As part of the festive and largely free European Days of Jewish Culture and Les Traversées du Marais festival, the mahJ is once again offering book-focused activities for adults centered around a main theme. This year’s chosen theme is “Jews and France: A Love Story.”
This day of sharing invites reflection on a minority’s commitment to the Republic and its values, commemorates the painful events of the past, and explores contemporary issues. The mahJ is opening its doors wide. The main courtyard will host a secondhand book sale and a book fair featuring around thirty authors signing their works. Essays, history books, novels, and personal accounts offer different perspectives on the history and experience of Jews in France. A panel discussion in the auditorium, held in partnership with the journal K., will round out the day by examining the present-day relationship between Jews and France. Themed guided tours of the museum’s collections will give visitors an opportunity to explore key moments in this long history. In the library, genealogy specialists will offer assistance during several sessions. See the program! At the mahJ bookshop from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For this special day, calligraphy by Michel D'Anastasio will be available for purchase, along with a selection of books on “Jews and France: A Love Story” (10 a.m.–6 p.m.). For the occasion, the bookshop will present a selection of works related to the theme of Jews and France. Parisian calligrapher Michel D’Anastasio has created a series of original works and reproductions of Hebrew calligraphy on the theme of love especially for the JECJ. A selection of his latest creations will be available for purchase at the mahJ bookshop. Free admission Guided tour: "Like a Jew in France" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guided tour led by Raphaëlle Laufer-Krygier, museum guide (11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.). Through a social, cultural, economic, and political approach, this tour of the museum’s permanent collection examines how the Jewish presence in France evolved from the Middle Ages to the 20th century: from “serfs of the king” to citizens of the Republic. Main courtyard, welcome desk Free. Register on site 15 minutes in advance Secondhand book sale from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Secondhand books (12 p.m.–5 p.m.) Several hundred low-priced secondhand books covering every aspect of Jewish culture. Main courtyard Free admission Book fair from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Several dozen historians, philosophers, sociologists, essayists, and writers will sign their books. First session (2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.) Chana Alster, Nathalie Azoulai, Pierre Birnbaum, Evelyne Bloch-Dano, Pascal Bresson, Martine Cohen, Alexandre Doulut, Sylvie-Anne Goldberg, Vincent Jaury, Johanna Lehr, Arnaud Nemet, Denis Olivennes, Jonas Pardo, Deborah Pasmantier Main courtyard Free admission Second session (4 p.m.–5:30 p.m.) Antoine et Isabelle Chereau, Natalie David-Weill, Charles Dreyfus, Janine Gerson, Martine Gozlan, Noémie Halioua, Dominique Jarrassé et Théodora Jarrassé-Raquillet, Nadia Malinovich, Philippe Oriol, Pierre Savy, Raphaël Sigal, Lisa Vapné Main courtyard Free admission In the galleries: "Jews and France" at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (30 min.) Gallery talks (2 p.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.–4:30 p.m.) with Claire Decomps, chief curator of the historical and Judaica collections at the mahJ. Many objects and documents in the permanent collection attest to the love Jews have felt for France. Some are displayed along the usual visitor route, while others have been brought out of the museum’s storerooms especially for this event. Main courtyard, welcome desk Free. Register on site 15 minutes in advance Genealogy sessions between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sessions led by the Cercle de généalogie juive (every half hour, 2 p.m.–4:30 p.m.). An introduction for anyone wishing to begin genealogical research. Each speaker specializes in a particular cultural region (Maghreb, Eastern Europe, etc.) and will present the methods and digital tools best suited to each case. Main courtyard, welcome desk Free. Register on site 15 minutes in advance. In the auditorium: "Jews of France: What Now?" from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Auditorium discussion (3 p.m.–4:30 p.m.) with Yonathan Arfi, president of Crif, Noémie Issan-Benchimol, philosopher, and Jonathan Hayoun, documentary filmmaker and essayist, moderated by Stéphane Bou, editor-in-chief of the journal K. What remains of Franco-Judaism? Long sustained by the promise of integration into the Republic, the French Jewish model is now marked by doubt, divisions, and transformation. At a time when antisemitism is surging and the emotional bond with Israël—strengthened by the solidarity felt in the wake of October 7—has become more than ever a cause for ostracism, how do French Jews see their future? Auditorium Admission fee Permanent collection with free admission from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A journey through Jewish history and heritage, illuminated by numerous works of art. The mahJ’s permanent collection traces the evolution of the Jewish world through its artistic and cultural heritage, from antiquity to the present day. The history of Jews in France is presented alongside that of communities in Europe and around the Mediterranean. Extensively updated in recent years (texts, videos, children’s trail), the displays in each gallery are enriched by works from the collection and exceptional loans. Several temporary displays are also on view: -the display Journeys of Looted Artworks. Diane Esmond and Fédor Löwenstein -the display The School of Paris in the mahJ Collections Free admission Free audio guide and digital visitor guide Also present from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Discover the JECJ program From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. In the entrance hall, JECPJ France, the association that coordinates the European Days of Jewish Culture and develops the European Routes of Jewish Heritage in France, will present the full diversity of the 2026 program on the theme of Love. Beginning on the first Sunday in September, lectures, exhibitions, tours, concerts, talks, and performances will be offered throughout France and Europe. A taste for travel with JGuideEurope From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. An initiative of the Fondation Jacques et Jacqueline Lévy-Willard, the JGuideEurope website continues the work of the Guide Culturel des Juifs d’Europe (Le Seuil, 2002). In the entrance hall, its editor-in-chief Steve Krief will showcase the website’s wealth of content and the treasures of European Jewish culture, as well as information about places to visit on your next trip! The mahJ café comes to the main courtyard From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. For this new edition, Boker Paris and its founder, Aurélie Hagège, invite you to discover homemade Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. On the menu: delicious savory and sweet Levantine specialties, including their signature borekas, fresh salads, indulgent desserts, and, of course, their famous homemade lemonade with orange blossom and fresh mint.
Admission: Entry to the museum and all activities—except the auditorium discussion—is free (activities must be booked on site 15 minutes in advance). Admission fee for the auditorium discussion (€7/€5).
Source: paris.fr — photo: © Adagp, Paris 2026