Sign thanking the communities of Meknes and Casablanca for their
contributions to the
rehabilitation of the two Jewish cemeteries of
Meknes, facilitating the hiloula
(pilgrimage) to the tomb of the Saint Rabbi
Chimhon Ben Yohai.
Courtesy of Viva (Suzy Arama)
http://www.directviva.com/
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Meknes, the city of Moulay Ishmael, is one of the
only cities in Morocco where the mellah does not
adjoin the royal palace. It is also the only city
where Jews decided to create a new mellah after
the French Protectorate was installed. The
European city houses several synagogues as well
as a community center. The new mellah is still
the home for some of Meknes's 200 Jews, and one
can visit a beautiful synagogue, the El Krief,
nearby the new cemetery. On the other side of the
new mellah and adjoining the old mellah is the
old Jewish cemetery. Several saints are found in
the two cemeteries, including Haim Messas, David
Boussidan, and Raphael Berdugo. In the Royal city
of Meknes, the tomb of Moulay Ishmael
memorializes the Alaouite Sultan who protected
the Jews while securing control of the Moroccan
empire. North of Meknes is Volubilis, a well-preserved Roman city, where archaeologists found the first traces of Jewish settlement in Morocco. The near-by town of Moulay Idriss contains a mausoleum commemorating the founder of the first Muslim state in Morocco, Idriss I, who oppressed the Jews, forcing many of them to convert. Further North is Ouezzane, a town controlled by an important Muslim fraternity who encouraged Jewish traders and agriculturists to live near-by. East of Ouezzane is the village of Azjen, where the tomb of the most important Jewish saint, Amram Ben Diwane, is found. The Lag B'Omer pilgrimages to his grave attract hundreds of Jews from both inside and beyond Morocco. |
Celebrating the Hiloula
of Saint Rabbi |
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