The Center for Research on the Heritage of Moroccan Judaism was inaugurated in the Israeli city of El’ad, in the presence of deputies, public figures, lawyers, academics, rabbis, as well as the head of the Moroccan liaison office in Tel Aviv, Abderrahim Bayoud.
In a speech, the former Israeli ambassador to France and the UN, Yehouda Lancry, invoked the memory of Mohammed V and his noble actions and benefits to members of the Jewish community in Morocco, stressing that the creation of this center is a tribute to the protection provided to Moroccan Jews under the Vichy regime and an expression of the attachment of Moroccan Jews to their roots.
He also noted that all historians who have studied the history of Judaism are aware of the role of the late Sovereign in the protection of Jews, as well as the specificity of Morocco as a land of tolerance, peace, understanding, and coexistence between religions.
In addition, Lancry highlighted the exceptional efforts made by HM King Mohammed VI to protect the Moroccan Jewish culture, recalling in this regard the enshrinement of the Hebrew component in the Moroccan constitution, the implementation of extensive restoration programs of Jewish historical sites, and the creation of museums of Hebrew heritage.
During this ceremony, the book “Kings of mercy and kindness”, by Haim Levy, a prominent figure of Moroccan Jews from Marrakech, was presented. It relates the history of the august Alawite dynasty and its relationship with the Jewish community.
( World jewish Congress)
