Morocco has a fascinating Jewish history with hundreds of thousands of Moroccan Jews having lived here until the exodus in the 1950s.
Youness Abeddour is a young Moroccan from the imperial city of Fez. He holds a master’s degree in cultural studies from the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fez. He wrote a thesis on the representation of Moroccan Jews in Moroccan cinema. He is a researcher on the history of Moroccan Jewry and a documentary filmmaker. Youness produced two films: Moroccan Judaism: A Culture in Danger (2011) and My Neighbor: The Jew (2012). Both were shown at various universities, schools and centres in Morocco and abroad. Youness is the President of the Mimouna Club in Fez, as well as the President of the Media and Communication Committee of the Mimouna Club Foundation in Tangier. He is active in cultural and interfaith dialogues in Morocco and Israel. His cultural tours of the Mellah, the Jewish Quarter in Fez, includes visiting the Jewish cemetery, museum and synagogues.
Through the documentaries that Youness produces and the discussions that they elicit, audiences are given an accurate depiction of the Jewish people and their history in Morocco – which is in direct contrast to the misconceptions and distortions about Jews disseminated by the mainstream media. Showing real images of Jews going about their daily lives, interacting with their Muslim neighbours and speaking the same language, is an essential step towards building positive relations between Jews and Muslims in Morocco. As President of the Mimouna Club, Youness organises cultural activities such as: tours of the Jewish quarter and the Jewish museum of Casablanca, movie screenings, panels of filmmakers, conferences, and last year, a trip to Israel and Palestine – all of these directly link the Moroccan population with Moroccan Jewish culture and history, and with Jews from different communities. Such activities counter stereotypes and dismantle prejudices.
The Lawrence of Morocco map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
If you want it done right, look no further!
