In the Jewish cemetery of Fez, Morrocco — the city we associate with the Rif and the Rambam — stands a monument, the gravesite of a beautiful young woman, who was killed al Kiddush Hashem when she was only seventeen years old.
The soul of this young girl ascended on high in 1834, almost two centuries ago. Nevertheless, she is remembered not only by Moroccan and other Sephardi Jews who visit her grave annually but many Moslems pay homage to her as a result of her unusual death. Interestingly enough, Moslems pray at her gravesite that they merit to be blessed with such a daughter.
The Tzadekkes Suleikaa Hachuel as she is known, was born in Tangier, Morocco in 1817 to a Talmid Chacham by the name of Reb Chaim and his wife, Simcha Hachuel. Suleikaa was the youngest of two children; she had an older brother by the name of Yissachar. In order to appreciate the special sacrifice Suleikaa made, we have to understand the Moslem environment into which she was born.
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Overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar with a view of Spain’s southern coast, Tangier is set on a bay and has been a magnet for travelers for millennia. It has often been called the Gateway to Morocco as it is a major port of entrance from Spain to that country. On top of the hill where Tangier is built, one can have a view of two continents, Europe and Africa.
According to one legend, Japhet the son of Noach built this city. According to another, it was established by Canaanites who fled before the Israelites. Ancient documents show that Tangier was once a very powerful Phoenician colony.
When digging took place in 1910 near what was to be Boulevard Pasteur, the future main artery of the town, three ancient tomsbstones were discovered. One stone carried the inscription “Samuel al Naguid”. The three tombstones were transferred to the old Jewish cemetery.
As a result of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, many Jews stopped in Tangier on their way to other destinations in Morocco. A small group of Jews was living at the time in the city.
With the death of Portuguese King Sebastian in the battle field near Tangier on August 4, 1538, the crown of Portugal was united with that of Spain, and Tangier came under Spanish rule. [Tangier’s Jews celebrate a special Purim called ‘Purim de los Bombas’’ on Ellul 1 because they were fortunately saved from having Mula Hamad be reinstated.]
Tangier reverted to Portuguese rule with the secession of Spain from Portugal in 1643, Nineteen years later, Portugal gave Tangier to England as part of the wedding dowry of Catherine of Braganza to King Charles I. At that time the Jewish community numbered 51.
In 1684 the British withdrew from Tangier and abandoned the city to Moslem rule. The ruler entitled Basha (the Arabic alphabet does not have the letter “P” ) or “Pasha” (the name we use for an Islamic ruler) invited both Muslims and Jews to repopulate the city. The Moslems at the time were under the jurisdiciton of the Khalifa of neighboring Tetuan and the Jews were under the purview of the Tetuan Beit Din.
The Jewish community of Tangier grew and in 1744 Moshe Ben Maman of Meknes who served as treasurer to the Sultan encouraged Jewish merchants to move to Tangier from Sale (near Rabat) and Tetuan, by enticing them with the special incentive of being exempt from taxes. Unfortunately Moshe Ben Mamman was assassinated because of his role in providing tax free status to the Jews.
The leadership of the community then fell to Rabbi Aaron Toledano, the oldest of four rabbinical brothers from Meknes.
Spain did not adhere to its peace agreement with Morocco and was at war again in 1791 when it bombarded Tangier. The Moslems responded by declaring a Jihad againt the Spanish. .
Sultan Mali Yazid’s ascension to the throne after the death of Mohammed III was a dark day for Moroccan Jewry, Since the Jews had refused Yazid their support in his war with his brother for the succession, he took out his anger on the Jews. Jacob Attali, who was a native of Tunisia and a protege of Sultan Muhammad was beheaded when Sultan el Yazid took over the throne. A brother of Attali escaped execution by converting to Islam.
The wealthier Jews of Tetuan, at Yazid’s entry into the city, were tied to the tails of horses and dragged through the city. Many were killed in other ways or robbed. Jewish women were raped. The Spanish consul, Suleikaomon Hazzan, was falsely accused of treachery and executed, and the Jews of Tangier, Asilah, and Alcazarquivir were condemned to pay large sums of money.
By the end of the eighteenth century the Jewish community of Tangier consisted of about two hundred families whose spiritual leader was Chief Rabbi Moshe Toledano.
The Jewish community of Tangier was no longer under the jurisdiction of that of Tetuan by 1806, and since it was recognized as an independent religious community, many Jews from neighboring areas were attracted to it and added significantly to the Jewish population.
Another special Purim of Tangier which has been celebrated on the 21st of Av commemorates the anniversary of the safe escape of the Jews of Tangier from the French Fleet’s bombardment of the town in 1844.
Sir Moses Montefiore visited Tangier in 1863. He was on his way to Marrakech in order to intervene with the Sultan on behalf of Moroccan Jewry. Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ben Abderrahman received Montefiore with great honor at his court in Marrakech and on Feb. 5, 1864, the Sultan issue a Dahir (royal decree) stating that good will and equal rights be accorded to the Jews of his kingdom and that they be regarded as equal before the law.
When I visited Tangier with my husband in 1986, we saw a copy of this decree hanging on the wall of the office of the director of the Jewish center.
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The story of Suleika Hachuel takes place thirty years before Moses Montefiore’s intervention with the Sultan. Unlike other Moroccan cities at that time, the Jews of Tangier were not confined to a Mellah or a Jewish ghetto but lived in an unprotected Jewish area. It was also not uncommon for Jews to live among Muslim neighbors.
Suleika Hachuel was a beautiful young seventeen year old who had reached the age of shidduchim. According to some accounts there were discussions with her parents about her future betrothal to one of two potential cousins. Not being interested in marrying either of them, she got into an argument with her mother. Angry with her situation, she ran to commiserate with her neighbor, a Moslem young woman by the name of, Tahra de Mesoodi. The latter, entertaining the Muslim hope that Suleika Hachuel would convert to Islam, suggested to her that she get out of her predicament by doing just this.
Suleika Hachuel who would not even dream of committing such an act was unaware of the fact that this Tahra sent a message to the Basha Arbi Esudio with a false claim that Suleika did indeed convert to Islam.
When Suleika denied the claim, she was accused of having converted to Islam and then reverting back to Judaism which was according to Islamic law, an abomination.
At the Pasha’s request Suleika Hachuel was brought before him, where she denied the accusation made against her:
“You have been deceived sir, .. I never pronounced such words. She [Tahra] proposed [conversion] to me, but I did not consent.”
Suleika Hachuel then stated in Spanish (Hebrea naci y Hebrea quero morir) “A Jewess, I was born, a Jewess, I wish to die.”
This was to be the first of three times she would utter these words, which would eventually become her epitaph.
The Pasha offered her protection from her parents – if that were the reason for her fear — wealth in the form of silk and gold, and “happiness.”
When Suleika refused to admit to being “reconverted”, the Pasha threatened her:
“I will load you with chains… I will have you torn piece-meal by wild beasts, you shall not see the light of day, you shall perish of hunger and experience the rigor of my vengeance and indignations, in having provoked the anger of the prophet.”
Suleika responded: ” I will patiently bear the weight of you chains, I will give my limbs to be torn piecemeal by wild beasts. I will renounce forever the light of day; I will perish of hunger: and when all the evils of life are accumulated on me by your orders, I will smile at your indignation and the anger of your prophet; since neither he, nor you have been able to overcome a weak female…”
This enraged the Pasha who retorted:
“Horrible blasphemer! You have profaned the name I revered. You are unworthy of my consideration. I will bury you in a secret dungeon and smile when I see you drink poison… ” and he sent her to jail.
Suleika was imprisoned in a dungeon without any light and an iron collar was placed around her neck with her hands and feet placed in chains.
The young woman’s distraught parents tried to obtain her release by enlisting the help of the Spanish Vice Consul Don Jose Rico. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful.
The Pasha then summoned, Suleika’s father, Reb Chaim Hachuel before him and informed him that his daughter was being transported to the court of Fez the following morning and that he would be given two hours to bring him the equivalent of forty dollars for the expense of the journey and a special fee for the execution. If Suleika’s father would not bring the demanded amount, he would be beaten with 500 blows to his feet.
Reb Chaim did not have what was then considered a large amount of money but was able to avoid the brutal punishment of the 500 blows as the Spanish consul lent the sum to him without charging him any interest. Reb Hachuel asked that he be permitted to accompany his daughter who was told “neither you nor any of your family, nor any Jew may travel within ten leagues of this impious girl.”
Suleika Hachuel was transported on a mule. Her feet and hands were tied up with many ropes, scraping against her skin and hurting her.
In Fez the Sultan had the Qadi, (religious judge) meet with the Rabbanim of Fez to try to convince her to spare her life. She would be beheaded if she did not profess Islam and the Jewish community might be endangered. Suleika rejected the advice of the Rabbonim who tried to convince her to make believe she was converting to Islam even if she had no intention to.
The Sultan then ordered that Suleika be publicly beheaded in the Soco (major market) of Fez. That day, Suleika fasted and prayed while Arabs congregated en masse at the market place. Suleika refused to eat and davened while she awaited her death. She was dragged to the execution even though she was willing to walk there. In order to taunt her, the executioner branded his sword two or three times over her head. One can just imagine the fanaticism displayed by the Islamic masses. The streets were jammed with Moslems who cried “Here comes she who blasphemed the Prophet, death, death and death to the impious witch!”
Suleika’s request to wash her hands and recite Shema, was permitted her. The Sultan who had hoped she would recant ordered that the execution take place very slowly so that at any second, she could change her mind. That was not to be….
The executioner. seized the arms of Suleika, bound them tightly behind her, and held her by her beautiful hair. He then swung his sword in the air… Instead of severing her neck, the executioner brandished it and blood began to flow.
When Suleika saw her own blood, she courageously uttered her her last words, “Pues, Muriendo como muero innocente, el Dio de Abraham vengara mi muerta (I am dying as an innocent. The G-d of Abraham will avenge my death)”. And with that the sword separated her head from her trunk.
The heartbroken Jewish community paid money to retrieve her head, the rest of her body and the blood stained earth to bury all together. She was wrapped in linen cloth and buried in the Jewish cemetery of Fez..
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Today, a large monument with two inscriptions in Hebrew and French, marks her grave. There is a niche in the tomb – a place for flames to be kindled in memory of the Tzadekes.
Both the Hebrew and the French inscriptions tell of Suleika’s martyrdom.
The Hebrew inscription reads:
The is the tombstone of the girl Suleika Hachoel, who sanctified in public the name of the L-rd. she was killed sanctifying the name of the L-rd in Fez in the year Tzadekes Pa’k (594=5594=1834).
May her merit protect us.
Amen Ken Yehi Ratzon.
The French inscription concludes with the following words:
“Tout le monde regrette cette enfant sainte (Everyone grieves for this holy child).”