Really good content. I genuinely enjoyed reading this article. It was especially interesting to think about how deeply Moroccan Jews were woven into Moroccan history and culture, and how easily that part of the story can become forgotten.
It also made me think about a similar story in Ethiopia. Northern Ethiopia has a long and fascinating history where Jewish, biblical, and Christian traditions became deeply intertwined. The indigenous Beta Israel community lived there for centuries alongside the Christian kingdoms, while Ethiopian Orthodox culture itself preserved many traditions and ideas that have strong connections to the Hebrew Bible.
It reminded me that when we talk about African history, we sometimes separate Jewish history from African history; as if Jewish communities were simply outsiders living in Africa. But Morocco and Ethiopia tell a much more complicated story. These were African communities whose identities, cultures, religions, and histories became intertwined with the societies around them.
Just as Moroccan history is incomplete without acknowledging Moroccan Jews, I think Ethiopian history is incomplete without acknowledging Beta Israel and the broader Jewish and biblical influences that shaped northern Ethiopian history.
Really enjoyed this perspective. It made me think about how many parts of African history we may have forgotten or oversimplified.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reflection. I really appreciated the connection you made with Ethiopia and Beta Israel.
That’s exactly the kind of conversation I hoped the article could open: looking at Jewish history not as something separate from African history, but as part of the histories, identities, and cultures that shaped our societies from within.
There are probably so many stories across Africa that we’ve inherited in simplified versions. Morocco and Ethiopia are powerful reminders of how much complexity, memory, and shared history is still there to rediscover.
Really appreciate you bringing this perspective into the conversation.
I really enjoyed this one. My Ashkenazi mother lives in Marrakech and I have been to visit. A lot of the older folks we spoke with lamented over the felt absence of the Jews. Thanks for this piece, Omar.
Thank you, Nate. That means a lot. What you described about the older people you spoke with is exactly what moved me to write this — the sense that something is missing, even decades later. I find it fascinating that your mother has made Marrakech home as well. Really appreciate you sharing this.
Really good content. I genuinely enjoyed reading this article. It was especially interesting to think about how deeply Moroccan Jews were woven into Moroccan history and culture, and how easily that part of the story can become forgotten.
It also made me think about a similar story in Ethiopia. Northern Ethiopia has a long and fascinating history where Jewish, biblical, and Christian traditions became deeply intertwined. The indigenous Beta Israel community lived there for centuries alongside the Christian kingdoms, while Ethiopian Orthodox culture itself preserved many traditions and ideas that have strong connections to the Hebrew Bible.
It reminded me that when we talk about African history, we sometimes separate Jewish history from African history; as if Jewish communities were simply outsiders living in Africa. But Morocco and Ethiopia tell a much more complicated story. These were African communities whose identities, cultures, religions, and histories became intertwined with the societies around them.
Just as Moroccan history is incomplete without acknowledging Moroccan Jews, I think Ethiopian history is incomplete without acknowledging Beta Israel and the broader Jewish and biblical influences that shaped northern Ethiopian history.
Really enjoyed this perspective. It made me think about how many parts of African history we may have forgotten or oversimplified.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reflection. I really appreciated the connection you made with Ethiopia and Beta Israel.
That’s exactly the kind of conversation I hoped the article could open: looking at Jewish history not as something separate from African history, but as part of the histories, identities, and cultures that shaped our societies from within.
There are probably so many stories across Africa that we’ve inherited in simplified versions. Morocco and Ethiopia are powerful reminders of how much complexity, memory, and shared history is still there to rediscover.
Really appreciate you bringing this perspective into the conversation.
I really enjoyed this one. My Ashkenazi mother lives in Marrakech and I have been to visit. A lot of the older folks we spoke with lamented over the felt absence of the Jews. Thanks for this piece, Omar.
Thank you, Nate. That means a lot. What you described about the older people you spoke with is exactly what moved me to write this — the sense that something is missing, even decades later. I find it fascinating that your mother has made Marrakech home as well. Really appreciate you sharing this.