Israel National News
by Arutz Sheva
Mohammed VI meets with members of Moroccan Jewish community in Essaouira, holds banquet in community’s honor.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco visited a Jewish landmark in the west coast of his kingdom Wednesday, and met with members of the local Jewish community, and offered a dinner in honor of the community.
The king met with members of the Jewish community in Essaouira, a city on Morocco’s Atlantic coast which used to be home to a larger Jewish population.
While the city’s Jewish population has dwindled from nearly 40% of the city’s overall population to just a handful of remaining residents, the city is home to Bayt Dakira, a center dedicated to preserving the legacy of Moroccan Jewry.
The center, established originally as a synagogue, was built in the 19th century.
The president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, Andre Azoulay, hosted the king’s visit to the Bayt Dakira center.
“This house is the house of memory and history,” Azoulay said, according to Morocco World News. “It is also that of the Moroccan compass that the world needs today, a world in search of landmarks, a world that turns its back on all those values that are those of our country under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.”
Also in attendance were Moroccan Chief Rabbi David Pinto and Casablanca Chief Rabbi Joseph Israel.
