JULY 2014

JEWISH PARIS

Gefilte fish with couscous Natasha Lehrer takes a whistle-stop tour of the Jewish community of Paris, while Philippe Boukara examines its North African influence • Timeline The Jews of Paris from the 6th century CE to the present day. • Answering Napoleon Michael Goldfarb on the Great Sanhedrin
Dreyfus through new eyes. • Judi Herman talks to Robert Harris about his novel and upcoming film An Officer and a Spy, which focuses on the Dreyfus Affair. • A survivor's story Lady Lipworth CBE tells Rebecca Taylor about her life in hiding during World War II. • Reparation Jane Metter talks to students at the Lycée Racine about a project that remembers Jewish victims of the war. • The Trailblazer: Pauline Bebe Rebecca Taylor talks to the pioneering Reform rabbi about building a young community. • Beyond Le Marais Rebecca Taylor goes in search of Jewish soul – and finds Muslim-Jewish friendship in Sarcelles
Paris in a pitta bread. • Natasha Lehrer on how Jewish culture is injecting 'va va voom' into Parisian life. • Ones to watch Klezmer accordionist Alexis Kune; filmmaker Leila Ferault-Levy; dance teacher David El Shatran; Yiddish teacher Lise Gutmann; musician Marc Fichel, and filmmaker Diane Kurys are making cultural waves. • When You Go to Paris… Our handy map flags up the best museums, synagogues and cultural hotspots in the city of light. • Poets on Paris Our poetry editor Liz Cashdan selects poems by Jacqueline Saphra and Michael Berg

WHAT'S NEW

Our new home Jewish Renaissance has moved to JW3! And we're loving it! • The way things look The world through art student eyes – an exhibition of the UJS Incubator Project at JW3. • News from Greece 25-year-old Gabriel Negrin is to become new Chief Rabbi of Greece. • Torah on the Moon? The sacred book is to go intergalactic, together with the Hindu Vedas and Chinese I-Ching. • Building bridges in Morocco • Mimouna Foundation, a group of young Moroccan Muslims celebrating Jewish culture, is building a nationwide presence. • Working together to plant trees A tree-planting project in rural Morocco, run by the High Atlas Foundation. • The dignity he deserves A new headstone for artist Simeon Solomon at Willesden Cemetery

SOAP BOX

Killing Jews in Brussels is different to voting against Brussels. • David Cesarani berates those who can't distinguish between the anti-EU far right and Islamic militant extremism

TRY THIS!

Our new series aims to nudge you off the sofa to experience some new cultural activities! • Living in the moment Bev Cohen discovers Jewish meditation at a weekend retreat organised by HaMakom

LISTINGS

So much is happening from July to October, including Jewish Heritage Days all over the country. • Welcome to Edinburgh! Judi Herman with Edinburgh Fringe highlights – she particularly recommends: Philip Glassborow's Welcome to Terezin. • What to do in Israel this summer? Agi Erdos tempts you from the beach

FILM

A night at the Movies Judi Herman admires short films by students at Tel Aviv University Film School

MUSIC

Matisyahu's odyssey Danielle Goldstein on the mysterious disappearance of the chasidic star's sidelocks. • Musicians of Tomorrow Judi Herman uncovers a remarkable project to train disadvantaged but talented teenagers in Rosh Pinah, run by musicians Leat Sabbah and Anna Rosnovsky

ART

Pioneer Modernist Percy North discusses the art of Max Weber as a new exhibition of his work opens at the Ben Uri Gallery in London. • Anne and Avigdor Sophia Reitman Voignac and Lucy Raitz pay a visit to the home of artist Avigdor Arikha and talk to his widow, the poet, Anne Atik. • Breathing new life Parisian artist Carole Benzaken tells Sophia Reitman Voignac about how the Bible and Jewish history have inspired her art

BOOKS

British Jewish Writing Maureen Kendler takes Ruth Gilbert's Writing Jewish as a cue to examine recent trends. • Fields of Exile Nora Gold's novel is reviewed by Shoshana Ish-Horovicz. • In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist Ruchama King Feuerman's Jerusalem-based story is reviewed by Judith Mirzoeff. • To Rise Again at a Decent Hour Deborah Brooks reviews Joshua Ferris's new novel. • The Jewish Candidate David Crossland's thriller about a neo-Nazi plot is reviewed by Vesna Domany Hardy. • The House of Twenty Thousand Books David Herman reviews Sasha Abramsky's book about his grandfather Chimen Abramsky's marvellous collection. • The Story of the Jews David J Goldberg's brief illustrated history is reviewed by Peter Falush

FOOD

Munch your way around the world without leaving Paris Rebecca Taylor savours Paris's kosher eating scene

LAST WORDS

Remembering Rue Nelaton Poem by Parisian writer Yvan Berrebi