Morocco Repatriates to Israel Remains of 7 Moroccan Jewish

Rabat – Israel authorities announced on Sunday, November 21, that they will receive from Morocco the remains of seven Moroccan Jews who died in the North African country due to COVID-19.

The seven bodies were temporarily buried in the Jewish cemetery in Casablanca about a year and a half ago.

The repatriation operation was revealed by the Hebrew newspaper Ma’arif on Sunday, and the completion of the operation was entrusted to Zaka, a Jewish association widely active in Israel.

Zaka is a voluntary community emergency response team based in Israel recognized by the Israeli government with a mission to honor the dead, ensure a full Jewish burial, and provide specialist search and rescue units throughout the country.

The Zaka association coordinated with the Casablanca Burial Society to issue permits from the Moroccan authorities.

Zaka’s worker told Ma’arif that they had worked with members of the local Jewish community in Morocco to remove the bodies from the temporary burial site in Casablanca and transport them inside the coffins prepared for this purpose.

The coffins were then airlifted to Ben Gurion airport, at a final stop before being buried, in Israel, the newspaper added.

Morocco has a long and deep history with its Jewish community and was home to over 200,000 Jews before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

However, after the North African country gained its independence in 1956, the country witnessed a heavy emigration of the Jewish community, mainly to Israel, Canada, and France.

Although there are roughly 2500 Jews remaining in Morocco, their heritage and history are still widely spotted in the ancient medina of the Mellah and in the remaining synagogues across the country.

The Jewish diaspora are still very attached to Morocco, and with the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel last year and the launch of several flights between Casablanca and Tel-Aviv, many visit Morocco annually to celebrate Jewish holidays.