High school and middle school students in Essaouira, western Morocco, took part in the Royal Initiative on February 13-14, to introduce the study of the history of Moroccan Judaism in Morocco’s school curricula.
The seminar took place in Bayt Dakira or the “House of Memory,” a cultural center dedicated to the history of Judaism.
To promote tolerance and diversity, Moroccan schools will integrate the history of Jewish-Moroccans who constituted a large portion of the country’s community.
Andre Azoulay, advisor of King Mohammed VI and founding president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, announced that over 100 clubs were created at the request of students, only a month after launching the first “Club of Tolerance and Coexistence”.
During the Essaouira debates, students embraced the idea of a “united Morocco” as a way of combating religious bigotry and other forms of discrimination.
Azoulay took pride in the student’s excellent representation of Morocco and its educational system.
Essaouira also witnessed many events between February13-14. While discussions were hosted in Bayt Dakira, other learning and cultural institutions played a pivotal role in organizing the event.
Partner institutions included the Moroccan Center for Studies and Research on Hebrew Law, Mohammed V University, the International University of Rabat (UIR), and the University of Bordeaux.
Pledging to further their collaboration, the institutions agreed to launch a research program dedicated to “the changing norms” in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Ilham Hamdai, a professor of law at Mohammed V University in Rabat, suggested the creation of a law clinic in Essaouira.
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For his part, Steffen Kruger, resident representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Morocco, presented his book on the “Singularity of Hebrew law in Morocco.”
The event comes after Morocco’s Ministry of Education and its Israeli counterpart agreed to include Jewish Moroccan history in their curricula starting next year. The decision is an integral part of the countries’ efforts to promote cultural diversity, regional peace, and interfaith dialogue.
The two countries decided to establish diplomatic ties in December 2020.
