The Jewish Community of Fez
Fez
In Arabic: فاس
A city in northern Morocco.
Jews were among the first settlers of the town at the end of the 8th century.
The Jewish community rapidly became influential and respected. They lived in their own quarter (Al-Funduk Al-Yahudi). Fez became a cultural and commercial center of prime importance, largely as a result of the Jews' presence. Such scholars as David Ben Abraham Alfasi and rabbi Solomon Ben Judah - who became head of the Jerusalem academy - went on to Palestine, and grammarians of the stature of Dunash Ben Labrat and Judah Hayyuj went to Spain. During the golden era in Fez, three deported to Ashir (Algeria) in about 987; 6,000 Jews were massacred in 1035 by fanatics who conquered Fez; and the town was ruthlessly sacked in 1068 by Almoravides. In about 1127 a pseudo-Messiah, Moses Dari, brought afflictions upon the community. A few decades later attempts at forced conversion led to the death of the Dayyan rabbi Judah Ha-Kohen Ibn Shushan and the emigration of Maimonides and his family.
In 1244 the Merinides established themselves in Fez and treated the Jews well, even saving them from an insurrection. However, with the decline of the Merinides and the revival of fanaticism, the Jews were compelled in 1438 to live in a special Jewish quarter. When the Sultan appointed a Jew, Harun, as prime minister in order to straighten out public finances, the town rose in revolt, the Sultan and his minister were assassinated, and most of the Jews were massacred (1465). The community did not recover from this catastrophe until 1492 with the arrival of the Spanish refugees who became dominant. They held the office of "Nagid", established in Fez at the beginning of the 16th century, and their yeshivot were headed by scholars including Nachman Ben Sunbal, Samuel Chagiz, Judah Uzziel, and Saul Serrero (16th-17th centuries), Judah and Chayyim Ibn Atar, and Samuel Sarfaty (18th century). There were famous Dayyanim, such as the Ibn Danans, whose authority was recognized by Jews of the whole country. Many rabbis of Fez went to teach in communities abroad. The preeminence of Fez only ended after the death of Jacob Ibn Zur in 1753.
In the second half of the 16th century Fez lost its political and economic importance. As a result, many wealthy Jews left the town; after about 100 years 1,300 families of the rich Jewish community of Dila were transferred to Fez. With their arrival, these families changed the composition of the community of Fez, which lost its Spanish character. Most of its members worked in goldsmithing, the manufacture of gold thread, lacemaking, embroidery, and tailoring. In 1790 Moulay Yazid destroyed its synagogues, ordered the plunder of the community, and expelled its inhabitants. The return of the Jews was authorized in 1792, but the community was reduced to a quarter of its former size. Life improved and interest in study was reawakened by such men as Abner Sarfaty and Isaac Ibn Danan (d. 1900). The community possessed many schools, five yeshivot, and an important benevolent society. A French school, financially supported by the notables of the community, was founded by the Alliance Israelite Universelle.
In 1912, two weeks after the establishment of the French protectorate, a revolt broke out in Fez. The community of 12,000 was ransacked and their property set on fire by the mob; about 60 people died. The French military authorities had previously confiscated all the Jews' weapons.
From 1925 many Jews established themselves in the new town of Fez - only the poor remained in the old quarter (Mellah). In 1947 there were 22,484 Jews in Fez and its surroundings, including several physicians, advocates, industrialists, and owners of agricultural estates. In 1951, 12,648 Jews lived in Fez - 5.8% of Moroccan Jewry. The town had many Jewish educational institutions run by the Alliance Israelite Universelle, Ozar Ha-Torah, and Em Ha-Banim. In 1961 these and other Jewish schools had a total of 2,823 pupils.
Before the emigration of the 1950's and 1960's, there were general Jewish organizations such as the Zionist Bnei Akiva, branches of WIZO, and a branch of the World Jewish Congress. There were also groups for the study of Hebrew and several social welfare organizations.
Most of the Jews who left Fez made their way to Israel; others went to France and Canada.
In 1969 there were approximately 1,000 Jews there.
Among the sites of pilgrimage for Jewish travelers in Morocco, the most popular is the tomb of rabbi Yehouda Benatar in Fez.
In 1997 there were 6,500 Jews living in Morocco, 5,000 of them in Casablanca and only 150 Jews in Fez.
Joseph Ben Naim
(Personality)Joseph Ben Naim (1882-1961), rabbi, born in Fez, Morocco. Editor and compiler of a selection of some important works by Moroccan rabbis, both printed and manuscripts, thus forming one of the largest collections of Jewish religious writings from Morocco. R. Yosef Ben Naim is the author of Sefer Malke Rabanan (Jerusalem 1931), a compilation of biographical and bibliographical material about Moroccan rabbis. After his death in 1961, his library was sold to the Jewish Theological Seminary of New York; unfortunately it was partially destroyed in a fire.
Isaac Ben Abraham Uziel
(Personality)Isaac Ben Abraham Uziel (1502-1622) Poet. Born in Fez, Morocco, in 1605 he went to Oran, Algeria, where he served as rabbi. A year later Uziel settled in Amsterdam, Holland, and became first a teacher in the community’s bet ha-midrash and in 1610 first rabbi of the Neveh Shalom congregation.
Some of Uziel’s poems were included in prayer books in North Africa. He died in Amsterdam, Holland.
Judah Ben Samuel Abbas
(Personality)Judah Ben Samuel Abbas (11th-12th centuries), poet. Born in Fez, Morocco. He lived most of his life in Aleppo, Syria. About twenty of his piyyutim have been preserved, the most noteworthy of which is a 14-stanza piyyut about the sacrifice of Isaac. In Sephardi communities the piyut is usually sung before the blowing of the shofar on the High Holidays. Judah Ben Samuel Ibn Abbas also wrote much rhymed prose. He died in Aleppo, Syria.
Hayyim Gagin
(Personality)Hayyim Gagin (1450-?) Poet. Born in Fez, Morocco, he left for Spain, probably around 1465, where he first studied with Rabbi Isaac Aboab of Castille and later with Joseph Uzziel. Gagin then returned to Fez and served as head of the bet din. He became involved in a long and vehement dispute which broke out between the community of Fez and the newly established one of Spanish and Portuguese refugees. Gagin described the outcome of this dispute in a lengthy extract entitled Ez Hayyim published in 1911 in J.M. Toledano’s Ner ha-Ma’arav.
Gagin is author of many lamentations, particularly about the expulsion of Jews from Spain. He died in Fez, Morocco.
Dunash Ben Labrat
(Personality)As a poet, Dunash applied the Arabic forms of poetry to Hebrew, thus laying the foundation for medieval Hebrew poetry. However, most of his poems are lost and some of them are known only due to the lines he cited in his responsa. Dunash’ religious poems include the Sabbath song Deror Yikra and Devai Hasser and a kerovah for the Day of Atonement.
He died probably in Cordoba, Spain.
Aaron Ben Batash
(Personality)Aaron Ben Batash (?–1465) scholar, writer and vizier of Morocco, born in Spain. Ben Batash moved to Morocco apparently on account of the Inquisition in his native country. Settling in Fez he became banker and adviser to Sultan Abdel al-Haqq and was subsequently elevated to the post of vizier.
As a result of Aaron’s influence, Saul ben Batash, a close relative, was appointed chief of the police and director of the sultan’s palace. Aaron imposed heavy taxes on the population and was accused by the Muslim leaders of using the money to support the impoverished Jews of the town, many of whom like himself had been obliged to flee from Spain. In consequence the Muslim leaders incited the mob to attack the Jewish quarter. The sultan and the vizier were both assassinated.
Joseph Ben Judah Ben Jacob Aknin
(Personality)Joseph Ben Judah Ben Jacob Aknin (1150-1220), philosopher and poet, born in Barcelona, Spain. He moved to Fez, Morocco, and lived there until his death. Aknin met Maimonides on the latter’s visit to Fez and wrote a sad poem about his departure to Egypt. It is presumed that Aknin was a physician.
He is the author of two books which are no longer extant (Sefer Hukkim u-Mishpatim and Clarification of the Fundamentals of Faith); Ma’amar al ha-Middot ve-he-Mishkalot, on measures and weights; Mevo ha-Talmud, introduction to the learning of the Talmud; The Hygiene of Healthy Souls and the Therapy of Ailing Souls, an ethical compilation; Sefer ha-Musar, commentary on Pirkei Avot; and The Divulgence of Mysteries and the Appearance of Lights, a commentary on the Song of Songs in Arabic. He died in Fez, Morocco.
ALFASI
(Family Name)Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name is a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives.
The surname Alfasi means "from Fez" in Arabic. A Jewish presence in Fez, Morocco, is recorded since as early as the 8th century.
Distinguished bearers of the Jewish family name Alfassi include the Moroccan-born codifier Isaac Alfassi (1013-1103) and the Karaite scholar Alfi Ben Avraham Alfasi who lived in the 10th century.
Distinguished 19th century bearers of the family name Al Fassi include Rabbi Messaoud Raphael Al Fassi (born in Fez, Morocco, died 1775), who was Av Beth Din ("head of rabbinical court") and chief rabbi in Tunis, and then settled in Eretz Israel. Rabbi Massoud Rephael Al Fassi and his sons published an important work called 'Mishha Diributa' (Livorno, 1805).
Masoud Ben Lulu Recounts His Childhood in Fez, Morocco, and His Immigration to Israel, 2018
(Video)Masoud (Prosper) Ben Lulu was born in Fez, Morocco, in 1940. He tells of great poverty at home, the children did not study, they worked for a living. His brother tried to immigrated ahead of the other family members, but he was caught and imprisoned in Greece. Another brother immigrated to Israel with Aliyat Hanoar. The whole family immigrated illegally, this was already after the ban on immigration in 1956. They moved to Casablanca and waited there for a very long time until they could leave for Israel.
------------------
This testimony was produced as part of “Seeing the Voices” – the Israeli national project for the documentation of the heritage of Jews of Arab lands and Iran. The project was initiated by the Israeli Ministry for Social Equality, in cooperation with The Heritage Wing of the Israeli Ministry of Education, The Yad Ben Zvi Institute, and The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot.
The Oster Visual Documentation Center, ANU - Museum of the Jewish People.