Shalom! - AngloFiles For April

Passover is 4 April. What better occasion to introduce you to Jewish Anglophone groups in Paris? Our thanks go to Rabbi Tom Cohen of Kehilat Gesher and Michael Saklad of Parish-Jewish Connection for help with this issue.

AngloFiles is a publication for the Anglophone Community of Paris.
Copyright (c) 1996 AngloFiles - Used with permission.

Feature - Profiles - Kosher Hot Spots - Tidbits

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ANGLOPHONE JEWISH GROUPS IN PARIS

KEHILAT GESHER
KG, the Franco-Anglophone Jewish Community, is a small, liberal egalitarian synagogue. It was created in 1993 by a group of young families who felt that being Jewish should mean more to them and their children than bagels and cream cheese on a Sunday morning (but who weren't quite sure what that "more" could mean). Taking a cue from the Hebrew, kehilah means community and gesher a bridge. We are a group of men and women, young and not so young, Ashkenaze and Sefarade, Conservative and Reform, English-speaking and French- speaking, Jews and non-Jews, trying to bridge the gap between our daily lives and our Jewish heritage.

KG, as I envision it, is dedicated to being an open religious environment where often the question is much more important than the answer. It stands by the belief that as God's partner in the world, we truly can make (and some say, must make) a difference in its betterment. And KG holds true to the idea of Lucy Davidowicz: "the reward for being Jewish lies in defining oneself, and not being defined." (Rabbi Tom Cohen)

For KG's newsletter and information about classes for adults and children, lectures and social activities, services and communal celebrations, leave your name and address at 43.46.67.49 or email the Rabbi at 75040.1426@compuserve.com

THE PARIS JEWISH CONNECTION
This group, whose roots extend back over 10 years, serves the spiritual, intellectual and social needs of English-speaking and French-speaking Jews in Paris.

Every quarter, the PJC schedules eight to 10 events. Among others, these include Rosh Hashana, Hannukah, Purim and Passover celebrations; Shabbat seders that center on different themes; groups that study and discuss traditional and contemporary Jewish issues; and talks by European and American academics, writers and other figures from the Jewish community. The PJC is associated with Rabbi Stephen Berkowitz of New York. (Michael Saklad)

To learn more about the PJC or to receive its newsletter, call Jeanne Feldman at 40.92.84.22, or email Michael Saklad at 101562.3704@compuserve.com

KG AND PJC ACTIVITES
(A selection from their newsletters. Contact the groups for more info.)

PJC

• Passover Seder at L'Oree du Bois, 4 April
• Shabbat Seder: Jewish Medical Ethics, 7:30PM, Friday, 19 April, members free, nonmembers 35FF. Potluck. Reserve by 16 April.
• Tikkun Discussion Group: Contemporary Israel, 4- 6PM, 27 April. Free for all. Reserve by 20 April.

KG

• Friday Evening Services, first and third Fridays of each month, Goldenberg's Restaurant, 17th; second and fourth Fridays, Lycee International, St. Germain-en- Laye. Family services: third Saturday morning of each month in private home.
• Hebrew Marathon. Learn the basics of reading Hebrew in this one-day crash course, 2-8:30PM, Sunday, 14 April.

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PROFILES
Gaby Taub Gaby, who serves on the PJC Steering Committee, was previously active in the Jewish Connection (one of the PJC's predecessors), which over the years sponsored many social and cultural events for English-speaking Jews living in Paris. Gaby works full-time as director of Intake Services at L'Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, a Jewish child-welfare agency that provides numerous social services, including family counseling and residential treatment, to over 1,000 children. Over the past year, Gaby has interviewed survivors of the Holocaust for the Shoah Visual History Foundation, established and directed by Steven Spielberg. Gaby and husband Sam, both native New Yorkers, have lived in Paris since 1970 and raised their family here. Sam works in computing, most recently as director of marketing for EMC in France. (Michael Saklad)

Rachel Kaplan
This passionate Francofile and graduate of the Lycee Francais de New York decided to come to Paris two years ago because she loves France and its people, and wanted to share that with others. She has done much already to accomplish that. Rachel has written "Little- Known Museums In and Around Paris," to be published by Harry N. Abrams in August 1996, and is working on a similar guide for London. Rachel writes for the Jewish press in France and the U.S. (the Jewish Exponent, Inside magazine) as well as other publications like the European, French Vogue, and France Today. Then there's French Links, her personalized tourism service, which offers several walking "theme tours" of Paris, including one to Jewish neighborhoods and attractions (FF700 per couple; discounts for groups). She also has a discount designer shopping tour that goes to the Paris equivalent of the Lower East Side, her women's history tour . . . To contact Rachel, call 43.14.91.59 or email her at kaplan@club-internet.fr

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KOSHER HOT SPOTS
Kehilat Gesher's Rabbi Tom Cohen holds an "online study group" monthly on Mondays on the net. On April 15 members discuss "How can I, the atheist, be in the middle of a Shabbat service?" May 20's topic: "Doing Jewish in French." To join this "cyber-Hevrouta" send your email address to 75040.1426@compuserve.com

The French Jewish community has done a great web site with a lot of great information. They also have three mailing lists.
http://www.col.fr/
(French and English versions available)

Virtual Jerusalem: The Internet city with a 3000 year tradition.
http://www.jer1.co.il/

The Global Jewish Information Network can be found at
http://jewishnet.net/

These spots come via Michael Saklad:
Cybrary of the Holocaust: educational materials
http://www.best.com/~mddunn/cybrary/

Ethiopian Jewry: history, book, exhibits
http://www.cais.com/nacoej/index.html

The Forward: weekly newspaper
http://www.forward.com

Golan Heights Information Server
http://www.golan.org.il/

Hebrew, A Living Language: for beginners
http://www.macom.co.il/hebrew/index.html

The Jerusalem Post: Israel's English-language newspaper
http://www.jpost.co.il/

Jewish Feminist Resources
http://www.world.std.com/~alevin/jewishfeminist.html

Masoret: Jewish Theological Seminary's magazine
http://www.jtsa.edu/masoret/

1-800-JUDAISM: Jewish bookstore
http://www.judaism.com/bookstr.html

Note: If you're not on the web but have Compuserve, you may want to GO JEWISH, where you'll find the Israel Forum, the Jewish Forum, and the Jewish Singles Forum.

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TIDBITS
George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is playing at 10am, 1-5 April in English at the Theatre du Gymnase Marie-Bell, 38, boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle, 10th. Tickets: FF55 each; at the door or call Serena 42.22.76.24. Produced by the American Drama Group Europe, Barry L. Goldman, director.

Meet Alice and Daniel Jouve, authors of "Paris: Birthplace of the U.S.A.," 8PM, 3 April, American Library in Paris, 10 rue de General Camou, 7th. Free for all. No reservations necessary. Wine and cheese reception starting at 7:15PM.

Women of the American Church Spring Tours: Musee Carnavalet with Chris Boicos, 10:30AM-12:15PM, 3 April. Price: 50FF (not including ticket). Meet at 10:15AM with ticket in courtyard of museum. Call Debbie at 39.52.31.47 to reserve and for the rest of the spring schedule.

Le Monde director Jean-Marie Colombani will speak to the American Club of Paris on "Can a Free Press Survive" at a luncheon 12:45PM, 4 April, at the Cercle de l'Union Internalliee, 33 rue du Faubourg St. Honore, 8th. Members and family: FF300 each, nonmembers FF350. Reserve by 2 April. Call 47.23.64.36 for more info.

The American Library in Paris now has its own web page with lists of latest new books, schedule, special events and other info. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepag/es/alp/

"The International Tribunal: Crimes Against Women in Ex-Yugoslavia" is the subject of a talk by Francoise Boucher-Saulnier, chief legal adviser for Medecins Sans Frontieres, 7PM, 9 April. Price: 50ff. Sponsored by the Women's Caucus of Democrat's Abroad. For info call Connie Borde at 45.49.14.70.

Medical researcher and Fulbright scholar Miriam Eisenhardt will talk about "Current Health Perspectives for Women: A Preventive Approach," 7:30-10PM, 11 April, private home in the 6th. Part of the Paris Alumnae/i Network Fulbright Series. Tickets: 15FF members, 25FF nonmembers payable by 8 April. For info call Valerie at 43.26.86.15.

WICE is holding a fiction-writing workshop 13-14 April. The instructor is Paris-based author Jake Lamar, who just published the novel "The Last Integrationist." Price: 800FF member, 900FF nonmember. Contact WICE at 45.66.75.60.
-- Mr. Lamar will discuss his latest novel 7PM, 25 April at the Village Voice bookstore, 6 rue Princesse, 6th, free.

Ammon Moore, Georgian-born singer, songwriter and director of American English Services in Paris, is in concert at 8PM, 14-15 April at the Theatre du Tambour Royal, 94 rue Faubourg du Temple, 11th. Call 48.06.72.34 for reservations.

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