“Paris, Paris… queen of the world”, sings Jacques Brel in Claude Lelouch’s L’Aventure c’est l’aventure. We’re not going to polemicize on this subject, so as not to create conflict between Paris and the 700 other cities mentioned on Jguideeurope, except perhaps in the spirit of Purim Shpil. On the other hand, it’s undeniable that the program of events dedicated to the European Days of Jewish Culture 2023 under the patronage of Unesco is very impressive, in Paris but also in the rest of Europe, as you’ll see on our pages celebrating the event.
The Days open on September 3 at the Museum of Jewish Art and History. A journey through the vast Jewish culinary world, revisiting the cuisines of yesteryear and presenting the contemporary imagination. Workshops, lectures, tastings and meetings with authors…
On the same day, the Saphir Gallery presents Inna Sandler’s “Memory” project, featuring images of the artist’s family in Ukraine and Central Asia.
From Central Asia, we return a little closer to Greece, from September 9 to 30, for a show in Greek with French surtitles entitled “C’était un samedi, c’était shabbat, le 25 mars 1944 à Ioannina”. The Théâtre du Soleil presents Irène Bonnaud’s work, which moves emotionally from the memories of writer Dimitris Haddis to the testimonies of the survivors.
On September 30, we hand over the baton to the Yiddish Culture House for a bilingual reading of La plus précieuse des marchandises by Jean-Claude Grumberg, translated by Yitskhok Niborski. A text and presentation celebrating the dialogue between the two languages.
Opposite the shores of Ioannia, the Jack & Janet Esim Qintet was born in Istanbul. These pioneers in the research and interpretation of the Judeo-Spanish musical repertoire are giving a concert for the Aki Estamos association at the Espace Rachi – Guy de Rothschild on October 15.
Still in the Judeo-Spanish world, Compagnie Transmosaïk presents “Hanina, chants de noces séfarades”, celebrating wedding rituals, at the Cercle Bernard Lazare on October 22.
Also on October 22, the Fédération des Sociétés Juives de France organizes a guided tour of the Jewish heritage of the Israelite divisions at the Bagneux cemetery. With its monuments but also these moving collective vaults of mutual societies, often united by a region of origin.
On November 12, the Medem-Arbeiter Ring Center, Farband and the Polish Institute are organizing a lecture by Konstanty Gebert in the Salle des Fêtes of the Paris Centre town hall. Polish journalist and founder of the Polish Jewish monthly Midrasz, he will talk about the evolution of Jewish life in Poland and its current revival.
The following day, the ECUJE – Institut Elie Wiesel invites author Maxime Decourt to give a talk on “Les écritures de la Shoah contre l’effacement”. He will show how literature has responded to the process of concealment and erasure.
And to round off the Days, the astonishing inauguration on November 19 of the virtual Purim Shpil museum at the Espace Rachi – Guy de Rothschild. Based on the art of making a mockery of current events, Purim Shpil will bring together the most creative moments in its history…