My Jewish weekend in Paris

This was my second Friday in Paris. Last Friday I was still suffering from jetlag and getting my bearings. This Friday I did a little research to find a Synagogue I could go to.  I found one that’s actually pretty close to where I have my French classes. Kehilat Gesher is French-Anglophone reform congregation. Without knowing the building number I would have never guess that a typical building with a tiny sign on the door would be a Synagogue. Unlike some others I’ve seen in Paris, Kehilat Gesher has no security guard outside. From the moment I walked in I felt comfortable. Services were held in a small room with folding chairs and no bima (stage). Instead there was an ark attached to the wall and a podium for the Rabbi to stand behind. Services were held in English, French and Hebrew. It amazes me that though I’m in Paris I can follow a service and feel at home; knowing the order and tunes of the songs. Everyone always makes fun of me because no matter where I go I have a story to tell of something bizarre that has happened to me or I have made a new friend. Why would this night be any different? I met JJ, who is studying in Paris for a few weeks.

Little did I know that attending services would start such a Jewish weekend. Saturday we took it easy. We went to the Maison Europeene de la Photographie ville de Paris (a Photography museum). John loves Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work so we saw his exhibit. Yesterday (Sunday) we met up with Emily early in the morning. We had a small breakfast and started our day of museums. The first Sunday of the month, Museums are free in France so it’s always a good time to go! We started with the Shoah Memorial, which is more like a museum than a memorial. It’s a beautifully made memorial (check out my pictures on flikr). I have been to various Holocaust museums and it amazes me each time that the general story may be the same but that each museum offers a different take and information. Like many, this museum had videos talking about anti-semitism and depicting survivors’ stories. I have been left asking myself two questions: 1: are the rumors true, is France anti-semitic? 2: why didn’t the architects of the concentration camps ever stop and ask what they were doing?

I, myself, have never had any trouble being a Jew in France. Granted I have not spent much time here, don’t talk about my Judaism with strangers or dress in a way that draws attention to my religion. But I have been to Friday night services and wear a Star of David or a Chamsa necklace. What I can say is that I see Synagogues (on the Sabbath) with security standing guard outside or even policemen with rather large guns. The Shoah Memorial had a security guard outside. The entrance and exit to memorial was very secure: we had to get the a guard to open the door, we then had to wait for the door to shut before we could open the door to the outside. At first I thought this process was just to limit the number of people who snuck into the memorial without paying a fee. Though the next museum we went to for the day had a similar situation.

The Musee d’art histoire du Judaism had us send our things through a scanner (which is typical at museums) but then one by one we had to enter one door and wait until the door closed in order to proceed through the next. The museum was great. I enjoyed seeing the art and different Jewish artifacts from different countries. I couldn’t help but wonder, though, why such high security? Perhaps wrongly, I have come to the conclusion that there must be a reason the Jewish museums and synagogues feel the need for such high security. That alone must be a sign of something. Hard to believe when you go to le Marais (the Jewish quarter) just down the street and see kosher restaurants, men wearing kippot and tzit-tzit and some women dressed in skirts and long sleeves skirts in summer. We got falafel from the same place Lenny Kravitz did and took it to the Place des Vosges to eat. It was great except for the fear of the pigeons attacking you for the food! It’s hard to understand what it’s like to be a Jew in France. I don’t think one weekend’s curiosity is enough to find an answer but I do think it’s an interesting question to keep in mind during my stay.

On a lighter note: I got to see how voting in France works. Yesterday was the election for the European Commission so Emily & I accompanied John to the school where he votes. Interestingly enough the process is different than in the States. After checking in, John received an envelope to put his vote in. He then picked up ballots for each party running. Each party has their own ballot; this way there is little to no room for error. Essentially you pick the paper (ballot) for the party you wish to vote for, put it in the envelope, and turn it into the ballot box (check out the pictures on flikr).

As you can see, I’m definitely keeping myself busy. I can only hope to continue asking questions and seeking out answers.

Click here to check out my updated pictures!