Octobre 2022 – June 2023:
Hiloulot are times when Moroccan Jews can return to their hometowns or villages and reconnect with family and friends who have also left, either to major Moroccan cities or other nations. Each saint has a group of followers who look after the cemetery and occasionally even a synagogue nearby, as well as plan the celebration. Numerous Hiloulot attracts tens of thousands of tourists from far-off places including Israel, Europe, the US, and Canada. Hundreds of Moroccan Jews had to attend Rabbi Yehuda Ben Attar in Fez. Members of the Moroccan Jewish community traveled in large numbers to the mausoleum of this Jewish saint to commemorate the Hiloula festivities, this spiritual gathering that is meant to be a time for heartfelt reunions. The Hilloula provided the master’s students with an opportunity to learn about the Jewish Moroccan tradition, network with other Moroccan Jews from different countries, and identify similarities between the Jewish Hilloula and the Islamic Moussem.
