The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience
We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.
Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.
Session 4: The Jews of Morocco: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Sunday August 31, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom
In 1948, the creation of the state of Israel, motivated many Jews to leave Morocco – a land they had inhabited for many centuries – and move to Israel. By 1964, more than 97,000 Jews had left Morocco, mainly to Israel where they presently number around 1,000,000 Jews of Moroccan descent. Today there are about 2500 Jews living in Morocco, mostly in Casablanca. The community has good relations with the current ruler, King Mohamed VI who encourages religious tolerance and who strives to uphold the legacy of tolerance demonstrated by King Mohammed V during the Holocaust.
We will ask and attempt to answer the oft-repeated question: If the Jews had it so good, why did they ever leave Morocco?
Registration is forthcoming.
This lecture series is for members only.
