Moroccan Judaism began with ancient migrations after the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and it greatly expanded during the Roman Empire, spanning more than two millennia[1]. Jewish communities flourished throughout Morocco for centuries, creating thriving hubs of knowledge, commerce, and culture in places like Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes. They also created distinctive Judeo-Moroccan customs, liturgical music, and the Judeo-Arabic language. When Jews were banished from Spain and Portugal in 1492[2], the Alhambra Decree sent Sephardic customs, knowledge, and prestigious lineages to the coast of North Africa, resulting in a significant cultural and demographic influx. Moroccan Jews had the legal status of Dhimmi under Islamic rule, which provided them with freedom of religion and institutional protection in exchange for specific taxes, albeit their level of everyday security varied. Moroccan Jews had the legal status of Dhimmi under Islamic rule, which provided them with freedom of religion and institutional protection in return for special taxes. However, their level of daily security varied according on the tolerance of local rulers and individual sultans.

Through organizations like the ''Alliance Israélite Universelle'', the French and Spanish protectorates' creation in 1912 sped up modernization and westernization[3], giving Jews more economic mobility while simultaneously changing established social structures. The Vichy regime imposed anti-Semitic laws in Morocco during World War II, but Sultan Mohammed V famously opposed deportations and shielded his Jewish subjects from Nazi persecution, strengthening the community's long-lasting ties to the Moroccan monarchy[4].

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Over a quarter of a million Jews left Morocco as a result of the State of Israel's founding in 1948[5], localized anti-Semitic riots, and the emergence of Moroccan nationalism. Even though there are now only a few thousand Moroccan Jews living in Morocco, the Moroccan Jewish diaspora in Israel, France, and North America is still very much a part of Moroccan culture. They regularly travel back to Morocco for pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints, known as Hillourot, and they uphold a rich cultural legacy that is officially acknowledged in the country's current constitution[6].

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The World Federation of Moroccan Jewry and demographic studies track approximately one million Israelis who have at least partial Moroccan heritage across multiple generations, making up around 10% of the country's overall population[7].