Mediating Migration, Brokering Belonging: The Moroccan Alliance Israélite Universelle Teachers’ Union, 1943– 1964

The Alliance israélite universelle’s (AIU) role in Moroccan Jewish historiography often ends with Moroccan independence in 1956 or focuses on the nationalization of AIU schools in 1960, obscuring its impact on postcolonial Moroccan Jewry. Exploring how the Moroccan AIU teachers’ union pursued security in colonial and independent Morocco reframes the AIU as a local institution and demonstrates its role in navigating the evolving process of Moroccan decolonization. Established in 1943, the union negotiated improved conditions with the Paris Central Committee and the French protectorate. As Morocco neared independence, the union aimed for integration into the civil service, but concerns over independent Morocco favoring Moroccan nationals caused a schism between Moroccan and French members. The Moroccan union sought integration into independent Morocco’s civil service, abandoning it in 1964 due to government intransigence, while the French union integrated into the French civil service. Even as the Jewish population declined and the number of schools diminished, the AIU continued anchoring Jewish life in Morocco.