Mimuna

B"H

Hundreds of thousands of Jews of Moroccan origin live in Israel today. Most of them made Aliyah in the 50ies or 60ies and entire Israeli towns got a Moroccan touch such as Beit Shean, for instance. Tonight Israel's Moroccan Jews celebrate their special holiday always taking place right after Pessach: MIMUNA.

Special Moroccan food is being served (not only Couscous), traditional Moroccan music is being played (today maybe more from modern singers like Kobi Peretz or Sarit Hadad) and, within the past years, MIMUNA has become a day of Israel's politicians. Every high - ranking politician is going to a MIMUNA party no matter if Ashkenazi or something else. Whether Shimon Peres or Benjamin Netanyahu, everyone wants to be at MIMUNA and get some public relations. 

Moroccan Food

I heard that the MIMUNA actually comes from the word Maimonides and is a kind of extension of Pessach. Right after the holiday ends. A Moroccan tradition.

Today 51 % of Israel's Moroccan Jews still stick to their Jewish heritage; meaning, they keep up their traditions such as Kashrut or Shabbat. As a matter of fact, Sephardic Jews are much more traditional than Ashkenazi Jews where the Reform movement destroyed any original Jewish heritage.

When the Nazis invaded Northern Africa, also Moroccan Jews were suffering from anti - Semitic laws against them. Synagogues were destroyed or Jews were beaten up.

Today many Moroccan Jews in Israel still feel discriminated because many Israel say that Moroccans brought the worst criminals with them. Best examples are the two mafia families "Alperon" and "Abergel" operating in Israel.

However, HAPPY MIMUNA !