On May 24th, 2019 members of Morocco’s Jewish community traveled to Essaouira to light candles and commemorate the death of Saint Rabbi Ben Nessim. The Hilloula was celebrated at the Rabbi’s Zawiya, a place strongly related to the spiritual pilgrimages taken by Jews and Muslims.
Morocco is the only country where its citizens of the Jewish faith have been able to protect, express and develop their memory.
Jacky Kadoch, president of Marrakech & Essaouira’s Jewish community attended the Hilloula. When asked about the Hilloula, Kadoch said: “it symbolizes an original manifestation of Moroccan Judaism, with secular origin in the Arabo-Muslim influence. ”He proudly expressed that “Morocco is the only country where its citizens of the Jewish faith have been able to protect, express and develop their memory, of which the Hilloula celebrated today is a perfect example.”
Simon Levy, President of the Holy Places of the South also spoke at the religious ceremony and passionately sent a passionate message to his Moroccan Jewish brethren around the world “Moroccan Jews living abroad (should) return to Morocco, their birthplace, the crucible of their culture… to invest in this beautiful country.”