It makes sense to consider the proud Moroccan roots of the 300 member families of Em Habanim Sephardic Congregation, housed in a large, two-story brick structure in Valley Village.
Moroccan Jews are very much about roots.
You can’t walk through the grounds without noticing the artistic reminders of centuries of Moroccan Jewish history. Numerous stained-glass windows and wooden carvings are among the prominent furnishings.
Rabbi and spiritual leader Joshua Bittan, a member of the synagogue for the past 47 years, leads a visitor through the entrance off the parking lot into the Social Hall. From inside the hall, the traffic noise along Laurel Canyon Boulevard vanishes.
The first stop in the hall is a tall display case that contains various items intended to be a permanent reminder of the birth of the Em Habanim (translated as “Mother of Children”) community. One of these items is a memento donated by one of the founders: a leaflet dropped from the sky by American armed forces before the Allied invasion of French North Africa in 1942.
For the dozen men and women who, in 1974, founded the Moroccan synagogue, the date of Nov. 8, 1942, which was the start of World War II’s Operation Torch, is circled in red in their minds.
It was a difficult time for the Jewish community in Casablanca and across Morocco. The Vichy French occupied the country and were cooperating with the Nazis, Rabbi Bittan said.
On Nov. 8, American forces, on a mission intended to draw Axis forces away from the Eastern Front, showered the countryside with leaflets. Two American flags are depicted at the top of the leaflet, above messages in French and Arabic announcing that Moroccans soon will be rescued.
The leaflet preserved in the display case is both a reminder of the past and an emblem of the future of Moroccan Jewish life.
“This shul is not just a place for prayer,” said the rabbi, as he stepped from the Social Hall and headed for the Community Center, where neighboring Ashkenazi synagogues sometimes hold their simchas.
But prayer is the focus of Rabbi Bittan, who participated in the first Em Habanim minyan, and has been at the forefront ever since. For more than 20 years, he has taught a daily Daf Yomi class (one page of Talmud per day), starting at 5:15 a.m. He organized a scholarship fund at Em Habanim to help community families with grants toward covering the tuition costs of Jewish day school education.
A published author and editor of the synagogue’s weekly newsletter, Rabbi Bittan created a Talmud Torah program to convey the basics of Hebrew reading and writing, of mitzvot, and of the Jewish holidays.
While members of other synagogues may use the Community Center, the rabbi was clear that “our services definitely, definitely are very, very Moroccan traditional. We preserve our liturgy, exactly like it should be.”
Moroccan Jews were relatively small in number when Em Habanim was formed, but today there are said to be about 20,000 across Southern California.
Moroccan Jews were relatively small in number when Em Habanim was formed, but today there are said to be about 20,000 across Southern California.
There is an overriding reason Moroccan Jews are so proud of their native land: Unlike many countries where Jews have resided, relations between the royal Moroccan government and its Jewish community have been favorable for centuries.
It was Rabbi Bittan’s idea in 2019 to honor the royal family and Moroccan government for its loyalty to Moroccan Jews. He was inspired by a Jerusalem Post report that the royal Moroccan government had refurbished more than 160 Jewish cemeteries and a large number of synagogues.
On the evening of Nov. 19, 2019, Rabbi Bittan’s dream became a reality before a large crowd at the Beverly Hills Hotel. As the king’s representative, Princess Lalla Hasnaa, sister of His Majesty Mohammed VI, was a featured speaker at the gala dinner, headlined, “A Salute to Morocco, Honoring a Dynasty of Tolerance.”
“It is truly inspiring to see how strong your ties to Morocco remain,” the princess said. “Ours is a shared history, transcending all divides. The pride with which you celebrate your Moroccanness, sometimes many generations removed, is not only a source of joy but of great hope.”
On that same occasion, Sidney Chriqui, one of the Em Habanim founders and chair of the board, fondly recalled a scene from the war years. “Seventy-eight years ago in Casablanca,” he said, “His Majesty Mohammed V, of blessed memory, promptly reversed an antisemitic Vichy decision to expel Jewish students from school. I was one of them. His kind action allowed me to pursue my education. He is my hero.”
Further, he added, “we recognize the generous spirit and countless positive actions [the Moroccan government has] taken on our behalf.”
Like each of the 12 Em Habanim founders—Joseph Bouzaglou, Sidney Chriqui, Henry Elkouby, Edmond Levy, Salomon Levy, Arlette Marvin, Leon Peris, Salomon Perez, Marc Soussan, Salomon Benchetrit, Sarita Bouhadana and Albert Bouhadana—Rabbi Bittan is a native of Morocco and the author of a special story himself.
He came to America in 1973. Why? “God sent me,” Bittan said.
He is the founder and owner of Bittan Fine Art, on Ventura Boulevard; his son Moshe manages the company today.
Rabbi Bittan’s first role at the synagogue was Youth Director. Later, he held the position of President two different times for a total of 14 years. Finally, he became the pulpit rabbi.
Bittan was the acting rabbi of Em Habanim for three years before becoming the official rabbi in December of 2006 after he received his rabbinic ordination. He has fully embraced the second half of his career. His YouTube channel offers more than 2,000 videos of his brief talks on the Torah portion of the week. He plans to create many more.
For more information on Em Habanim Sephardic Congregation, visit emhabanim.com.
