Relevant Articles
Articles, essays, and research from scholars, journalists, and community members, chosen by JIMENA to deepen your understanding of Jewish life in Morocco.
Articles
Studies on the Written and Oral Literature of Morocco's Jews
Haim Zafrani, the great scholar of Moroccan Jewish culture, surveys four centuries of the written and oral literature of Morocco's Jews (in French).
Jewish Poetry and Music in Morocco and the Andalusian Tradition
How Moroccan Jewish music grew alongside the Andalusian tradition (in French).
Audrey Azoulay on Her Moroccan Jewish Roots
Audrey Azoulay, former head of UNESCO, on her family's roots in Essaouira and what it means to carry a Jewish world from the Arab and Muslim lands (in French).
Suleika and Me
The legend of Suleika, the Jewish girl of Tangier and Fez, and the writer drawn to her story.
Kosher Soup for Ramadan and Other Tales of My Mother's Moroccan Childhood
A Jewish grandmother in Casablanca who cooked harira for Ramadan.
Seha: A Wise Fool in Moroccan Jewish Folklore
Seha, the wise fool of Moroccan Jewish folktales.
100 Jewish Brides: A Wedding in Casablanca
From the mikveh and the henna party to the chuppah: a Moroccan Jewish wedding in Casablanca, from the book 100 Jewish Brides.
A Forerunner of Sephardi Feminist Literature (Lilith)
A review of the first English translation of Blanche Bendahan’s 1930 novel “Mazaltob,” the story of a young Sephardic woman in Tetouan facing an arranged marriage.
In the Hammam (Lilith)
Tangier-born writer Yaëlle Azagury recounts her first visit to a women’s bathhouse with Muslim and Jewish friends, and reflects on Jewish and Muslim life in Morocco.
Pursuing My Family’s Ghosts in Morocco
Journalist Irin Carmon travels to Morocco with her mother to trace her grandfather’s childhood in Agadir and joins a desert pilgrimage to a rabbi’s grave.
Zohra El Fassia, the Most Renowned Moroccan Female Vocalist (World Jewish Congress)
The World Jewish Congress profiles Zohra El Fassia, the Jewish singer from Sefrou and Fez who became one of Morocco’s most celebrated recording artists.
France’s Funniest Guy Is a Moroccan Jew (Times of Israel)
Comedian Gad Elmaleh, born in Casablanca to a traditional Sephardic family, talks about how his Moroccan Jewish upbringing shaped his humor.
