Casablanca — King Mohammed VI attended the inauguration of the Ettedgui Synagogue and the adjacent El Mellah Museum in Casablanca on Friday, following their rehabilitation, according to a statement issued by the Maghreb Arab Presse (MAP).
Serge Berugo, Secretary-General of the Council of Moroccan Jewish Communities, tells the MAP that the restoration of the synagogue and the museum, “where are exhibited paintings retracing the history of Judaism in Morocco, will also preserve the authentic Moroccan identity.”
The synagogue and museum’s restoration display the King’s commitment to conserving spaces of cultural dialogue and coexistence, Berugo added.
These restorations were carried out as part of the second phase of the rehabilitation program of Casablanca’s old medina, which also restored the Sidi Allal Al Karaouani Mausoleum, the Dar Annassij (weaving house) and the July 9 Health Center. The program, so far, has invested 3.1 million dirhams in the rehabilitation of these important and historic cultural spaces.
“All these projects,” adds the statement, “are part of the Grand Royal Plan for Casablanca Metropolis Development.”
The Jewish community in Morocco has always been an important one, as they’ve been present in the country for over 2,000 years, and Morocco has always been a model of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Jews, and King Mohamed VI’s commitment to restoring these historic and cultural spaces is a symbol of that.
