The traveling exhibition “Our Jewish heritage, the craftsmen tell you” aimed at highlighting the Judeo-Moroccan cultural and intangible heritage was inaugurated on Monday in Fez.
This exhibition, which will continue until June 25, is organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Crafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, the Chamber of Crafts of the region of Fez-Meknes and the Maimouna association.
This initiative highlights the craft products made during a training cycle organized by these actors, for the benefit of a group of craftsmen from the cities of Rabat, Sale, Fez, Sefrou, Meknes Safi and Essaouira, in order to to transmit to them the knowledge relating to design objects linked to Jewish art and worship.
This training, a first of its kind in Morocco, aims to transmit to craftsmen ancestral knowledge linked to Moroccan Jewish heritage and to offer both a new look and continuity to Judeo-Moroccan design.
Training and monitoring were provided by three women. They are Drvorah Michael from New York of Mexican origin, expert in Judaica objects, Meriam Gandi, a Moroccan architect and designer, expert in design related to Moroccan crafts, and Zhor Rhihel, curator of the Jewish Museum of Casablanca. The trainers gave several presentations on Jewish holidays, judaica items as well as new design trends in crafts.
According to the organizers, “the craftsmen in question have expressed their interest in this subject by creating Judaica handicrafts with a Moroccan identity, giving rise to a collection of interesting, curious and emotionally unifying objects”,
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