Jewish Paris and the Marais

• PHOTOS

There has been a Jewish presence in Paris since medieval times: in the 12th century, when the Spanish-Jewish chronicler Benjamin of Tudela visited Paris, he named it "Ha-ir Hagedolah" (That Great City, in Hebrew). Yet by the end of that same century, Jews were evicted from Paris for the first time. It wasn't until the Revolution that they were fully welcome back, gradually creating a vibrant community, the largest in Europe. On this 3-hour walking seminar, in the company of a scholar, we will explore the various facets of Jewish history and diversity at its heart - the Marais district.

We'll start our visit by looking at vestiges of Philip Augustus' city wall, the first of many barriers that the Jewish population of Paris has overcome to create a vibrant and crucial community within the city. As our walk continues further into the of the Marais district, along streets inhabited by Jewish people for centuries and today bustling with lively cafes, specialty shops, and the Kosher restaur

There has been a Jewish presence in Paris since medieval times: in the 12th century, when the Spanish-Jewish chronicler Benjamin of Tudela visited Paris, he named it "Ha-ir Hagedolah" (That Great City, in Hebrew). Yet by the end of that same century, Jews were evicted from Paris for the first time. It wasn't until the Revolution that they were fully welcome back, gradually creating a vibrant community, the largest in Europe. On this 3-hour walking seminar, in the company of a scholar, we will explore the various facets of Jewish history and diversity at its heart - the Marais district.

We'll start our visit by looking at vestiges of Philip Augustus' city wall, the first of many barriers that the Jewish population of Paris has overcome to create a vibrant and crucial community within the city. As our walk continues further into the of the Marais district, along streets inhabited by Jewish people for centuries and today bustling with lively cafes, specialty shops, and the Kosher restaurants around rue des Rosiers. The sites will certainly bring out relevant topics such as the waves of immigration into the city, well-known French Jewish figures and current and past issues.
Our itinerary also includes the splendid façade of the Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue (designed by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard), and a visit to the Memorial of the Shoah, which both shed light on the complex history of the Jewish minority within Paris

Please note: We will not enter any synagogues during this itinerary. The troubled history of many of the synagogues in the Marais (most have undergone significantly violent attacks and even bombings) has made most extremely security-conscious and, in turn, most have been closed to the public. Also, all but one of the synagogues on this tour are small, shopfront temples belonging to Orthodox Jewish groups, which aren't appropriate for mixed groups of non-Jewish women & men to visit.