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Click here to skip to the cemetery listings LOCALITIES ARE LISTED BELOW GENERAL INFORMATION
The Kingdom of Morocco is an Arab nation in Northwest Africa, with coasts on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Most of Morocco, as the Sultanate of Morocco, maintained its independence from European colonial rule until 1912, when the greater part became became the French Protectorate of Morocco, the northern section (and an area to the south) became Spanish Morocco and Tangiers became an international city. Morocco regained its independence in 1956 as the Kingdom of Morocco, although the Spanish continue to own two small enclaves (Ceuta and Melilla) on the Mediterranean coast, which had been held by Spain since the fifteenth century. Between 1976 and 1979, Morocco annexed the former Spanish possession of Western Sahara, although such annexation has not been recognised by much of the international community.
MOROCCO - THE JEWISH COMMUNITY JEWISH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:
Jewish community information:
The Jewish community hired Muslim families to live in the cemeteries as caretakers. At many, there is an organized annual Hilula (a kind of Yahrzeit for a great Rabbi), which among other things promotes upkeep of the sites. The local Jewish community or via the Joint Distribution Committee (which had been very active there) can supplement information. As for specific information, in 1991, I paid my respects at cemeteries in the old city of Casablanca (the "Mellah"), El Jadida, Sefrou, Rabat/Sale. Source: " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " who visited in 1991. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250,000 Jews in the country, but fewer than 7,000 or so remain in 2009. "The Jews of Morocco represent a remnant of an ancient, thriving community that numbered more than a quarter of a million in 1956. Today [late 1990s] the largest community is in Casablanca, home to 5,000 Jews. There are small Jewish communities in Rabat (400), Marrakesh (250), Meknes (250), Tangier (150), Fez (150), and Tetuan (100). ... In addition to the Jewish communities, the major sites of pilgrimage for the Jewish traveler are the tombs of the holy sages, scattered around the country. The most popular are Rabbi Yehouda Benatar (Fez), Rabbi Chaim Pinto (Mogador), Rabbi Amram Ben Diwane (Ouezzan), and Rabbi Yahia Lakhdar (Beni-Ahmed)." source: Virtual Jerusalem [October 2000]
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International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies
Morocco
