This talk will explore Moroccan attitudes towards the Jewish population and questions such as where does the Jew fit in the context of Arab and Islamic monarchy and can Jews be Moroccans and Zionists?
Between the 1950s and the late 1980s, 240,000 Jews emigrated from Morocco. Today, fewer than 2,000 Jews remain of this once thriving community. Despite a centuries-long presence, the Jewish narrative in Moroccan history has largely been suppressed through national historical amnesia, Jewish absence, and a growing dismay over the Palestinian conflict. As Moroccan attitudes toward the Jewish population have changed over the decades, a new debate has emerged: Where does the Jew fit in the context of an Arab and Islamic monarchy? Can Jews simultaneously be Moroccans and Zionists? Drawing on oral testimony and stories, on rumor and humor, Aomar Boum examines the strong shift in opinion and attitude over four generations.
Aomar Boum
(UCLA)
Moderator: Todd Presner (UCLA)
Respondent: Susan Slyomovics (UCLA)
Sponsored by the
UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies
Funding provided by the
NEH Endowment in Jewish Civilization
Cosponsored by the
UCLA Department of History
UCLA Department of Anthropology
UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies
