Morocco opens state-funded museum of Jewish culture — Jerusalem Post
The Moroccan Jewish Culture Museum has opened in the city of Fez, Morocco, with its creation funded by state money. This is the first time an Arab-Muslim country has allocated public funds to establish a museum entirely dedicated to Jewish culture, the Jerusalem Post reports.
An exhibition spanning 1,700 square meters
According to Morocco’s National Foundation of Museums, the museum covers 1,700 square meters and presents the history of Jewish life and Judaism in the country. The collection includes ritual and everyday objects, archaeological, ethnographic and artistic artifacts, archival materials, rare manuscripts, handicrafts, as well as traditions, practices and testimonies connected with the 2,500-year history of Morocco’s Jews.
The exhibition halls tell about synagogues, Hebrew schools and rabbinical courts, as well as traditions related to the birth of children, bar mitzvahs, weddings, burials and religious holidays. The exhibits include Torah scrolls, prayer shawls, marriage contracts, circumcision chairs, wedding costumes and jewelry.
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Crafts and educational spaces
A separate part of the exhibition is dedicated to traditional crafts: a jeweler’s workshop has been recreated there, and tools, silver jewelry, textiles, regional clothing and musical instruments are displayed. The collections are supplemented by audiovisual and digital installations, while spaces for educational activities have been provided for children and school groups.
A brass inscription in four languages—Arabic, Amazigh, Hebrew and French—was placed on the building’s facade. The Moroccan Jewish community was involved in designing the museum, including Serge Berdugo, founder of the Foundation for Moroccan Jewish Cultural Heritage.
Construction of the museum was initiated by King Mohammed VI during a visit to Fez in April 2019 as part of a program to restore and promote the old medina. The work was completed in March 2023.
