The Jewish Community of Mogador

The city of Mogador-Essaouira, a maritime metropolis of the South, was famous for its important role in opening up the whole country to the outside world, as well as for its economic and cultural influences. Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah founded Mogador in 1760 as a city close to the central seat of power and easy to reach by land and maritime routes. He wanted to reroute maritime business in order to punish the city of Agadir. The Sultan chose ten Jewish families from different cities of the country to establish themselves in the new city and to develop trade with the outside world. He granted them houses and commercial privileges and exempted them from the special Jazzia tax imposed on Jews on account of their special status of protected (dhimmi). These merchants bore the title of toujjiar el Sultan (the traders of the Sultan). They, along with the other Jewish merchants who came later to Mogador, carried out their trading with various European countries, especially England, France and Germany, and had considerable influence with the government. The Jewish population of Mogador continued to grow and by 1785 it totaled 6000 souls, representing half, if not more, of the population.

The 20th century saw the economic decline of Mogador and many Jewish merchants became impoverished. When in 1912 France established its Protectorate over Morocco, the entire Jewish community underwent a process of emancipation. Jews no longer had to limit themselves to designated neighborhoods and European clothing gradually replaced the djellaba and black cap, the traditional attire for Jews. The Anglo-Jewish School closed its doors and French became was adopted as the language of the Jewish community of Mogador. Nonetheless, in 1942, a racist degree of the Vichy government forced the Jews to submit to a census and a declaration of assets. The French protectorate ended with the advent of Moroccan Independence in 1956.

Distinguished merchants, diplomats, rabbis and scholars lived in Mogador. For the most part, Mogadorian authors published their works in Livorno, Italy. Throughout Morocco, the city of Mogador was famous for its tradition of religious poetry (baquachot) and its Andalousian-style musical groups. Over the course of the years between 1950 and 1960 the Jews of Mogador left the city to settle, for the most part, in Israel, France, and Canada. Zionism’s appeal, and the fear of finding themselves again in an insecure situation such as that which existed before the French Protectorate, were the main reasons for this Jewish exodus.

Reprinted from A Jewish Wedding in Mogador by Asher Knafo and David Bensoussan

The texts and pictures featured online are a sampling of what is available in our exhibition.