Held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, a symposium organized by the American Sephardi Federation in New York featured international scholars and dignitaries from Morocco, France, Canada, Israel and the US, who focused on a compendium of subjects including Moroccan Jewish history, social diversity and interaction, diplomacy, rabbinic tradition and influence, art, literature, and religious and secular musical history.
“There's a Jewish element in the Moroccan culture that must be known", said the Moroccan ambassador in Washington, Aziz Mekouar, highlighting the "deep commitment" of Moroccan Jews to their homeland. The king's support to this event was "further evidence of the profound conviction of the Sovereign, like that of his late Grandfather King Mohammed V, and his late father King Hassan II, that Moroccan Jews have profoundly influenced the Moroccan identity", said Moroccan ambassador at large and head of the Jewish community, Serge Berdugo.
Founded in 1973, the American Sephardi Federation is the largest American organization dedicated to the promotion of the history and culture of the Sephardic Jewish population in the United States. According to Stanley Urman, the organization’s executive director, Morocco was chosen because many Spanish Jews went to Morocco after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, so “we felt that in terms of historical progression it would be useful to follow Spain with Morocco.” Last year’s symposium was on Spanish Jewry.
