The European Days of Jewish Culture are returning to the Côte d’Azur with the same level of attendance as in 2022 and this year offer even more diverse and exciting activities for the local public and beyond. We meet Régine Bessis, president of the EDJC Côte d’Azur…
Jguideeurope: What event will open the EDJC on the Côte d’Azur?
Régine Bessis: The 13th season of the EDJC Côte d’Azur will open with a new activity: an ‘Escapade’ from 7 to 10 September 2025 to ‘Turin and the Synagogues of Piedmont’ to discover seven of the 16 synagogues in Piedmont and showcase their riches, testimonies of a past splendour and flourishing communities. Reserved for our members, registration will close on 7 August, so be sure to register quickly.
We will be developing these trips in Europe as we are part of the European Association of Jewish Heritage (AEPJ) and are in direct contact with the organisers and curators of the sites: an essential asset for offering high-quality trips. We will be doing this with the highly professional help of the agency ‘Sept et demi promotion touristique’
We will soon be meeting up to visit the synagogues and mikvahs in the region (Antibes, Cannes, Nice) during the European Heritage Days, and there will be an artistic event at the Deloye Synagogue in Nice on Sunday 21 September at 8pm by Frank Lalou, master calligrapher, for a ‘Tale around Hebrew letters’, in the form of a happening (live calligraphy demonstration) with sound illustration by Pierre Abraham Benoit.
What other events are planned?
– 2 guided tours of the Nice Ghetto (in French and English)
– 1 ‘Jazz n’Klezmer’ concert in Cannes, in partnership with the Centre d’Art et de Culture
– 1 presentation on Hebrew letters in Cannes on the theme of ‘The Song of Songs’
– 2 Shabbat meals in Nice and Antibes
– 1 philosophical symposium at the CUM in Nice
– 1 theatrical storytelling for children in partnership with the FSJU Nice and the Or Thora School in Nice
– 1 exhibition of panels created by the National Library of Israel for 3 weeks at the Espace Miramar in Cannes, with the support of the Cannes Town Hall
– 1 conference on ‘the Jewish section of the Grand Jas cemetery in Cannes’
– The creation of a trail in Grasse to discover traces of the Jewish community, in partnership with the City of Grasse and its Heritage Department
Have you noticed a change in interest in these events over the past two years?
Last year, we returned to our 2022 attendance levels, which we are delighted about. Around 1,000 people attended our events.
Do you think that sharing Jewish cultural heritage helps to combat the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe?
Certainly, our non-Jewish audience is very interested, asks a lot of questions during the visits, and sends us regular messages of support.
ALL INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS REQUIRED AT www.jecpj-france.com / Côte d’Azur tab