Emigration: Morocco Only Has a Few Thousand Jews Left

Rabat - A delegation made up of representatives of Muslims, Jews, and Christians from southwest France has been visiting Morocco since last Sunday in collaboration with France’s Union of Mosques (UMF).

Rabat – A delegation made up of representatives of Muslims, Jews, and Christians from southwest France has been visiting Morocco since last Sunday in collaboration with France’s Union of Mosques (UMF).

UMF, which facilitates interreligious dialogue in France, initiated this trip as part of a mission to represent French Islam, said Hauman Yaakoubi, Secretary-General of the Union.

Led by the president of the Regional Council of the Muslim Religion of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA), Khalid Belkhadir, the delegation is expected to hold interviews with officials, and visit, until next Friday, a number of places of worship for the three monotheistic religions as well as sites in Morocco’s holy cities.

Morocco is home to many religious sites and some of the places the delegation will visit are Mosque Hassan II, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Museum of Judaism in Casablanca.

The delegation is also expected to visit the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams in Rabat.

In Fes, the delegation will visit the Al Quaraouiyine Mosque, the Slat Al Fassiyine Synagogue, Aben Danan Synagogue, and other historical sites in the city.

The delegation was received Tuesday in Rabat by the Minister for Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq. They attended talks that focused on the Moroccan model of management in the religious field.

Toufiq applauded the delegation’s initiative and its willingness to discover the Moroccan model that advocates the values of moderate Islam, stressing that “the world today needs people who believe in moderation to affirm the universality of religious discourse.”

Morocco has long since sought to promote the vision of “tolerant Islam“ and to prevent proliferation of extremists in mosques by training imams in “best practices” of moderate traditions.

A considerable number of imams and mourchidates (female religious guides) come to Morocco from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, particularly France, to obtain theological training from Morocco’s religious scholars.

Morocco has also encouraged some of its eminent scholars to hold conferences in France and other parts of Europe, and has urged Sub-Saharan African mosques to preach the values of Islam.

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Jewish Moroccans Celebrate ‘Shared Moroccanness,’ Commitment to Morocco

Representatives of Morocco’s Jewish community have reaffirmed their “unflinching attachment to Moroccanness,” celebrating the country’s history of peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Jewish Moroccans.

Rabat – The public show of allegiance to a complex national and cultural heritage took place at a cultural event in Marrakech on Thursday.

Under the theme “Moroccan Judaism: Toward Shared Moroccanness,” panelists and participants convened to celebrate films and other cultural works that shed light on “beautiful historical stories of shared heritage and togetherness” between Morocco’s Muslim and Jewish communities.

Zhor Rehihil, a curator at the Moroccan Judaism Museum, the body that organized the event in Marrakech, said that Thursday’s meeting between artists and participants—mostly a young audience—was an opportunity to cultivate seeds of Moroccanness in young Moroccan Jews.

She said that the country’s history is full of “beautiful shared memories” that need to be taught to younger generations to ensure a harmonious and shared future.

According to the Rehihil, the museum has been engaged on the cultural front of the struggle to integrate minorities’ history in official Moroccan accounts. The objective is to instill in young Moroccans from the two communities the skills to appreciate their country’s complex and rich heritage.

Thursday’s event, she said, was a culmination “of all the efforts that the Moroccan Judaism Museum has been making for twenty years” to celebrate religious and cultural diversity in Morocco. The museum’s work has been “profound and unremitting,” she explained.

Referring to the number of successful cultural events and discussion panels that the museum has organized since 1997—both in France and in Morocco— Rehihil said that acknowledging diverse cultural heritages is necessary for a changing Moroccan society. What it all boils down to, she elaborated, is that “we, Jews and Muslim Moroccans, have worked together because we share the feeling of Moroccanness.”

In a 2013 documentary film, “Tinghir-Jerusalem,” Moroccan-Jewish director Kamal Hachkar explored the complexities of Moroccan Jewry. The film received wide critical acclaim for offering a reconciliatory reading of cultural complexity in a world where “binarisms and inward-looking attitudes are on the rise.”

The Moroccan Judaism Museum played a key role in the realization of the documentary, the museum’s curator said. Art works like “Tinghir-Jerusalem,” she explained, are part of a growing trend in Moroccan cultural circles. “It is part of the awareness-process of our shared cultural heritage.”

Maxime Karoutchi, a Moroccan-Jewish singer and actor, spoke of the “flame of Moroccanness” burning inside him. Karoutchi said he was 14 when he was first introduced to his Moroccan cultural heritage. Since then, he added, he has been “unwaveringly committed to the richness and complexity” of his Moroccan-Jewish heritage.

“Peaceful coexistence is a basic truth and nothing can isolate us from our Muslim neighbors,” Karoutchi said. But Karoutchi was not preaching a detached artistic attitude that offers a dreamy and simplified version of the complexities of daily life. His lifestyle and his public statements reflect his belief in an open and diversity-integrating Morocco.

In a 2015 interview that went viral, the singer celebrated the double heritage of his upbringing. However, he hammered in the interview: “I am first and foremost a Moroccan.”

The artist regretted, however, that nothing substantial has been done in terms of policies to formally integrate the Jewish heritage in Morocco’s official historical archives.

Perhaps alluding to the recently rumored royal instruction to teach Jewish history in Moroccan schools, the singer said that including Jewish-Muslim shared heritage in Moroccan school textbooks would be a significant step toward normalizing and spreading the lived reality of the two community’s peaceful cohabitation and common history.

Discussions during the event shed light on the often neglected “beautiful history” of Berber Jews, as the Maghreb’s Jewish communities are often called.

Also speaking at the Marrakech event, Kamal Hachkar, the acclaimed director of the “Tinghir-Jerusalem” documentary film, mentioned the critical importance of “building cultural bridges.” For him, celebrating diversity is only possible through cultural bridges and dialogues that point out memories and heritage that members of a society have in common.

Of his documentary, Hachkar said: “The film was not a historical account, but it intended to understand how it is that one survives attachment to one’s native land.” The film originally set out to “interrogate what, for my generation, has remained of our native culture.”

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Marrakech Taroudant Small Town History Charm מרקש טארודנט

Sitting approximately 80 kilometers east of Agadir, Taroudant, or the “little Marrakech,” is an imperial town stretching out along the Souss Valley.

Sitting approximately 80 kilometers east of Agadir, Taroudant, or the “little Marrakech,” is an imperial town stretching out along the Souss Valley.

The first thing a visitor will notice is the pentagon-shaped fortified wall that encircles the city. The Taroudant historical wall is the oldest wall in Morocco and the third most robust in the world, according to historian A. Hermas, after the Great Wall of China and the Kumbhalgarh Fort in India.

Though far older dynasties started building walls around the city, the Saadian dynasty, led by Mohammed Ash-Sheikh Saadi, built the current design of the wall and the city as a whole in the 16th century.

The Saadians built the defensive rampart for military purposes. It stands 8 to 10 meters high, 1.5 to 4 meters thick, and 8 kilometers long. More than 100 crenels, used to keep watch or shoot at enemies, top the wall.

The Saadians used Taroudant as a base to launch attacks against the Spanish and Portuguese armies, which occupied the regions around the coastal city of Agadir 80 kilometers away.

The five large unbreachable gates, called “bab” in Arabic, were made of hard materials to withstand attack. The five entrances are known as Bab Zorgan, Bab Targhount, Bab Ouled Bounouna, Bab Lkhmis, and Bab Selsla.

Bab Zorgan derives its name from the old mills or grinders that locals used to grind grains and sugar canes. Due to its proximity to the city’s bus and taxi station, a nearby gate, Bab Benyara, has been opened to facilitate traffic in out of the city.

Previously called “The Gate of Conquest,” Bab Targhount was the gate from which the Saadians started their attacks. It is considered the smallest with a 20 square meter yard. Locals say its name derives from a nearby stream.

The previous local communal council had decided to use the yard for an art gallery exhibition, but someone set it on fire. The gate’s frame survived however, remaining intact thanks to its solid materials.

The name Bab Ouled Bonouna refers to a number of Andalusian families that settled in Taroudant after they were expelled from Andalusia in the 16th century.

Bab Lkhmis opened onto a space where local townspeople, or Roudanis, and

people from the Souss region did their shopping every Khmiss day (Thursday).

It leads out towards the city graveyard that predates even the Saadians. The gate has a 78 square meter yard and a small mosque.

Bab Selsla is the main entrance through which the sultans and any formal convoys came. Just beside the gate are stairs that tourists use today to climb up to the terrace where they can see panoramic views of the.

Along with their military function, the wall and its gates served as control towers and checkpoints to monitor visitors, check salesmen, and collect taxes from caravans coming from nearby regions and wishing to do business in the city.

Taroudant’s kasbah, another historical site, used to be a military fort par excellence. It housed the sultan’s palace, a military base, a mosque, and a prison. The prison once housed insurgents and Portuguese captives.

In addition to the sultan’s palace in the kasbah, Taroudant boasts Dar El Baroud (the house of gunpowder), an immense late-19th-century palace built on the rubble of an earlier Saadian storehouse. As its name indicates, the Saadians used Dar El Baroud to store weapons. Unfortunately, the great edifice, which stretches out over several hectares, is not open to the public.

Today, large parts of the wall that were damaged have been repaired to preserve the city’s status as a tourist destination.

Approximately 15-20,000 tourists visit the city each year to enjoy the sun and see the craft-work that has survived time. Taroudant has a working leather and wool industry with tanneries and traditional shops scattered inside the old medina (city).

The communal council and civil society have worked hard since 2015 to help the city regain its former glory. The Ministry of Culture and the municipal council are working hand in hand to save a town that seems to have lost much of its past.

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Moroccan Jewish Community Celebrates Hiloula in Morocco’s Taroudant

הקהילה היהודית המרוקאית חוגגת את חולולה במטרודנט של מרוקו

Rabat – Like every year, hundreds of Jewish people from all over Morocco and the globe met Sunday, December 9, at the Rabbi David Ben Baroukh mausoleum in the Tinzert region in Taroudant, 80 kilometers east of Agadir, southern Morocco.

Hiloula is a religious event celebrated by the Moroccan Jewish community. The main purpose of Hiloula is to pray for a good life and the resolution of problems. The Jewish community lights candles, touches the memorial stone, and prays at the tomb of the saint.

Pilgrims raise money for the caretakers of the saint’s tomb by auctioning off large candles and other memorabilia to the highest bidder.

During a ceremony attended by the Souss-Massa region governor, Ahmed Hajji; the governor of Taroudant province, Lahoucine Amzal; and other civil and military officials; the Jewish community seized the opportunity to publicly proclaim and reiterate their strong attachment to their Moroccan origins and their loyalty to the Alaouite dynasty.

Hundreds of Jewish people from around the world, including those of France, England, the US, Tunisia, Iraq, and Venezuela flock every year to Taroudant for the events of Hiloula.

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Moroccan Cities Where Jewish Culture Flourishes

catch the traces of Morocco’s once-vibrant Jewish life in glimpses. The stray Stars of David etched above doorways in the coastal city of Essaouira. A gilded Seder plate peeking through an antique shop’s window in Fez’s mazelike medina. Steps away from the sensory overload of snake charmers, fragrant spices and heckling salesmen in Marrakech’s souk lies the entrance to the Jewish quarter, or mellah. And although the city’s estimated 250 Jews (most of whom are older than 60) no longer inhabit what’s left of the neighborhood, a local Muslim child with an outstretched hand will wish you “Shabbat shalom” and lead you to the quarter’s centuries-old synagogue.

CASABLANCA

Not only is Casablanca home to the vast majority of Morocco’s Jewish population, it’s also home to the only Jewish museum in the Arab world. Once serving as a Jewish orphanage, the Museum of Moroccan Judaism details Jews’ 2,000-year history there alongside Moroccan Jewish art, ornate clothing, religious relics and artifacts, a photo and video library, and rooms with partial reproductions of synagogues. But you hardly have to settle for reproductions when you can stand beneath the stained-glass windows, sparkling chandeliers and intricately carved ceiling of Temple Beth-El, one of the city’s many active synagogues. Casablanca also boasts Jewish day schools (some of which are also attended by Muslim children), community centers, and kosher butchers and restaurants.

Jews have been living in Morocco since the time of Antiquity. Prior to World War II, the Jewish population of Morocco reached 225,000. Morrocco's King Mohammed V met with representatives from Nazi Germany and Vichy France during the Holocaust to discuss the issue of Jews in Morrocco.  The Morroccan King famously stated at the meeting that in his country, there are no Jewish citizens, there are no Muslims citizens, they are all Moroccans. The Jews of Morrocco were not sent away to concentration camps, and were not subject to the full brunt of Nazi evil.  Although Jews were not deported during the war, they did suffer humiliation under the Vichy government. Following the U.S. landing in 1943, a few pogroms did occur. In June 1948, bloody riots in Oujda and Djerada killed 44 Jews and wounded scores more. That same year, an unofficial economic boycott was instigated against Moroccan Jews.

In 1956, Morocco declared its independence, and Jewish immigration to Israel was suspended. In 1963, emigration resumed, allowing more than 100,000 Moroccan Jews to reach Israel.²

In 1965, Moroccan writer Said Ghallab described the attitude of his fellow Muslims toward their Jewish neighbors:

The worst insult that a Moroccan could possibly offer was to treat someone as a Jew....My childhood friends have remained anti-Jewish. They hide their virulent anti-Semitism by contending that the State of Israel was the creature of Western imperialism....A whole Hitlerite myth is being cultivated among the populace. The massacres of the Jews by Hitler are exalted ecstatically. It is even credited that Hitler is not dead, but alive and well, and his arrival is awaited to deliver the Arabs from Israel.³

Nonetheless, before his death in 1999, King Hassan tried to protect the Jewish population, and at present Morocco has one of the most tolerant environments for Jews in the Arab world. Moroccan Jewish emigres, even those with Israeli citizenship, freely visit friends and relatives in Morocco. Moroccan Jews have held leading positions in the business community and government. The major Jewish organization representing the community is the Conseil des Communautes Israelites in Casablanca. Its functions include external relations, general communal affairs, communal heritage, finance, maintenance of holy places, youth activities, and cultural and religious life.⁴

"The Jews no longer reside in the traditional Jewish mellahs, but intermarriage is almost unknown. The community has always been religious and tolerant....The younger generation prefers to continue its higher education abroad and tends not to return to Morocco. Thus the community is in a process of aging."⁵

In early 2004, Marrakesh had a small population of about 260 people, most over the age of 60. Casablanca has the largest community, about 3,000 people. There are synagogues, mikvaot, old-age homes, and kosher restaurants in Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, Mogador, Rabat, Tetuan and Tangier. In 1992, most Jewish schools were closed, but Casablanca has experienced a bit of a renewal and now 10 schools serve 800 students there.^5a

"The Jewish community developed a fascinating tradition of rituals and pilgrimages to the tombs of holy sages. There are 13 such famous sites, centuries old, well kept by Muslims. Every year on special dates, crowds of Moroccan Jews from around the world, including Israel, throng to these graves. A unique Moroccan festival, the Mimunah, is celebrated in Morocco and in Israel."⁶

Morocco is perhaps Israel's closest friend in the Arab world. King Hassan often tried to be a behind-the-scenes catalyst in the Arab-Israeli peace process. In July 1986, he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres in an effort to stimulate progress. Two months later, Hassan met with a delegation of Jews of Moroccan origin, including an Israeli Knesset member. In 1993, after signing the agreement with the PLO, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin paid a formal visit to Morocco.

In May 1999, King Hassan organized the first meeting of the World Union of Moroccan Jews, in Marrakech.

In April and May 2000, the Moroccan government sponsored a series of events and lectures promoting respect among religions.⁷ Andre Azoulay, royal counselor and a leading Jewish citizen, spoke about the need for interfaith respect and dialogue. In October 2000, two Moroccan youths tried to vandalize a Tangiers synagogue. King Mohamed VI publicly declared in a televised speech on November 6, 2000, that the government would not tolerate mistreatment of Morocco’s Jews. The youths were subsequently sentenced to one year in prison.⁸

On May 16, 2003, a series of suicide bombers attacked four Jewish targets in Casablanca, and a fifth attack was made against the Spanish consulate. No Jews were hurt in the attack because it occurred on Shabbat when the buildings were empty of Jews. Twenty-nine Muslims were killed. Though the bombings affected the Jewish sense of security, they were viewed by most Moroccans as assaults on the country's social and political order, and a test of the young king's power, rather than an act of anti-Semitism. King Mohammed VI visited the site of one of the attacks the day it occurred and urged the Jewish community to rebuild. The government subsequently organized a large rally in the streets of Casablanca to demonstrate support for the Jewish community and the king reasserted his family's traditional protection for the country's Jews.⁹

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HOW TO CELEBRATE A MOROCCAN MIMUNA AFTER PASSOVER

     כיצד לחקות מורמוקה מימונה אחרי פס

After a full week of eating matza and lots of potatoes, the end of Pesach really feels like freedom as we anxiously await the Mimuna celebration.

Mimuna is the last night of Pesach. In my Moroccan family, we patiently count the minutes for my father to come back from shul, make havdala, and then my mother takes out from the closet her precious cast iron pan where she has been making Mufletas for years. This pan was given to her from my grandmother when she got married almost 40 years ago.

Making Mufletas at the Mimuna is a very important Moroccan tradition. They can be either eaten plain or with honey and butter.

Atop the table we set up all sorts of Moroccan pastries and a large plate with flour, two raw eggs in their shell, raw fava beans and some fresh herbs. This specially arranged plate symbolizes the end of the holiday.

Moroccan Jews celebrate Mimuna after the holiday of Pesach to enhance togetherness since during the holiday we limit our meals to our own house and do not eat at other houses.

Mufletas (see recipe below) are traditionally served with Moroccan mint tea.

MOROCCAN MUFLETA

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For Moroccan Jews, a party after Passover עבור יהודי מרוקו, מסיבה אחרי פסח

After eight days of observing Passover, most Jews happily put down their matzo and reach for the leavened breads, pasta, cookies, and other foods that had been forbidden during the holiday, which begins at sundown on April 14. A smaller group, primarily those of Moroccan-Israeli descent, will begin the celebration of Mimouna. They, too, will begin to eat hametz (leavened foods), but they make a party of it, with food, music, dancing, and sometimes even costumes.

Not well known in this country, Mimouna celebrates the end of Passover and the beginning of spring. Traditionally, Jewish families in Morocco gave or sold their leavened foods to their Muslim neighbors for the duration of the holiday. When Passover ended, they invited their neighbors into their homes for a feast. Moroccan Jews who immigrated to Israel in the state’s early days brought the celebration with them, and it has grown. Today Mimouna is a national holiday in Israel with big family or public outdoor parties that begin at sundown and often last into the next day. Frequently, politicians attend the celebrations, and it is a badge of honor to have a member of the Knesset, or local elected official, at your celebration.

In 2010, Boston’s New Center for Arts and Culture, a Jewish organization, working with the American Islamic Congress, brought Mimouna to this city. Eva Heinstein, a Jamaica Plain resident who worked at the New Center at the time, was instrumental in launching the interfaith celebration. The daughter of a Moroccan-Israeli mother and an Ashkenazi Jewish father, Heinstein grew up in California and celebrated the holiday with family and friends. “We thought it would be a great idea to bring women from Jewish and non-Jewish communities together, exploring the shared cultures of women who live in Arab lands,” says Heinstein.

“During Pesach, people don’t eat at each other’s homes,” explains Liora Kushner of Chestnut Hill, who runs Liora’s Catering. “Right after, [they] start to welcome others in. It’s an open house. Neighbors just walk in.” When she was growing up in Israel, cooking was her Moroccan-born mother’s domain. A former attorney who stopped practicing law when the youngest of her three children was born (her daughter is now 6), Kushner began cooking here because she missed the foods from home.

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Top Places to Visit in Israel מקומות מובילים בארץ

מקומות מובילים בארץ

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Israel is an incredibly fascinating place. Stories about Israel go back thousands of years, and it’s wonderful to contemplate how many people through the centuries have walked Israel’s shores and roads. Of course, it’s unnecessary to walk everywhere in Israel. Book an car rental in Israel and visit as much of Israel as you possible can.

Start in Haifa in the north and Eilat in the south for art, sports, science, history, and religious activities. No one gets bored in Israel.*

Haifa and Galilee

People from Judeo-Christian cultures enjoy visiting Galilee to see places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Galilee is the place where Jesus lived and later delivered the powerful Sermon on the Mount. Regardless of religious interest, though, the area is ruggedly beautiful. It’s a perfect place to hike, kayak, or go rafting.

Haifa, located on the Mediterranean, has must-visit, perfectly azure beaches. Here are some favorite beaches to check out:

Bat Galim

Bat Galim is a family-friendly and delightfully historic place. It’s close to Rosh HaCarmel and Galim districts of Haifa. Plenty of free parking, a playground with a giant pirate vessel, and benches everywhere make this beach a perfect place to picnic and people-watch.

The south part of Bat Galim is a favorite spot for surfing and windsurfing, and the rest of the beach is an ideal place to swim. The breakwater near Haifa Bay keeps the waters calm.

Hof Hashaket

Hof Hashaket is situated behind the breakwater of Haifa Bay. The water here is something like a giant just-the-right-temperature saltwater swimming pool. Israelis refer to Hof Hashaket as a serene place.

Visitors should note that men may visit Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while women are allowed to visit Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Men and women may visit the beach together on Saturdays.

Dado Zamir

Dado Zamir is considered one of the most popular spots in Haifa. The promenade runs from the south of Dado Zamir to the north point that touches Carmel Beach.

Some of the best beachy restaurants and bars are located here. Plan to enjoy Israeli folk dancing at Dado Zamir’s arena. And for those who want to use electronic devices at the beach, Dado Zamir has WiFi!

Carmel

Located west of Nave David is Carmel beach. The waters are also calm and many swimmers enjoy a relaxing crawl or backstroke here. Sports facilities, sitting areas, children’s playgrounds, and lots of benches make Carmel a great place to visit alone or with a group.

Kiryat Haim 

Kiryat Haim, located next to the Kiryat Haim suburb in north Haifa, is especially known for its bountiful gardens. A walk on the boardwalk is especially pleasurable—it’s so beautiful.

Plan to enjoy a barbecue if visiting here in the summer months or join the dances. This beach segregates men and women visitors so, if visiting as a male-female couple, arrange the visit on Saturday.

Finally, take a break from the gorgeous sand and visit Ein Hod Artist Village and the amazing Baha’I Gardens.

Tel Aviv

Visit the Carmel Market and take a picnic to Park Hayarkon. This is a wonderful place to go boating, attend a concert, visit the aviary and tropical gardens, hike, or bicycle. At the end of the day, enjoy dinner and theatre at Nalga’at Center. BlackOut Restaurant is an incredible experience. Blind waiters serve delicious food in complete darkness. Actors are also blind and deaf-blind.

Rehovot

Science enthusiasts should visit the Clore Garden at Weizmann Institute. The range of science exhibits includes a solar ignition furnace, a moon walk (simulates the experience of walking in low gravity), and so much more.

Jerusalem

A visit to Israel must include Jerusalem. Plan to stop at the Israel Museum, one of the top repositories for antiquities in the world. Five hundred thousand of the world’s most fascinating objects, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, are found here. The art of Rodin, Lipschitz, Oldenburg, and Picasso is also here. For those interest in Holocaust history, the Yad Vashem Museum is a life-changing experience. Survivors’ testimonies, artifacts, and a walk through The Hall of Names reveals personal perspectives of the Holocaust.

The Old City 

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into quarters. Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Armenians live in this city-within-a-city. The Dome of the Rock is located here. According to the holy Koran, Mohammed’s ascension occurred here. The Western Wall, an important Jewish site, is also found here. For millennia, people have placed written messages to God in the wall’s cracks.

Dead Sea

Another must-see spot is the Dead Sea. Plan to visit Ein Gedi Park as well as the Masada. Ein Gedi National Park is a thrilling desert oasis complete with wonderful hiking trails. Goats, desert leopards, and ibex live here. The Masada, located atop a cliff, is a 2,000 year old fortress. One thousand Jewish soldiers fought the Roman army for two years. These brave men chose death rather than slavery, and committed group suicide.

Eilat

Located at the southern tip of Israel and the north of the Red Sea, Eilat is a place to swim, boat, water ski, or swim with wild dolphins. The coral reefs are worth exploring at the underwater observatory or during a scuba dive. The Red Sea Jazz Festival, a local event since 1987, is energizing and a perfect way to spend an August day in Israel.

* Note that some sites are closed for the Sabbath on Friday and Saturday.

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