Mimouna Celebrations in Sacher Park, 1971
Another “Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem”
The Mimouna was traditionally celebrated in the Diaspora by Moroccan and Iranian Jews on the day following Passover.
When new immigrants arrived in Israel, the Mimouna was initially celebrated in a family-oriented and intimate manner.
In 1965, Shaul Ben Shimon, a member of the Central Committee of the Histadrut (Israel’s labor federation), initiated the idea of bringing the holiday out into the open, transforming it into a celebration of the ingathering of exiles, brotherhood, and unity.
The idea caught on quickly—especially in the stomach! Guests from all communities came to taste mufleta and z’ben (fermented butter) made by the grandmothers whose sfenj (fried dough) tasted like they were cooking for the King of Morocco. Neighborly relations dripped with honey and silan (date syrup).
Politicians and public figures embraced the holiday with warmth—and sticky fingers.
The first official Mimouna in Jerusalem was held in 1965 at Sanhedrin Park, attended by Moroccan immigrants who arrived by car, on foot, and in organized transportation from all over the country. Public figures were invited that first year, and their numbers have grown every year since.
In 1971, the holiday was celebrated with great fanfare for the first time in Sacher Park.
The celebrations included the President of Israel, Shazar, Baroness de Rothschild who came specially from France, Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, and many others.
By the following year, in 1972, around 80,000 people celebrated Mimouna in Sacher Park with the participation of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Staff, and other VIPs.
The event became a day of public joy, with homes and hearts opened to neighbors and friends.
Alongside the authentic community celebrations, Mimouna has also taken on a political dimension over the years, with Knesset members, ministers, and machers
donning tarbouches (traditional hats) as they scurry from family to family, sending blood sugar levels soaring to their annual peak.
May we all return to the essence and values of the holiday—love for fellow Jews, mutual responsibility, and the ingathering of exiles.
Wishing a peaceful Shabbat and a joyful holiday to all those far and near. May our kidnapped brothers return home soon. 🎗️
Terbeḥu ve-t’sa’adu (May you prosper and feast).
Photo credit – Nino Herman