The commune of Chablis is obviously famous for the wine whose name it bears.

The Jewish presence seems to have been present for quite some time, as evidenced by the existence of a Rue des Juifs on the river that runs alongside the town walls. The Jews of Chablis have lived here since at least the 12th century. A 16th-century house on this street appears to have been the site of the ancient synagogue . A mikveh was located in the basement.

In 2025, thirty years after discovering it, Nicole de Merteuil bought the house that once housed the old synagogue in Chablis. In 2005, she sold it to William Fèvre, who completely restored it.

During a trip to Burgundy in 1995, this American tourist was intrigued by a building with striking architecture located on Rue des Juifs in Chablis. In 2004, she met William Fèvre, a local winemaker, who expressed his interest in Judaism. She invited him to a Shabbat dinner and told him about her renovation project. And so began this crazy project. Fèvre undertook an immense amount of work, restoring the building to its former glory as a synagogue from another era and also turning it into a permanent exhibition space.

Sources: France 3 régions, L’Yonne Républicaine, bourgognemedievale.com