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A language course is reviving Moroccan Jewish culture and bridging Middle East divide
Limud Darija connects over 500 members through language and culture to preserve Moroccan Jewish heritage and promote dialogue across Middle Eastern communities.
- A new educational movement, Limud Darija, was launched after the COVID-19 pandemic to connect communities and reclaim lost voices, Elfassi said.
- Growing up in Fez, Morocco exposed Yona Elfassi to Moroccan Arabic, French, Hebrew and Amazigh influences that shaped his identity and led him to teach Darija after earning two doctorates from Sciences Po Bordeaux and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
- The hybrid courses mix Zoom lessons with in-person gatherings in Israel and include workshops drawing on Sephardic piyyutim and Moroccan pop icons.
- A hafla in Be'er Sheva in 2026 shows Muslim Moroccans have discovered Elfassi's work online and joined Hebrew classes and WhatsApp groups, helping humanize participants.
- Only around 2,500 Jews remain in Morocco today, and 99% of Jews of Moroccan heritage live elsewhere, with diasporas in France, Canada, the United States and about 1 million in Israel.
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Associated Press News+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
A language course is reviving Moroccan Jewish culture and bridging Middle East divide
(RNS) — Growing up in Fez, Morocco, Yona Elfassi was always aware of the history of the city, which has been a center of culture, learning and spirituality since the ninth century.
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Moroccan language course revives lost Jewish culture while bridging Mideast divide
… 000 live in France, 25,000 in Canada, and 25,000 … a journey to Bordeaux, France, and Beersheba, Israel, writing a dissertation … terms His research into Morocco’s history eventually grew … Indigenous Berber people of North Africa, sees parallels between Elfassi …
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left6Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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