MOROCCO / FEZ JEWISH CEMETERY

STORY: MOROCCO / FEZ JEWISH CEMETERY
TRT: 03:39
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 NOVEMBER 2022, FEZ, MOROCCO

SHOTLIST:

21 NOVEMBER 2022 - FEZ, MOROCCO
1. Wide shot, Traveling driving through old city’s gate, Fez
2. Various, Fez Old Jewish quarter and Medina
3. Exterior, Fez Jewish Cemetery
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Johanna Devico Ohana, Volunteer at Fez Jewish Cemetery:
“My name is Johanna. I grew up in Fez. I lived here throughout my childhood and adolescence to then leave for studies in Meknes, then in France.”
5. Wide shots, Royal Palace
6. Med shots, Royal Palace
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Johanna Devico Ohana, Volunteer at Fez Jewish Cemetery:
"We lived in harmony. There was no tension. We all knew we were Jews, Muslims or Catholics, and we never had any problems on that side.”
8. Various exterior Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Fez
9. Driving shot, Moroccan flags in Fez
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Johanna Devico Ohana, Volunteer at Fez Jewish Cemetery:
“But listen, we are proud that Fez was chosen and for Morocco, it reflects exactly the reality of our image, our culture.”
11. Wide shot, Johanna walking in the cemetery
12. Med shot, Johanna tidying up leaves and tending to the gardens
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Johanna Devico Ohana, Volunteer at Fez Jewish Cemetery:
“My father was a lover of Morocco and a lover of Fez. He was sick for many years. He had treatment in France and every time he saw that things were not going well, he would tell me: Promise me one thing - that if I ever die when I'm in France, bring me to Fez. So here he is in Fez, he is close to us and I hope he rests in peace.”
14. Various shots, Fez Jewish Cemetery

STORYLINE:

The Jewish Cemetery of Fez, Morocco, is a testament of the country’s peaceful interreligious cohabitation.

Johanna Devico Ohana, a native of Fez, is volunteering to take care of this 200-year-old cemetery at the request of her late father, who was himself in charge of the cemetery’s maintenance until he passed away a few months ago.

Commenting on her early life in Fez, Johanna Devico Ohana, said, “My name is Johanna. I grew up in Fez. I lived here throughout my childhood and adolescence to then leave for studies in Meknes, then in France.”

Founded in the 9th century, Fez has been the ancient capital of Morocco for hundreds of years, until 1912 when France established a protectorate over the country and moved the capital to Rabat.

“We lived in harmony. There was no tension. We all knew we were Jews, Muslims or Catholics, and we never had any problems on that side,” explains Ohana, recalling her youth.

Fez recently hosted the 9th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. Opened by Andre Azoulay, the Jewish Senior Adviser to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and attended by more than 40 ministerial delegations, the Forum recalled the motto “Many cultures, one humanity.”

Johanna Ohana, commented that she is “proud that Fez was chosen”. “For Morocco, it reflects exactly the reality of our image, our culture,” she concluded.

After her school years, Ohana moved to France and then to Gibraltar where she currently works. But she comes back regularly to take care of the cemetery, especially since her father passed away in spring 2022.

“Promise me one thing - that if I ever die when I'm in France, bring me to Fez,” he said before dying.

Ohana’s dad now rests in the cemetery.