Samuel Sumbal, sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah’s favorite Jew

When sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah was planning to revive the city of Essaouira, he relied on Morocco’s most competent Jew. Samuel Sumbal was the sultan’s right-hand man, who helped build 18th century Essaouira.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #24 : Haim Ben Diwan, the holy saint of Ouirgane

Chaim Ben Diwan is the son of another Jewish saint in Morocco, Amram Ben Diwan. Buried in Ouirgane, near Marrakech, the saint is a mysterious one whose story was overshadowed by his father's.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #23 : Abraham Awriwer, the saint on the top of the mountain

Rabbi Abraham Awriwer is a Jewish saint buried on top of a mountain near the city of Settat called Dad. According to historians, the Rabbi’s tomb was discovered by a camel.

The chronicles of Sieur Mouette, the curious account of a French captive in Morocco

Germain Mouette is a French man who was sailing to the Americas when he was captured by the Salé pirates. During his eleven years of captivity in Morocco, Mouette learned a lot about the country, publishing a detailed map of the Kingdom in one of his chronicles.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #22 : David Laskar, the legendary saint of Ighi

David Laskar is the legendary saint of Ighi, a small village near Marrakech. While little is known about his life in Morocco, the rabbi is venerated by both Jews and Muslims.

The first Jew elected to the United States Senate was of Moroccan descent

David Levy Yulee is known in the United States as the first Jew to serve as senator. But in Morocco, he is the descendent of a renowned Jewish family that gained respect within the Moroccan Jewish community and served the royal court during the 18th century.

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #21 : Rabbi Eliyahu HaCohen, a Casablanca saint with two graves

Rabbi Eliyahu HaCohen lived and died in Casablanca, where he was buried. While few people know about his story, many recall the transfer of his grave, which was located in the ancient medina. Today, this saint lays in the Ben M’sik cemetery, where Jewish pilgrims come visit his grave yearly.

The United States Supreme Court and the «controversial» sculpture of Prophet Mohammed

In the 1930s, the United States commissioned a sculptor to build a marble frieze for the Supreme Court that depicted 18 lawgivers. The list included Prophet Mohammed, whose sculpture was seen as controversial by the Muslim community in the United States.

America's earliest upholders of Islam go back to the Founding Fathers

Discussions about Islam and Muslims were part of the United States’ history since the the country’s founding. America’s Founding Fathers were the first to accept the religion and declare that they «have no enmity against it».

Jewish pilgrimage in Morocco #20 : Raphael Moshe El Baz, the Rabbi and poet of Sefrou

Rabbi Raphael Moshe El Baz was the saint of Sefrou, a city where he was born and raised after his family left Spain for Morocco. In the city, he liked several fields, excelling in poetry, science and mathematics.