Tombstone of a Jewish child killed in the Agadir earthquake of 1960.
Muslim and Jewish women
collecting money for the victims of the Agadir Earthquake|
Agadir is the entrance point to Southern Morocco
and the desert. It has a small Jewish community,
and a small group of Berber Jews lives in the
neighboring town of Inezgane. Agadir Jews were
active in trade with Sub-Saharan Africa and
Europe before the 1760's, when the Sultan moved
2,000 of them to Essaouira. The community
gradually rebuilt itself. However, an earthquake
hit the city on February 29, 1960 killing more
than half the population, including 1,200 Jews.
Jewish, Muslim and Christian cemeteries were set
up side by side to bury the victims. Two-thirds
of the tombs in the Jewish cemetery are from
earthquake victims. Near-by the city of Agadir is the walled city of Taroudant, with its mellah and Jewish cemetery. The most important Taroudant saint is David Ben Baruk Cohen Azog. South of Agadir is Ifrane Anti-Atlas, where the tombs of the 50 Nesrafimes or Jewish martyrs are located. In 1790 during the tyrannical reign of Moulay Yazid, these Jews chose to jump into a fire rather than convert to Islam. Ifrane is also believed to contain Jewish tombs over 2,000 years old. Further east is the desert port of Akka, one of the major transit points for the caravan trade, where the Jewish cemetery contains tombs marked only by piles of large stones. |
||
Tombs in the Jewish cemetery of Akka. |
||