The Association des Amis du Judaïsme Marocain (AJM) recently concluded a ground-breaking seminar in collaboration with the University of Haifa’s School of Tourism and the Jewish Community of Marrakech. From 28 to 31 August 2023, the conference room of the RIU Tikida Garden hotel in Marrakech hosted this initiative aimed at the city’s official tourist guides.

A Journey through Moroccan Judaic History and Culture

Under the captivating theme of “Moroccan Judaism, history and culture”, this intensive four-day seminar has been designed in response to the significant increase in the number of tourists interested in the Jewish-Moroccan heritage. Thanks to its partnership with the School of Tourism at the University of Haifa in Israel, the AJM has developed a seminar programme of 24 hours of lessons, given over 4 days in Arabic.

Initial training in Marrakech: The First Ambassadors of Moroccan Judaism

The first phase of this ambitious project was launched with the training of 15 tourist guides from Marrakech. The objective is clear: to train an elite of professionals with in-depth knowledge of the history and culture of Moroccan Judaism. The AJM aims to rapidly expand this initiative to reach a hundred guides in the near future.

An initiative that extends beyond Marrakech

Buoyed by the success of this first stage, the AJM is already announcing that the operation will soon be replicated in other Moroccan towns that have shown a keen interest in this unique training programme.

AJM: Ambassador of Moroccan Jewish Culture

Based in Rabat and run by a dynamic team, the AJM is fully committed to preserving and promoting Moroccan-Jewish heritage, whether through training courses, the renovation of historic sites, educational visits, festive events or festivals such as the “Jewish Days”. The association is committed to spreading the richness of Jewish-Moroccan culture throughout the Kingdom.