Jewish Walking Tour; Paris (Half-Day)

Jewish History is complexed and dates back to the beginning of creation. In most cities around the world, especially in European cities, there will be a Jewish quarter. In the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily the Jews would live in this part of the city. France is no expectation to this. The Jewish quarter of Paris is called Le Marais between the 3rd and 4th Arr.

Today this area is made up of excellent Jewish bakeries, restaurants, museums, and shopping. Overall it is a high tourist location not just for the Jewish culture, but the locals seem to enjoy the increased traffic flow of the nightlife from the restaurants and name-brand shopping stores.

During the Second World War, most of the Jewish population of Paris lived in the Le Marais district. When the Jews were sent away to the various camps across Europe, they were first in a holding area. This was a local arena they would use for sporting events that is close to the Eiffel Tower, which is not that close to Le Marais; since the war, they have torn down the arena, and you can visit where it once was for a memorial of the deportation of Jews out of Paris. This will not be included in the tour as it is not within walking distance from Le Marais; I will have the address at the bottom if you want to visit the memorial. While you are taking your walk through the streets of Le Marais, you will notice little gold squares with names on them. These are to represent the Jews that lived in those apartments during the war.

The objective of this tour is to appreciate Jewish art and culture, not focusing on the Second World War. However, we will see essential sites and artifices that pertain to that period in History as well. Additionally, we will stop and see other historical or popular attractions in the Le Marais district. While on this tour, be open to seeing and experiencing the life of a Jew in Paris today.

Our tour will begin at Metro Stop Rambteau.

• 

Museum of Jewish Art and History followed by the Garden of Anne-Frank.

This museum primarily celebrates and remembers the beautiful works of Jewish artists across Europe who came to Paris to study and embrace themselves around like-minded artists. This is not a holocaust museum, there is one in Paris, but as I mentioned above, this tour celebrates Jewish life and arts.

Highlights of the museum:

• Each artist’s journey they had to make to get to Paris to study their trade from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
• Abstract art in Cubism style from the 1920s
• The sketches the Jewish prisoners made while at Auschwitz.
• You go through the museum learning and see the work of about 20 artists throughout 1900-1940. When you arrive at the end of the exhibition, you learn out of the 100+ Jewish art students, only about five from Paris originally were able to escape to NYC during the start of the war. A partnership the USA and France created to protect Jewish artists. Unfortunately, most of the remaining artists we learned about through their stories and work did not survive the war.
• Once you finish at the museum, around the corner, there is a garden dedicated to the young life of Anne-Frank. The garden is simple, nothing too exciting, unlike the other gardens and parks across Paris. But take a break and embrace the beauty of it.

Address:

Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, 71 Rue du Temple, 75003 Paris, France

Phone +33 1 53 01 86 53

Web Visit website

Take a Lunch Break

Enjoy a falafel or traditional Yiddish babka in one of the pletzl’s always-crowded eateries, and browse books or other items in one of the shops on Rue des Rosiers or Rue des Ecouffes.

Enjoy a stop at a local bakery

This stop would be my highlight, the art of baking has always caught my interest. It is actual science and art, especially when it comes to local bakeries geared towards someone’s heritage and culture; they pour their heart and life into their bakeries. Here are a few recommendations on what to order and where to go.

Sacha Finkelsztajn – La Boutique Jaune (27 rue des rosiers) What to order: Cheesecake

Boulangerie Murciano (16 rue des rosiers) What to order: Apfelstrudel

Visit the Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue

This historic synagogue, like many important Jewish sites in Paris, in the Marais district. Inaugurated in 1914, It was designed by renowned French architect Hector Guimard a year earlier and features a facade with distinctively modern, art-deco elements. Guimard is best-known for having designed many of Paris’ most elaborate Metro (subway) entrances.

It was commissioned by a local community of Orthodox Jews, mostly of Eastern European, Polish and Russian origin, following a wave of immigration from the area to Paris at the beginning of the 20th century.

Inside, ornate furnishings such as chandeliers and benches are also the design of Guimard.

The synagogue remains an important place of worship in Paris and was deemed a historic monument by the French government in 1989. It has also seen periods of tragedy: on the evening of Yom Kippur in 1941, during the French occupation by Nazi Germany, it was dynamited alongside six other synagogues in the capital.

Address:

10 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France Phone

+33 1 48 87 21 54

Web Visit website

Museum Picasso

Opened in 1985 in the 17th-century Hôtels Sale, the Picasso Museum was closed in 2009 after a famous art theft. It only reopened (with better security, we hope) in 2015. The elegant mansion is the perfect place to peek into Picasso’s monumental treasure trove of his paintings, sculptures, love letters, poetry, and photography.

Guide to Picasso

Optional: Vélodrome d’Hiver Memorial Site

Address: Prom. du Quai de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, France

After this tour, I hope you learned something new that you can pass along about the lives of French Jews from decades past and today.