Mimouna celebration brings together Jewish and Arab youth

Twenty teenage bedouin girls from Kseiffeh’s Kol Israel Haverim Youth Club were Mimouna guests of twenty Jewish teens at at Be’er Sheva’s youth club. Be’er Sheva’s club is located in a neighborhood with a large population of immigrants from the Caucasus.

Mimouna is a traditional North African Jewish celebration held the day after Passover. The celebration was first introduced in the mid-18th century in Morocco. On the afternoon of the last day of Passover, Muslims brought to the homes of their Jewish neighbors gifts of flour, honey, milk, butter and green beans to be used to prepare post-Passover dishes.

The teenagers together with the staff, prepared traditional foods and enjoyed refreshments and sweets from the different communities. They also learned about the holiday’s values and joined in traditional Arab and Caucasian dances. This was followed by a drum circle.

The meeting engendered anticipation for future meetings and emphasized the unity and similarities between the two groups of teenagers.

This was an exceptional opportunity for personal interactions between girls and boys from nearby towns. This festival of tolerance and hospitality emphasizes a message of brotherhood and reconciliation between Jews and Arabs. The origin of this tradition goes back to the patriarch Abraham’s generous hospitality all travelers regardless of their origin or religion.

The youth club in Beer Sheva is a partnership between Kol Israel Haverim/ the Division of Welfare and Social Resilience, Be’er Sheva Municipality/ Dept. of Welfare and the JDC.