The story of Moroccan Jews on Victory Day over Nazi Germany, as described by Rabbi Yosef Mashach, zt”l, is a testament to the way in which world history unfolded in the alleys of Jewish neighborhoods in North Africa. We must pass on this legacy – not only as another chapter of Holocaust history, but as a foundation for a broader Jewish identity.
Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked throughout Israel with ceremonies, memorial rallies and minutes of silence. An entire country stops to remember the six million who perished in the Holocaust – the communities that were wiped out, the families that remain wounded to this day. And then?
On May 8, 1945, 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 began to beat again 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 eagerly to hear the end of the war. The nightmare.
In those days, the means of communication in North Africa were limited. Radio was the preserve of few, and at times it was even restricted by the colonial government, but the news flowed – from soldiers, messengers, or through semi-pirate broadcasts of 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.
