Book excerpt: The Alliance Israélite Universelle—an international organization representing a community of over 240,000 Jews—was founded in France in 1860. Its goal was to achieve the intellectual regeneration and social and political elevation of the Jewish people. This book examines the impact of the AIU on Moroccan Jewry. It answers such questions as: How did the AIU establish itself in Morocco's communities? How did it go on to become a power not to be underestimated by either the Moroccan government or the Europeans? And more importantly, how did the AIU improve the conditions of the Jews in Morocco, creating an important French-speaking urban elite? Also discussed are such topics as Zionism and Jewish-Muslim relations in Morocco. “Michael Laskier tells his story very well. He has done an excellent job of archival work and has related his study of the AIU to the broader issues of government during the Protectorate and Independence periods. There really are no competing works in English, and even the French sources are not quite on point with this work.” — Lawrence Rosen, Department of Anthropology, Princeton University.