Double Trauma and Manifold Narratives: Jews' and Muslims' Representations of the Departure of Moroccan Jews in the 1950s and 1960s

A study of the departure of Moroccan Jews in the 1950s and 1960s reveals that both Jewish and Muslim narratives reflect deep, unresolved trauma. While Muslims often depicted Jews as 'fearful' or 'weak,' this perception shifted dramatically during the Six-Day War, when Jews were seen as 'courageous' and 'strong.' This transformation disrupted Muslim societal norms, which associated emigration with a lack of virility. The research, based on oral histories from both communities, shows that the memory of these events remains fragmented and sensitive, with Muslims suppressing recollections of two young Jews murdered in 1967 in Meknes. The study argues that the departure of a historic component of Moroccan society has left an enduring emotional wound, with Jewish narratives oscillating between fear and nostalgia.

Semi, E. T. (2010). DOUBLE TRAUMA AND MANIFOLD NARRATIVES: JEWS’ AND MUSLIMS’ REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEPARTURE OF MOROCCAN JEWS IN THE 1950s AND 1960s. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 9(1), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725880903549319