The Museum of Jewish Culture has opened in the city of Fes in the Kingdom of Morocco – a new state institution dedicated to the more than two-thousand-year history of Jewish presence in the country. The museum, created on the initiative of King Mohammed VI and at state expense, has become the first museum in an Arab-Muslim country entirely dedicated to Jewish culture and funded by the state.
The grand opening ceremony took place in the historic Jewish quarter of Fes – the mellah, founded in 1438. It was attended by Morocco’s Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq, President of the Foundation for Moroccan Jewish Cultural Heritage Serge Berdugo, President of the National Foundation of Museums Mehdi Qotbi, regional governor Khalid Ait Taleb, as well as diplomats and representatives of the academic community.
The museum was created within the framework of the program for the preservation and development of the historic center of Fes, launched by King Mohammed VI in 2019. The building of the Jewish museum, with an area of over 1,700 square meters, of which about 1,200 are allocated for the exposition, was erected on a plot transferred by the city’s Jewish community. The work was carried out by the state Agency for the Development and Rehabilitation of the Medina of Fes in cooperation with the National Foundation of Museums and a dedicated scientific committee.
The permanent exposition is located on two levels and is dedicated to the history, religious life, traditional occupations, and cultural heritage of Moroccan Jews. It includes archaeological and ethnographic items, works of art, archives, rare books and manuscripts, ritual objects, kesubos, traditional costumes, and jewelry. Separate sections tell about communal institutions, outstanding personalities, the life cycle of a Jew, the holidays of the Jewish year, and traditional crafts. Special reflection is given to the difficult moments of Jewish history – the persecution of Jews, including by the colonial authorities and the Vichy regime, the mass exodus after the establishment of the State of Israel, and the present connection of Jewish natives of Morocco living around the world.
Of defining significance is the very approach of the Kingdom of Morocco: the Jewish component is presented not as the private memory of a separate community but as part of the national history and cultural heritage of the country. It is symbolic that simultaneously with the creation of the Jewish museum, on the king’s initiative, the nearby Al-Batha Palace was restored, becoming the Museum of Islamic Art. These two institutions, located a few hundred meters from one another, are intended to show the multifaceted history of Morocco.
You can become acquainted with the exposition, structure, and concept of the Museum, its opening hours, and learn about the events it organizes on the museum’s website.
