Indiana University Press, 2024. ISBN: 9780253069672. 282 pages.

Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas: Hispanic Moroccan Jews and Their Globalizing Community

Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas presents a nuanced exploration of migration and diaspora among Middle Eastern and North African immigrants, focusing on northern Moroccan Jews. Distinct from other Moroccan Jewish communities, these Jews lived under Spanish rule, maintaining a unique cultural connection to Spain and speaking the Judeo-Spanish dialect, Haketia, long after their 15th-century expulsion. By the early 19th century, they began pioneering Moroccan migration to the Iberian Peninsula and South America, and by the mid-20th century, this community had established vibrant communities across continents, including in Spain, Venezuela, Brazil, France, Canada, the United States, and Israel.

The book challenges conventional narratives that reduce Moroccan Jews’ migration to a story of integration within Israel’s Zionist framework. Instead, it explores how Zionism was woven into their broader diasporic identity, revealing how their “return” to Spain did not run counter to their connections with Israel and Zionism. By analyzing this case, the book offers a broader model for understanding how hybrid communities adapt and strategically shape their identities across diverse migration landscapes.