How did Morocco celebrate the Allied victory over the Nazis? Rabbi Yosef Meshash, may God bless him and grant him peace, gave a special testimony: "And on Wednesday, the French Red Army commanders came to the synagogue and we had a celebration..."
Thursday, May 8, 5, marked the eighty-year anniversary of World War II and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. On May 25, 8, the news that had been awaited for years was heard throughout Europe – Nazi Germany had surrendered.
World War II had come to an end, and hope had once again begun to beat in the hearts of millions. But this historic moment was not only felt on the streets of London or Paris; it also reached the alleys of Fez, Casablanca, Tunis, and Algiers – where Jewish communities waited anxiously to hear the end of the nightmare.
The news spread by word of mouth.
In those days, the means of communication in North Africa were limited. Radio was the preserve of few, and at times even restricted by the colonial government, but the news flowed – from soldiers, messengers, or through semi-pirate broadcasts from stations like the BBC in French. Throughout North Africa, especially in the big cities where large Jewish communities lived, the news was received with euphoria. The synagogues were filled with prayers of thanksgiving.
Rabbi Yosef Meshach, one of the greatest Moroccan rabbis of the 20th century, served as the rabbi of Tlemcen, Algeria during World War II and later as the chief rabbi of Haifa. In his book Otzar HaMiktavit (Part XNUMX, Chapter XNUMX), the rabbi describes the celebrations of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in Morocco in moving and grandiose events. How Moroccan Jews, together with their Muslim neighbors, took to the streets in cities such as Meknes, Fez, and Casablanca, singing, dancing, and waving flags to celebrate the defeat of the Nazis.
The Jews in the Maghreb felt a sense of liberation and relief, after years of persecution and fear under Vichy rule and the Nazi threat.
Rabbi Mashash also noted the active participation of the Jewish community in prayers of thanksgiving in synagogues, in which they thanked God for salvation and victory, and wrote:
"And on Monday, Shabbat, 24th Iyar 5755, at two in the afternoon, trumpets sounded, announcing the end of the war with accursed Germany, for it had been completely conquered by the other kingdoms. All day and all night, service, singing, and dancing did not cease from the streets of Kirya. And on Wednesday, Shabbat, at half past eight in the morning, the French generals of Edom came to the synagogue of Rabbi Baruch of Toledo, which the congregation decorated with flowers, roses, and flags, and we held a celebration in a proper manner."
Then there was a two-minute silence, honoring the memory of those killed in the war, as is the custom of nations. Then I asked for mercy for the dead, the war dead from the people of Israel and from my family, which I, the young man, had woven."
In these descriptions, Rabbi Mashash reflects the unity and solidarity between the various communities in Morocco at that time.
days, and the hope and prayer for a better future after the war.
In light of the victory and celebrations in Morocco, Rabbi Mashash composed a special prayer in memory of those who fell in the war, both Jews and Gentiles:
"Please, Lord, Father of mercy, dwelling on high, knowing all that is unseen, in your great and mighty mercy, please have mercy on the spirits and souls and the honest and innocent, the beloved and pleasant, of the several millions of Jews, men and women and children, who were killed and slaughtered, and burned and drowned, and suffocated and buried alive, and who were condemned to every kind of strange death, in every place where the hand of the cruel oppressor touched.
King of kings, in your great mercy, have mercy on them, and spare and have compassion on them, and bind their souls before you and before you to the holy place with your people, the holy and pure house of Israel, who gave their lives for the sanctity of your great name, in the days of destruction and in the days of intercession, and you will satisfy them with the purity of their souls, they will be satisfied with the fat of their house, and you will restore your eternal stream, and you will accompany them with peace, and on their bed there will be peace, and you will set them at the end of the right hand, and a cup of consolation to drink in the hearts of their mourners and those who worry and grieve with them, and you will avenge them and avenge all the blood of your servants that was shed, as written in your holy law, by the man of God, the faithful one of your house.
For the blood of His servants will be avenged, and He will avenge His enemies and redeem His land with Him. And through Your servants the prophets it is written, saying: And I will atone for their blood, and I will not atone, and the Lord dwells in Zion. And it is said, "He will make known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of Your servants that was shed." And it is said, "He who avenges their blood, He has remembered and not forgotten the cry of the humble." From now on, let us think, O God, give peace to the earth, give peace to the kingdoms, and we will be quiet and content to serve You and to fear You, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Amen."
Rabbi Meshash, who was familiar with the contribution of the Allies, composed a prayer for God, full of mercy, for the Gentile Allied soldiers who fell in the war. This is the formula:
"Merciful God, please! In your great mercy, have mercy on all the souls of our Arab brothers, the French, the Russians, the Americans, the English, and all those who helped them. Give them a share in your garden of paradise, and nourish them with your goodness."
May they receive a good and beautiful reward for their great kindness which they have increased to do with all the inhabitants of the world, and in particular with our people, the people of Israel, with the help of God, blessed be He, in their tireless work, until their blood is shed on the earth, to banish an evil beast from the earth, Hitler and all who follow him, the wicked will not rise in judgment, for they will be ashes under the feet of the souls of the armies of the kingdoms mentioned. Amen." Rabbi Meshash describes complete celebrations of praise and thanksgiving for the victory in the war. Along with a special blessing to the King of Morocco, and a blessing to the President of the United States, and much rejoicing and processions in the streets of the city.
The story of Moroccan Jews on Victory Day over Nazi Germany, as described by Rabbi Yosef Meshach, is a testament to the way in which world history unfolded in the alleys of Jewish neighborhoods in North Africa, leaving a deep imprint of joy, prayer, hope, and vision. We must pass on this legacy – not just as another chapter in Holocaust remembrance, but as a foundation in a broader Jewish identity.
To acknowledge gratitude, ask for mercy, and work for a better future
These days, as anti-Semitism rises again around the world, and as the State of Israel faces security, social, and spiritual challenges – the inner call to once again hear the voices of those sages like Rabbi Yosef Meshach, of those ordinary Jews who took to the streets to dance with the flags of France and England and to greet the King of Morocco and the President of the United States, is growing stronger. The leaders of that generation saw this rescue not only as a miracle, but as a moral responsibility: to acknowledge gratitude, ask for mercy, and work for a better future.
Today, we must ensure that this story does not remain on the margins of memory. It must be integrated into school curricula, synagogues, public ceremonies, and the national consciousness. Because only in this way can we truly bring this heritage back to life – not as a historical anecdote, but as a living, breathing inspiration for the younger generation. As Rabbi Mashash wrote in his prayer – “From here and henceforth, let us think of the past” – may we know, from memory, to build a better future. A future of brotherhood, of faith, of mutual responsibility – and of a memory that unites, rather than divides.
"Creating AI"… How to turn an article about a painful topic into a farce.
A real photo of Moroccan Jews from some free historical photo site would have been better.
While in other places, including the Land of Israel, there were no celebrations, there was great sadness, there was a rush to international institutions to glean information about relatives who might have survived. Most of the time, the search yielded a few days or months of illusion, of doubt, and the illusion and doubt turned into a fracture, ... not prayers of thanksgiving but a fracture that was passed on to future generations.
Searching for Udim, there was no source of thanks. What to thank for? That they avoided bombing the railroads? The crew's quarters in the camps?
The past must not be distorted - the Moroccans have most of the time acted cruelly towards our people.
These things are recorded in an extensive article by Mr. Butbol, a researcher of Israeli heritage and a Moroccan-born writer, on the Makor Rishon website - it is recommended that you read the article.
Therefore, the description here that the locals went out with our ancestors to dance the victory over the Nazis in my interpretation is spot-on, perhaps because they didn't understand what it was about.
This is without detracting from the honor of Rabbi Meshash Zetzel, whose legacy I hope will be integrated into the curriculum, as you say.