Koliphone/Zakiphon LP Covers

A while back I posted about an article in Haaretz that discussed Zohra El Fassia and the Koliphone/Zakiphon record labels. I was doing a little bit of searching in Hebrew today and came across the Hebrew version of the same article which included the above photo. Check out a very young looking Raymonde (who just performed in Essaouira) all the way to the right. You can also see the album covers of Jo Amar, Sami Elmaghribi (from the Ben Soussan LP - which I recently acquired) and Zohra El Fassia amongst others.

Raymonde Abecassis Performs at Moroccan Jewish Music Fest in Essaouira

Thanks to J from Juifs Berberes for this:

http://www.lematin.ma/Actualite/Journal/Article.asp?idr=115&id=122420

Le Matin

Musique
Raymonde El Bidaouia, une légende hors pair!
La ''Perle orientale'' a enchanté le public du Festival andalousies atlantiques d'Essaouira.
Publié le : 05.11.2009 | 14h59

Pendant trois jours s'est tenue à Essaouira la 6e édition du Festival Andalousies Atlantiques, dont l'un des temps fort était la prestation de la grande chanteuse de ''châabi'' et de ''melhoune'', originaire de Casablanca, Raymonde El Bidaouia, surnommée la ''Perle orientale''. Elle a donné deux concerts en compagnie de l'orchestre Zyriab d'Ahmed El Fakir, qui est un groupe de douze musiciens spécialisés dans le style ''gharnati''. Au grand plaisir du public, elle a joué à deux reprises: un concert acoustique à Dar Souiri et une belle prestation à l'ouverture de la magnifique soirée de clôture. A Dar Souiri, l'assistance a été nombreuse et il y a ceux qui ont suivi le show debout. Tout le monde a vibré durant le concert. Les youyous ont donc accompagné le chant de la ''Perle orientale''. La grande dame du cœur a offert un grand hommage à la chanteuse disparue Zohra El Fassia. En chantant des pages du répertoire de la pionnière du ‘'malhoune'', Raymond El Bidaouia a charmé son public. Elle a tout simplement impressionné l'assistance avec des tubes de ''chaâbi'' et '‘gharnati''. Lors du concert de clôture, elle a rendu un grand hommage aux Casablancais en interprétant ‘'Bidawa…Bidawa''. Une chanson que le public marocain connaît très bien. Un tube que l'on diffusait assez souvent à la RTM aux années 80. Il est à noter que Raymonde El Bidouia est l'une des chanteuses marocaines les plus populaires dans les styles tant du ''châabi'' que du ''melhoune'' ou de la musique juive marocaine en général. C'est l'une des plus fantastiques représentantes de la tradition populaire musicale au Maroc. Le public a apprécié tout particulièrement la délicate sensualité de sa voix grave et puissante. Cette particularité a aussi enchanté le nombreux public présent à ce festival de l'ancienne Modagor, où l'artiste était ''portée'' par le somptueux accompagnement de l'orchestre Zyriab d'Oujda, conduit de main de maître par son chef Ahmed Fakir. Une de ses admiratrices affirme: «Tous les Marocains aiment Raymonde El Bidaouia! ». Et d'ajouter : «Son répertoire nous a plongés dans notre enfance passée au Maroc avant d'aller en France. Ma mère et mes tantes chantaient ses chansons lors des réunions et des cérémonies familiales». Et une autre spectatrice qui déclare : «Elle a bercé l'enfance de plus d'un d'entre nous». La chanteuse, de son vrai nom Raymonde Cohen Abecassis, est très attachée à son pays d'origine, le Maroc; ce qu'elle démontre en chantant partout dans le monde pour y porter bien haut les couleurs de notre tradition musicale et notre patrimoine judéo-marocain. Ses talents sont d'ailleurs multiples, vu qu'actuellement, elle se produit aussi dans une pièce de théâtre en dialecte marocain «darija», et c'est un succès tout particulièrement aux États-Unis et en Israël, où elle réside à Ashdod. Parmi ses très nombreux titres qu'il est possible de trouver en disques, signalons le représentatif ''Lâaroussa de Zohra El Fassia'', inspiré des chants traditionnels des festivités de mariage, où elle chante, avec des instruments traditionnels, sur le rythme appuyé de battements de mains du cœur qui lui répond, rythme s'accélérant, puis se ralentissant pour laisser toute la place à plusieurs de ses amples solos. Ses grands succès sont ‘'Dak lahbib'', ‘'Choufi ghirou'' et l'inoubliable morceau ‘'Aloulide''. Plusieurs instruments y ont cependant pris une place de choix tels les violons à l'envers ‘'kamanja'', les percussions et les ‘'takassim'' du luth de la main du maître et chef d'orchestre Ahmed Fakir. Les musiciens ont eu droit chacun à quelques solos ‘' nouba'' qui sont parfois même ponctués et accompagnés de youyous des femmes présentes : un véritable moment de bonheur traditionnel qu'ont pu vivre les spectateurs privilégiés du Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Raymonde rend hommage à Zohra El Fassia Ce Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques a rendu un vibrant hommage au répertoire musical judéo-marocain, né d'une fusion datant de plusieurs siècles, et tout spécialement à Zohra El Fassia. Raymonde El Bidaouia a chanté quelques morceaux d'une étoile bien représentative de cet art métissant deux cultures. La célèbre chanteuse des années cinquante Zohra El Fassia fut l'une des figures emblématiques et pionnières du style ‘'malhoune''. En effet, elle a milité par ses œuvres pour la cohabitation judéo-musulmane au Maroc. Elle est née à Sefrou en 1905 et est décédée à l'âge de 89 ans, en 1994, à Ashkelone en Israël. En 1960, elle habitait alors à Casablanca, à la rue Sarah Bernard, et avec plaisir, on «entendait sa voix dans tout le quartier».

For an English translation, click here.

P.S. I'm moving apartments but as soon as I am settled I will upload some great, old images of Raymonde from her classic Koliphone/Zakiphon LPs.

Essaouira: Jewish-Muslim music fest is lesson in tolerance

By Brett Kline (AFP) – 1 day ago

ESSAOUIRA, Morocco — A music festival bringing Jews and Muslims together in this windy, walled fishing port, long a crossroads of civilisation, is a step in breaking down political divides, says festival founder Andre Azoulay.

Azoulay, a high-profile businessman and advisor to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, who is a player in the Middle East peace process, is the driving force behind the Andalousies Atlantiques festival of Judeo-Arab music, whose sixth edition ended this weekend.

"Essaouira throughout its entire history and its entire way of living was a synthesis between Muslims and Jews," Azoulay told AFP. "It was not something artificially constructed, it was natural."

"And this festival is a reconstruction of that reality as it was historically. It is not cosmetic, it is real."

The opening concert at the three-day fest improbably featured an 80-year-old singer-rabbi, Haim Louk, backed by a Moroccan band who drew thunderous applause from the audience -- people of all ages and social class, women wearing headscarves and others in western gear, tourists, foreigners, Jews and Arabs.

Azoulay grew up in the town, which then had a big Jewish community, and returned after a successful banking and communications career in France with the idea of reviving the local economy.

An obvious path was to turn the town into a cultural hub to reflect its past, and a number of festivals including the world's leading festival of pulsating Gnaoua (or Gnawa) music now take place in the town.

"The changes in the town have been tremendous," Azoulay said. "Twenty years ago there was no airport. The hotels here now employ hundreds of people."

Azoulay grew up in a building in the kasbah where a Jewish family lived on one floor and a Muslim family on the next.

"It was so normal that it was banal."

"When you see a concert such as Haim Louk, it is very moving," he said. "It is a reflection of what was and what is today in Morocco, and it is a step in the right direction in terms of our values.

"I would challenge anyone to take that social and cultural cohesiveness away from us, because of a political situation in which people are at odds with each other," he added.

Describing himself as spiritually Jewish, but also a Berber who is strongly influenced by Arab-Islamic history and culture, Azoulay said this meant he could enjoy Mahler, Um Kalthoum and Andalusian music.

"When people can sing and play together on stage in Hebrew and in Arabic, it is beyond symbolic, it is real. It is about reconciliation," he said.

"And when you see the standing ovation that a Moroccan Muslim public gave a Moroccan Jewish artist, you see maybe they could pay attention elsewhere."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g63RwqsJxdcHcFJZ-NzLjhcukGdw

Moroccan Jewish Music in Essaouira - Oct. 29 - Nov. 1, 2009

From AFP:

Thu Oct 8, 12:03 pm ET

RABAT (AFP) – This year's festival of the Atlantic Andalusias, held in the Moroccan port of Essaouira, will focus on a Moroccan Jewish musical tradition known as Matrouz, organisers announced Thursday.

During the festival, to be held from October 29 to November 1, there will be concerts to gather together "our poets, our musicians and our singers, Muslims and Jews, to sing and dance together," Andre Azoulay, festival chairman and an advisor to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, told AFP.

The north African country's Jewish art is a "major component of the cultural wealth and identity in Morocco," Azoulay said. "It shouldn't just be reduced to folklore (...). It gives the best example of how to make mentalities evolve by going out to meet other people."

Matrouz is a tradition that dates back several centuries. One example of the art form will be a concert in which the rabbi Haim Louk will sing accompanied by the Zyriab orchestra from Oudja in east Morocco.

Azoulay said that the Franco-Algerian pianist Maurice El Medioni, "one of the great masters of the Jewish Arab tradition," will perform with the Jewish Moroccan singer, Raymonde El Bedaouia.

In the future, there will be a prize for the preservation and performance of Matrouz music, Azoulay added.

The festival will pay a posthumous tribute to 1950s singer Zohra Fassia, who was a militant for the peaceful coexistence of Jews and Muslims in Morocco.

Evenings of Spanish flamenco and music from India are also on the programme for the festival, which is the sixth of its kind.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091008/wl_africa_afp/moroccomusicfestivalreligion

More links:

On Maurice El Medioni - http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/france/thestory.html

Great video of R. Haim Louk improvising in the US - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeQPA6OfkLs

D. R. Cowles Photographs of Jewish Morocco in NYC

D.R. Cowles has photographed extensively in Morocco and his photographs will be on display at the 92nd Street Y starting on Friday, Sept. 4. For some of his photographs of Jewish Morocco click here and here. His Morocco photos were taken in 1993 and 1995. I have visited most of the Jewish sites that he photographed - some have been restored (like the synagogue in Arazan) and some have almost completely deteriorated (like the Mansano Synagogue in Fes). This exhibit is a must see. Information is below: D. R. COWLES—PHOTOGRAPHS, 1993-2008 Using a hundred-year-old photographic process, D. R. Cowles has spent the last fifteen years turning it to contemporary purposes: documenting vanishing architecture and artisanal traditions, reinterpreting art antiquities and exploring the untapped potential of his nearly-obsolete medium to advance a modern aesthetic. In his choice of subject matter as in his means of rendering it, the past is given new life: human history, art history and the history of photography converge in images equally informed by the present. This exhibition traces an artistic journey, representing several phases of Cowles’ work with key pieces. Fri, Sep 4—Wed, Oct 21, 2009 Viewing hours are 12–4pm on the following days unless otherwise stated: 9/4 9/8 9/9 (12:15 start) 9/18 9/21 9/25 9/29 10/7 (12:15 start) 10/8 10/13 10/15 10/20 About D. R. COWLES Born in Boston, David Cowles studied at New York University's Graduate Institute for Film and Television and later at Concordia University where he majored in European and Jewish history. In 1993, fusing historical with photographic interests, he made the first of numerous trips to North Africa to document remaining Jewish sites in Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia. In the course of this project, Cowles also photographed Islamic and traditional Moroccan architecture, Roman ruins, and art antiquities. Since 2002, he has moved from artistic documentary to making photographs as pure art, refining his late 19th century printing process and applying it to semi-abstract still life studies and multiple-print composite images. Cowles has lived in Montreal since 1976. His work is represented in numerous private and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Tel Aviv Museum and the Jewish Museum of Casablanca.

All prints are courtesy of the artist. D. R. Cowles is represented by Yosefa Drescher Fine Art,www.ydfa.com.

For more information regarding this exhibit, please call 212.415.5740. General Viewing and Contact Information for the Weill Art Gallery The Milton J. Weill Art Gallery is open to patrons of Kaufmann Concert Hall during regularly scheduled events. For viewing at other times please call 212.415.5563 to schedule an appointment. Milton J. Weill Art Gallery, 92nd Street Y 1395 Lexington Avenue , New York City 92YTribeca Gallery Click here to visit the 92YTribeca Gallery at the 92YTribeca site.

Jewish Cemetery in Asilah: Connecting with Levy Roif’s Great-Great Grandson

Nearly a year ago I wrote about the Jewish cemetery in Asilah. I mentioned two tombs that caught my attention. One of them was of Levy Roif who died in 1926 at the age of 110.

Last week I received a note in my inbox from Rinaldo in Brazil. It was a surprise that only the internet could have enabled.

Rinaldo wrote:
It was quite a wonderful surprise to read about the location of the tomb of Levi Roif. He was my great-great-grandfather. His son Abraham Roffe, or Roif, emigrated with his family in the late XIXs [19th century] to the city of Belem, in northern Brazil where he died in 1931 and was one of the leaders of the local Jewish Sephardic Community. My grandmother, Miriam Roffe Athias commented about her grandfather Levi Roif whom she knew personally, lived almost 110 years old, and was buried in Asilah.

He continues:
In the late XIX’s [19th century] and early XX’s [20th century] there was a massive migration of Moroccan Jews to the Amazon region during the rubber boom, they came from the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, Larache, Rabat and Asilah. The three sons of Levy Roif moved in the wake of that migration and settled in the city of Belém where there is a Synagogue since 1848. Around 300 Jewish Sephardic families still live there. The eldest son, Abraham Roffe, my great-grandfather came with wife and younger children. His eldest daughter, Miriam Roffe my grandmother, stayed in Azilah for a few years more, living with her grandparents Levy Roif an Honoria (The same name of my mother); she died in Belém in 1956.

Even more astounding - Rinaldo was kind enough to send me possibly the only photo in existence of Levy Roif (date unknown) taken in Asilah, Morocco. He also included a photo of the extended family taken in Brazil in 1922.

I am including both photos below. I am also including never before seen photos from my September 2008 visit to the Jewish cemetery in Asilah.

Levy Roif (date unknown)
Asilah, Morocco

Abraham Roffe, Wife and Family (1922)
Belem, Brazil

Tomb of Levy Roif (2008)
Asilah, Morocco
(c) Chris Silver

Jewish Cemetery and Geniza (2008)
Asilah, Morocco
(c) Chris Silver

A Guide to Accessing the Jewish Cemetery in Asilah
Take a train or bus to reach Asilah. The cemetery in Asilah lies just down the coast from the city center. It is easily accessed by foot and most locals will be able to point you in the right direction. There is a cemetery gate that remains unlocked. There is a family that lives on premises. The fourth wall that should close the cemetery off from the sea has come down which makes for a breathtaking, unbelievable view/juxtaposition but of course should be repaired to prevent further deterioration of the cemetery. To repair the wall would cost approximately $500. If anyone is interested in financing the repair, please contact me. A geniza still exists in the cemetery unlike other abandoned cemeteries across Morocco.

Asilah As Inspiration – the Case of Edmond Amran Elmaleh Edmond Amran Elmaleh is known as the Moroccan James Joyce. He was born in Safi and began his writing career much later in his life. His 1979-80 visit to the Jewish cemetery in Asilah inspired his first book Parcours Immobile.

He writes:
When, around the years 1978-1980, the emotion, the shock felt in a visit to the Jewish cemetery in Asilah, a small town forty miles from Tangier, determined the birth of Parcours Immobile, my first book.

Here is a little more about Parcours Immobile which takes place in the Jewish cemetery in Asilah.

Here he artfully describes Nahon, the last Jew to die in Asilah.

There is much more to write about the cemetery in Asilah (including its foundation story which involves a shipwrecked refugee ship from Spain in 1492), Jewish Asilah, and Elmaleh but I will leave it here for now.

Cheikha Zohra El Fassia

Haaretz ran an excellent piece the other day that highlighted some of what I discussed with the Jo Amar entry - namely that Moroccan musicians continued to record (in Arabic) upon arrival in Israel.

Here are a couple interesting notes from the article:

• Israeli musicians "discovering" Moroccan music
• Some of the Moroccan music produced in Israel has been lost forever (due to a fire in the 1980s that destroyed the master copies of this music)
  

The article also discusses the the later years of her life. Here is some more background on Zohra El Fassia (also known as Cheikha Zohra El Fassia due to her mastery of a number of popular genres and traditional styles including gharnati, aita and melhoun).

A link to her "Ya Warda" can be found here. For a video of her performing, click here.

On a personal note, I have been working to collect the old LPs of Zohra El Fassia and other Moroccan Jewish artists including Sami El Maghribi, Cheikh Mwijo and others. As the above article discusses, this music is quickly being lost and we need to preserve it.

Here are a couple of excellent compilation CDs that feature (prominently) North African Jews:

• North Africa / Ethnic Music in 78 RPM / Recordings 1920 - 1940
  
• The Secret Museum of Mankind, North Africa Ethnic Music Classics: 1925-48

Pay close attention to - Raoul Journo, Louisa Tounsia and Cheikh Zouzou.

Jo Amar Passes Away at 79

There have been a few articles about the passing of Jo Amar last week. One of the best I’ve read so far has been the Ben Harris piece at JTA. Simple and well stated - a fitting tribute. Harris describes Amar as a Moroccan singer and Israeli icon and perhaps this is the best description of this man of many worlds. Other articles have aptly described Amar’s contributions to Israeli and Hebrew music and most notably to Mizrahi music but have neglected to mention his contribution to Moroccan and Arabic music. Just as Amar was an Israeli icon, he was also a Moroccan singer. He sang in Hebrew and in Arabic. Upon emigrating to Israel, Amar, like other immigrant singers, recorded music in Arabic at Koliphone (with the Azoulay Brothers) in Jaffa.

Yesterday on my way home from work I stopped by the post office to pick up a package that was waiting for me. I had ordered some old records from Israel and among them was an Arabic language LP entitled Kdam Drssd Ala - sung of course by Jo Amar. Once home I carefully unwrapped the package and removed the record from its sleeve. I placed the record on my turntable and placed the needle on the vinyl and there he was - Jo Amar in all his glory singing in Arabic.

Jewish Cemetery in Tangier

Excellent new resource on Jewish cemetery in Tangier. The cemetery is being mapped and a fund has been set up to help with restoration. Here's the English translation to the French site. I will post more on the Jewish community of Tangier shortly and how best to access cemetery.

My Search for Haim Botbol

Before I last left Morocco in Aprl, I happened on a fantastic Abitbol cassette. I have been working on verifying the identify of this Moroccan Jewish singer since then. It should have been obvious to me who he was but my searches yielded far too many unrelated results. It's amazing how a few changes to a Google search (think: Botbol instead of Abitbol and Chaabi instead of Musique) can make all the difference.

So it appears that since leaving Morocco, I have been listening to the chaabi stylings of Haim Botbol whose photo is above. Botbol was born in Fes and has been performing for decades, you can find his translated bio here.

Click here for a link to some of his videos. Here he is performing with Vanessa Paloma at the Laredo Old Age Home in Tangier. I will work on scanning and then posting the cover of the cassette I purchased.

The Jew in Us - At the heart of Moroccan identity

"The origins of our flag

The original flag of Morocco, first used in the 10th century by the Almoravid Ruler Youssef ibn Tachfine, was white ... without any ornament. Three centuries later the Merinid dynasty added the seal of David, a star with six branches. Even if today, "the Star of David" is universally regarded as the hallmark of the Jewish people (it appears on the flag of Israel), we must remember that David, or Daoud, is a biblical prophet, revered as much by Jews than Muslims. So without discomfort or ambiguity the Merinides chose the six pointed star for their emblem…The currency in use in Morocco also remained until the early twentieth century the six pointed star." (My partial translation)

As I left Morocco last year (November 2008) I grabbed a few magazines and newspapers at the airport. I was blessed with the above article about Jewish identity as Moroccan identity. I meant to scan the article and post but never did. I have included the cover of the Tel Quel issue above and a partial translation of the opening paragraph. A Google translation of the article can be found here.

Indeed there was a time when the flag of Morocco and the currency of Morocco both displayed the seal of Solomon or Star of David.

Silent Prayer

Interior, Grand Synagogue in Oujda

Prayer and Hebrew books, Grand Synagogue in Oujda

(c) Chris Silver

Diagramming Oujda

Today, from the outside the Grande Synagogue in Oujda is still noticeably a synagogue with two stained glass Star of Davids and a sign above the entrance that reads Beit T'fila or House of Prayer. The synagogue is here and you can see in the Wikimapia link that a former Jewish school lies just north of the synagogue on the map.

Oujda: Modern Jewish History

Oujda is the largest city in Eastern Morocco today and once was the home of a large Jewish community. The Grand Synagogue, the pride of the community, was built in 1930 and has served as the main synagogue in Oujda for the last 80 years. By 1936 the Jewish population stood at 2,048. In the early 1940s, the Vichy administration made life difficult for Jews in Oujda - Jews were dismissed from government work and from French schools. In the late 1940s, Oujda served as the scene of significant anti-Jewish violence and the final departure point to Israel. On June 7, 1948 a pogrom in Oujda (and Djerada) resulted in the murder of 43 Jews. By 1951 the Jewish population remained at about 2,000 persons.

The Grand Synagogue in Oujda will turn 80 next year

It was built in 1930. Here is the building from the outside (I will diagram this in the next couple days).

CTM is the official transport company of Morocco. Their Oujda office is housed underneath the synagogue.

Questions

1. Is it possible to raise the funding to begin restoration for its 80th year?

2. Do any readers have memories of the synagogue that they would like to share?

Berber Vinyl and Abitbol Cassettes

On Friday before heading out to interview Raphy, I stopped by a fantastic music store (for those in Casa, the store is located at 26 Lalla Yacout Street). Le Comptoire Marocain de Distribution de Disques carrys an extensive collection of Arab and Berber music in vinyl, cassette, and cd form from mostly the 1960s and 1970s. The music is hand picked and excellent quality. I picked up a few Berber LPs. These musicians were all from the Souss region and were masters or rwais of the rebab (spiked fidle). Interestingly, there were ahwash and rwais musicians amongst Chleuh speaking Jews (including from Ighil N'Oro - a picture of the Jewish cemetery there is at the top of the blog) who eventually imported this musical style to Israel, click here to read more.

I had originally stopped by to see if they had any Samy Elmaghribi or Salim Hilali on vinyl - two universally respected (by Moroccans) Moroccan Jewish singers. Unfortunately they didn't have any. Also, there was recently an exhibit on Samy Elmaghribi at the Casablanca Jewish Museum.

But...

In another testament to the ominpresence of Jewish life in Morocco, the store carried an extensive and possibly complete collection of the popular (shaabi) Moroccan Jewish singer Abitbol. I picked up one of his cassettes and will post a picture of the cover soon.

Names in Casa

In Casablanca and other large cities small plaques outside office buildings indicate the names of those working inside. For example: Dr. Ahmed Touwfiq, Dental Surgeon. Walking through Casablanca you encounter numerous Jewish names, as well as Muslim names, throughout the city. On one short block on Friday, April 17, I passed a Dr. Cohen and a Dr. Benzaquen.

Mimouna in Casa - April 16

Mimouna was wonderful. It was my first mimouna in Morocco and it was a special evening. On my way to the celebration I passed Muslims in Place Verte preparing boquets of wheat for the festival.

There were about 30 people at my Mimouna celebration - mostly Muslims who had come to help celebrate. One of my favorite parts of the evening was the storytelling and joketelling. For nearly an hour, individuals jumped at the opportunity to tell joke after joke after joke. And each one was a raging success. Uproarious laughter punctuated the end of every joke. Some jokes were about Moroccans and their peculiarities. Others were about Muslims and Jews. The Muslim-Jewish jokes were obviously of particular interest to me. Those jokes (or at least the ones I understood) were more self-depricating than I had anticipated and actually poked more fun at the Muslim community than the Jewish community. It was a fascinating exchange.

Just landed

Back in New York and have much to add. Will do so shortly.

Back in Rabat

I arrived in Rabat late last night. I was picked up by some old friends, a family who had taken me in on many occasion when I was lat here. We had dinner and caught up. I took a shower and slept in a real bed and it was wonderful. Today I'm headed back to Casa and tomorrow night will take part in Mimouna.

Wikimapia in Guercif

I jumped on the internet before heading to Rabat. There I checked my email on a terrible internet connection. With all my bags I looked like the many disenchanted Moroccan refugees who have no way of getting home now because of the transportation strike and gas rationing.

The owner of the cafe took an interest in me. He wouldn't believe that I wasn't actually Moroccan.

Where had you wanted to go? He asked.
To Debdou. I said.
Ah, it's so beautiful there. Surrounded by trees and isolated.
Great. I thought.

He jumped on my computer and pulled up wikimapia. I was stunned that this was the first resource he used but considering Moroccan proliferation for that website I shouldn't have been surprised.

Here is where it happened - my earlier post on wikimapia as a resource for discovering Moroccan Jewish history was suddenly right before my eyes. Here in the internet cafes of Guercif and similar small cities young Moroccans were marking space - both Muslim and Jewish. It was fascinating to see it up close.

The internet connection proved too slow to fully utilize the wonders of wikimapia (or anything else) and so I paid and headed for the train.

Getting into the hole - Guercif

Foiled again by the strike. Strikers are very serious. There are also gas shortages throughout the country which I think helps the strikers remain principled. The taxi drivers told me that if I wanted to get to Debdou I could take the train to Taourirt (true) and walk from there (not true). Perhaps I would have had better luck in Taourirt but very hard to say.

I decided to make the most of my last day in Guercif and head back to the "Jewish" cemetery. Something about yesterday didn't totally convince me that it was in fact a Jewish cemetery. It looked like one but I wouldn't be content unless I went it back.

I found it easily this time and stood opposite that hole I had earlier described for some time. The cemetery is opposite a high school and there were far too many people out for me to casually crawl under an artifical hole in the wall of a cemetery. I waited until most people and most students had cleared out. Just as I was about to make my way for the hole, 5 or 6 students climbed under.

I decided to follow them in. I headed towards the cemetery ducked and put one hand down to the dirt and pulled myself through. There were the students sitting on what used to be the entrance to the cemetery and they had now spotted their uninvited guest.

Is this a Jewish cemetery?
No it's a Christian (Nasara) cemetery.
Are you sure? I was told it was the Jewish cemetery.

They said it was both. I didn't believe them. They wanted to know where I was from and what I was doing there. I asked them why they had snuck into the cemetery. To smoke, they said. Seemed very American although we would probably sneak into a high school bathroom or a park before a cemetery.

We went around surveying the cemetery. The tombs from a far looked very similar to tombs in Jewish cemeteries throughout the country although this was indeed a Christian cemetery. The boys made sure that we looked at every tomb just to be sure. I was sure. It is an interesting find nonetheless and should be the subject of another trip. One tomb, a Christian one, was even inscribed in Arabic. But the Jewish cemetery had eluded me and I headed to the train station.

Christian cemetery in Guercif

There is a large Christian cemetery in Guercif surrounded by a wall. Some 25 tombs remain in good condition. A small hole (large enough to climb through) has been created on one of its sides. There is development all around it. Younger Guercifis arent familiar with it but older ones certainly are. Located not on the outskirts but near the center of town. Cemetery is testimony to once significant community.

I would say one could easily skip Guercif. Not much to keep you here.

Guercif but not Debdou

Transportation strike is getting frustrating. Continues. You can read about it here. Couldnt get to Debdou today.

Dinner in Oujda

Spent last night with my wonderful hosts and had another delicious meal. The oldest of the women sat down next to me before dinner and wanted to hear all about world Jewry. She wanted to know how many Jews were still in Syria, Lebanon, everywhere. She asked me about the Jews of Ethiopia and I was shocked that she even knew to ask. She asked about Iran and I told her that there were many more Jews there than in Morocco. They were all shocked and started asking if they covered their faces like all Iranian women. It was very comical.

I learned more about these women throughout our meal. One had been to Israel before but for some reason has decided to stay here in Morocco. I told them that my mother had thanked them for being so warm to me and that got them really excited. We ended our meal and they asked me to take about 4 pounds of truffles back with me to some mutual friends in Casa. I of course obliged and have now added truffles stuffed in matzah boxes to my previously light load.

One of my favorite parts of the night was when they asked me to be extra safe walking back to my hotel which was just a couple hundred feet from their house. I told them I would be fine but they insisted on protecting me. So as I exited the house two old women in bath robes and slippers walked me most of the way to my hotel. We look like an army I told them and all we were missing was a rolling pin.

Lunch in Oujda

After the synagogue I prepared to say goodbye. Shukran wa Hag Sameah. But they insisted I join them for lunch. For about an hour I sat with one of the women as she patiently conversed with me about everything and anything. I mentioned that I had gone to Rissani to see the home of the Baba Sali and that I had been to his hilloula in Israel. She excitedly told me that she was related to Baba Baruch and Sidna Baba Sali and then quickly covered and uncovered her eyes blessing him and his family.

The house I am in looks large. There is space. I am seated in the living room. The woman I am speaking to is fascinating. Her family is originally from Figuig, the oasis town of 200k palm trees about 7 hours south of here. The cemeteries are destroyed she says but I have seen at least one picture that makes me believe there are at least some tombstones untouched. Her family used to travel to Algeria she tells me. They would visit Oran. The Grand Synagogue there (which I will link to shortly) has been turned into a mosque (true). She was last there about 15 years ago. She knew all the important centers of Jewish life in Algeria. I asked her if she knew Ghardaia in the Mzab. She definitely knew it. In fact come to think of it the syangogue in Oujda and Ghardaia have many similarities including the stained glass. The syangogue is abandoned but still stands I told her.

She began to set the table carefully placing plate upon bowl upon plate and then finishing off with a checkered red and white cloth napkin. We sat – 3 Jewish women – and me. Round matzah filled the table. We spoke about everything from Israel to food prices in America. They wanted me to tell them how much I made in the US and if I liked Obama. We ate salads, meatballs, telfas (a Passover quiche), lamb and peas. Needless to say – everything was delicious. We finished our meal with fruit, tea, and coffee. I went to bid them farewell and they asked me to come again for dinner.

I cant wait.

The Grand Syangogue in Oujda

Unbelievable. We entered the building and ascended a flight of stairs. That leads you to the main sanctuary. It is huge. Mens section alone could accomodate hundreds. Benches were all there. Although I dont know the exact condition of the roof I know it is holding up well enough (despite some holes and leaking) to leave the synagogue in moderate-good shape. The teva (bima) is intact. The ark is there with beautiful stained glass. We ascended another set of stairs to the womans section. This could also accomodate many – maybe 100. There are rooms for celebrations and rooms for study. There is even a childrens bathroom with very low sinks. There are books and calendars and probably much more that is not immediately visible. On my way out I noticed a brit millah (circumcision) chair. I was stunned. We exited and I thanked God for the transportation strike. None of this might have happened without it. We walked back to their home and I thanked them profusely. Shukran wa Hag Sameah. Wont you join us for lunch? She asked.

Khubz haram

I headed back to town. There is no mellah in Oujda but certainly a Jewish area. It was there I began my search for the last half dozen Jewish women in Oujda – one of whom I hoped had the key to synagogue. I knocked at the door and a woman answered.

Who am I? I thought. How would I explain that I wanted to see the synagogue because I wanted to see the synagogue? That I hoped to help restore it.

The synagogue in question is known as the Grand Synagogue. It was the pride of Oujda Jewish community and supposedly could accomodate some 700 worshippers.

I told her who I was as best I could. Hag Sameah I said to her. I told her who I knew as best I could. Baruch hashem I said after another remark. I was sure I would be kicked to the curb but I wasnt. She told me that khubz (bread) was haram (forbidden) during Passover. Of course I said. I had matzah in my hotel. She invited me in for coffee and matzah.

After some conversation and vetting from her and a second Jewish woman they agreed to show me the synagogue. Wow.

Transit strike strikes again - in Oujda

Woke up early and headed to central bus station and grand taxi stand. Spotted taxis to Jeradda. One was nearly full...but with taxi drivers. Grand taxis continued to strike. Headed to bus station and almost all buses were grounded including ones to Jeradda and Berkane. Heading back to Oujda to find woman with keys to the syangogue.

Oujda – Day 1 (April 11)

Oujda is the largest city in Eastern Morocco and sits directly across from Tlemcen and close to Oran in Algeria. The border has been closed for some years but you can imagine what the city was once like when Algerians and Moroccans passed back and forth – like they did historically. Most people I have spoken to on the subject have told me that the East is not as friendly as other parts of the country. Beyond a general unfriendliness they tell me, there is also lacking the nostalgia that other parts of the country have for their departed Jewish communities.

I had planned on waking up early and trying to first head for Djeradda and if that was impossible then to head to Berkane where there is a large Jewish cemetery: instead I slept in – it is my birthday today afterall – and I made the right decision. It has been raining all day and things have been moving very slowly. I decided to check out the Grande Synagogue during lunch. It is located only a few hundred meters from my hotel. I decided to eat at a restaurant next door to the synagogue and then to chat up someone at the restaurant in order to find out more about access. My hope was that with a wall in common perhaps there was a window that looked out into the synagogue or even a door that opened to the synagogue or perhaps a view from the roof – anything. It turns out I spoke to the wrong gentleman.

Is that a synagogue next door? I asked (I knew it was but just wanted to start the conversation) Yes but its closed.

Are you Muslim?

No, Im Jewish.

Why dont you convert?

Well, Im Jewish just like youre Muslim – everyone has their…

Religion (in unison)

Does anyone have a key?

No.

No one?

No.

Ok, thank you so much.

It turns out that there is a woman with a key. I hope to meet her on Sunday. Keys to an abandoned synagogue (one of the largest synagogues in Morocco) would be a wonderful belated bday gift.

To Oujda - April 10

I had two train options for Oujda, a 615 am qnd 1215 pm – I opted for the later. There continues to be a petit taxi strike throughout the country that is severely harming intra-city mobility. The 615 would have required a taxi and I just didnt think that was going to be a feasible option so I got some rest and hoped on the 1215. The ride to Oujda was 10 hrs with a transfer in Fes. It felt like all 10 hrs. I arrived to the city at around 10 pm. From the train you arrive at the Ville Nouvelle. The streets are wide and clean with similarly wide and clean sidewalks. Streets were well lit. I found my hotel easily.

Passover - gefilte fish + tripe

The next day I joined the same family for lunch. After more discussion I discovered I wasnt the only guest there. The Rabbi sitting next to me was also a guest. He was knowledgeable and erudite. He had forgone a family for some reason and his relatives all lived in Israel The gentleman to my left was also a guest. His family was living in Israel but he had decided to stay. I had assumed he was the grandfather but he wasnt. Another man joined us. Charity the english speakers in the family told me. I recognized him from my pilgrimage to R. David u-Moshe in Agouim. He was there to collect alms at the hilloula and I was now seeing him again in Casablanca – this time looking for a Passover meal. This family was truly hospitable. We ended the meal with a dish that I wish I could have taken a picture of. It was the spiciest Moroccan dish I had ever eaten. It was a traditional Jewish holiday meal of tripe and cheek. I ate dutifully and enjoyed but dont know that I would necessarily order it at a restaurant. I had some tea and headed back to my hotel.

Finding my family

Spent a good deal of time looking for my host family for Erev Pesach. Fascinating exercise that involved spotting Jews and asking if they knew where the family lived, popping into corner groceries and asking if they knew Jews that lived close by, etc. I eventually found my family. Two of the children live within a few blocks of me in NY. The food was delicious and the seder itself was familiar and enjoyable. It lasted until about 1 in the morning at which point I was considerably exhausted especially considering that I had arrived on a red eye that morning. Add four cups of wine and Im falling asleep at the table.

Casa – Passover Eve

At 7 we met Raphy outside of shul. It was a wonderful, lively and soulful service. 50 people in all. Raphy pointed out certain men throughout the service.

That is Meir. He is a fortune teller in the Ourika Valley. (I had heard of Meir before – he uses Talmudic and Kabbalistic texts to tell fortunes). Meir very much looked the part.

That man there is restoring the cemetery in Skoura.

That is the Rabbi and that is another.

Casa – Arrival – April 8

Arriving was like old hat and I liked that. I was at the front of the line to buy train tickets and I held my ground. When I had to change at Ain Sebaa I walked over the train tracks instead of using the pedestrian bridge. It seems I had forgotten a good percentage of my Arabic but surely enough it would come back. I met a couple of friends in the medina in Casa. We walked through the medina a number of times as I tried to find my hotel. It was a beautiful sunny day and I began to discuss how Jewish history was all around us – you just had to know what you were looking for - as we happened upon Dar R. Haim Pinto (the house of the illustrious Rabbi Haim Pinto).

We found my hotel and I received a warm embrace from the proprieter of the hotel who remembered me from my last stay. We had lunch at an old favorite of mine and then headed to the corniche by the Hassan II mosque for some beaufitful views and much needed rest.

Algerian Synagogue in Oujda

Just to give you a little taste of how the research comes to fruition. This is a photo from Jacob Pinkerfelds Synagogues in Northern Africa. In the 50s Pinkerfeld visited numerous communities throughout Morocco and much of what we know visually comes from his photographers photographs. For example, the restoration of Ibn Dannan in part used photographs from his work. This is the Algerian Synagogue in Oujda as it was some 55 years ago. It was much smaller than the Grande Synagogue and had no womens section.




This is a photograph taken last year. It is the same building, the same syangogue. It still stands and the door is locked. The star of David has been removed but its outline remains. If you look closely the street number remains the same.

Visiting Jewish Morocco - Resources on the internet

There is not a wealth of information on Jewish Morocco in English on the internet. Google searches usually yield little or repetative information. There is good information out there however (in French and Arabic) and there are resources that exist but that don't immediately come to mind when you are searching.

Google Earth and Wikimapia have become two very interesting resources for discovering Jewish Morocco. Both applications allow users to identify points on an often very clear map. So for example, an aerial view of Rabat will identify the mellah and a synagogue ("cinaguogue juif" south of the mellah and in a cluster of 3 marked areas) amongst many other sites. The information is user generated and usually by individuals on the ground.

By moving your mouse over a city you begin to learn a great deal thanks to the work of these volunteers. In the near future I plan to embed more of that information here so that you can discover for yourself at home and so that you can get an insight into my preparation when searching for sites.

Upcoming travel in Morocco - what am I doing there?

1. Celebrating Passover
   
2. Interviewing Raphael El Maleh for upcoming project
   
3. Re-discovering historical Jewish sites in the East (Oujda area) including:

• Locating specific sites like synagogues and cemeteries
  
• Evaluating conditions of sites in order to determine whether they are good candidates for restoration
  
• Providing practical information to potential visitors on how they can access these sites
  

Heading back

Heading back to Morocco in April. More to come.