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Mizrahi Jews, descendants of North African and Middle Eastern communities, especially Moroccan Jews, have made significant strides in politics, business, and the arts. Their once-marginalized music, cuisine, and traditions are now central to modern Jewish culture.

Participants met with Director of the Sephardic Educational Center Rabbi Daniel Bouskila and President of The Moroccan-Israeli Friendship Association Mustapha Ezzarghani for an intimate conversation.

The Mellah of Fes is the oldest and one of the most significant Jewish neighborhoods in Morocco. It was established in the 15th century on the site of a former salt warehouse. In fact, "mellah" means salt in both Hebrew and Arabic. We were fortunate to meet a local who offered to guide us through the quarter. For two and a half hours, we wandered through the labyrinthine streets, deciphered symbols on crumbling buildings, entered through rickety gates, and discovered small details of the original interior decorations, each with its own story frozen in time. We found numerous clues and evidence of the coexistence of Jews and Muslims in this corner of the world. It was an impressive experience.