Passover in Paris

When we planned our break in Paris, I noticed that we would be there the week Passover began. So I immediately started looking online for a place to attend a Seder, the holiday ritual ceremony and meal commemorating the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt. There is no organized Jewish community here in San Sebastian, and in an interesting opinion piece about celebrating Passover in Spain/Europe, Rabbi David Wolpe noted that fewer than 50,000 Jews remain in Spain. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/opinion/passover-in-a-land-of-jewish-ghosts.html)

Through the power of “the Google,” I easily found a community Seder hosted by two synagogues, Communauté Juive Libérale d'Ile de France and Kehilat Gesher. The rabbi at Kehilat Gesher is American, he studied in Los Angeles, and lists Rabbi Eliot Dorff as one of his influences, so we knew we would feel comfortable at this seder. The rabbi at CJL is his wife, is French, and was the first woman rabbi in France and continental Europe after WWII. Seder was Friday, March 30, so we had plenty of time to explore Paris before then.

We toured Le Marais, a historically Jewish neighborhood that has recently gentrified into a very hip and upcoming place (meaning lots of fancy stores). Still there is a vibrant Jewish presence with several kosher restaurants and stores. This allowed me to purchase a box of matzah and some yahrzeit (memorial) candles, which I can’t get here in San Sebastian. We also enjoyed two meals – when you can eat authentic falafel and Israeli food you don’t pass it up the opportunity!

We visited France’s Shoah Memorial, where the names of France’s Righteous Gentiles (those who saved Jews during WWII) are listed on an outside wall for all to see. The names of every French Jew that perished are listed alphabetically, by year, on walls inside the memorial. We learned that the French government did not publicly acknowledge France’s role in the holocaust until 1995. Through some research we learned that 75% of France’s Jewish population survived the holocaust, due in part to a strong resistance movement. Starting in 2002, Paris started putting up signs outside schools where Jewish students were removed between 1942 and 1944 by the Vichy government in collaboration with the Nazis and then sent to Nazi death camps. We saw several of these signs. Today, there are an estimated 480,000 Jews in France – the third largest Jewish community in the world, after Israel and the United States.

The Seder was quite large, with nearly 300 people attending. As expected, there was security present at the entrance. It quickly became obvious that I was not the only traveler who found this Seder through Google. We shared a table with a family of 6 from the Upper East Side of Manhattan whose daughter was studying at the Sorbonne, and a family of 4 from Sydney (AU). At the next table was a family from LA whose son was studying in Paris.

When we arrived, the American Rabbi apologized that the Seder would predominantly be conducted in French, but having attended Seders all of our life, that didn’t concern us much. A Seder is a Seder – Jews all over the world follow the same 15 steps in the same order. And we certainly could follow along and join in all of the Hebrew prayers and songs. What made this Seder unique was the level and nature of participation by members of the two congregations. It included an interpretative dance, a Klezmer performance, speeches regarding liberty and freedom, among other topics (in French), and other musical “acts.” All of the children sang the four questions together. By the time it came to eat, we were hungry! Overall it was a lovely experience and we were grateful to be so warmly welcomed.

The matzah I bought was French, as opposed to the Israeli matzah we typically get in the US. It was not intentional, just lucky. The matzah is round and thicker than the Israeli square version. This meant it stood up to being buttered much better. But, it tasted just like . . . matzah! So, like the Seder, matzah is matzah wherever you go. Even the French can’t make it better.

Many moons ago (in 1990), my dear friend Cori and I were blessed to find Seders in Rome, which was a phenomenal experience. Participating in a Jewish rite and ritual so far away from home with strangers brought us/me joy and shows the importance of shared, communal experiences the world over.

Au revoir,

Shana & Jeff