museum from the University of Al-Karaouine which is also here in Fez. (It is the oldest university in the world).  Another important part of this exhibit is a collection of ancient astrolabes.  Of course the Arabs invented astrolabes and these are some very fine specimens.  From this room one goes to an exhibit of traditional Moroccan clothing from both the region of Fez and from the Amizigh styles of the north.  The next room contains a collection of ancient jewelry which is followed by a collection of arms and equestrian equipage.  Then one can also see many farm implements and a very nice exhibit of Amazigh rugs.


The one aspect of the collection that continued to stand out throughout the collection was the presence of Moroccan - Jewish pieces.  The Star of David is seen at every turn, in jewelry, candelabras, woodwork, etc.  It is very clear to the careful observer that Judaism was once a very large and important part of the Moroccan culture.  It was very nice to see that reflected in the museum's collections.

    If one has the chance to see the museum, it is definitely a worthwhile excursion.  It gives one a broad introduction to the various aspects of ancient Moroccan culture and it has many fine pieces in its collection.  I am sure that this is not the last time that I will visit it.    


Jillali (جيلالي)         

An Overview of My Coming to Morocco

Most of those that know me know that I came to Morocco to look for work, but most of them have not yet heard the full story of my coming and remaining here and so I shall now attempt to fill in those gaps and make things a little more clear.

When I came to Morocco it was to look for a teaching position and I vowed that I would remain if I found one and if I liked the life there.  I came to Morocco and stayed for a month and delivered my resume to as many schools as I could find.  No one called me.  Time was running out and still I found nothing.  Finally it was time for me to return to America.  I had to leave the next morning to be in Casablanca in time to catch my plane.  I sat and talked with my friends, I counted my money, I figured things as many ways as I could to see if I could survive without work for a while here so that I could continue to look for work.  I decided to stay.  It was difficult.  I was gainfully employed at home.  My life there was comfortable and quiet.  I wanted something new and fresh though.  I ignored my doubts and fears and seized on to the adventure of a permanent life in Morocco.

That same afternoon I delivered my resume to yet another school.  The next afternoon the headmaster called me and asked me to come to see him on the following day.  I assumed that I was going to a job interview but when I arrived, I was presented to my class.  I stayed and I was rewarded.  Since then I have been hired by another school to do some teaching and substitute teaching and I have also assembled a private class of my own.  I have found that many people want to learn English and most of them prefer to learn it from an American and so I am in rather high demand.  I am very lucky to have such an opportunity to live and work in Morocco.

What is life like here in Morocco?  When I speak to people from home that is usually the first question they ask.  It is of course much different than life at home.  My apartment is situated in an area which is also used as a market so I am often awakened by fellows outside my door who are shouting in advertisement of their goods.  (This surely is the first form of commercial advertisement).  Contrary to what many might think, I have not yet seen a camel.  I live in Fez which is quite a distance from the desert.  I've seen no camels, no sand, no snake charmers or any thing of the sort.  The Morocco of American movies and actual Morocco do not always have so much in common.

What have I seen?  Fez is a beautiful city which has broad avenues lined with palm and orange trees.  The people are very friendly and very helpful here.  Just a few doors down from my apartment is a little shop where I buy my milk, bread and other such things as I use on a daily basis.  The gentleman who owns the shop is very kind.  He knows that my Arabic isn't the best and so he will not sell any thing to me before he has taught me how to say its name in Arabic.  If I am a dirham or two short of what I owe him, he still insists that I take my things and go.  He always says, "Pay me tomorrow if God is willing".  Moroccan people are very friendly.  When I first arrived, I was walking to my lodgings with suitcases in hand and I was greeted in Arabic by several old women saying "Welcome, Welcome to Morocco".  I don't know who they were, but it was obvious to them that I am a foreigner and that I had just arrived and so they wanted me to feel welcome here.  Contrary to what some might think, there is a certain diversity here in Morocco.  Most people are Muslims but they are not all Muslims.  There are also Christians and Jews here.  Even among the Muslims one will find great diversity.  I have seen women in short skirts, women wearing scarves to cover their hair, and women who are veiled and completely covered from head to foot.  These people do not separate themselves.  It is not uncommon to see a woman with a scarf or a veil walking and chatting with her friend whose head is uncovered.  There is a great deal of tolerance between the people it seems.  They are very ready to befriend some one even if they are not exactly like them.    

One thing that I find interesting about Morocco is that it seems that there is a much smaller division between the city and the country life.  Of course in America you would be shocked to see horses or donkeys in a large city but here it is very common.  I came home from teaching one day to find a donkey and cart parked in front of my door and the door blocked with crates of tomatoes.  It is nothing to walk down the street and find crates of rabbits and chickens for sale.  I came out of the house one morning to find two geese tied to a post being offered for sale.  There are many shops in almost every street that sell eggs.  If you look into the shop, you will see cages of chickens inside.  The eggs are fresh, right from the chicken in the shop to the customer.  Many of these same shops will sell live chickens and sometimes rabbits and then butcher them while the customer waits.

When walking down the streets here you will see many different shops.  You will find a butcher and baker in nearly every street.  There are also little dry goods shops, hardware stores, furniture stores and every thing you can imagine.  They are all small but that generally have what one needs.  If one would walk down the street and begin to count cafes, he would soon grow weary of his task.  Every where one turns there is a cafe and there are nearly as many shoe shine men as there are cafes.  If one needs a shoe shine, he has but to go to a cafe and enjoy a pot of tea.  It is very likely that before he finishes, a shoe shine man will come by and shine his shoes while he enjoys his tea.  While sitting in the cafe you might see some one walk through with an arm load of socks which he is trying to sell or perhaps some belts or other trinkets.  These traveling salesmen are to be seen on most major streets here in Fes.  They will sell kleenex to you or even a solitary cigarette if you prefer to buy them like that.  This leads to the subject of buying and selling.

What do things cost in Morocco?  If you go into one of the many clothing shops near my house you will very likely discover no price tags.  There are no prices posted in the barber shop either.  How do you know what to pay?  It is a matter of bargaining.  You must find what you like and then make the fellow an offer.  You might stand and bargain with him for several minutes before you come to an agreement.  If he knows you, he will give you a better deal.  If you always patronize the same shops then they will take care of you and you are likely to get their best prices.  This is a common part of every day life.  We don't bargain for everything.  I buy a sandwich for 15 dirhams and it is always 15 dirhams.  The mint I buy for tea costs 1 dirham every time I buy it.  The bus always costs me 3 dirhams.  But clothes are usually bargained for.  Goods bought in the markets are usually bargained for also.  If one does not like such a system he can of course go to Marjane, which is a large supermarket here in Fes.  They post their priced and there is no haggling, but what fun is there in that?  They are usually more expensive than the market prices.

So I came to Morocco and I stayed.  I have been here over two months and I would not exchange the experience for any thing.  The culture here is beautiful.  The food is wonderful.  The people that I have known here are kind and good spirited.  When I first decided to remain here I was nervous about losing my job and the comforts of home but I can easily say that the exchange was very beneficial to me.  I lost a dull job which was taking me nowhere in order to live in beautiful Fez, Morocco and teach English.  I have met so many wonderful people including Prince Charles of Wales.  I have traveled a bit since I've come to Morocco but I know there are so many other beautiful things to see.  I could not possibly leave until I have seen it all.  Perhaps I will never leave.

Jillali (جيلالي) 

  

Coexistence in Morocco

Dear Friends,

It has been a while since I last wrote. I thought I would take this time to write to you about something that I knew nothing about and perhaps you don’t either. I hope it will interest you. While staying here in Fes, Morocco I took a day with my friend Youness Abeddour to visit all of the Jewish sites in Fes. Did you know that there were many Jews in Morocco before the creation of the state of Israel? The foundation of that state was actually the cause of a very large population loss here in Morocco as nearly a quarter of a million Jews moved from Morocco to Israel during that migration. I was surprised to discover how many different Jewish sites there were to be seen here in Fes. I had the great pleasure of visiting two synagogues, a Jewish cemetery, a museum, a Jewish center, and the Mellah. We first visited the cemetery where I was mistaken for a Jew by the caretaker and greeted in Hebrew. The reader will do well to note that this fellow is a Muslim and not a Jew and yet he had no problem greeting me with Shalom as is the Jewish custom. We saw many graves in the cemetery. There was one tomb which was devoted to several of the Grand Rabbis of Morocco. Apparently Morocco was once a stronghold of Judaism and not just simply a place where a few Jews simply happened to live. In the cemetery we also saw the tomb of the beautiful Jewess Solika, who was executed by the sultan because she would not convert to Islam in order to marry him.

Here I stand before Solika's tomb

On the other side of the cemetery one will find a very old synagogue which is now a museum. It was founded by some Jewish women in 1928. The museum was full of everything from religious articles to weapons, books, and even old coins. It was a very interesting place to visit. After leaving the museum, we went to yet another synagogue called Aben Danon which was much older. It was built in the seventeenth century. We were greeted at the gate by another Muslim man who is the caretaker of this very important piece of Moroccan history.  In fact, this particular synagogue is listed on the world monuments watch as one of 500 monuments worldwide which must be preserved.  



This is where the Torah was once read in this ancient synagogue.



From there we went to yet another synagogue, but this one is still being used.  We were greeted by the Jewish men who were there for evening prayer. This was the first time I had ever attended prayer in a synagogue and so I was quite surprised to see how things proceeded. There was prayer and a lesson during which the men held conversations as they thought necessary. One fellow even called to the rabbi during the lesson, “Enough, enough”. It was a great deal more informal than I expected. I noticed one thing very quickly both as we entered the synagogue and as we left it. As these many Jewish men passed the Muslim owned shops on their way to and from the synagogue, they commonly greeted their Muslim neighbors. I cannot speak for what is happening in the rest of the world, I can only speak for my experience here in Fes, Morocco. But this is what I have seen, Muslims are taking steps to preserve Jewish heritage and history here in Morocco and Muslims and the Jews that remain here are on friendly terms. They are neighbors and friends.

Here I set at Evening prayer in the synagogue.

I will also say this for Morocco. I have had many many meals in the homes of Muslims.

I have slept and dined in Muslim homes ever since I arrived. They all know that I am a Christian but they have treated me like a king. Before I came to Morocco every one told me that I should not come because Muslims hate Christians. Even after I arrived I have had messages from my friends to remind me that Islam is violently opposed to Christianity. I have not read the entire Qu’ran and I am not a scholar of Islam and so I cannot speak for what Islam officially teaches, but I can speak from my experience. My experience is this, that Muslims have treated me well. In their homes, I have been nursed when I was ill, I have been fed until I could eat no more. I visited one Muslim house and they were disappointed that I could not remain long enough for them to slaughter a sheep for my meal. Every day they give me tea, they bring blankets to me when I am cold, they have given my countless gifts and they treat me as if I belong to their family. I cannot speak for Islam, but I can speak for my Muslim friends. I would trust them with my very life and I have on various occasions. Even if Islam is violently opposed to Christianity and to Christians, it seems that these people are good enough and smart enough to know how to treat their fellow men regardless of religious or philosophical differences. I would not trade my time here in Morocco for anything. These people are among the finest that I have ever known.

Even as I was typing this essay a programe came on the television in which a medley was sung.  In the background one could see both a cross and a crecent and in the medley one could plainly here both the words "Ave Maria" and "Allahho Akbar".  Perhaps there is hatred and strive among differing religious parties in certain places, but certainly not here in Morocco.  Here there is peace and affection between Muslims and Christians.

Jillali (جيلالي)

A related article by Youness Abeddour:

http://mrmorocco18.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/fez-a-home-for-jews-a-cradle-of-judaism/

 

A View of Morocco

Until now, I have not posted many photographs here as I have striven to include only those which illuminate the articles that I have written.  I have tried to include several photos here which will represent the many aspects of my holiday up to this point.  I have taken hundreds of photographs and it would be quite impossible to include them all here.  I hope however that this will give my readers an idea of what I have seen thus far.  

Relaxing Moroccan style in the home of some friends.

I am standing before a drinking fountain in the medina.  It is difficult to say how old it must be.  Notice the beautiful tile work and engraving.  This is commonly seen every where one looks in Fes.  

My friends and I standing before one of the gates to the medina.

Sheesha is rather common here.

A view of the city of Fes from a hill top fortress.  

Here I am in the Jellaba which I received as a present from the father of my friend Youness.

Moroccan ceilings are often adorned with this beautiful plasterwork.  

I am standing before an inscription of the Moroccan declaration of independence which was written when they threw off French rule.  

A Moroccan chandelier. 

Youness and I standing before a museum in the medina.

Here you can look through another of the medina's gates to see one of the city's many towering minarets.  

Here I stand in the Jewish cemetery in Fes.  I am in the tomb of the grand Rabbis in this photograph.  Some people do not realize that there was once a very large population of Jews in Morocco.   

Here is one of the beautiful windows from an old synagogue that we visited.  

Here I stand before the gate of the Mellah (Jewish quarter) in Fes.  The Mellah was usually situated near the palace so that they could have the protection of the sultan.   

Here I stand on a beautiful tree lined avenue in Fes.  I am told that it is the longest avenue in Northern Africa.

Moroccan homes are very elegant.

I hope that you all have enjoyed your little tour of Fes with me.  I will be posting more photos both of Fes and of the other places that I will visit.  Salaam for now.

Jillali (جيلالي)

A Visit to the Medina

Yesterday on March 8th I went with my friends to the medina for tea and to see some of the sights there.  For those of you who don't know, the medina is the original part of the city.  The medina of Fes was built in the 8th century and has not been changed much since the middle ages.  Most of the streets have never been passed over by a car and some of them are so narrow that one would be hard pressed to drive a car down them.  In fact, some are so narrow that I think it would be rather close even for two horsemen.

My friend Hamzaoui standing in one of the narrow streets with his arms outstretched.

We sat in a cafe drinking tea and chatting for some time.  While we were there I managed to get one of the best shoe shines that I have ever had for five Dirhams.  After that we went walking in the labyrinth of streets and shops.  By western standards, things in the medina are rather disorderly, but even in the midst of the seeming chaos there seems to be a sort of order.  Every one is patient and waits their turn.  Those with carts do the best not to run over or smash the pedestrians.  While walking we encountered carts pushed by hand, carts pulled by donkeys, and even a bicycle laden with gazelle's feet which are apparently used for food here.  Speaking of food, we managed to enjoy some sweets while we took our tea.  I have become quite fond of Moroccan sweets since I've arrived.

Shebakiya and Briwat

These and some other sweets that I have been fortunate enough to eat are rather commonly served during  Ramadan.  The food here in Morocco is much better than I could have ever expected.  I had hopes of losing a bit of weight while I was here, but that hope was abandoned after my first day here.

While walking through the medina, we saw every kind of shop that one can imagine.  They were selling everything from leather goods to bread to books and brass goods.  We were rather hurried to meet another friend and so we did not stop to buy anything at that time.  When we did meet that friend whom I had not met before, she mistook me for a Moroccan until I gave her my salam with an American accent.  At the end of that day, we decided to catch a bus outside of the medina so that we could go home.  While waiting for the bus we went into an open air restaurant and had some harira which was very good.

  The bus was so crowded that I literally stepped in onto the bottom step and then the door was closed close behind me.  We were very pressed and it took my friend Marouane and I a few minutes to navigate our way through the crowd so that we could join Youness and Hamzaoui who had entered the bus a short time before us.  We walked a great deal and I was tired when we returned home, but it was really a very nice day.

I nearly forgot, while we were in the medina my friends gave me a Moroccan name.  It is easier for them than to use my English name and so I will forever be known as Jillali (جيلالي).  

I'll sign off for now.  More updates are forthcoming.

Jillali (جيلالي)    

My Introduction to Morocco

Hello friends,

As promised, here is my first note about my time in Morocco.  I have been here for three days now having arrived on Sunday morning.  My plane arrived on Sunday at half past six and I took the eight o'clock train from the airport to Casablanca proper.  I sat at Casa Voyageur train station until a little after ten when my next train arrived.  Even as I sat waiting for my train, I began to notice many things about Morocco.  I saw mothers wearing jellabas and scarves walking with their daughters who were wearing regular street clothes and I saw young women wearing tight jeans and mini skirts.  As you can plainly see, the culture here is diverse and it is not possible to paint all Moroccans with the same brush.  They are mostly Muslims but they do not all adhere to Islam in the same manner and some are more conservative than others.

When My train finally arrived in Fes at half past two, I was greeted by my enthusiastic friend Youness Abeddour.  We then took a taxi to the home of his aunt where I was given the opportunity to eat Moroccan food for the first time.  It contained couscous and chicken along with numerous vegetables that I did not readily recognize.  His aunt was very hospitable and very insistently encouraged me with "mange, mange" (which is French for eat) every time I began to slow down.  That was the first time that I drank a glass of the local water which I have so often been warned against.  I was so tired that I forgot myself and when water was offered to me I drank it all.  I have consumed a great deal of Moroccan food and water by now and still I am not sick.

On Sunday night I went with Youness and two other friends Driss and Hamzaoui into the city.  We drove about looking at the sites and stopped at the Royal Palace to take some pictures before the gate.  

You can see me above standing before the gates of the palace of His majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco.  His kingdom has stood for 12,000 years.

The next day I visited Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University which is named for an 18th century sultan who was a correspondent of George Washington.  The university was very nice and I found every one there very friendly.  I have been greeted many times in the streets with "hello" and "welcome to Morocco".

On the night of March 7th, I attended an English course which was being taught by Mr. Driss Ziyane.  The lesson was concerning the use of English idioms which surprised me at first but as I reflected upon it, I realized that knowledge of such speech must be necessary if a foreign person will ever understand what an American is talking about.  During the course a young man gave a presentation in English about the celebration of Mother's day which led to a discussion among the members of the class.  It was very interesting to see how formally the students conducted themselves for when they addressed the speaker they greeted him.  They continually addressed one another as Mr. or Miss and thanked the speaker for his presentation before they began to comment upon it.  The discussion of Mother's day sparked lengthy debate among the students about whether or not a Muslim should celebrate a western holiday.  One young gentlemen in particular was very adamantly against it.  He was very passionate as he tried to persuade his colleagues that they ought not to follow the west but to keep their own traditions.  What struck me most was that at the end of the class this young man who was so opposed to being like the west shook my hand as he walked past and smiling he welcomed me to Morocco.  I think this is a good illustration that we can disagree and maintain different beliefs and perspectives without making enemies of one another.  Since I have been here I have been treated well by all.  As far as I know, I have only encountered one Christian since I arrived and all of the rest have been Muslims. They do not keep account of such things however.  Friends are friends no matter what their religion might be.

Mr. Ziyane before his class.

This afternoon I think I shall go out walking.  It is warm here and I quite enjoy my promenades with my friends on the streets which are lined with orange trees.  I will write more soon.  Farewell until then.