The Sephardic Heritage International in DC (SHIN-DC) invited Muslim community members to join their Jewish counterparts in an ancient Moroccan, Jewish post-Passover tradition on May 2 at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.
Mimouna, the post-Passover festival, is a celebration of neighbourliness which sees the doors of Jewish homes left open to welcome others inside.
Those celebrating the festival enjoy traditional sweets, singing and dancing. The event will also feature a number of Jewish and Muslim Moroccan artists, including Noam Yekutiel Sibony and Ismail Bouzidoune. The musicians will share a blend of music drawing from their collective Sephardic, Jewish, Gnawi, Muslim, and Mimouna heritages, as well as Gnawa, Andalusi, and Chaabi styles. Visual artist Aziza Jamal who flew in from Morocco will create a painting at the event, commemorating the occasion.
SHIN-DC’s event has been recognized by Mayor Muriel Bowser as the district’s official Mimouna celebration now that it the SHIN-DC event is in its 10th year of celebration.
Connecting Jewish and Muslim communities
“At a time when antisemitism is on the rise and conflict is looming, the District and our Jewish and Muslim partners are sending the world an important message of goodwill, friendship and coexistence by coming together for Mimouna,” remarked SHIN-DC Director Afraim Katzir.
“The interfaith aspect of Mimouna, often lost today, is what we need right now,” Katzir said. “A Hebrew poem by one of Morocco’s greatest poets David Bouzaglo (1903-1975) describes the traditional Mimouna, “This is the way of the native Arab, now in Morocco to give the Jews a plentiful gift…flour, honey and grain, milk…fish, mint and butter with wild flowers and herbs…There Hebrews and Arabs recline together…Their hearts rejoice with music and song…And you cannot tell the difference between a Hebrew and his Arab brother…all have one spirit.”
Those wishing to participate in DC’s official Mimouna may RSVP free of charge at the following link: https://shindc.org/mimouna2024/