When the Jewish schools of Alliance Israélite Universelle opened in Morocco in the late 19th century, the famous rabbi of the Jewish community of Sefrou, Rabbi Refael Moshe Elbaz, composed the poem e’orer zimrat renanay in honor of the Alliance and the French government.

 

"What an honorable day, see my eyes...

From the descendants of Paris, the capital...

Shined the light of society of ministers,

Of "All the Jews are in Alliance,"

To greet their loving brothers,

They have opened the gates of righteousness...".

 

Up until the establishment of the new schools, only half of the community's children could receive an education due to a lack of classrooms, but the Alliance offered schools with room for all.

 

The traditional boy school, the Jewish community of Casablanca, 1950. Photo owned by Yad Ben Zvi Archive and part of the Israel Archive Network project.

 

There were also rabbis in Morocco who feared the new school systems. Instead of Jewish Arabic or Ladino, the Jewish languages in use, the Alliance's schools taught only in French, the language of colonialism. Some Rabbis claimed that nontraditional education might lead to a massive secularization. In addition, the Alliance established girls' schools for the first time in the Jewish community of Morroco. Educating young girls seemed like an unnecessary and rather destructive act for the conservative members of the community. 

 

Up until the 1950s, dozens of Alliance’s schools had opened throughout Morocco. However, after the massive migration of Moroccan Jews to France and Israel, only four Alliance schools are left in Morocco nowadays, all in Casablanca. One of them is the École Normale Hébraïque high School, where almost all the children of the Jewish community attend and is considered the most successful high school in the Moroccan kingdom.

 

The Jewish school of Casablanca. Photo from “Reporting Morocco” by Ellie Zimmerman.

 

Ariel Danan, head of relations between Morocco and France at the Alliance, explained why the high school is so successful; 'it is a family school, with few children, taught by excellent teachers who have been trained in France. "

 

"Students learn Hebrew, Zionism, and Judaism. They eat kosher and follow the Jewish holidays. They pray every day in the Jewish Moroccan praying custom, and participate in a student choir in which they sing Moroccan piyyutim. But, as it has always been, Alliance's Jewish education is more of a tradition-oriented than a Gemarah study focus."

 

"The Jewish education I received at École Normale Hébraïque contributed greatly to my strong sense of Jewish identity," says Kevin Arzen, 29, who grew up in Casablanca. Arzan no longer lives in Casablanca, nor any of his fellow Jewish classmates. He lives with his wife and daughter in Paris and works as a dentist.

 

"Many Jews live in Casablanca between 1500-2000 people; there is a proper Jewish community there. I attended the Alliance's schools with the same friends from kindergarten till the final grade, which was a bit of annoying sometimes," he adds and laughs.

 

"In school, we studied Jewish history, Jewish law, and many Hebrew and Torah. We started studying Gemarah when we were 13 years old."

 

How was it to study Muslims and Jews together?

 

We had around 5 Muslim students in each class of primary and secondary schools. It was very well. Of course, we felt some gaps between us, but they were our friends, and there were no problems at all between us. They learned Hebrew and Jewish history with us but the classes of Torah and Gemarah they did not attend.

 

Do you think of returning to live in Morocco?

 

No. After I know how life in Paris is, I can't return to live in Morocco. If I lived there, my children would have to go to France or Israel when they turn 18 as there are no real possibilities. 

 

Danan is also not sure what Alliance schools in Morocco will look like in a few years.

 

"For Morocco, to be honest, it is soon about the end of the Jewish community. There is almost no community anymore. When I was in Morocco two and a half years ago, I was told they opened a nursery. When I entered the nursery, there was only one baby there. It is a community that disappears."

The Jewish people of Morocco began to leave Marroco in the ’50s. They moved to France, Israel, and North America. However, their culture has not disappeared but has experienced a great bloom and renewal interest lately. For example, the famous Israeli singer of the Moroccan descendant Neta Elkayam performs regularly worldwide, singing new interpretations of the old Moroccan melodies. Another young female singer became famous, the paytanit Shir Yifrach (23), who has sung the Moroccan piyutim on stages since she was 15 years old . In Jerusalem, dozens of young men and women are studying the old praying and Torah reading of the Moroccan tradition in schools for chazanut. Yes, most of the Jews in Morocco have changed their address in the recent 80 years. Yet, there is no doubt that the Moroccan Jewish tradition is still alive and blooming.

Sources:

מאיר נזרי, יהדות ואנושות אצל הרב רפאל משה אלבאז, מתוך כנס במכללת ליפשיץ, 2012, עמ' 47–55.

אלישבע שטרית, התפתחות מוסדות החינוך של כי"ח במראכש והשפעתם על חיי הקהילה, ליבי במזרח ב, תש״ף.