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Moroccan Muslims Reviving Jewish Heritage in Former Jewish Neighborhoods

(Media Line-Ynet News) Adi Koplewitz - "Rebuilding Our Homes" is a multi-year USAID-supported initiative of the American Sephardi Federation and Mimouna Association that aims to teach the residents of urban neighborhoods in Moroccan cities that were once thriving Jewish quarters about local history and the rich heritage of the areas. Today, many of the residents of these neighborhoods make a living from creating Jewish artifacts and selling them to tourists. Mezuzas, Shabbat candlesticks and other traditional pieces of Judaica made by Muslims are filling the shops in the narrow alleys. Some 200,000 Israeli tourists are expected to visit Morocco next year. El Mehdi Boudra, president of the Morocco-based Mimouna Association, said, "I'm a proud Muslim....Culturally I'm Moroccan, which means Jewish as well. Morocco was home to the biggest Jewish community in the Muslim world for centuries. Judaism is an integral part of our culture as Moroccans, and we should take pride in that....We surveyed what people here thought about Jews before we started the project, and discovered 85% of the population has a positive opinion about them."
2022-09-22 00:00:00
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