Peter H. Grumbacher, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth Emeth
In their plan to take over the world and eliminate its Jewish population, the Germans entered Morocco and insisted that Mohammad V hand over a list of its Jews. The king looked at them and said, “Jews? We have no Jews here. We have only Moroccans.” And that has been their attitude evidenced by their constitution which states “. . . the Kingdom of Morocco intends to preserve, in its plentitude and its diversity, its one and indivisible national identity . . . nourished and enriched by its African, Andalusian, Hebraic, and Mediterranean influences. The preeminence accorded to the Muslim religion in the national reference is consistent with the attachment of the Moroccan people to the values of openness, of moderation, of tolerance, and of dialogue for mutual understanding between all the cultures and the civilizations of the world.”
At the end of March, Suzy and I joined with 20 others—strangers then but no more—and learned a great deal about its historic Jewish community, visiting synagogues (a few of which are still functioning), as well as cemeteries. In many nations that once had Jewish communities—with many cemeteries that told a tragic story—the exodus of Jews in the 1950s was not due to exile by any stretch of the imagination. Rather the State of Israel became a magnet as it did for many in the shadow of the Shoah. One very exciting moment on our tour was when we were invited to attend a brit milah, the circumcision of a new Jewish citizen of the kingdom!
Aside from the religious aspects of our experience, something that truly caught our attention was the cleanliness of highways, streets, even alleys of the cities we visited. It’s no exaggeration to say that at times if you looked for a tossed-away piece of paper, refuse of any kind, even a fallen leaf from a tree, you would be hard-pressed to find it.
The mosques, minarets, and cultural centers reflect the old and new; and the medinahs, the walled cities that still are teeming with vendors similar to the Old City of Jerusalem, contain some incredibly delicious restaurants that are opulent on the inside though you’d never know it from the alleys in which they are found. One other thing about those medinahs: we were never bothered by little kids peddling postcards and tzchachkes, nor beggars who would nudge you to distraction.
Look, you and I know that under other circumstances I’d be pushing you to visit Israel, especially now when her economy could use our help and her citizens could use our emotional support—and indeed I do encourage you to take that trip and roll up your sleeves as I did a year ago—but realistically so many are fearful of the situation. Having said that, a tour of Morocco would be an alternative. The nations of the world are seething in antisemitism, the State of Israel has become—once again—the pariah, the punching bag of the world. On the other hand, it seems that Morocco stands out as a country that has its head on its shoulders screwed on tight and right.
Let me suggest checking out the tour of Morocco planned for November 2025 which Rabbi Robinson, my successor at Congregation Beth Emeth, will be leading. I know little about it other than it’s there for your consideration. Call the office 302-764-2393 and ask for information or speak to him directly. And, no, this suggestion is not made under duress. It’s made because I believe you’ll thank me for the opportunity to learn her history and see for yourself everything about which you just read.
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When we were in Morocco about ten years ago, we visited the Jewish museum in Casablanca and were told that Morocco is the only Arab country with a Jewish museum. Also, Morocco was the first country to recognize the fledgling country of the United States of America when we first gained our independence from England.