In February 2020, Gary Lee Kraut, the Paris-based writer and editor of France Revisited, will embark on an East Coast U.S. lecture tour primarily making a presentation entitled A Jewish Tour of Paris: Exploring Historical and Contemporary Paris through the Lives of Jews, with venues in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Virginia and Florida. Along the way he will also be making several presentation on other subjects relative to life, travel and culture in France. Scroll down to see the full schedule and topics.
A Jewish Tour of Paris: Exploring Historical and Contemporary Paris through the Lives of Jews. An illustrated lecture by Gary Lee Kraut
With more than 500,000 Jews, France has the world’s third largest Jewish population, after Israel and the United States. More than half of French Jews live in Paris and the surrounding region. Yet aside from occasional reports of anti-Semitism, Americans, even Jewish Americans, are generally unaware of the history and contemporary life of Jews in the French capital.
This lecture follows in the footsteps of other lectures that Kraut has presented in the U.S. over the years on various topics of interest to both travelers and armchair travelers, including American War Memories in France; Travel and Travel Writing Beyond the Clichés; Got Heritage?: Understanding Patrimoine; DIY Biking in France, and A History of the Wines of Burgundy and Champagne.
As diverse as these topics are, they, and now A Jewish Tour of Paris, encourage a connection between the Americans and the history, culture, people and contemporary life of France.
In “A Jewish Tour of Paris,” Kraut presents 20 sights, individuals and neighborhoods that reveal various aspects of the history of Jews in Paris. After briefly examining medieval Jewry and medieval expulsions, he will speak of the liberating laws of the French Revolution, the appeal of France to European Jews throughout the 19th and into the 20th centuries, the construction of major synagogues, the Dreyfus Affair, Jewish artists of the 1920s, the Holocaust, Sephardic immigration of the 1950s and 60s, and more recent events, along with major French figures of the past 200 years and contemporary Jewish life as a visitor may encounter it today.
This lecture will be of interest to armchair travelers as well as travelers who have visited or plan to visit Paris. For the latter, Gary Lee Kraut will be available for private consultations upon advance request.
For tickets and further information contact the hosting organizations directly. Non-members of those organizations are typically allowed to attend.
If interested in hosting this lecture within your own organization, contact Gary Lee Kraut at gary [at] francerevisited.com.
Lecture schedule, Feb. 2 – March 1, 2020
Sunday February 2, 10am. A Jewish Tour of Paris
Adath Israel Synagogue, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
1958 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Tel. 609-896-4977
Wednesday February 5, 7-8:30pm. A Jewish Tour of Paris
East Brunswick Public Library, New Jersey
2 Jean Walling Civic Center Dr, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Tel. 732-390-6767
Wednesday February 5, 9:45-11:30am. A History of the Wines of Burgundy and Champagne (and how to visit those wine regions)
Alliance Française de Doylestown, Pennsylvania
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 301 N Main St, Doylestown, PA 18901
Actually entitled Une histoire des vins de Bourgogne et de Champagne since this presentation will be in French.
Friday February 7, 6-7:30pm. A Jewish Tour of Paris
Alliance Française de Philadelphie, Pennsylvania
1420 Walnut Street – Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Tel. 215-735-5283
Sunday, February 9, 2-5pm. Travel and Touring in Paris and Throughout France
A private event in Trenton-Princeton area of New Jersey for those planning to travel to France in 2020. If interested in attending contact Gary directly for details at gary [at] francerevisited.com.
Thursday February 13, 11:15am-12:15pm. A Jewish Tour of Paris
Jewish Community Center of Central New Jersey (Scotch Plains)
1391 Martine Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
Tel. 908-889-8800 x260
Wednesday February 19, 10:30am-noon. A Jewish Tour of Paris.
Beth El Hebrew Congregation of Alexandria, Virginia.
Organized by The Posner Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia for their Adult Outreach Program, the lecture will be held at Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 3830 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22304
Tel. 703-537-3026
Thursday February 20, 7pm. A Jewish Tour of Paris.
Alliance Française de Washington, DC
2142 Wyoming Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tel. 202-234-7911
Wednesday February 26, 6pm. A Jewish Tour of Paris.
Alliance Française de Miami Metro, Florida
1221 Brickell Avenue Business Center, 6th floor, Miami, FL
Tel. 305-395-4100
Friday February 28, 9:3am-11:30am. Travel and Touring in Paris and Throughout France.
Orlando, Florida
Meet Gary for coffee at Le Café de Paris, 5170 Dr Phillips Blvd, Orlando, anytime between 9:30am and 11:30am for an informal meet-and-greet for those planning to travel to France in 2020 or dreaming of 2021. Write to Gary directly at gary [at] francerevisited.com if you’d like to meet that day but are unavailable that morning.
Sunday March 1, 3:30PM. Les Misérables, film presentation and discussion
ACME Screening Room, Lambertville, New Jersey
25 S Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530
Gary Lee Kraut leads a discussion of the Oscar-nominated film Les Misérables following a projection at the Acme Screening Room.