A Full Day tour in Sefrou
Did you know that Jewish and Muslims lived side by side? Did you know that Jewish were protected by the Sultans of Morocco against the Nazis regime? Did you know that the Jewish quarter in Sefrou is nearly half size of the ancient Medina?
Jewish heritage Tour is a full day journey to the Little Jerusalem, Sefrou. Sefrou is a walled town, \nested in the slopes of the middle Atlas, about 28 kilometers south east of Fez in central Morocco. Sefrou has an interesting history and culture, which years ago brought it to the attention of world-renowned American anthropologist Clifford Geertz and his students, who based a number of important scholarly books on their research there. The city began as a market town in the Roman era and as a stopping point for caravans of traders making their way from the Mediterranean to the Sahara desert, and became a major Moroccan town long before Fez was built in the 8th century. In fact, Moulay Idriss II lived in Sefrou while he was building Fez.
The town was a melting pot of culture as Jewish Berber Moroccans and Algerians had been settling there for many centuries. Before most Jewish Moroccans left the country when the French departed during the sixties and seventies, a third of Sefrou’s population was Jewish. Agriculture is the main activity in the region. The mountainous terrain is the ideal place for fruit trees, especially cherries. Sefrou is well known for its cherry festival, which is considered one of Morocco’s oldest and most prominent regional celebrations by the UNESCO. This annual event was introduced by the French in 1919 and takes place during the harvest of the cherries in early June. It gives the locals a chance to showcase the charming customs, traditions, arts, and crafts of the area to thousands of visitors. The festival reaches its pinnacle with the crowning of “Miss Cherry Festival” and a parade of beautiful and colorful floats on the third day of the festival.
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- Visit the Jewish quarter (the Mellah).
- Participate in Jewish artisanal workshops such as Dejallaba silk buttons at the craft center of Sefrou.
- Guided walk to the Jewish school (Alliance Israelite) of Em Habanim and the Synagogue of Sefrou.
- Guided Visit to the saints of Moche Elbaz, Eliahou Harraoch and David Arazil.
- Documetay film ~Between the lost paradise and promised land ~ of the Jewish film maker David Assouline who is originally from Sefrou.
- Q/As with a local family about the Jewish culture.
- Hike to Daniel Cave (Kaf El moumen) (according to the legends, it is believed to be the resting place of the prophet Daniel)
- Guide and English Interpreter.
- Transportation in a private vehicle (Fez- Sefrou, Sefrou- Fez)
- Lunch in the Medina or with a Moroccan family.
- Refreshments and snacks during the tour.
- Donations will be given to the craft center and Eb Habanim Jewish School.