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Former site of Alliance Israelite School- Sylvain Levy, Fez, Morocco

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More information regarding Fez specifically located after the AIU History.

Alliance Israélite Universelle (AIU) History: The Alliance Israélite Universelle (AIU) was a Jewish philanthropic organization founded in 1860 by six Jewish intellectuals in Paris, including Adolphe Crémieux, a French Jewish statesman. The Alliance established a network of schools throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Minor, and the Balkans, with the goal to protect and improve the lives of Jews around the world. The organization promotes the values of Jewish self-defense and self-sufficiency through education and professional development. AIU’s mission was constructed upon two pillars — “the Jewish tradition and the values ​​of the French school”¹ — which informed their aim of aiding Jewish emancipation, enfranchisement, protection of rights, and modernization, in order to facilitate their integration into their home countries.² However, it was at times the case that, instead of being integrated, they became detached, with some Alliance students feeling disconnected from their non-Alliance Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as the French and European world. The Alliance established schools for both boys and girls, with the first school being constructed in 1862 in Tetouan, Morocco. By 1895, there were seventy schools with 17,000 students enrolled.³ Aside from the primary school system, the Alliance also established vocational schools, agricultural schools, apprenticeship programs, rabbinical seminaries, and teaching schools where they would train the next generation of Alliance teachers and directors. At AIU’s peak in 1913, there were 183 active schools with 43,700 students.⁴ The Alliance created an entire generation of educated Jews who were able to enter the workforce and experience upward social mobility, many of whom had previously not received a formal education, especially girls and young women. In the middle of the 20th century, with the mass exodus of Jews from their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Alliance schools began to close their doors. The organization, however, is still active. Known as “Alliance - Kol Israel Haverim” in Israel, it “works towards two main goals: 1) Advance educational excellence for all children regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location that in turn will lead to increased social mobility. 2) Offer a Jewish education that emphasizes social responsibility and involvement, while cultivating Jewish leadership committed to social activists."⁵

Fez History: The Jewish community of Fez can be traced back to the founding of the city itself, during the late 8th century and early 9th century. Based on early jizya (capitation tax) records, it can be seen that the Jewish population was significant in size and importance. Jewish life in Fez was in flux, in terms of stability and growth. During the Almoravid dynasty in 1075, Jews’ dhimmi status was upheld causing protection for the community, however, during the Almohad dynasty from 1145-1248, this status was ignored. With the next dynasty, the Marinid dynasty, Jews benefited from this rule, but with the prosperity the Jews who worked in the courts obtained, it in turn caused anti-Jewish beliefs and violence, such as the riot of 1276. With the increase of Jews fleeing persecution in the Iberian peninsula during the late 14th century and 15th century, many migrated to Morocco, leading to the creation of the first mellah (an established Jewish quarter, named after the salt marsh area in Fez⁶) in Fez, and all of Morocco. The mellah was adjacent to the royal palace in Fas Jadid.⁷ In 1912, Morocco fell under the French protectorate, which led to the Fez Riots of 1912. Three days of violence occurred, including the invasion and pillaging of the mellah due to the French commander believing that the Jews were supporting the Fez insurgents. At its end, fifty-one Jews died and seventy-two Jews were wounded.⁸ The Jewish population in 1912 was between 10,000-12,000, growing to 15,000-18,000 in 1947, and then dropping to 13,000 in 1952 and 8,600 in 1960.⁹

AIU in Fez: The Alliance established multiple AIU schools throughout the city of Fez, with the first being an all boys school within the Fez mellah in 1883, and then an all girls school in 1899. The school then moved out of the mellah and onto a designated plot of land in 1926. More schools were created such as a coed school in 1934 that included a vocational school for boys and a second school for girls. Aside from education, the AIU also helped the Jewish community personally. After the destruction caused by the Fez Riots in 1912, the AIU, along with other Jewish relief organizations, created a fund to help support the mellah and those affected by the violence. Prior to the AIU’s influence of modern education, most Jewish children attended school in the synagogue - this caused strife in the community during the beginning period of the AIU, but as years passed, enrollment grew and they gained the rabbinical support they once lacked.¹⁰ In 1897 the boys school had 164 pupils enrolled. In 1901 they had 103 boys and 80 girls enrolled, 175 boys and 82 girls in 1905, 218 boys and 95 girls in 1907, and 276 boys and 127 girls in 1912.¹¹ Based off of AIU records depicting the daily schedule of the all boys school in 1884, they started each morning with prayers before class, followed by math lessons between 8:00 and 10:00 A.M.; French, composition, and penmanship from 11:00 A.M. and noon; Arabic grammar, literature, and French translations between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M.; and then Jewish education, biblical history, and Hebrew which was taught by the rabbis.¹² In 1951 there were 2,028 pupils of the AIU in Fez.¹³ In 1989, the last AIU in Fez closed for good.

Fez, Morocco

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