Moroccan Jews - Communities Today

Communities Today

  • Morocco: In 2003 It was estimated that 5,000 Jews still lived in Morocco, mainly in Casablanca. Other towns are said to have smaller, aging populations.
  • Israel: The 1950s saw large waves of Jewish emigration from Morocco to Israel. Many Moroccan Jews were transferred to peripheral development towns while others settled in larger, established cities. Today, Jews of Moroccan descent can be found all across Israel.
  • France: Large communities in France include Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Lyon and Nice.
  • Argentina: Mainly in Buenos Aires and Rosario.
  • Canada: In the 1950s Canada began extending visas to Jews from Morocco. Large communities developed in Montreal and Toronto. Moroccans were attracted to Canada because of its high quality of life and to Montreal in particular because of the French language. Toronto is known for its significant Moroccan population originating from cities such as Tangiers and Tetouan. In recent past, however, an emergence of French-Moroccan musical liturgy and customs has been noticed even in this dominant Moroccan city. For example, the traditional Moroccan Bakashot, classical music sung by Sephardic Jews in the winter months across countries in the Middle East on Friday night, has come to life in recent productions by Magen David Congregation and Abir Ya'akob Congregation.
  • Venezuela: Concentrated mainly in Caracas.

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