From 18 January to 4 February 2024 in Angers and Nantes
Can we laugh at everything and with everyone? These questions posed by comedian Pierre Desproges are not easy to answer. It is one of the oldest challenges of Jewish humour, which has known how to laugh at everything. The only condition for this to be effective is that the intention should be to uplift the audience and not to stoop to clichés. The film “Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humour?” presents some of the major figures in this art form, such as Lenny Bruce, Ephraim Kishon and Mel Brooks. And other movies such as “My Neighbour Adolf” and “El Amor en Su Lugar” go very far in confronting these questions. You’ll be able to find out more in Nantes and Angers as part of the Dia(s)porama Festival.
Diasporama – Séances Archive – Diasporama
From 22 January to 4 February 2024 in Nice, Marseille, Cannes and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
In Mel Brooks’ film “Silent Movie”, which as its name suggests is silent, Marcel Marceau utters the only word. This magnificent example of Jewish humour that turns all certainties upside down is also to be found in the fine selection of films presented in Provence at the 4th edition of the Dia(s)porama Festival. These include a documentary devoted to the famous Mime Marceau, “The Art of Silence”, but also “My Neighbour Adolf” about a survivor of the camps who fled to Argentina only to find himself with a more than unexpected neighbour, and “IMordecai” with the truculent Jewish character played by Judd Hirsch since his role in the series “Taxi”. This leads us to ask the question “Who’s afraid of Jewish humour?”, which the film of the same name presented as part of this festival attempts to answer.
Diasporama – Séances Archive – Diasporama
From 18 January to 4 February 2024 in Nancy and Strasbourg
Resistance can be expressed in an artistic manner, like the courageous desire to create theatrical works in the Warsaw Ghetto under siege by the Nazis. And to continue to speak and sing on stage, as shown in the film “El Amor en Su Lugar” by Rodrigo Cortes. Resistance can also be embodied in one of the world’s greatest mimes. Marcel Marceau’s artistic career and courage during the war are presented in “The Art of Silence” by Maurizius Staerkle Drux. Here are some of the fabulous films shown in Strasbourg and Nancy as part of the Dia(s)porama Festival.
Diasporama – Séances Archive – Diasporama
22 January and 5 February 2024 at Cinéma Le Village
The rollercoaster ride of Jewish themes in cinema is complex and complicated, especially when confronted with contemporary social and geopolitical situations. This is what the 4th edition of the Dia(s)porama Festival explores in its choice of films. The films presented in Neuilly-sur-Seine: “The Last of the Jews” by Noé Debré and “Paris Boutique” by Marco Carmel take us on a journey with the violinists to the rooftops of the imagination, oscillating between a bygone past and an attempt to survive the crumbling present.
From 22 January to 5 February 2024 at the Escurial and the Espace Rachi
Following the success of its previous editions, the Dia(s)porama Festival is back for a fourth season, taking place in all six corners of France. Several Parisian venues are taking part, offering a very wide variety of choices. At L’Escurial will be screened, “The Last of the Jews”, “Paris Boutique”, “IMordecai”, “The Forger”, “Little Town”, “My Neighbor Adolf” and “El Amor en su lugar”. At the Espace Rachi, spectators will be able to see “Shoshana”, “The Dybbuk”, “Reckonings”, “La Dalkavo Ora”, “The Art of Silence”, “Who’s Afraid of Jewish Humor”, “The Torn Letters” and “Marcus Klingberg, a Pure Spy”.
Diasporama – Séances Archive – Diasporama
Until 21 April 2024 at the mahJ
Thanks to Pierre de Girord’s donation of 400 photographs and documents to the mahJ, visitors will be able to appreciate the fascinating Jewish history of Greece’s mythical city. The works are all the more interesting in that they combine the golden age of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community with the beginnings of photography, as artists and ordinary enthusiasts seized on this new art form to share the adventures and glimpses of this vibrant city.
Salonique, « Jérusalem des Balkans », 1870-1920. | Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahj.org)
Until 13 December 2023 at the National University Library in Strasbourg
David the warrior king and Solomon the man who built the Temple in Jerusalem. How have these two great kings of Israel, key figures in the Bible, been perceived over time? This is what this exhibition is all about, showing the extent to which they are present not only in artistic works but also in the collective imagination, having inspired artists, authors, politicians and popular culture, as can be seen in Florence, the Strasbourg cathedral, Ethiopia and many other places…
Sacres Rois ! David & Salomon a travers les ages : Exposition a Strasbourg (dna.fr)
Until 8 January 2024 at the Chagall Museum
This three-part exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Musée Chagall, created on the artist’s birthday, 7 July 1973, when it hosted the Biblical Message cycle. To mark the occasion, contemporary artists and writers share their readings of Chagall’s paintings, with a host of events organised on 7 July 2023 and continuing, as the museum has decided to extend this major event.
13 December 2023 at the Centre Fleg
Since the klezmer season is eternal, depending on one or two instruments and a desire to find a smile in the face of adversity, the Centre Fleg is organising this concert by the group Basilic Swing. An evening to celebrate Hanukkah by blowing out candles to the rhythms of jazz, klezmer and gypsy music.
From 1 December 2023 to 25 February 2024 at the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de la Haute Garonne
Spirou, a well-known character in Belgian comics, is plunged into the terrible period of the Occupation. The daily life of the Brussels teenager during the Second World War is examined in the work of Emile Bravo. His motivations and doubts in the face of the Nazi war machine, and the gradual loss of the young man’s naivety in the face of anti-Jewish discrimination and other violence.
Until 3 March 2024 at the Shoah Memorial
Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Riss was sent by the newspaper to cover this historic trial. It was a long wait for a senior Vichy official to be brought to justice, and many survivors were able to testify. The 400 drawings by Riss are on display at the Memorial, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in this moment and to understand, with the stroke of a pencil and a glance, the importance of this story for future generations, twenty-five years after the trial.
Mémorial de la Shoah | Boutique en ligne (memorialdelashoah.org)
3 December 2023 at the Shoah Memorial
On the occasion of the publication of the book “Jewish History of France” by Sylvie-Anne Goldberg, the theme of the memorial approach to the Shoah in France will be discussed. As Simone Veil pointed out in her autobiography, there was little or no room for survivors’ voices in the aftermath of the war. With the passage of time, and the confrontation with this theme, the cultural and political spheres began a profound work of remembrance.
Mémorial de la Shoah | Boutique en ligne (memorialdelashoah.org)
20 January 2024 at the Medem Library
How was the body perceived and presented by the Yiddish press over time, the time of the body and the press according to the generations of authors and cartoonists? The evening devoted to this theme at the Medem Library, with curator Natalia Krynicka, will attempt to answer this question through the presentation of numerous archives. There will also be readings of texts by Moyshe Leyb Halpern, Rabbi Nakhman of Bratslav, Celia Dropkin, Anna Margolin and Arn Lutski.
La Nuit de la lecture 2024 : le corps – programme.yiddish.paris
Until 12 May 2024 at the mahJ
This exhibition, the first retrospective devoted to Joann Sfar in France, features almost 250 plates and drawings, many of them previously unpublished. The author of hundreds of works never leaves his notebook, alternating words and sketches, drawings and observations. From The Rabbi’s Cat to Little Vampire, from his early work with Marjane Satrapi and Riad Sattouf to his accompaniment of the works of classic authors revisited through his drawings, this exhibition will give you a better understanding of Sfar’s family and thematic inspirations. It will stir up a wide range of emotions, motivating you to dance to the klezmer rhythm of his graphic novels and question contemporary anti-Semitism.
Joann Sfar. La vie dessinée | Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme (mahj.org)
9 December 2023 at the Medem Centre
Words and music accompany the presentation of this travel book about Ashkenazi cuisine, not a parade of recipes but an atmosphere, traditions and experiences. Elise Goldberg, the book’s author, and singer Muriel Missirlou will whet your appetite for gefilte fish and all the other flavours. Starting with the Hanukkah doughnuts that await you at the end of this event.
Until 28 January 2024 at the Drancy Shoah Memorial
Ginette Kolinka bears witness and accompanies groups of schoolchildren to Auschwitz, where she was deported at the age of 19. She was deported with her father, brother and nephew, who were all murdered there. Following a visit to Birkenau in October 2020, in the company of journalist Victor Matet and cartoonist Jean-David Morvan, an album will be published, “Adieu Birkenau”, recounting her life before, during and after the Shoah. The exhibition highlights each of these stages, presenting documents from the period. The courage and determination of Ginette Kolinka and other survivors has made it possible to pass on the memory of the Shoah to different generations and to combat Holocaust denial.
Until 8 July 2024
This bold exhibition tackles the complex question of how to share the memory of the Second World War to children. The Museum invites parents and children to explore four stories imagined by four authors and illustrators of children’s books. The themes stories chosen to embody the different themes are On Resistance:”Le sac à dos” by Géraldine Alibeu; On rationing: “Surplace” by Clarisse Lochmann; On prisoners of war: “Bien chère Angèle” by Romain Rousset; On Jewish children in hiding: “La guerre est arrive” by Jérôme Ruillier.
À (h)auteur d’enfant. Histoire(s) de guerre (isere.fr)
Until 23 December 2023 at the Montluc Prison National Memorial
This exhibition, produced by the Association des rescapés de Montluc (Association of Montluc survivors), provides a better understanding of the individual itineraries of the internees who were murdered or disappeared in the prison between 1943 and 1944. The exhibition uses the historic sites in Montluc where these people were imprisoned.
At the CHRD in Lyon
80 years after the death of the Resistance leader, this exhibition at the CHRD provides an opportunity to learn more about the man through the eyes of those who knew or studied him. Testimonies from relatives, witnesses and supporters, as well as detractors. Photos and written documents take visitors through the stages of his life, from his childhood to his arrest. A film from 1958 is also shown, and lectures are given on the links between Jean Moulin and Charles de Gaulle, as well as with Daniel Cordier.
Jean Moulin, les voies de la liberté | CHRD | Musée d’histoire | Lyon dans la guerre, 1939-1945
27 January 2024 at the Saint-Luc Chapel
This play, based on the work of Joseph Kessel, is adapted and directed by Ivan Morane. Kessel was France Soir’s correspondent in Jerusalem in 1961 during the trial of the Nazi leader Eichmann. This is an important work, providing a better understanding of the issues at stake at the time and today in the face of Holocaust denial. The presentation is part of the International Day for the Remembrance of Genocide and the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity. It is presented by Gérard Rabinovitch.
Conférences – Institut Universitaire Européen Rachi (institut-rachi-troyes.fr)
Until 23 December 2023 at the European Centre of Deported Resistance Members at Natzwiller-Struthof
This exhibition, produced in partnership with the University of Strasbourg, highlights the well-known and lesser-known links between the medical faculty of the Reichsuniversität Straßburg and the Natzweiler concentration camp. In particular, the “experiments” carried out on prisoners and the murders.
6 December 2023 at JEM Beaugrenelle
As a follow-up to the 34th Day of Jewish Culture and Books organised by Judaïsme En Mouvement (the Liberal movement in France), a conference will be hosted by Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur. It will bring together Charles Pépin, author of “Vivre avec son passé” (Living with your past) and Sonia Devillers, author of the novel Les exportés (The exported), a historical account of her Romanian Jewish grandparents.
Conférence: Sur les traces du passé… – Judaïsme En Mouvement (judaismeenmouvement.org)
26 November 2023 at JEM Beaugrenelle
A host of authors will be on hand to meet visitors at this latest edition, organised by Evelyne Vitkine and her team. Novels and essays tackling so many Jewish cultural and political themes. There will also be a talk on the iconoclastic American author Philip Roth. The day ends with the award of the “First Novel” prize.
30 November 2023 at Cercle Bernard Lazare
Rabbi Myriam Asckerman-Sommer and philosopher Michaël de Saint-Chéron, authors of the book “Revenir, dialogues sur les figures du retour dans la tradition juive” (Returning, dialogues on the figures of return in the Jewish tradition), will talk about this journey and its complexity. The book is published by Actes Sud.
Agenda | Cercle Bernard Lazare | Paris
28 November 2023 at the Caen Memorial
During the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews, the Nazis photographed the operation in order to provide their superiors with proof that it had been carried out. These photos were found by a survivor when the camps were liberated. A book has been published by Tal Bruttmann, Stefan Hördler and Christoph Kreutzmüller, compiling these photos. Tal Bruttmann will present the book at this conference.
L’Agenda · Mémorial de Caen (memorial-caen.fr)
30 November 2023 at the Association Cultuelle Juive de Nancy
Jean-Pierre Sakoun, historian and research engineer at the CNRS, looks back at the life of the famous Resistance fighter. The president of Unité Laïque has written extensively on current affairs from a secular and republican perspective. He was also behind the fight for the pantheonisation of Mélinée and Missak Manouchian, which will take place in Paris on 21 February 2024.
Association Culturelle Juive de Nancy – maison ouverte des cultures juives (acj55.fr)
16 December 2023 at the GIL
The GIL, which regularly organises cultural events, is inviting Benoit Gobitz to speak on the theme of “Joseph, from decline to regency… with irreverence”. He will explore the stages in the saga of the biblical character, sold by his brothers to become Prime Minister of Egypt.
GIL – Cercle d’études avec Benoît GobitzCommunauté Juive Libérale de Genève
Until 16 June 2024 at the JHI
This exhibition is devoted to the work of Isaac Celniker, born in Warsaw in 1923 and a survivor of the concentration camps during the Shoah. After the war, he studied painting and moved to Paris in 1957, where he died in 2011. The day before he left for France, he had created illustrations for Yiddish publications. These drawings, which have a strong autobiographical theme, will be on display at the exhibition, providing a better understanding of his history and Polish Jewish life.
Until 31 March 2024 at the Jewish Museum Amsterdam
The museum is devoting an exhibition to the American artist Sol LeWitt, presenting four huge wall drawings, as well as sculptures and archives. The emphasis is on his relationship with the Netherlands. Dutch institutions played a major role in his work in the 1970s, with his first exhibition taking place at the municipal museum in The Hague. For this exhibition, the artist who is one of the founders of conceptual art and minimalist art is working with students from the Utrecht School of Fine Arts, who are accompanying him in his creations.
Sol LeWitt – Exhibition | Jewish Cultural Quarter (jck.nl)
From 2 March to 26 May 2024 at the Museum Rembrandthuis
This original exhibition highlights the links between Rembrandt’s work and the Amsterdam theatre scene of his time. The famous painter seems to have been greatly inspired by theatrical staging and the presentation of characters. Rembrandt’s work does not show the range of feelings that explode onto the canvas, but rather the outcome in the next moment, the result of an emotional rollercoaster. Like the painting of Susanna, where she is surprised to be spied on as she emerges from the bath, or the painting Joseph accused by Potiphar’s wife (1655).