Moroccan Heritage Among Holocaust Survivors in Israel
Recent data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel, reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority's Kan, has revealed that approximately 16.9% of Holocaust survivors residing in Israel have Moroccan heritage. In contrast, around 60% of these survivors are of European descent, while those of Iraqi origin account for 10.9%. This statistic highlights the significant presence of Moroccan origins within the Jewish survivor community in Israel.
The report indicates that most Holocaust survivors who migrated to Israel came from Europe, particularly Germany and Austria, prior to the establishment of the state. In contrast, a significant number of survivors from the former Soviet Union migrated during the mass immigration wave of the 1990s. Currently, there are approximately 111,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel, with about 63% of them being women. Notably, all surviving Holocaust victims are over 80 years of age, with nearly 28% having surpassed 90 years.
The same source notes that the demographic center of the Jewish population has shifted to Israel, where around 45% of the world’s Jewish community currently resides. As of early 2025, the global Jewish population was approximately 15.8 million, a figure that is lower than the 16.6 million Jews recorded on the eve of World War II in 1939. Back then, only about 3% of the world’s Jews, roughly 449,000 individuals, lived in Israel. Today, that number has grown to around 7.2 million, representing 45% of the total Jewish population worldwide, while the United States continues to host the second-largest Jewish community, comprising approximately 6.3 million Jews.
As reported by mnamerica.com.
