The Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour from Casablanca is an immersive 8-day journey that invites participants to explore the rich and diverse Jewish history and culture in Morocco. Casablanca, a bustling city known for its vibrant atmosphere and historical significance, serves as the starting point for this unique experience.
Throughout the tour, participants have the opportunity to visit key Jewish heritage sites, synagogues, and historical landmarks across various cities in Morocco. Cities such as Marrakech, Fes, and Meknes unveil the centuries-old Jewish presence in the region, showcasing architectural marvels, ancient synagogues, and vibrant Jewish quarters.
The itinerary typically includes guided tours led by knowledgeable local experts who share insights into the history, traditions, and contributions of the Jewish community in Morocco. Participants often get to experience the rich tapestry of Moroccan culture, from exploring bustling markets and tasting local cuisine to engaging with the warm and welcoming local communities.
This immersive journey not only highlights the cultural diversity within Morocco but also fosters an appreciation for the coexistence of different religious and cultural communities throughout the country’s history. Participants often come away with a deeper understanding of Morocco’s Jewish heritage and its role in shaping the nation’s identity.
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Your driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the city while providing you with the first glimpses of the Moroccan countryside. Following your arrival and accommodation, you will take a tour of the magnificent Hassan II Mosque. With the tallest minaret in the world, this mosque is the biggest in Africa. Given that it is completely constructed over the ocean, its location makes it noteworthy. The mosque is embellished with exquisite Moroccan craftsmanship and tiling.
One of Casablanca’s few kosher restaurants is open for dinner at night.
There are more than 20 synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods in Casablanca. You will visit the three most important historic synagogues in Casablanca on this Jewish heritage tour: Temple Beth-El, Temple Em Habanim, and Temple Neve Shalom.
You will explore Casablanca’s Jewish Mellah and Jewish Cemetery in addition to visiting the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, the only Jewish museum in the Arab world.The most well-known synagogue in Casablanca, Temple Beth-El, is the first stop on your guided Jewish Heritage Tour. Stained glass windows and gold-inscribed Bible quotations adorn the walls of the synagogues. Dangle massive chandeliers made of crystal from the ceiling.
Hebrew scrolls with beautifully embroidered velvet mantles are displayed in the ark. A masterpiece of Jewish architecture is Temple Beth-El.It serves as the focal point of the thriving Jewish community in Casablanca and is the city’s main synagogue. Currently, over 5000 Jews reside in the city’s contemporary area, where they attend over 20 synagogues for prayer and dine at kosher restaurants.
Explore Casablanca’s Mellah, which is less than a century old, after that. The narrow streets still house kosher butchers even though the Jewish population has moved out. With white stone markers in Hebrew, French, and Spanish that are kept in good condition, the Jewish cemetery in the Mellah is open and well worth a visit. The Jewish Community of Casablanca holds an annual hiloula at the tomb of Eliahou, the Jewish saint. Explore the historic synagogues of Mellah, including the exquisitely restored Temple Neve Chalom and the Temple Em Habanim, here as well.
Visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca after lunch. The Jewish Museum is situated in the city’s Oasis neighborhood. It is the first and only museum in the Arab world dedicated to Judaism, having opened its doors in 1997. Renovated in 2013, the museum was originally constructed in 1948 as a Jewish orphanage that could have housed up to 160 young Jews. It is regarded as a must-see for any traveling Jew to Morocco.
Afterwards, spend the night in a stunning riad in Rabat after an hour-long drive on the motorway.
Visit the Hassan Tower from its hilltop location with a view of the Bouregreg River after breakfast in your riad. One of the primary attractions in Rabat and a symbol of the city’s unfinished mosque tower. You can see the magnificent Mohammed V. Mausoleum on the same location. beautifully designed with varied marble, glass windows, and a metal gated staircase that leads to the tombs of Mohamed V and his son Hassan II.After that, start your tour of Rabat’s Jewish Heritage.
Discover the Jewish Mellah and its winding lanes, which were once home to numerous Jewish families but are now only inhabited by a select few. From here, you can explore the gardens and ruins of the Necropolis at the Chellah. The Chellah faces Sale, the birthplace of Rabbi Hayyim ben Moses Attar, the renowned scholar and Kabbalist of the 18th century. The Jewish community regards him with respect and recognition for his Torah commentary, known as the “hahayyim.”
Take a half-day Jewish Heritage Tour of Meknes, an imperial city, by car after lunch. Investigate Meknes’ walled medina and take pictures of its enormous gates and ramparts. Explore the historic Jewish neighborhood from here, which features charming courtyards and winding streets. This is the tomb of the city’s patron, Rabbi David Benmidan. The Meknes Zaouia’s Hebrew inscriptions reveal Jewish history. There are up to eleven synagogues in the new Mellah, eight of which are still in operation.The Roman ruins at Volubilis, outside the city, provide more evidence of Morocco’s prehistoric past. By the end of the afternoon, we reach Fes. Spend the night in a stunning riad.
Fes is one of Morocco’s four imperial cities and one of the most well-known in Jewish history from the Middle Ages. Renowned Talmudic scholar Rabbi Isaac Alfasi lived there.
Fes is unquestionably a must-see city for all Jewish travelers because of its historical significance and its former Jewish population, who openly celebrated Jewish life.You will see Jewish heritage and cultural sites during your guided Jewish Heritage Tour of Fes.
These will include viewing synagogues, medieval universities, cemeteries, the Mellah, as well as gardens and palaces.
Visit the Mellah, which is over 650 years old, first. There used to be more than forty synagogues there. Adjacent to the Royal Palace, where the Jews sought refuge during the pogrom in 1912, lies this intriguing neighborhood. In addition, you can go to the adjacent cemetery, which has more Jewish saints’ tombs than any other in Morocco.
Silica is among the well-known saints interred here.See the Danan synagogue later on; it was once one of the numerous temples located within the walls of the Imperial city. In Morocco, the Thel Ibn Danan Synagogue is regarded as one of the oldest and best preserved. Additionally, it is a unique record of the historical importance of Moroccan Jews.
Explore the colorful alleyways of Fes’s old medina after lunch, where you can find shops selling woven cloth, leather goods, and metal souvenirs. If you’d like, you can go to the University of Al-Kairaouine, which is recognized as the world’s first university by the Guinness Book of Records.
We continue our Jewish Heritage tour of Morocco by driving to Marrakech via Jewish Seffrou after breakfast in your riad. Travel via Ifrane, known as “the Switzerland” of Morocco because of its winter ski resorts, cedar forests, and architectural design.
Take a tour of the synagogues and cemeteries, which have long served as Jewish pilgrimage centers.Visit the Bhalil Cemetery as you travel to Seffrou. Jews from Morocco used to make up a sizable portion of the population in Seffrou; you can tour the Mellah, which is formed by half of the town’s buildings. Seffrou’s white-walled medina is still primarily made up of Jewish homes, which are easily identified by their wooden balconies.
Jews and Muslims coexisted peacefully next door in Seffrou. They performed their religious rites together, which is a great illustration of interfaith communication in Morocco.You proceed to Beni Mellal, making a brief detour to discover Zaouia Cheikh en route. See Kasbah Ras el-Ain, a sizable structure constructed entirely of natural stones, after lunch. Perched atop a panoramic viewpoint, it provides breathtaking aerial views of Beni Mellal, the fertile valley, and orange and olive groves.
By late afternoon, you will reach Marrakech, where you will spend the night in a stunning riad.
One of Morocco’s four imperial cities and a highly sought-after travel destination worldwide is Marrakech. You will see the Jewish Mellah, the Lazama Synagogue, and other noteworthy Marrakech attractions on this Jewish Heritage tour.Visit the 1558-founded Jewish Mellah to begin your tour.
Despite being prohibited from owning any property outside of the Mellah, the Jewish community nonetheless enjoyed autonomy. Nowadays, Marrakech is home to only 250 or so Jews.
The Jewish souks are all well worth a visit, and the Mellah quarter has undergone a stunning restoration recently. After that, you can visit the Synagogue Bet-El, one of the main Jewish gathering places in Marrakech.You will see the Majorelle Gardens, which belonged to Yves St. Laurent and are well-known for their unique shade of blue, the Yves St.
Laurent Museum, El Bahia Palace, also known as “the palace of the beautiful,” and El Badi Palace, depending on your schedule and interests.You can visit the Ben Youssef Medersa, the former home of about eighty Quranic students, and then the Saadian Tombs if you’d like.
Take a tour of the medina in the afternoon and explore the souks, which are home to many beautiful lamps, carpets, and Berber rugs, as well as leather workers and metal workshops.
Get away for the evening in your stunning riad.
We depart for Essaouira, a coastal fishing town renowned for its Portuguese and Jewish past, after breakfast. In addition, it is well-known for its fresh seafood, white-painted homes, blue boats, and Gnawa music festival.
You will pause along the route to see and capture a unique sight: goats clambering up into the argan branches to eat the nuts and leaves. You can see how the argan oil is made into different products and extracted from the argan kernels by going to the Argan Women Cooperative.
When you get to Essaouira, head to the lively seaport to snap pictures of the recognizable blue boats and select from a variety of freshly caught fish that can be made into lunch right away.Take a guided tour of Essaouira’s Jewish heritage in the afternoon.
Discover the 18th-century Jewish quarter, built at a time when 40% of the town’s residents were Jewish. Few of the town’s more than twenty-five Jewish synagogues still stand today.Explore the newly opened Bet Ha-Knesset Simon Attias Synagogue, one of the Jewish synagogues in Essaouira.
In an effort to preserve Moroccan Jewish heritage and fortify Essaouira’s identity, the Simon Attias Synagogue is home to a Jewish museum and a future cultural center bearing the name of historian Haim Zafrani.
See more of the harbor town after breakfast in your riad. Take a tour of the walled Medina and take pictures of its imposing defenses and white-painted homes.A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medina of Essaouira serves as the setting for numerous Hollywood productions, including Game of Thrones.
Explore the colorful shops and winding alleyways teeming with artisans selling metal souvenirs and thuja wood handicrafts.Return to Casablanca or Marrakech after lunch.
Your Jewish Heritage Tour in Morocco will come to an end when your driver drops you off at the airport in time for your flight. The schedule for the day will be determined by the time of your flight, please note.
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