More Jewish Tours of Paris
During my classic Jewish tour, I cover a lot of history and I tell a lot of stories.
There is so much to tell, to see and to understand about Paris city and the Jewish History that it has been home to for thousands of years.
Various aspects of my life, today and yesterday come into play.
When I am guiding my classic Jewish tour, I talk a lot about the same events, the famous and less famous Jews and explain a lot about different periods in french history.
This inspired me to dive even deeper into each of these subjects and to develop new tours in Paris.
On your next trip, if you know Paris a little and you have already grown fond of Art de Vivre, done the classics, the Jewish tour with me already, then let me take you a little further.
Let’s continue into the Marais, the neighborhood where I was born and raised, and let’s discover the 17th century private mansions, the hidden courtyards and learn about life in France in that period.
In the classic Jewish tour I explain that Jews were banned during that period, but that the Kings and Nobles did use the skills of Jewish bankers and physicians and therefore Paris housed a secret synagogue.
So let us see where these Nobels lived and what Paris was like in that time.
I also want to bring you to the Jewish treasures that can be seen in small museums in the Marais, like Carnavalet, Cognac Jay, or of course the Jewish museum.
Let’s discover how important Jews have been in the history of France but also how French history has had a huge influence on the life of Jews.
Jewish life in Paris did not only take place in Le Marais. Around 1900, there was an important wealthy Jewish community living around the Parc Monceau, a newly built neighborhood, developed by a Jewish entrepreneur.
The Belle Epoque was a golden age for Jewish entrepreneurs, even in the midst of the Dreyfus affair.
Many Jewish family dynasties were born in that period, and their lives have been chronicled in books, newspapers and movies.
When we explore this area with its sumptuous private mansions and the breathtaking Monceau Parc, I will tell you all about the life of famous and influential Jewish families, like the families Rothschild, Camondo, Perreire, Kraemer and Cohen D’Anvers.
We will learn about their success and also what happened to them during WWII.
Let’s not miss out on visiting the amazing Nissim de Camondo museum, learn about the Camondo family’s success and tragedy.
Upon very special request and according to their availability, we will meet with the fascinating Jewish family who has lived in the same mansion since 1875 and trusted with the preservation and the restoration of the unique Versailles King’s fourniture!
Today this neighborhood is again among the preferred areas where Jews like to live and there are many kosher restaurants and bakeries close by.
Another neighborhood, where in that same period, around the 1900-s, working class Jews lived, is Belleville.
Belleville was originally an estate outside Paris.
It became a working class neighborhood when the area was added into the city perimeter and in the early 1900-s many Polish, Russian and German Jews moved to Belleville after having fled their countries. In the 1960-s many North African Jews moved here too.
On this tour I will take you to an unknown area of Paris where we will visit two functioning synagogues that you would never imagine being there.
Belleville houses many Jewish institutions, like schools, religious centers, Jewish welfare and kosher stores.
Like many working class neighborhoods, Belleville is changing, and is becoming trendy, hip and fashionable.
During our jewish tour in Belleville, we will show you all aspects of this fascinating, unknown, off the beaten track area with lots and lots of Jewish history, hidden synagogues, authentic sephardic restaurants…
A tour of the left bank, with the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain, is another pleasant and enjoyable experience.
The main characters of the French Revolution lived and met here. We will see where they lived and met and we will discover hidden alleys and forgotten mansions.
The French Revolution has played a determining role in the emancipation of the Jews in France.
We will also see where the very first French University was born and discover Paris’ first med school.
Another gem in the Latin Quarter is the Cluny museum. This museum with medieval art is partly housed in a Roman bathhouse, the same Romans that actually brought the first Jews to Paris.
And this museum has some of the most precious gems of medieval Jewish art as well as the original heads of the Kings of Judah from Notre Dame, that I always mention during my classic Jewish tour.
My walking tours are great, but did you know we can also do all of my tours on a bike ?
Paris has been blessed these last years with many bike lanes, so biking in Paris has become very safe.
And by using bikes we can actually combine several parts of my tours. If you want to get to know the Marais a little better but also want to bike through the Latin Quarter, that is possible in a few hours when using a bike to get around.
And it is so easy to pause, lock the bikes, enter a small museum for a short visit ,and then continue our tour.
Using a bike is fun, easy and widens the boundaries of both my tours and your curiosity.
Paris is mostly flat, the bikes are very comfortable and you can chose between electric and regular bikes. Helmets are not mandatory in Paris but always available.
A specific theme for a tour is another aspect I developed in several tours.
My new Medicine tour has been a success immediately among my clients who are physicians. But if you are not a physician you will also love to hear about how medicine was practiced in the old days, how medieval physicians handled herbs, epidemics, hospitals and operations.
The small Medical museum in the 18th century med school in the Latin Quarter is a gem by itself and you will learn how the Sun King managed to reach the age of 77 years with the help of his doctors.
On this tour I will also take you to the Jardin des Plantes.
This beautiful and unknown park was first planted as a medicinal garden in the early 1600-s in order of King Louis 13th.
We will also see where Pierre and Marie Curie worked on radioactivity and where Louis Pasteur developed pasteurization and vaccination.
This tour is ideal for people wanting to do a bike tour, but can be done by walking as well.
Another theme I also recently developed explains the ins and outs of the famous Dreyfus affair.
The Dreyfus affair will be the starting point of the Zionist movement that eventually led to the establishment of Israel.
On this tour we will get to know Alfred Dreyfus, his terrible enemies and his friends and supporters.
This tour will bring us to the elegant 7th, 15th and 16th arrondissements. As you will discover about the life, career and destiny of Dreyfus, you will visit these special areas of Paris. The Military School opposite the Eiffel Tower will be the breaking point in the life of Dreyfus and one of our highlights during the tour.
I also designed tours around the lives of famous Jewish Parisians, like the actresses Rachel and Sarah Bernhard.
These two strong, talented, Jewish women were world known superstars in the 1800-s and early 1900-s, even in America.
My tours evolve around the lifes, careers of these women and will uncover an important part of jewish history in France. During this tour we will see the theaters where they played, the houses where they lived and you will learn about their amazing lives and careers.
The tour will also take us to the famous cemetery of Pere Lachaise where they are buried, alongside other famous Jewish Parisians.
And of course, the Louvre, the largest museum in the world, is a treasure for following the history of the Jews.
I recently designed a special Jewish tour of the Louvre, where we will focus on Jewish stories, Jewish history, Judaism and Jewish art.
You will learn even more about the life of Jews in France.
And you will discover paintings of Jewish life in Morocco and Algeria as well as many depictions of Jerusalem.
On this tour we will also see the famous Mesha Stele, a stone with an engraved text of 2900 years old. The text mentions Israel in an event mentioned in the Taanach, the jewish bible.
And there are many more Jewish surprises in the Louvre that this tour will reveal to you.
Discovering new food places has always been one of my specialties. I love to bring you to my latest finds, and of course taste as much as possible.
Let me take you to an amazing chocolate maker in the Sentier, a lovely neighborhood where many Jewish owned wholesale stores are located.
In the Sentier we will also discover the oldest street in Paris as well as many hidden covered passages, beautiful mansions, and narrow streets with buildings from the 17 and 1800-s.
Only recently le Sentier became very trendy with lots of small bistros and special chocolate, cheese, bread and wine stores. No tourists yes, so be the first to discover the Sentier with me, only a few streets away from the Marais.
The visit to the chocolate store will be the highlight of this tour, with tastings and a visit of the tiny chocolate factory.
Introduction to Paris
Duration : 2 Hours to 3 hours
Languages : English (Clear Accent) + Hebrew + French + Spanish
Where : Around your hotel + Latin Quarter + City Islands
How : Walking or by Car
This is an orientation tour about Paris city. This tour evolves around the history of Paris, the city inner working to give you a feel and a taste of what makes Paris special.
The classic tour of Paris is best done at the beginning of your stay to understand the city’s history and get to know what you to see next : Discover the rich culture and architecture, or maybe the Art masterpieces, or the top food spots of the city.
With me, you will not only get a classic introduction of Paris, but also recommendation and orientations from a native authentic tour guide, licesensed by the Ministry of Culture as a guide-lecturer, who lived all her life here in Paris.
We can also do the tour by evening to capture Paris at its best lights.
Please consult with me by email to help you complete your itinerary with my tours in Paris:
flora.goldenberg@gmail.com
I will help you choose depending on your time, your interests and your energy level.
I can suggest for you a good combination of these tours below.
1 | Le Marais tour (Bike or Walking)
Duration : 2 Hours
Languages : English (Clear Accent) + Hebrew + French + Spanish
Where : Around your hotel + Latin Quarter + City Islands
How : Walking Or Bike (We can rent the bikes for a group of 2 to 6 people )
This is where I live : Le Marais area is one of the most beautiful quarters of Paris. I invite you to walk or bike with me in the narrow streets of this well-preserved quarter : we will see the private hotels, the mansions from the 17th century and the beautiful hidden gardens.
We can cross the river and visit Odeon quarter or stay in le Marais and visit a museum such as the Carnavalet or the Picasso museum or the Museum of Jewish Arts and History.
We will get inside some trendy boutiques and taste the yiddish and sephardic pasteries. I will tell you anecdotes about our history but also about our life here.
We can add the Jewish orientation tour : If interested in the jewish history and the life of the Jews in France, I can include some explanations about the Jews of Paris, since the Romans and during the middle ages.
We will explore Rue des Rosiers, in the Jewish area, which is a beautiful old part of the city. We will visit a synagogue, see commemorative plaques for WWII, talk about the occupation of Paris, while discovering the cute narrow streets of le Marais, it’s lively cafés and bakeries, it’s schools and parks. On the way you’ll also see some private mansions built in the 17th century. The tour can include the holocaust memorial (free entrance) which is also situated in the Marais.
Small grouped tour: join a small Group tour. The minimum for a tour in a small group is 5 people, and it will be confirmed only if there are 5 people interested in the same date.
Possible in Private tours :
2 hours : Without the Holocaust memorial
3 hours : With the holocaust memorial
Treasure Hunt for Kids
I designed a colorful booklet to engage with children
2 | Jewish Louvre Tour
Duration : 2 Hours
Languages : English (Clear American Accent) + Hebrew (Modern) + French (Bilingual)
Where : Around your hotel + Latin Quarter + City Islands
How : Walking
Let me know if you observe Sabbath : It is possible to pay before Shabbat so you can enjoy the tour on Saturday – You can ask me, as your guide, to avoid the electronic security gates, scan the electronic tickets.
The tour is about the history of Israel in the Louvre and the Jewish society in France and their contribution to Art, including of course the Highlights of the Louvre :
We will visit the Louvre from a new angle : Israel’s kingdom and the contribution of the Jewish community to the Richest Museum of the World.
I will explain the history of Israel, thank to the artifacts found in Jordan, Egypt and today’s Israel.
Of course, we will not miss out the iconic Art pieces displayed on the Louvre : Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged vicotory, Wedding in Cana, the Napoleon’s Wing, the jewelry …
and a selection of beautiful art collections on the way !
You will discover the oldest ever mention of Israel, the fascinating story of the Crusader period, how and why the country was disputed by Syria and Egypt.
We will see Jerusalem through the eyes of many painters, in the Louvre and many surprises will wait for you during this visit.
For Parents : You can enjoy a fun game : the treasure hunt for kids. My treasure hunt of the Louvre is a classic Louvre guided tour of 3 hours made for families with children with an interactive booklet
Possible combinations of the Jewish Louvre : As the Jewish Walking tour is not far away from Museum d’orsay and the Marais area, you can combine the 2 tours in Le Marais #1 Jewish Walking Tour and take a break with a nice lunch, and a conversation about the today situation of Jews in France or take the oppotunity to go to Orsay and enjoy the impressionist paintings.
Painting of a Jewish Marriage in the Louvre by Delacroix
You can read about Flora Goldenberg Biography here
See all my classic Jewish tours of Paris here
Contact me : Email : Flora.Goldenberg@gmail.com or Whatsapp +33616304735
3 | Jewish Belleville Tour
Duration : 2 Hours to 3 hours
Languages : English (Clear American Accent) + Hebrew (Modern)
Where : Around your hotel + Latin Quarter + City Islands
How : Walking
Experience a unique and eclectic area of Paris, Belleville !
If you’re looking for a new jewish neighborhood in Paris to explore, Belleville is a great option.
Belleville is an old village , where Parisians liked to escape for the weekend, and it became a part of Paris in the 1860’s.
Built on a hill (one of the highest in Paris ater Montmartre) , you can feel in Belleville the strong artistic and working class background.
As a place of immigration, where artists settled along with the artisans, a large part of the Jewish population from North Africa arrived in the 1960’s, from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco…
During the tour, you’ll explore a local and buzzling part of Paris, with its hidden Synagogue, Jewish cafes, restaurants and bakeries (tastings along the way) Learn about some great figures of the Jewish community, members of the Jewish resistance during the war, or artists.
Today, home to foreigners, expats and artists, Belleville is a neighborhood full of charm, and Street Art. Along the way, your guide will help you to discover the art of more than 250 artists, members of the association of Artistic Belleville : Photography, paste up street art, ceramics or paintings… An open air museum to explore !
Email : Flora.Goldenberg@gmail.com or Whatsapp +33787082577
4 | Belle Epoque
Live the 19th-Century in the Jewish Paris
Let’s find out why we used to say to be “Happy like a Jew in France” .
In this happy tour, we will visit the Nissim de Camondo Museum (18th and 19th Century) and we will walk in the beautiful Le Marais area (17th century private mansions and gardens).
Duration : 2 Hours
Languages : English + Hebrew
This is a happy walking tour about the period where French Jews had their peak and many successes in Paris.
The tour starts outside of the beautiful Park Monceau. Later, we will go inside the museum of Nissim de Camondo.
The tour focus on the beautiful decorative arts, gardens, architecture, life of the Jews in Paris during la Belle Epoque with the Camondos family as a primary subject.
The Camondos are a family of successful Jewish bankers of the 19th century. Moses de Camondo was a celebrity, banker and art collector : He gathered a splendid collection of 18th century artifacts in his luxury private mansion, that he renovated and which became today the museum of Nissim de Camondo. Some movies were shot in this same museum like Arsene Lupin .
Discover the testimony of a Jewish family, powerful and influential French Jews, involved in Politics, Art and Culture…
Learn how French Jews were assimilated in the french culture before the war.
We can combine this tour with the #1 Tour (the Jewish Walking tour about Jewish History and Culture in Paris) then take a cab from the Jewish Area to the Nissim de Camondo Museum, the ride is only 16 minutes by taxi.
Email : Flora.Goldenberg@gmail.com or Whatsapp +33616304735
5 | The Medicine Tour of Paris
Duration : 3 Hours
Languages : English + Français
We will start with the general History of Paris at the beautiful botanic gardens in the heart of Paris called : Jardin des Plantes, next to the trendy Saint Germain area.
The Parisian Garden of Plants is the main botanical garden in all France.
We will visit the beautiful Latin Quarter to see the University area and the Museum of Medicine History (depending on the opening days of the museum).
“Hôpital” is French for hospital. It is an old word borrowed from Latin “Hospitālis” which means hospice or shelter. Hospitals in Paris were, at first, shelters. Thanks to the Parisian physicians, their functions in Paris evolved rapidly during the last centuries.
We will discover how the hospitals evolved from a simple caritative, religious shelter, a refuge for pelgrim to a hub for famous discoveries and experiences that helped Humanity on the Planet and provided great insights about our anatomy.
This progress was not easy : I will tell you stories about the struggle with the church and the old french society, anecdotes about the Medicine at the Royal French Court, amusing tales about famous Kings injuries and how doctors treated their Kings, amazing medical discoveries in Paris, like Pasteur and his vaccination, pasteurization. We will see how limited were the tools for the medical exploration during the middle ages, and how brilliant was the creativity and the talent of the doctors …
We will also see and talk about the different Paris buildings architectures, and how the hospital architecture evolved to adapt to its new functions.
We will go and walk in the beautiful Latin Quarter and see the University of Medicine of Paris, and we will talk about the actual situation, and how the doctors roles and perception evolved till today !
We will finish the visit with the Museum of Medicine History – available only on certain days – The museum is near the University, and I will recommend you some places to visit on your own in Paris
Email : Flora.Goldenberg@gmail.com or Whatsapp +33787082577
6 | The Chocolate tour of Paris
Duration : 2 Hours
Languages : English
Not Kosher
Do you ever wander how do they make chocolate in France?
Well, the answer is located in the sentier area, in a jewish sepharadic quarter, only 10 minutes away from le Marais.
We will go behind the scenes in a private tour inside a Chocolate small factory with an Artisan Chocolatier who will show us his latest creations, his artistic process, and roll up your sleeves for the tasting of an amazing 100% home made chocolate !
We will also taste other french products from a selection of the boutiques around : Cheese, bread, pastries. all delicious and all 100% home made by the best french artisans !
Email : Flora.Goldenberg@gmail.com or Whatsapp +33787082577
7 | Alfred Dreyfus tour
Duration : 2 Hours
Languages : English
Exclusive Tour with Flora
We will explore follow the footsteps of Alfred Dreyfus in Paris and understand the context behind the Dreyfus affair.
On the way, we will see many beautiful Parisian landmarks and nice chic quarters, where the highlights of the affair took place, and also live some memorable moments the dazzling life of Alfred Dreyfus and Emile Zola … to understand the major important pieces of this complex story.
You can combine the tours with a focus subject: Benjamin Franklin, an american in Paris or Lafayette tour or Marcel proust in the Carnavalet…
Help by email
Is it difficult to choose the right tour ? No problem, let me help.
Contact me with your configuration : number of people in the tour, the dates, the interests and I will set up a nice tour including everything you want to see.
You can use my email to contact me.
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