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Doha – Morocco’s Ministry of Culture has officially inscribed three Jewish monuments from the city of Assilah onto the national heritage list, according to a decision published in the Official Bulletin on February 20.
The announcement comes in response to a request made by Morocco’s Jewish community in January 2024.
The newly classified sites include the Kahal Synagogue, the Jewish cemetery, and a mikvé (ritual bath) along with an associated oven.
The Kahal Synagogue, a 181-square-meter place of worship originally built in 1824, was reconstructed and reopened in 2022.
The decision, signed by Minister of Culture Mehdi Bensaid, places these monuments under the protection of Law 22-80 concerning the conservation of historic monuments, sites, inscriptions, art objects, and antiquities.
Under this legislation, any modifications to classified monuments require notification to the Ministry of Culture at least six months before work begins.
This newest entry on Morocco’s heritage list reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to preserving its Jewish heritage under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
In recent years, the monarch has launched several initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring Jewish historic sites throughout the country.
In December 2021, King Mohammed VI presented a plan to renovate hundreds of Jewish historic sites in the country, including synagogues, cemeteries, and other heritage landmarks.
The initiative included the restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Fez, which contains approximately 13,000 tombs, and the reinstatement of original names for certain Jewish quarters within the country.
Additionally, in July 2022, the King officially approved a reorganization of Morocco’s Jewish community, establishing three new bodies: the National Council of the Moroccan Jewish Community, the Commission of Moroccan Jews Abroad, and the Foundation of Moroccan Judaism.
The National Council is responsible for “managing the affairs of the community and safeguarding the cultural and religious heritage of Judaism and its authentic Moroccan values,” according to the royal palace.
The Commission works to strengthen ties between Moroccan Jews living abroad and their country of origin, while the Foundation focuses on promoting and preserving the intangible heritage of Moroccan Judaism.
Morocco’s Jewish community, estimated at approximately 3,000 people, remains the largest in North Africa despite significant emigration following the creation of Israel in 1948. Prior to this exodus, the community numbered around 250,000 people.
Today, some 700,000 Israelis of Moroccan descent maintain strong connections to their ancestral homeland.
The US State Department, in its 2022 report on religious freedom published in May 2023, stressed King Mohammed VI’s efforts to preserve Jewish heritage and promote tolerance in Morocco.
The report noted that “the monarchy has continued to support the restoration of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries throughout the country” and that “Jewish citizens have continued to report that they live and worship in synagogues safely.”
The report also mentioned Morocco’s ongoing efforts to integrate Jewish-Moroccan history and culture into school textbooks, as well as the inauguration of the first synagogue on a university campus in the Arab world at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat.
Although these preservation efforts predate recent diplomacy — rooted in Morocco’s 2011 Constitution, which formally recognized the Hebraic component of its identity — they have gathered unbridled velocity following the country’s renewal of ties with Israel in December 2020.
