Program for Gala at the Stella Corcos School for Girls Mogador, Morocco, late 19th century
Original at the Library of the Universal Israelite Alliance
Must Know
The Stella Corcos school for girls was founded by Stella Corcos in 1885. The strength and honour school, ’Kavod ve-Ometz’ in hebrew, was an english speaking school and served as a safe heaven for Jewish girls from the hands of Christian missionaries and liturgy. The school introduced the english language into the Jewish community of Mogador. Additionally, Corcos set up a theatre program in the school and was an important figure in the establishment of Jewish theatre in Morocco.
Offering opportunities for Jewish girls to get education in english as well as serving top quality education, the school gained a lot of appraisal and recognition, and was visited by many diplomats. Using her influence with the Sultan of Morocco, Stella Corcos was active in improving the lives of Jews in Mogador, most importantly the lives of Jewish living in the Mellah (the Jewish Ghetto). The Stella Corcos school for girls closed in 1915.
More Info
Stella Corcos Duran (1858-1948) was the daughter of an Algerian Jewish tobacco trader from New York. She married one of Mogador’s wealthiest merchants and settled in Mogador (a merchant island between Spain and the Northern African coast) in 1884. She dedicated her life to improving the lives of Jews in Mogador and to fight against Christian missionaries praying on the Jewish community. Corcos, and her merchant husband, were one of the more successful trade families on the island and established ties and influence with the Sultan Muhammad Ibn Abdalla of Morocco during the 19th century. They were named ‘Tujar Al Sultan’, tradesmen of the Sultan, playing an active role in developing Mogador’s trade and economy.
Stella Corcos’ great-granddaughter, Sidney, is displayed in the Trailblazer Women section of Anu and is celebrated for distributing and pushing the theatre programs and productions of the school years after Stella Corcos’ death.
