Discovering the Jewish artists of the Ecole de Paris – Fanny Barbaray
Jewish artists left their mark on the Montparnasse of the early 20th century. Defying tradition, they triggered an unprecedented movement in the Jewish world and left their mark on art history. The Maison de la culture yiddish invites you to meet them through visits and workshops. Museums, living spaces and stories in Yiddish bring Chagall, Modigliani, Kisling and many others to life.
These walks through mythical sites highlight the history of the artists. They reveal their daily lives in 1920s Montparnasse, their aspirations, successes and failures.
- La Ruche artists’ complex (subject to the agreement of the Ruche artists’ collective). Alternatively: Cafés around Vavin street
- The artists’ housing estates on chemin du Montparnasse and cité Falguière
- Artists’ buildings on rue Campagne-Première and rue Joseph-Bara.
Reading Workshop– Fanny Barbaray
Complementing the visits, this workshop will shed light on this period through Yiddish texts taken from Chil Aronson’s Scènes et visages de Montparnasse (Preface by Marc Chagall. Paris, 1963), which remains an unrivalled work on the history of Jewish painters in Paris during the first half of the 20th century.
Fluency in simple Yiddish texts is required.
Jewish Paris– Samy Starowiecki
Fascinated by Paris, its history and the diversity of its streets and neighborhoods, for the past 8 years I’ve had the pleasure of helping French and foreign visitors discover the city. If you’re a history buff, or just want to take a stroll, I suggest you discover in Yiddish the places and events that marked the ancient Jewish presence in Paris.
Our first walk will take us to the left bank of the Seine, to discover the Jewish presence in the heart of Paris. From the 6th century to their last expulsion in 1394, the Jews left their mark in this central neighborhood. We will bring back to life their eventful history, the traces left on Notre Dame Cathedral, and various stories and anecdotes about the once Jewish cemetery, the yeshiva, the trial of the Talmud as well as the evolution of the place of the Jews in medieval society.
Our second walk will take us to the right bank, from the Bastille to the Pletzl (rue des Rosiers). We will discover the historic Marais district, from its private mansions to the Place des Vosges and the central Jewish presence in the district, starting from the Middle Ages to nowadays, through their institutions and daily life.
Visit of the Museum of Jewish Art and History– Samy Starowiecki
This tour will take you to the Jewish art museum, situated in the center of Paris, which is currently presenting a new exhibition on Alfred Dreyfus. At the turn of the 20th century, the “Dreyfus affair’’, tore France apart and had long term repercussions all over France. Visiting the exhibition will allow us to better understand the personality of Captain Dreyfus and the active and fierce battle he and others led for his release and exoneration.