Who he was
Mordechai Bengio was born in 1827 into a family of rabbis, the son of Joseph Bengio and grandson of Moshe Bengio, an earlier chief rabbi of Tangier; the family was also linked by marriage to the Toledanos. In 1853, at about 28, he was elected chief rabbi in succession to his grandfather, who had died of the plague. He held the post until his death in 1917 and presided over the rabbinical court and the city’s yeshivah.
He reshaped how the community governed itself. He reformed the Junta, the community council, and organised its first election on 9 May 1853, bringing a measure of democracy to non-religious affairs. He accepted that secular subjects should be taught alongside religious ones, and in 1899 he credited the Alliance Israélite Universelle with helping young people find commercial and administrative work. Rabbis in Morocco and abroad consulted him, and he was respected by Jews, Muslims and Europeans alike.
Yabiladi credits him with founding a synagogue in the medina together with Hola Shriqui, the widow of Moses Shriqui. A synagogue bearing his name is listed among the medina synagogues of Rue Siaghine.
The grave
He is buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery of Tangier on Rue du Portugal, which dates from the late 18th century and looks out over the harbour and the Strait of Gibraltar. It holds the tombs of several of the city’s great rabbis, and community sources count Bengio among its saints. He died in 1917, almost two decades before Tangier’s second cemetery opened on the Route de Rabat.
Is there a hilloula?
We have not found a documented annual hilloula or organised pilgrimage for Rabbi Bengio. Families and visitors come to his grave individually, often as part of a visit to the old cemetery.
Visiting
The old cemetery is closed and guarded, and visitors enter with the caretakers; a 2020 report described entry as free, with donations welcome for upkeep. Ask the caretaker to show you the grave. Dress modestly, do not step on graves, and avoid Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The cemetery is a short walk from the medina’s synagogues; our Tangier Jewish quarter page explains how to combine them.
Tomb of Rabbi Mordechai Bengio: questions travellers ask
Where exactly is Rabbi Bengio buried?
In the Old Jewish Cemetery on Rue du Portugal, just outside Tangier’s medina walls. The caretakers can show you the grave.
Is there an annual hilloula for Rabbi Bengio?
We have not found a documented annual hilloula or organised pilgrimage; families visit individually.
Can I visit on Saturday?
It is customary not to visit Jewish cemeteries on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, so plan a weekday.
Sources. Yabiladi; Moroccan Jews; Le Journal de Tanger (2022); Aujourd’hui le Maroc; Jewish Telegraphic Agency (2020). Researched and fact-checked by Gateway2Morocco, October 2026. Access to religious sites changes; we confirm every visit when we plan your trip.
