The fourth largest city in Morocco and the capital city until 1912. It is located located in the center of the north of Morocco, inland from the Mediterranean. Jewish community history [October 2000]
CEMETERY: "The great Rue des Merinides and the Place des Alaouites make up the nerve center of this district. Dar el-Makhzen, the royal palace with the golden doors, opens onto the esplanade where begins the Rue Bou Khessissat with its houses of wood and wrought iron. A few hundred meters away, the Jewish cemetery with its immaculate tombs stands as a haven of silence in the midst of the Mellah, the Jewish quarter." Source [May 2002]
The mellah is 650 years old. "This picturesque neighborhood adjoins the royal palace, noted for its recently constructed bright brass doors. Jews took shelter in this palace during the 1912 pogrom. The nearby cemetery contains the tombs of more Jewish saints than any other cemetery in Morocco. One of the more important saints is Lalla Solica, who was killed for refusing to convert to Islam." Source [February 2002]
See also the separate article on Sefrou, a town just south of Fez.
video of cemetery. [January 2010]
The city of Fes, founded in 789 by Berbers on the banks of the river Fes, was made into a capital by King Idris I (789-793) and developed by his son Idris II (804-828), attracting many Arabs from Andalusia and Kerouan, among them many Jews. The Jews established a Jewish quarter (Fundunk al Yahudi or Melah) and contributed to turning Fes into a leading business center in Morocco. As the city developed. many learned men settled in Fes, among them such as Yehuda Ben Qurayesh, David ben Abraham Alfassi and Maimonides (1150) as well as businessmen and community leaders such as Nahman ben Sunbal (1556), Samuel Hagiz (1596), Yehuda U’ziel (1603), Shemouel Tsarfaty (1713), Yehuda Ben Atar and Hayim Ben Atar, Avner Tsarfaty (1884) and Isaac ben Danan (1900).
Source and photos courtesy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [February 2010]
