UJA-Federation. Women s Mission to Morocco. Sunday, March 31 Sunday, April 7, Itinerary as of 7/16/18

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UJA-Federation Women s Mission to Morocco Sunday, March 31 Sunday, April 7, 2019 Itinerary as of 7/16/18 Sunday, March 31 Depart New York; participants arrange their own flights.

1 UJA-Federation Women s Mission to Morocco Sunday, March 31 Sunday, April 7, 2019 Itinerary as of 7/16/18 Sunday, March 31 Depart New York; participants arrange their own flights. OVERNIGHT, EN ROUTE Monday, April 1 Arrive Casablanca 1:15 pm. Mission begins meet in the lobby of the hotel 1:30 pm. Depart for lunch at SOC, the private Jewish club with members of the community (included). 3:00 pm. Visit The Museum of Moroccan Judaism, a museum of history and ethnography created by the Jewish Community of Casablanca in The museum presents religious, ethnographic, and artistic objects that convey the history, religion, traditions, and daily life of Jews in the context of Moroccan civilization. Check into hotel. 7:40 pm. Depart hotel for dinner. 8:00pm. Welcome dinner at Le Cabestan (included) OVERNIGHT: SOFITEL TOUR BLANCHE, CASABLANCA 1

2 Tuesday, April 2 6:00 am. Wake-up call. 7:00 am. Breakfast. 8:00am. Visit the Hassan II Mosque. This was commissioned by its namesake, King Hassan II, in part to provide Casablanca with a single landmark monument. The Mosque was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau. Nearly all the materials of the Hassan II Mosque are from Morocco, with the sole exceptions of the imported white granite columns and glass chandeliers. Over 6,000 Moroccan master craftsmen and artisans were employed to work these local materials into the intricate decorations that embellish the entire structure. Depart hotel for Morocco s capital, Rabat (drive is about one hour). 11:00 am. Drive through the Royal Palace and Gardens, where Morocco s King Mohammed VI lives while in Rabat. 12:00 pm. Visit the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where centuries of Moroccan kings are buried. Lay a wreath on the grave of King Mohammed the V and Hassan II. The wreathlaying ceremony will be with the head of the Jewish Rabat community, David Toledano (NC). 1:30 pm. Lunch at the Rabat home of David Toledano with invited guests for a conversation about today s Morocco (NC) (included). 3:30 pm. Visit the Kasbah of the Udayas. This citadel and former fortress is the oldest part of Rabat, dating back to the 12th century. Sitting high above the river and the Atlantic Ocean, it s a treat for the eyes with beautifully decorated gates, blue and white homes, and French-influenced gardens. Depart for Casablanca. 8:00 pm. Dinner and evening at leisure. OVERNIGHT: SOFITEL TOUR BLANCHE, CASABLANCA Wednesday, April 3 8:00 am. Breakfast and check out of the hotel. 9:00 am. Depart hotel. 9:30 am. Visit Ecole Névé Shalom elementary school, with a briefing by the principal followed by a visit to the classes (confirmed). (The Neve Shalom School children would benefit from games such as Twister, Dobble, Jungle Speed, and Checkers. They would also benefit from educational software games for computers standard Microsoft options - that could be for math or English as a second language). 11:00 am. Stop at the OSE (Oeuvre de Secours Aux Enfants). This health care facility provides medical care and medicine for the poor and elderly and emergency medical care for those who cannot afford private care and preventive medical initiatives. The OSE clinic in Casablanca serves the city Jewish population and has an outreach program to serve small provincial Jewish communities. 2

3 Depart for Marrakech. 1:00 pm. Lunch en route, on own 4:30 pm. Visit the medina and walk through to Djemma El Fna Square, whose name literally translated means the assembly of the dead. The name refers to the custom of displaying the heads of vanquished rebels or criminals, since the square was a place of public execution up to the last century. It was also a center for public meetings and even riots. Today, it provides constant entertainment, which reaches its climax at sunset and continues late into the night when the charm of Moroccan folklore operates, as in story tellers, snake charmers, acrobats, folklore bands, and more. Wander through and shop in the souk (market), which is a riot of color, noise, and activities and filled with the treasures of this vast and varied country. You will find silver merchants in one corner, gold merchants in another, and rows of stalls selling leatherwork, copper goods, spices, and jewelry. The real fascination is to watch the craftsmen at work, gilding on leather or inlaying sheaths of ornate silver daggers with enamel, hammering out copper, embroidering silks, and smoothing out the surface of a cedar table. 6:00 pm. Check into hotel. 7:30 pm. Depart hotel. 8:00 pm. Dinner at the home of Laila Binebine (NC), co-founder of a girls boarding school Thursday, April 4 8:00 am. Breakfast. 9:00 am. Depart for a full day tour of Marrakech. One of the most impressive sights in Marrakech, the Koutoubia, is one of the largest, most beautiful mosques in the western Muslim world. Its 225-foot tall minaret is a Hispano- Moresque masterpiece that is very similar to the Giralda of Seville. El Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century in a two-acre garden. It is a haphazard arrangement of secret luxury apartments opening to inner courtyards. For seven years, 1000 craftsmen from the Fez region worked on the palace. The only sections open to the public, today, are the apartments of the sultan s favorite concubine, the council chamber with tiled walls and illuminated cedar wood ceiling, and the great central courtyard, paved with marble and decorated with zelliges (terra cotta and enamel tiles) and fountains. Visit the Mellah. The name comes from the Hebrew word for salt, mellach. In ancient times, the Jews were entrusted by sultans and kings to keep the salt of the kingdom safe, because it was a very important food preservation ingredient. Thus the Jewish neighborhood was named the Mellah. Similar to the European ghetto, the Mellah was surrounded by walls. Located near the royal palace, the Mellah was protected by the king or sultan at the time 3

4 Continue to the Jewish cemetery, located next to the Mellah quarter inside the medina. The burial ground dates back to the 16th century, is the only Jewish cemetery in the city, and the largest Jewish cemetery in the country. It is still in use today. Lunch en route, on own. The Saadian Tombs, with their delicate decorations and pure architectural lines, are considered by many to be a beautiful feat of architecture. They were first built to house the tombs of the Saadian Sultan, Ahmed el Mansour. In 1591, the first koubba (dome on the top of a mosque) in this complex was erected, and the most famous dome tops the room with twelve columns. 5:00 pm. Return to the hotel. 7:45 pm. Depart hotel. 8:00 pm. Dinner at a restaurant, TBD (included). Friday, April 5 8:00 am. Breakfast. Visit the spectacular Majorelle Gardens, designed by Yves St. Laurent, and visit the Yves St. Laurent Museum nearby, followed by time for shopping in the new city of Marrakech. Lunch on own, en route. Depart for the Ouriqua Valley. Visit the tomb of the Jewish Tzaddik, a Berber village, and take a short hike in the mountains. o o The Tzadik here fosters the Moroccan Jews folkloric belief in the powers of a rabbi who was exceptionally holy. They believe that praying to him will cause him to help women with their fertility, allow a blind person to see, and so on. It is folklore that is spread in the area and has also become a part of the Jewish tradition The Berbers are a tribal people native to North Africa. In the 7th century, they were conquered by invading Arab armies, who were spreading Islam. The Berbers quickly converted to Islam helped take over Spain. Since then, they have shared Morocco with the Arabs. While Morocco is a melting pot of Berbers and Arabs, many Berbers retain their languages, culture, and individual identity. Visiting a Berber village is akin to going back several hundred years, with its traditional ambiance intertwined with poverty. While at the Berber house, you will see also how tea is prepared. Return to hotel. Shabbat services at Beth El Synagogue. 4

5 Shabbat dinner at a private home (included) (NC). Shabbat in Marrakech is extra special with a meal hosted by Isaac and Blorya Ohayon. They are members of a Jewish 5

6 family who has lived in Morocco for many centuries are part of the Arabic-speaking community that was in Morocco for a millennia or so before being joined by refugees from Spain in Saturday, April 6 Option I: Day at leisure to sit by the pool, get a treatment at the spa or go to the souk/medina and shop. 8:00 am. For those going to services at Beth El Synagogue, depart the hotel in taxis. 8:30-11:30 am. Shabbat services. Return to the hotel. Lunch and balance of day at leisure. Option II: Day in Essaouira (Drive is approximately 2.5 hours). 6:00 am. Wake-up call. 7:00 am. Breakfast. 8:00 am. Depart for Essaouira. 10:30 am. Stop en route at an Argan Oil Cooperative, which is run by women, and meet with a member of the cooperative, Khadija Alfalka. Argan oil, which is produced from the kernels of Argan trees, is used to dip bread for breakfast and in personal care products. 11:00 am. Continue to Essaouira. 11:30 am. Arrive in Essaouira for a half-day of touring: The Medina (formerly Mogador) a UNESCO World Heritage city -- is an example of a late-18th-century fortified town with souks and art galleries. The medina is home to many small arts-and-crafts businesses, notably cabinet makers and thuya wood carvers. The fishing harbor is rather small but it is surprisingly abundant in catches of sardines, conger eels, and other fish and seafood. Jewish sites encompass the Jewish quarter, or mellah, with its many old synagogue, including the Simon Attias Synagogue. The city is also the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as a history and religious site (not confirmed). The number of Jewish sites has its roots in Mohammed ben Abdallah. 1:30 pm. Lunch on own, in Essaouira. 2:30 pm. Continue tour of Essaouira. 4:00 pm. Depart and drive back to Marrakech. 6

7 8:00 pm. Farewell dinner at Al Fassia Aguedal restaurant, owned and run by two sisters (included). Sunday, April 7 8:00 am. Breakfast and check out of the hotel. 9:00 am. Transfer to the airport for return flights to New York. ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE 7

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Beyond the Casbah: Mission to Morocco March 11-20, 2018

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Beyond the Casbah: Mission to Morocco March 11-20, 2018 Morocco s rich history is complemented by the influential role that the Jewish population played in the country