Morocco: “Jewish Days of Tangiers” holds intercultural dialogue

Event aims to highlight Tangier's character as a space for cultural pluralism and coexistence

The Moroccan city of Tangiers played host earlier this month to an unusual cultural event, aimed at encouraging interfaith and intercultural dialogue - the “Jewish Days of Tangiers.” 

Organized from March 10 to 12 by the Lauren Foundation and the Association of Friends of Moroccan Jewish Culture, under the auspices of the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the event acted as a knowledge sharing forum. 

Timed to coincide with International Women's day, the exchange included a tour of Tangiers' old city and Jewish locales, and a screening of the film "My Heart in the Maghreb," directed by Younes Laghrari. Held at the headquarters of the Lauren Foundation, the cultural exchange was attended by municipality and local Jewish representatives, as well as Israeli diplomats. 

Highlights also included a concert with Jewish Andalusian music presented by Lalla Tamar and Anas Belhashmi, as well as the presentation of a Jewish bridal dress by Sonia Cohen Azakuri.

"This session celebrates women, through a symposium addressing the situation of Jewish and Muslim women in Morocco," Comile Andrey, Vice-President of the Association of Friends of Moroccan Jewish Culture told Maghreb Arab News Agency(M24). The event aimed at showcasing Tangiers' character as a space of cultural pluralism with friendly relations between communities a part of the city's nature, she said. 

The days' events constituted an opportunity to review the status of Jewish women in Morocco, and a moment to highlight the roots of Jews in the country - which often acted as a land of refuge, especially for those expelled from Spain and Portugal - Simone Marijn-Ohana, a doctor of religions and systems of thought, said. 

Morocco has a long history of coexistence between its Jewish and Muslim peoples, Aisha Haddou, director of the Center for Research in Interfaith Relations at the Muhammadiyah Association of Scholars, said, adding that the country's "culture is saturated with universal human values, such as respect for pluralism, diversity and tolerance."

Israel is home to a sizable community of around 1 million Jews of Moroccan descent, and the two countries have recently boosted international travel with the opening of Tel Aviv-Casablanca flights.

The rapprochement comes off the back of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states, and signed during the tenure of former US president Donald Trump. 

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