Friday, December 31, 1982 45
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
-0
Jews of Morocco Enjoy A Solid Position in African Community 7-7
By MILTON JACOBY
RABAT (JTA) — The
Jews of Morocco are stead-
fast and strong, yet in-
wardly troubled by peril to
their unity and numbers.
The cause of the inner
anxiety was expressed suc-
cinctly by the leader of the
Jewish community in Tan-
giers, A. Azancot, a certified
public accountant. "In one
generation, our Moroccan
Jewish community will be
halved because of the
exodus of our Jewish youth,
and I foresee no way in
which we can stem the tide,"
he said.
Azancot's prediction was
underlined by other Jewish
leaders throughout the
country, as well as by a 26-
year-old dental surgeon, Dr.
Jacques Assouline, who
spoke to me at length dur-
ing the 3,000-mile flight
from New York to Casab-
lanca, of his own experience
so typical of other young
Moroccan Jews who have
left their comfortable homes
to study abroad and to dis-
cover another kind of life
contrasting sharply with
traditional Moroccan val-
ues.
"We long for a Middle
East peace, because then,
we Moroccan Jews will
feel more secure than we
do today," Azancot de-
clared. "Not that we don't
feel reasonably secure,
but we don't actively
engage in politics to any
great degree and no one
tries to bother us. King
Hassan's politics are
most benevolent and we
enjoy good relations with
our Moslem neighbors,
who often visit and eat
with us. They may not
approve of Zionism, but
have nothing against
Jews per se. They respect
our religious beliefs in
accordance with the dic-
tates of the Koran."
He noted that the Mos-
lems also "envy our busi-
ness know-how, for many
Jews here live well, travel
and a small number of us
are well-to-do. And yet,
many Jews of my genera-
tion, who leave to attend
universities abroad, decide
to practice their professions
in other countries, espe-
cially in the United States
or in Canada or France, re-
turning only to visit their
parents for the Jewish holi-
days."
What is extraordinary is
the mobility of the Moroc-
can Jew, who is free to come
and go exactly as any other
citizen, Moslem or Chris-
tian. There are some who
are still making aliya to Is-
rael and there is a constant
flow of Jews visiting rela-
tives who have settled in Is-
Bride Stamps Issued by JNF
JERUSALEM — Jewish
brides from the vanished
communities of Yemen and
Afghanistan are the sub-
jects of two new stamps is-
sued by the Jewish National
Fund Stamp Department.
Both stamps, which are
part of the folk costume
series, are full-processed
color and based on authen-
tic photographs supplied by
the Israel Museum. They
are issued in sheets of 17
stamps, with three different
tabs per sheet. The face
value of the Afghan bride
sheet is four shekels, while
that of the Yemenite bride
stamp is five shekels.
A special combination
sheet has also been issued.
These will be the last
JNF stamps issued in
1982, the 80th anniver-
sary year of JNF stamps.
Some 4,200 JNF stamps
have been issued since
1902, by various JNF
offices in North and
Delegates Polled
JERUSALEM (JNI) —
Fifty-five percent of the
delegates at the World
Zionist Congress in
Jerusalem this month were
attending the congress for
the first time. Some 40 per-
cent of the delegates said
they plan to make aliya.
Those figures are based
on a poll of 200 of the 3,000
delegates by the World
Zionist Organization Aliya
Department.
Thirty percent of those
polled were under age 45, 30
percent could speak Hebrew
and 50 percent said their
children are involved in
Zionist activities.
,,,,
South America, Europe
and Australia, as well as
the main office in
Jerusalem.
JNF stamps are valued as
philatelic items by collec-
tors of Judaica. Because
they depict famous per-
sonalities and events in
Jewish and Zionist history,
as well as JNF projects in
Israel, the stamps are also
used extensively for educa-
tional purposes.
The new issues, as well as
older JNF stamps, may be
ordered from the JNF
Stamp Department, P.O.B.
283, 91002 Jerusalem, Is-
rael.
, .
, . ••
•
'•
'
rael, and the latter return-
ing to visit their friends and
relations in their native
land.
In a world where Arab
and Jews are in deadly con-
flict, and where in near-by
lands the tension is so thick
as to be tangible, it is sur-
prising and comforting to
observe, at first hand, the
co-existence of Jew and
Moslem in amity and har-
mony. Indeed, the Moroccan
Jewish experience may well
serve as a model for hard-
pressed Arab nations to
emulate.
Estimates provided by
various Moroccan
Jewish leaders of the
number of Jews in
Morocco only 25 years
ago varied from 250,000
to 300,000. Now only some
20,000 remain. Most of the
difference is accounted
for by the waves of aliya
to Israel in the 1950s and
1960s, with an appreci-
able number residing in
Montreal and Toronto, in
Caracas, France, Spain
and the U.S.
Of the 20,000 Jews still in
Morocco, about 16,000 re-
side in Casablanca and the
remainder in Marakesh,
Fez, Meknes, Tangiers, Te-
tuan and Rabat. Presiding
over the destinies of the
Jewish people is David
Amar of Casablanca, a close
friend and confidant of the
king. He heads the Council
of Moroccan Communities
and is highly regarded by
Jew and Moslem alike.
The Council is a powerful
and all-encompassing in-
strumentality for providing
aid and welfare to the less
fortunate Moroccan Jew,
almost literally from the
cradle to the grave; it is al-
most a state within a state.
For example, the homes of
the aged in each city are
notable for the facilities and
amenities, and above all, for
the compassion and tender
care provided by the direc-
tors and staff.
The rapport between the
synagogue and state is so
close that, according to the
head of the Marakesh
Jewish community, Henri
Cadoch, the provincial gov-
ernors attend services each
Yom Kippur at the behest of
the king, who is_included in
the Sabbath prayers.
Cadoch was happy to note
that at every government
reception, the head of the
Jewish community was al-
ways invited and accorded a
place of honor.
Cadoch was justly
proud of his heritage. He
observed that the first
Jews dated back 23 cen-
turies, converting the
Berbers in the south of
the country to Judaism.
There was another influx
after the destruction of
the First Temple in
Jerusalem, but the
Jewish ranks multiplied
radically after their ex-
pulsion from Spain in the
14th Century.
Even within the 10 per-
cent of the 1958 population
that now remains, it is
striking to notice the dif-
ferences between the north-
ern, relatively sophisticated
groups, and those of Berber
origin, darkened by the des-
ert sun, who are poorer, yet
hard working.
Some Jews fear that,
should something happen to
the king, the Jewish posi-
tion might deteriorate. Yet,
Hassan seems to have a firm
grip on his kingdom and is
universally admired. He
also has to his credit the fact
that he played a significant
role in urging President
Anwar Sadat of Egypt to
make his historic visit to
Jerusalem, and above all,
he is the son of the great
Mohammed V, who is a hero
figure to Moroccan Jews.
When the Vichy regime
during the Nazi occupation
of France asked the king to
deliver for deportation and
certain death his Jewish
subjects, the king declared -ter of Commerce, Industry
that Vichy would have to and Tourism Azeddine
take all his Moroccan sub- Guessous, who claims that
jects before he would sur- the Moroccan Tourist Office
render the Jews of his na- was substantially increas-
ing its budget in addition to
tion.
Relations between developing new and
Hassan and the U.S. Am- dynamic policies to attract
bassador, Joseph Verner Jewish tourism to this coun-
Reed, are extremely close try.
Indeed, the American
and friendly. The envoy,
in a recent discussion Jew will discover a beauti-
with this reporter in ful country replete with an-
Rabat, avowed his deep cient cities, sandy Atlantic
interest in the Jewish life beaches; snow-capped
of the country, express- mountains, a myriad of fruit
ing the hope that Ameri- orchards and flowering
can Jewry would over- trees. But above all, he will
come apparent miscon- have the unique opportu-
ceptions about the social nity to clasp the hand of a
and religious nature of Moroccan Jew, spend
the state and would begin Shabat with him in his
to visit its Jewish breth- home and his synagogue, to
ren in Morocco in sig- wander through the "mel-
las" (Jewish quarters), and
nificant numbers.
Reed's statements were visit the shrines of revered
echoed by Moroccan Minis- rabbis.
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