By Amal Mansouri, HAF Field Coordinator, REMA Pictures from different angles and neighborhoods of the old medina Morocco is renowned for its hospitality, diversity and multiculturalism. Out of all the places where you can sense the existence of these concepts, we find them most easily in the facades, ancient corners and long past laid bricks

Living Together: Religious Coexistence In Morocco, Scoop. Arabic: Sot Aliraq, 11 December 2021.  By Mohamed El Kadiri, HAF Program Coordinator The fascinating site we came across is located in Erfoud, a small tranquil town in the southeast of Morocco, about 70 km from Errachidia. Our visit was initially aimed at monitoring fruit trees distributed to

by Noah C. Kohlmayer – HAF Volunteer On Tuesday, December 7, my two fellow Austrian volunteers and I had the opportunity to join Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir for the last class he taught for the University of Virginia at the Jewish cemetery in the Mellah of Marrakech. Now, what is a Mellah?  In Marrakech, the Mellah

Arabic Version – Moroccan Cemeteries Waiting to be Visited and Remembered, San Diego Jewish World. By Yossef Ben-Meir Marrakech In early July, I set out with colleagues of the High Atlas Foundation—a U.S. and Moroccan non-for-profit organization—to meet with agricultural cooperatives in Morocco to understand their needs and goals and create action plans toward lasting

By Soukaina Kherdioui On Thursday, December 16, I had the chance to attend a Conference-debate organized by Al Mowafaqa Institute during which Dr. Amina Mesgguid, doctoral researcher in Social Anthropology at the Center for Global Studies (CGS), provided interesting insights on contemporary Sufism and its evolution in Morocco. Her research focuses on “Contemporary expressions of

Abigail Hall HAF-UVA Intern Although the intersection between human rights and development is clear, the two are often approached separately and have therefore evolved into two separate categories. It can be easy to focus on their distinctions and differences from one another rather than seeing the way that they actually mutually boost and aid each

By Jamal Maghiouzi, Cultural Field Coordinator On Tuesday, November 24, I had the chance to attend the first day of the conference which was held under the theme Jewish Onomastics in Morocco: Political, Economic, and Territorial Implication at Universiapolis University in Agadir. The event gathered the participation of various scholars from different parts of the

By Julian Stoiber, HAF Volunteer View from first High Atlas Foundation (HAF) House of Life interfaith fruit tree nursery in the village of Akrich. November 2021. Photo: Julian Stoiber/HAF The Akrich tree nursery, about half an hour outside of Marrakech, was the first among many nurseries that the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) brought into being.

By Jamal Maghiouzi, Cultural Field Coordinator I left my village of Ait Kassi Ouali at 6:30 in the morning to travel the 90 kilometers to Ouarzazate in a grand taxi before taking another for about five hours to the outskirts of Taroudant. I traveled from Taroudant to Ait Iazza, and then finally from Ait Iaazza

By: Jennan Al-Hamdouni, Director of Engagement and Advocacy, REMA U.S. Consul General Lawrence Randolph and President of the Jewish Community in the Marrakech-Safi region Jacky Kadoch at the first High Atlas Foundation (HAF) House of Life interfaith nursery in Akrich. November 2021. Photo: HAF What brings people together in celebration of heritage, cultural identity, and

By Fatima Zahra Laaribi Program Manager, Women’s Empowerment HAF and Association Bayti meet with 13 local CSOs who are preserving local heritage in Essaouira. Many treasures are hidden within the coastal Mogador city, today known as Essaouira, which is characterized by its rich, multidimensional culture. This small city is a melting pot of Amazighen, Arab,

By Yossef Ben-Meir, Ph.D. President, High Atlas Foundation I had the opportunity, for which I am grateful, to visit together with Mr. David Greene, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, the Jewish and Christian cemeteries in the incredible city of Essaouira. The day prior, we had launched with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) its new

French version Arabic version Essaouira – U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires David Greene joined H.E. André Azoulay, Senior Advisor to H.M. King Mohamed VI, at Bayt Dakira in the Mellah of Essaouira to launch a three-year USAID program aimed at recording and sharing hundreds of stories that capture the Kingdom’s rich multicultural history. This $3 million

By Jennan Al-Hamdouni I first arrived in Morocco in December 2011 to serve in the US Peace Corps as a development volunteer. I lived in Agourai, a small town in the Middle Atlas Mountains until 2015, when I returned to the States to complete a master’s in humanitarian aid and conflict resolution. The nature of

Creating and Codifying the Right to be Remembered, Global Research. • Arabic: Sot Al iraq, 21 September 2021. Yossef Ben-Meir, Emily Oksen, and Kristin O’Donoghue The Jewish cemetery in Tisfen – and its memory is fading – located in the Taroudant province of Morocco (High Atlas Foundation, 2021) It is human nature to wish to be remembered. We

– The Significance of the New Signage at the Ouarzazate Tree Nursery in Morocco, The Policy Times. By Yossef Ben-Meir Marrakech Twenty-seven years ago, I lived in a village called Amsouzerte in the Tifnoute Valley, the south side of the High Atlas Mountains, closeby to the burial location of the Moroccan-Hebrew saint David-Ou-Mouche. The Tifnoute

Promote sustainable development through multilingualism – opinion, The Jerusalem Post. • Arabic: Nabd, 14 August 2021. • French: Liberte-Algerie, 25 August 2021. by Yossef Ben-Meir and Ellen Hernandez Human languages family tree, 2014. When community meetings are held to determine priority development projects in villages, in neighborhoods, in schools, in agricultural fields—wherever they may take place—we want

By Hajiba Boumasmar, HAF Program Coordinator Our country is full of history and cultures that connect between two communities, those of Moroccan Muslims and Moroccan Jews. We work together, constantly trying to preserve our culture so that it is not lost to new developments the world over. I want to share my experience at the

The Importance of Plants in Religious Art, San Diego Jewish World. By Prof. Ellen Hernandez MARRAKECH, Morocco — What is the message conveyed by the representation of plants in religious text? What do the images that these references bring to our minds tell us about a people and a society? These are questions posed by

By Said Bennani, HAF Project Manager and HAF Team HAF Project Manager Said Bennani, Driver Abdelghani Kastih, and volunteer Youssef Tahri, all visited the Tadmamt and Akrich nurseries on June 3, 2021, to start off an insightful visit and viewing of the communities. The first stop was in Tadmamt, where they met assistant nursery caretaker

Mimouna, Women, and Morocco’s Creative Cultural Diversity, Morocco World News, By Shivani Lakshman  HAF-UVA Intern. By Shivani Lakshman HAF-UVA Intern On Tuesday, April 6, the Mimouna Association hosted a virtual event titled “Celebrating Mimouna: From a Feminine Perspective.” The Mimouna Association is a non-profit founded in 2007 by Muslim students aiming to promote and preserve

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, HAF President On Friday, March 26, 2021, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) President Professor Moulay Lhassan Hbid and myself, HAF’s President Yossef Ben-Meir, signed a partnership agreement at the Wilaya of Marrakech-Safi. Also in attendance were Dr. Driss Ouaouicha, the Minister Delegate in charge of Higher Education in Morocco, and the Wali

Written by Hajar Toufik, Journalist, in Arabic Translated into English by Kaoutar Ait Lahaj, HAF Program Coordinator The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) continues to develop its projects relating to the creation of organic tree nurseries by using the arable land belonging to the Moroccan Jewish community.  Nearly ten years ago, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF),

Written by Tahi Wiggins and derived from a presentation by Hudson Ferris, hosted by NCheng LLP With the massive economic trauma brought on by the covid-19 pandemic, one may expect that charitable giving would have taken a similar downturn. However, such was not the case. Although the beginning of the pandemic saw an 8% dip

Bezawit Mesfin Bogale HAF-UVA Intern  Trees play a vital role in preserving the environment for generations. The environment is key for survival in terms of not only health but also association with one another in our community. It is known that trees give off oxygen, reduce the amount of stormwater, provide natural habitat, and contribute

Ian MacPherson HAF UVa Student Intern Nov 5, 2018—  High Atlas Foundation facilitates a women’s IMAGINE workshop adapted for Moroccan cultural and religious practices. Deep relationships maintained over time and a global scope at a local scale characterize the participatory approach to development. Methods grouped under the umbrella of participation vary widely, and are formed

By Zineb Laadam Farmer-to-Farmer, Morocco Despite weakening bodies, with grey hair and clenched faces, these people are still closely committed to their work with all dedication and sincerity. Time has not weakened their spirits. Heaven did not bury them but rather made them warriors in the field. They love nature, and it loves them back.

Sanae Benaadim HAF Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. Water is one of the most important resource management aspects that integrates the notion of sustainability in Morocco.The High Atlas Foundation is focused on spreading and strengthening sustainable development in Moroccan communities through several big and small projects.There are nexus cycles between three main elements/keys of life,

Kaoutar Ait Lahaj Program Coordinator The participants of the International Women’s Day Webinar. On the 8th of March, the US Embassy of Israel hosted a webinar entitled “International Women’s Day: The Middle East & The Abraham Accords” in partnership with the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC, The Embassy of Bahrain, and the Embassy of Morocco.

This International Women’s Day, the High Atlas Foundation team celebrates all women, women leaders, women who are working to create a more equal future in spite of this current context in which we live -- a context in which deep-seated gender inequalities have exacerbated the consequences of the pandemic for women and girls around the