Zohra Al Fassiya (Arabic: زهرة الفاسية, Hebrew: זוהרה אלפסיה) was a Moroccan singer and poet.
[2] Born in Sefrou, near Fez, at the feet of the mountains of Atlas in a modest Moroccan Jewish family, she started to sing at a very early age when she performed religious songs at her synagogue.
However, despite her superstar status in Morocco and North Africa, Al Fassiya's talent went unrecognized in Israel outside of the Moroccan immigrant community, as the state-run media and cultural institutions preferred to promote Western sounding music.
As with many Mizrahi / Sephardi Jewish immigrants (Jews from Arab and Islamic countries), Al Fassiya faced discrimination in Israel,[4][5] and she came to live in miserable and lonely conditions in Ashkelon.
Despite this humiliating fate, Al Fassiya was often invited to sing at private celebrations (such as weddings) in the Moroccan community in Israel.