Africa, Pilgrims, and Latkes

Two weekends ago, Jason and I took an impromptu weekend tour to Morocco. We booked through a company called We Love Spain, and from there on out, were in the tour company’s hands. We boarded a 45-minute ferry from the Spanish port city of Alegeciras to Ceuta, a part of Spain that sticks out like the Cape from North Africa, and then crossed over into Morocco. I will let pictures show the rest of the story.

A mosque in Tetuan

How can you not love the taste of these olives?

A henna artist at work

Moroccan mint tea - delicious, but disguisedly caffeinated

The tour guide of the city of Chechuan, which is painted entirely in blue

A typical blue Chechuan street

Meanwhile back at the colegio, I taught my seven year old students about Pilgrims, my ten year olds to think about what they are thankful for, and my six year olds to sing the dreidel song. This week, I showed the older students a menorah and dreidel (sent by mom and dad – thank you!) and taught them how to play dreidel. I also started tutoring English in the evenings.  

Tonight, we celebrated the first night of Chanukah by inviting a Spanish couple to our house. We lit candles, played dreidel, and Jason’s cousin Steve, who is visiting for the week, made his infamous potato latkes and applesauce. While we were chatting, the Spanish couple told us a story about the Jews who stayed in Spain after 1492 and had to disguise their religion. Around Christmas they celebrated a holiday called Las Animas, by lighting a menorah hidden within a giant ceramic pot. Apparently, people still celebrate Las Animas, and they have no idea that their ancestors were Jews hiding their religion. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it is interesting to ponder.

 Overall, as the holidays approach and the weather turns cooler, it is good to know that we continue to meet people, deepen relationships with the people we have met, and learn more about this area of the world in which we have found ourselves.