Since returning from Morocco to Israel, I still think of Essaouira from time to time, or rather about that moment when I stood over the Atlantic Ocen and the sunset lit up the sky in yellow and red. White seagulls circled on the gusts of wind, and a wave of nostalgia washes over me although I had never visited that place before.
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The more time I spent in Essaouira, the more I connected to the spirit of the port city, where Jews once walked home after prayers on Shabbat, radiating serenity. In the same way, I walked through the local market, the beach, and the pier full of fishmongers. And after a lengthy period of spiritual hunger, I felt satiated.
There was something intimate about Morocco. Each ancient city had its own color, even the taxis. During my ten days in the kingdom, every Moroccan I spoke to was proud to tell me he or she had a Jewish friend.
"I have a Jewish friend from Portugal whom I helped receive a Moroccan passport," a driver in Casablanca told me, and showed me photos of the documents on Whatsapp, to make sure that I did not doubt him.
"You Jews are closest to us, the Berbers," a resident of Marrakesh said. "You saw our team in the World Cup, didn't you?" he added with pride.
This might be something we, Israelis, could learn from. Religious minorities have a role in the story of the nation and are a small part of the large entirety. The Jews of Morocco, for instance, were believed to be those whose prayers for rain were answered. An ancient tradition, but one that eventually caused traumatic events in history. For instance, when an entire community prayed for rain for fear of being accused of causing a drought and being punished.
On Shabbat, the prayer for the rain was very special indeed. The synagogue was crowded, and unlike in Europe, where the setting was influenced by the churches, here, the cantor stood behind the worshippers. The idea is that the cantor is meant to encourage worshippers, give them a push, so to speak, rather than lead them.
A commotion broke out at the beginning of the prayers between two worshippers, regarding an element of the service, but the inertia of the chants quickly separated the hawks and the fight died down. Interestingly, it seems that in Israel, the opposite is true: instead of sanctity resolving disputes, it creates them.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Moroccan culture is very tolerant, while Israeli culture is prone to absolutes. For thousands of years, Morocco has been a home for Jewish worshippers. Even after it was conquered by the Muslims in the 8th century CE, Moroccans continued to make pilgrimages to the graves and pray at the burial sites of the righteous. Muslims often asked Jews for blessings, and vice versa.
Given Morocco's vast territory, it would be difficult to instill one belief over all. In Israel, on the other hand, it seems that every sector needs to fight for its survival, and the subconscious believes, perhaps, that such a small country cannot have enough space for all.
It was also incredible to see the respect Moroccans hold for civil service workers. One building that we passed had a painting of a soldier, a policeman, and a nurse carrying the flag of the country together. I wish we, Israelis, also developed this quality.
Just like in Europe
It's not that in Morocco religion and state are completely separate. After all, the king is considered a spiritual leader, the successor of the Prophet Muhammad, and participates in prayers. But in Morocco, religion is usually something that connects or mitigates conflict, while in Israel, it is a match that is about to touch the fuel.
And the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is a great example of this. The building, the construction of which began in the 980s, can fit tens of thousands of worshippers in the hall and large plaza on the seashore. The cost of the construction is estimated at over half a million euros and was largely funded by the public. Some twelve million Moroccans donated to the cause. The smallest donation was just around one dollar. It seems that the connection that religion creates is also related to more flexibility in terms of religious law.
Contrary to other schools in Islam, the Maliki school relies not only on the Quran and hadiths as primary sources but the consensus of the people of Medina – where the Prophet Muhammad lived before the conquest of Mecca – as well.
The product of this is a flexible society. Devout Muslims who allow themselves to drink a glass of arak (even though alcohol is prohibited in Islam), and use it as medicine for stomach aches. Others say, "a little for God and a little for the heart." Clubs serve locally brewed beer. A prestigious pub in Marrakesh even features dancers and a Western rock band. Just like in Europe.
Jewish history
Fes is freezing cold in the morning. But no one turns on the heating unless asked as locals prefer to stay warm by dressing in layers: scarves, woolen hats, puffy coats, and gloves. One can only see their faces and eyes. Are Moroccans thrifty or cheap? It's unclear. But they are certainly welcoming and merchants at the local market can already speak a few words of Hebrew.
There, facing the Atlas Mountains, the highlight is the mosaic art. There sits a person, from sunrise to sunset, and carves on the gray concrete squares. The most painstaking task that can be, with Europe paling in comparison. In Morocco, tradition is a source of pride.
In the local Jewish cemetery, I lit two candles. One for kabbalist Rabbi Yehudah Ibn Atar, who used to head the Jewish community of Fes, and the second for Lalla Suleika, a Moroccan Jewish heroine who was publicly decapitated when she was 17 years old. She was executed in 1834 for alleged apostasy from Islam. This reminded me of my late mother, who was born in Morocco, and made aliyah to Israel.
Currently, the Kulna organization is working to renovate Jewish cemeteries in Morocco. Young Israelis leave behind their lives in Israel and travel to Morocco to volunteer for the project. Little by little, we too are learning about the power of tradition.
A Berber superpower
In recent years, Morocco chose the moderate path: in the 2021 elections, the Justice and Development Party that advocates for political Islam suffered a major loss, gaining only 12 out of the 125 seats of parliament.
Even its attempt to criticize the government for its ties with Israel against the backdrop of the latest escalation ended in a blow from the monarchy itself.
The Royal Office issued a strong statement condemning the instrumentalization of the Kingdom's foreign policy in a domestic partisan agenda, calling it "a dangerous, unacceptable precedent."
Religion does, however, come "from the bottom up." Although Moroccan society is still considered a conservative one, with few women entering the labor market, there is one organization that demonstrated how traditionalism is a solution for the modern world.
The High Atlas Foundation works, among other things, to improve the standing of women in Morocco. It has hundreds of employees, 15 kindergartens, and organic farming projects, as part of which countless trees have been planted. The organization started out with two centers and has been growing ever since.
In a conversation at Beit Barbari, the organization's representatives, Fatma and Mary from the Eureka Valley at Atlas, explain the goal:
"We are trying to help the community achieve what they really want in life, for their voice to be heard. To create a safe place for farmers. Many of them do not have resources, and the project can generate more money for them," one representative, Fatma, said. "Many women from rural areas drop out of school because of the cultural differences, the hard work at home, or because there are no toilets in the schools. The [Berber] tribes in the mountains are behind in terms of technology and what can be offered to them. The goal is to reduce the gaps and help the Berber family unit to provide a platform for women to make their voices heard."
The High Atlas Foundation also works directly with men, to change their perception of women's role in society.
Generally, the organization runs a workshop for women for four days, to develop confidence, in a process designed to integrate women into the work market, develop agriculture and modernize processes, all while keeping Islam the main element of the women's identity. The process incorporates verses from the Quran.
The group also works with Jewish communities to preserve their heritage. For instance, recording Jewish music to make it accessible to the general population, safeguarding Jewish cemeteries, and establishing kindergartens.
This, they say, is an example of Morocco's multiculturalism and tolerance. Similar work is done by other organizations and other religions in the kingdom.
Most interestingly, the High Atlas Foundation was praised by the monarchy and received funding for the establishment of agricultural kindergartens. One wonders how Israelis of different walks of life would react to the idea of incorporating religion as a component of national identity and the integration of religious minorities.
The king is absent
Of course, not everything is perfect in Morocco. One cannot help but notice the gap between the classes: the elites who speak French, wear luxury watches, and rub shoulders with world leaders at prestigious conferences, and the beggars in the streets, some senior citizens, and the slams on the outskirts of the cities and villages.
As in other monarchies, there is a "Big Brother" energy here. Every show features a framed photo of King Mohammed VI, staring at you. For better or worse, his police officers, soldiers, and agents are stationed on every corner. On the one hand, it creates a sense of security, especially for a small group of Jews living in a Muslim-majority country. On the other, it stems from the danger of Islamist terrorism and a need to project resilience and stability.
Just recently, a protest broke out in Rabat and other cities because of the rising cost of living. Inflation reached 9.4% in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 4% in the same period of time the year before. During Ramadan, food prices increased by 18.2%.
Demonstrators gathered outside the parliament and called for the farmers to be held accountable.
"I can't stand it. Life has become difficult because of the cost increases. I feel like I no longer have a future," one of the protesters said to the media.
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The farmers, however, said that the ban on export threatened the kingdom's reputation as a reliable exporter. The ban applies to the export of vegetables in order to keep the produce for the local market and as such, keep prices low. But it affects the profit of the farmers, whose produce was already affected by a drought. Now authorities will have to find a balanced solution for the two parties.
And precisely at this time, officials in Morocco are concerned about the relative absence of King Mohammed VI from the public arena. At best, his palace in Rabat is isolated from most citizens, but recently The Economist magazine reported that he prefers to spend more time with the former MMA wrestler and his friends than to deal with state affairs.
"We are a plane without a pilot," sources told the magazine.
One of them estimated that the king was abroad for 200 days in total last year. On paper, Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. But the king carries a lot of weight, especially on controversial issues such as the renewal of ties with Israel. Without him, observers fear, Rabat is barreling toward a slippery slope.
