Morocco’s Chief Rabbi Who Died Last Week, Was Country’s Last Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi Michael Encaoua of Morocco, who died Feb. 16 at the age of 77 and was buried in Rabat last Friday, will probably go down in history as his country’s last Chief Rabbi. The post, as well as that of president of the Supreme Rabbinical Court, which he also held, was abolished by King Hassan II after Morocco changed to a civil law system in 1970, ending the parallel religious jurisdictions for Moslems, Christians and Jews. Chief Rabbi Encaoua was the son and chief disciple of former Chief Rabbi Raphael Encaoua, who is venerated to this day by Morocco’s 23,000 Jews as a “saint.”

Michael Encaoua succeeded Chief Rabbi Saul Danan, who left for Israel. There remain in Morocco the “Chief Rabbis” of the various main cities–Rabat, Casablanca, Tetuan Marrakesch–who are still considered the spiritual leaders of the dwindling Jewish community of Morocco but no longer possess any official status. There is also a serious shortage of Jewish scholars, so that, in fact as well as in theory, Michael Encaoua will no doubt have been the last Chief Rabbi of his land.