Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel’s political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Haaretz. He is the author of Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews and the winner of the 2015 B’nai B’rith Word Center’s award for excellence in Diaspora Reportage. Originally from New York, he lives in Beit Shemesh with his wife and seven children.
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The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience
We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.
Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.
Session 1: Berbers and the Indigenous Jews of Morocco
Sunday June 22, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom
It is believed that the first Jews reached Morocco in the 5th century BCE. They settled among the indigenous Amazigh (Berber) tribes and slowly become integrated with them. Intermarriage led to a “Judaization of the Berbers” and conversely a “Berberization of the Jews,” meaning that the Berber Jews may be considered as indigenous to Morocco themselves.
This lecture will look at the history and culture of the Amazigh – especially as it pertains to the cultural imprints left upon the Jews many of which survive until today.
Registration is forthcoming.
This lecture series is for members only.
The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience
We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.
Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.
Session 2: The Birth of Islam and the Arabian conquest of Morocco (or There and Back Again)
Sunday July 13, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom
To properly appreciate Morocco as an Islamic country, one needs to understand the origin and evolution of Islam in Arabia. Muhammad’s revelations led to the rise of a new faith and culture that spread through Arabia to the rest of the Levant, Egypt, Persia, North Africa, Asia, Europe and back again, transforming Islam through its encounter with the Berber (Amazigh) culture of Morocco.
Then, in 1492, the Spanish Expulsion led to a wave of Spanish Jews seeking refuge in northern Morocco, and importing a unique cultural heritage, including their own language. How did these syntheses affect the indigenous Jews of Morocco, who had already lived there for centuries?
The lecture will trace these seemingly disparate histories and examine the difficulties inherent in integrating and coexisting with this dominant new culture and religion.
Registration is forthcoming.
This lecture series is for members only.
The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience
We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.
Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.
Session 3: Moving into Modernity: Monarchy, Islam, and the Jews of Morocco
Sunday August 17, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom
As a French colony, Morocco was subject to same anti-Jewish decrees as the Jews of France from Nazi-allied Vichy France during the Second World War. Yet in 1941, King Mohammed V refused to deport Morocco’s 250,000 Jews to the concentration camps of Europe stating: “There are no Jews in Morocco. There are only Moroccan subjects,” resulting in the entirety of Morocco‘s Jewish population being saved. This continuing relationship and the genuine affection most Moroccan subjects (Muslim and Jew) still feel for their king is still evident today.
This lecture will investigate the complex relationship between monarchs and Jews in Morocco – especially as it pertains to the culture of Islam.
Registration is forthcoming.
This lecture series is for members only.
The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience
We are excited to be able to share this lecture series, The Layers of the Moroccan Jewish Experience, with our entire congregation. The series will be presented by Dr. David Mendelsohn. We are thrilled that Dr. Mendelsohn will also be joining us on our congregational trip to Morocco in the fall, in addition to our local guide, to bring added depth to our learning as we travel the country together.
Dr. Mendelsohn’s areas of expertise include Islamic Studies, History and Culture of Arabs with Israeli Citizenship, Bedouin Law and the relationship between language and culture in Arabic and Hebrew. Mendelsohn also lectures on the history and relationship between Middle East countries and militant organizations. Dr. Mendelsohn holds advanced degrees in diverse fields: a Ph.D. in Classics/Linguistics and an M.A. in Archaeology/Linguistics from Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Mendelsohn is the recipient of one of Canada’s highest academic honors: the Trudeau Prize. From 2005-2012 he was the Israel Academic Director of Givat Haviva, the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation. He has working fluency in 5 languages and working knowledge of two others plus Middle Egyptian (Hieroglyphics). He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ronny and their 3 children.
Session 4: The Jews of Morocco: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Sunday August 31, 2025 – 10:00am on Zoom
In 1948, the creation of the state of Israel, motivated many Jews to leave Morocco – a land they had inhabited for many centuries – and move to Israel. By 1964, more than 97,000 Jews had left Morocco, mainly to Israel where they presently number around 1,000,000 Jews of Moroccan descent. Today there are about 2500 Jews living in Morocco, mostly in Casablanca. The community has good relations with the current ruler, King Mohamed VI who encourages religious tolerance and who strives to uphold the legacy of tolerance demonstrated by King Mohammed V during the Holocaust.
We will ask and attempt to answer the oft-repeated question: If the Jews had it so good, why did they ever leave Morocco?
Registration is forthcoming.
This lecture series is for members only.
Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation is a Reform Jewish community of passionate people who embrace innovation, engagement, and exploration. We welcome everyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual identity, whether single or in a relationship, Jewish or non-Jewish. We celebrate our diversity and are open to all who wish to join us in us in our community of Jewish spiritual, educational, and cultural life. Come join us – together we will worship, connect, learn, and build a better world.
