8 Days Kosher Tours To Morocco

Your driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the city while providing you with the first glimpses of the Moroccan countryside. Following your arrival and accommodation, you will have a tour of the magnificent Hassan II Mosque. With the tallest minaret in the world, this mosque is the biggest in Africa. Given that it is completely constructed above the ocean, its location makes it noteworthy. The mosque is embellished with exquisite Moroccan craftsmanship and tiling.One of Casablanca's few kosher eateries is open for dinner at night.

There are more than 20 synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods in Casablanca. You will visit the three most important historic synagogues in Casablanca on this Jewish heritage tour: Temple Beth-El, Temple Em Habanim, and Temple Neve Shalom. You will explore Casablanca's Jewish Mellah and Jewish Cemetery in addition to seeing the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, the only Jewish museum in the Arab world.

The most well-known synagogue in Casablanca, Temple Beth-El, is the first stop on your guided Jewish Heritage Tour. Stained glass windows and gold-inscribed Bible quotations adorn the walls of the synagogues. Dangle massive chandeliers made of crystal from the ceiling. Hebrew scrolls with beautifully embroidered velvet mantles are displayed in the ark. A masterpiece of Jewish architecture is Temple Beth-El. It serves as the focal point of the thriving Jewish community in Casablanca and is the city's principal synagogue. Currently, about 5000 Jews reside in the city's contemporary area, where they attend over 20 synagogues for prayer and dine at kosher eateries.

Explore Casablanca's Mellah, which is less than a century old, after that. The tiny alleyways still house kosher butchers even though the Jewish population has moved out. With white stone monuments in Hebrew, French, and Spanish that are kept in good condition, the Jewish cemetery in the Mellah is open and well worth a visit. The Jewish Community of Casablanca holds an annual hiloula at the tomb of Eliahou, the Jewish saint. Explore the medieval synagogues of Mellah, including the exquisitely restored Temple Neve Chalom and the Temple Em Habanim, here as well.

Visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca after lunch. The Jewish Museum is situated in the city's Oasis neighborhood. It is the first and only museum in the Arab world dedicated to Judaism, having opened its doors in 1997. Renovated in 2013, the museum was originally constructed in 1948 as a Jewish orphanage that could have housed up to 160 young Jews. It is regarded as a must-see for any traveling Jew to Morocco.Afterwards, spend the night in a stunning riad in Rabat after an hour-long trip on the freeway.

Visit the Hassan Tower from its hilltop location with a view of the Bouregreg River after breakfast in your riad. One of the primary attractions in Rabat and a symbol of the city's unfinished mosque tower. You may see the magnificent Mohammed V. Mausoleum on the same location. beautifully designed with varied marble, glass windows, and a metal guarded staircase that leads to the tombs of Mohamed V and his son Hassan II.
After that, start your tour of Rabat's Jewish Heritage. Discover the Jewish Mellah and its winding lanes, which were formerly home to several Jewish families but are now only inhabited by a select few. From here, you can explore the gardens and remains of the Necropolis at the Chellah. The Chellah faces Sale, the birthplace of Rabbi Hayyim ben Moses Attar, the renowned scholar and Kabbalist of the 18th century. The Jewish community regards him with respect and recognition for his Torah interpretation, known as the "hahayyim."
After lunch, drive to Meknes for a half a day Jewish Heritage Tour of this Imperial City. Explore the walled medina of Meknes, photograph its massive ramparts and gates. From here, visit the old Jewish quarter with its narrow streets and colourful courtyards. Here is the tomb of Rabbi David Benmidan, a patron of the city, while. Jewish history is visible in the Hebraic inscriptions at the Meknes Zaouia. The new Mellah houses as many as eleven synagogues, eight of which are still being used. The Roman ruins at Volubilis, outside the city, provide more evidence of Morocco's prehistoric past. By the end of the afternoon, we reach Fes. Spend the night on a stunning riad.

Fes is one of Morocco's four imperial cities and one of the most well-known in Jewish history from the Middle Ages. Renowned Talmudic scholar Rabbi Isaac Alfasi lived there. Fes is unquestionably a must-see city for all Jewish travelers because of its historical value and its past Jewish population, who freely enjoyed Jewish life.You will tour Jewish heritage and cultural sites during your guided Jewish Heritage Tour of Fes. These will include viewing synagogues, ancient universities, cemeteries, the Mellah, as well as gardens and castles.
Visit the Mellah, which is almost 650 years old, first. There used to be more than forty synagogues there. Adjacent to the Royal Palace, where the Jews sought refuge during the pogrom in 1912, lies this intriguing neighborhood. In addition, you can go to the adjacent cemetery, which has more Jewish saints' tombs than any other in Morocco. Silica is among the well-known saints interred here.See the Danan synagogue later on; it was formerly one of the numerous temples located within the walls of the Imperial city. In Morocco, the Thel Ibn Danan Synagogue is regarded as one of the oldest and best preserved. Additionally, it provides a unique record of the historical importance of Moroccan Jews.
Explore the colorful lanes of Fes's historic medina after lunch, where you may find stores selling woven textiles, leather products, and metal trinkets. If you'd like, you can go to the University of Al-Kairaouine, which is recognized as the world's first university by the Guinness Book of Records.

We begin our Jewish Heritage tour of Morocco by heading to Marrakech via Jewish Seffrou after breakfast in your riad. Travel via Ifrane, known as "the Switzerland" of Morocco because of its winter ski resorts, cedar forests, and architectural design. Take a tour of the synagogues and cemeteries, which have long served as Jewish pilgrimage centers.
Visit the Bhalil Cemetery as you travel to Seffrou. Jews from Morocco used to make up a sizable portion of the population in Seffrou; you can tour the Mellah, which is formed by half of the town's structures. Seffrou's white-walled medina is still primarily made up of Jewish homes, which are easily identified by their wooden balconies.
Jews and Muslims coexisted together next door in Seffrou. They performed their religious rites together, which is a great illustration of interfaith communication in Morocco.You proceed to Beni Mellal, making a little detour to discover Zaouia Cheikh en route. See Kasbah Ras el-Ain, a sizable structure constructed entirely of natural stones, after lunch. Perched on a panoramic overlook, it provides breathtaking aerial views of Beni Mellal, the fertile valley, and orange and olive orchards.
By late afternoon, you will reach Marrakech, where you will spend the night in a stunning riad.

One of Morocco's four imperial cities and a highly sought-after travel destination worldwide is Marrakech. You will see the Jewish Mellah, the Lazama Synagogue, and other noteworthy Marrakech attractions on this Jewish Heritage trip.Visit the 1558-founded Jewish Mellah to begin your tour. Despite being prohibited from owning any property outside of the Mellah, the Jewish community nonetheless enjoyed autonomy. Nowadays, Marrakech is home to only 250 or so Jews.
The Jewish souks are all well worth a visit, and the Mellah section has undergone a stunning restoration recently. After that, you can visit the Synagogue Bet-El, one of the primary Jewish gathering places in Marrakech.You will see the Majorelle Gardens, which belonged to Yves St. Laurent and are well-known for their unique shade of blue, the Yves St. Laurent Museum, El Bahia Palace, often known as "the palace of the beautiful," and El Badi Palace, depending on your schedule and interests.
You can visit the Ben Youssef Medersa, the former home of about eighty Quranic students, and then the Saadian Tombs if you'd like.Take a tour of the medina in the afternoon and explore the souks, which are home to many gorgeous lamps, carpets, and Berber rugs, as well as leather artisans and metal workshops.Get away for the evening on your stunning riad.

We depart for Essaouira, a seaside fishing town renowned for its Portuguese and Jewish past, after breakfast. In addition, it is well-known for its fresh seafood, white-painted homes, blue boats, and Gnawa music festival.You will pause along the route to see and capture a unique sight: goats clambering up into the argan branches to eat the nuts and leaves. You may observe how the argan oil is made into different items and extracted from the argan kernels by going to the Argan Women Cooperative.
When you get to Essaouira, head to the lively seaport to snap pictures of the recognizable blue boats and select from a variety of freshly caught fish that can be made into lunch right away.Take a guided tour of Essaouira's Jewish legacy in the afternoon. Discover the 18th-century Jewish quarter, built at a time when 40% of the town's residents were Jewish. Few of the town's more than twenty-five Jewish synagogues still stand today.
Explore the newly opened Bet Ha-Knesset Simon Attias Synagogue, one of the Jewish synagogues in Essaouira. In an effort to conserve Moroccan Jewish legacy and fortify Essaouira's identity, the Simon Attias Synagogue is home to a Jewish museum and a future cultural center bearing the name of historian Haim Zafrani.Visit the Jewish cemeteries in Essaouira shortly after. Rabi Haim Pinto's mausoleum is the focal point of the older one, where a hilloul is held each October. In order to accommodate the expanding Jewish community, a second Jewish cemetery was established in the eighteenth century. Many rabbis, intellectuals, musicians, and other Jewish citizens of the seaside resort are buried there today.
Overnight in a beautiful riad at the heart of Essaouira.

See more of the harbor town after breakfast in your riad. Take a tour of the walled Medina and take pictures of its imposing defenses and white-painted homes.A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medina of Essaouira serves as the setting for numerous Hollywood productions, including Game of Thrones. Explore the colorful stores and winding passageways teeming with craftsmen selling metal trinkets and thuja wood handicrafts.
After lunch, travel back to Marrakech or Casablanca. Your driver will transfer you to the airport to catch your flight on time which will make the end of your Jewish Heritage Tour in Morocco. Please note that the day’s programme will depend on the time of your flight.