Jewish Moroccan Museum and Archive for Living Culture

The museum and archive project is intended to serve as a model for the rehabilitation of rural villages in Israel`s outskirts.

The ultimate objective of the project is to encourage multi-cultural development in Israel and inter-cultural tolerance, and anchor them in an underlying and self sustaining structure of productive economic, educational and cultural activities.

What is a Museum for Living Culture?

The Moroccan Jewish Museum for Living Culture intends to present multi-media exhibits, which offer visitors active participation through workshops, lectures, as well as food and entertainment festivals. For example, along an exhibition of copper arts and crafts items, there would be videos of craftsmen producing similar work, a craftsman at work, as well as, workshops for interested visitors. There would be also a museum shop selling reproductions as well as original works made of copper. The museum may also initiate an open market to sell and exchange offers used and antique copper work in conjunction an exhibit.

The museum will produce a series of activities based on the cycle of life and holidays of a specific Jewry, i.e., the Moroccan Jewry. For example, an exhibition focusing on circumcision, would offer items relating to circumcision (Elijahs chair, circumcision knifes, related clothing, pictures, paintings, videos and films, music), as well as, lectures on circumcision, a festival focusing on music and storytelling relating to circumcision, and the possibility to celebrate circumcision on location, as a cultural event and source of income for the museum.

The objective of the museum will be to shed light on a specific culture, i.e., the Jewish Moroccan culture, through a series of festivals highlighting the way life cycle and holiday events were celebrated in a multi-dimensional context as illustrated above.

Museum income producing activities will be used to maintain programs as well as reduce dependence on donors and ensure long term existence.

The museum will produce a data base of experts interested in Moroccan Jewish culture, who will offer lectures and educational programs on location, in schools and elsewhere, as well as, host conferences from time to time.

The museum will produce a data base of bibliography lists, abstracts and selected publication with special focus on Moroccan Jewish culture, to facilitate relevant research.

The museum will act a publisher and distributor of publications (journals and books) with special focus on Moroccan Jewish culture, in a digital formats (website and CDs) and printed copies, as the Jewish Publications Society does in America.

All museum activities shall be base on high professional standards, relying on experts and specialized juries, excluding political or immaterial considerations.

Cultural tourism in neighboring villages

In addition to activities initiated by the museum, an effort will be made to encourage settlers in neighboring villages to offers accommodation and food services in a culture specific style, i.e., that of Moroccan Jewry.

The museum will host workshops to guide settlers through the process of setting up such culture specific operations, as well as, assist in the establishment of central reservation systems, websites, marketing, etc

The economic aspect

Most museum exhibits and selected educational activities will be priced at cost to allow access to the widest audience possible. In addition, special groups from remote or disadvantaged areas will be targeted and subsidized for educational and cultural enrichment purposes.

The museum will aim to produce revenues to finance its non-profit activities by organizing or co-producing festivals, seminars and workshops, as well as renting spaces, sales of arts and crafts, books and food.

The museum aims to contribute to regional economic development by providing economic opportunities to settlers in small village based on cultural tourism. It is reasonable to suggest that such an initiative would have economic benefit to the region as a whole. One would also expect the Jewish Agency to lend a hand to this initiative, along with the New Israeli Fund, the ministries of education, agriculture and tourism.

Volunteers and donors are making our dream come true.

Contact info: jmma@walla.com
The Moroccan Jewish Museum and Archive for Living Culture
Sedot Micah, Judean Hills Region, Israel