Debdou
Encyclopedia
Debdou is a town in Morocco
. It is known for its multi-ethnic population, including Moroccan Arabs, Jews and Berbers.
, fleeing the wave of anti-Jewish riots in Spain in 1391. The earliest to settle were the clan of Cohen-Scali, who reached Debdou in 1465.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century the town was briefly renowned as a centre of Jewish learning, exporting rabbis to many cities in Morocco.
At the end of the 19th century the town's population was estimated at 2000 inhabitants, most of them Jews.
At the beginning of the 20th century the number of Jews was estimated at 1600, who formed roughly a third of the population.
Following the establishment of the French protectorate, with the concomitant rise in security, the majority of the Jewish population gradually emigrated to nearby towns in the plains.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. It is known for its multi-ethnic population, including Moroccan Arabs, Jews and Berbers.
Jewish centre
Debdou was a major Jewish centre in Morocco. The town was founded by Sephardic (Spanish) Jews from SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, fleeing the wave of anti-Jewish riots in Spain in 1391. The earliest to settle were the clan of Cohen-Scali, who reached Debdou in 1465.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century the town was briefly renowned as a centre of Jewish learning, exporting rabbis to many cities in Morocco.
At the end of the 19th century the town's population was estimated at 2000 inhabitants, most of them Jews.
At the beginning of the 20th century the number of Jews was estimated at 1600, who formed roughly a third of the population.
Following the establishment of the French protectorate, with the concomitant rise in security, the majority of the Jewish population gradually emigrated to nearby towns in the plains.