By David Ian Klein November 17, 2020

Jewish history and culture will be included in the Arabic-language curriculum for Moroccan primary school students.

The decision, approved by Morocco’s king, Mohammed VI, is an effort to “perpetuate the Judeo-Moroccan legacy as an integral part of the Moroccan identity,” according to a joint statement from the American Sephardi Federation and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

“Ensuring Moroccan students learn about the totality of their proud history of tolerance, including Morocco’s philo-Semitism, is an inoculation against extremism,” said the joint statement.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

We warmly welcome #Morocco’s decision to include Jewish-Moroccan history as part of its school curriculum.

This action honors the rich history of Jewish life in Morocco and sets the stage for a bright future of continued co-existence. https://t.co/TieQ0dgvdH

— Combat Anti-Semitism (@CombatASemitism) November 12, 2020

King Mohammed VI has a long history of close ties with Morocco’s Jewish community. In January, he was present at the inauguration of a new Jewish community center, Beyt Dakira, in the old city of Essaouira.

The space was described as a “house of history and memory” by Andrey Azouley, the Jewish advisor who championed the project. It is home to a synagogue, museum and research center on Jewish-Islamic relations.

Though once the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world, today only about 2,000 Jews live in Morocco, most in the country’s economic center, Casablanca. The coronavirus pandemic hit the community particularly hard after after an outbreak at a Purim party and Jewish wedding in March.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount