Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1542720
| OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2026 | 35 Yiddish Club Recently, Felicity and Jonni Swerdlow, Naomi and Mike Katz, and my husband Rob and I traveled to Morocco for a Jewish Heritage experience. Moroccan Jewish history spans over 2,000 years, from the time of Roman-era settlements, growing through waves of Sephardic refugees from Spain (16th century), f lourishing under Islamic rule as "protected people" in distinct quarters (Mellahs) in key cities, and eventually involving a mass exodus post 1948. Once boasting 260,000 Jews, the largest Jewish community in any Arab-Muslim country, there now remains a small (approximately 2,000) but culturally rich community, with the Islamic monarchy actively preserving Jewish heritage sites. Synagogues, central to Jewish life, are well preserved in Fez, Marrakech and Casablanca: In Fez, the Aben Danan Synagogue was originally built in 1680, after an earlier synagogue was destroyed in 1646. It is located in what once was considered the Jewish Quarter, next to the Royal Palace, and thus under the king's protection. It is known for its blue tile work and intricately carved wooden ark. The synagogue closed in the early 1960's and was restored and reopened in the 1990's. Marrakech has several synagogues. In addition to the more famous Lazama Synagogue, which is in the Mellah and a prominent tourist site, the majority of the city's Jews worship at the Henri Cadoch Beth El Synagogue in the French (more modern) Quarter. Built in the 1950s it is a daily active synagogue. Its beautiful wooden ark formerly was part of an earlier synagogue, which was destroyed. The members carried this heavy piece through the streets to be placed in the "Gilly," as this synagogue is colloquially known. The majority of Jews in Morocco live in Casablanca. The Beth El Synagogue is the center of Jewish life. Its white and gold interior also has vibrant stained-glass windows depicting the twelve tribes and are in the style of Marc Chagall's famous windows at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. We were surprised and impressed how this Islamic country appreciated the Jewish contributions to its history and culture. We felt welcome and safe and would recommend travel to this fascinating country. Our next general meeting will be held on Mon., Feb. 23 at 7 pm in Abravanel Hall. Save the date and join us for a very interesting program. See you there! Submitted by Dorothy Ganz, 2026 Yiddish Club President We had a wonderful sign-up at Do Dues Day on the 10th of January, and we are ready to start rehearsals on Feb. 12. Just because Do Dues Day has passed doesn't mean it is too late to join. It seems every year we discover new singers with unique talents that only make our group better. If you think that you might be one of them, give it a try. We rehearse every Thursday' most often in Abravanel Hall from 10:15 am until noon. The first rehearsal is on Feb. 12. Even if you haven't joined yet but may be interested, please stop by a rehearsal and see if it might be something that you are drawn to. We have had some people who have come to our concerts and said that they would never be able to sing with our group. That was me 12 years ago and here I am enjoying every minute of it and even embarrassing my daughter with an occasional solo. Our director Beverly Taylor is so talented and strives to make us better. She has promised some interesting music for our Spring Concert to include some previously performed songs as well as some new pieces. The Spring Concert will be held at 2 pm in Abravanel Hall on May 24. I hope you all can be there, whether you are on the stage or in the audience. It promises to be wonderful. The website for the Choral Society is http://ohchorale.wixsite.com/ohchorale. It is also available on the Ocean Hills Country Club website. Scan the QR code and it will also take you to the website. Written by Jack Shabel Choral Society