Audio GuideMusée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme
Museum in a 17th-century mansion with Jewish religious treasures, plus art by Chagall & Modigliani.
Museum
Paris, France
Welcome to the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme, a remarkable repository of Jewish heritage situated in the historic Hôtel de Saint-Aignan in the Marais district of Paris. The museum is housed in a seventeenth-century mansion constructed between the early sixteen forties and sixteen fifties, offering a glimpse into the elegance of Paris with its distinctive trompe l'oeil façade, striking pilasters, and magnificent interior courtyard.
Inside, visitors are taken on a journey through over two millennia of Jewish art and history from Europe and North Africa. The exhibits display medieval funeral stelae, rare manuscripts, intricate Hanukkah lamps, and a wide array of religious artefacts. Noteworthy works by artists such as Chagall, Kikoine, and Soutine highlight Jewish contributions to modern art. A special section delves into the progression of Jewish life in France—from the medieval expulsions to the emancipation following the French Revolution and the implications of the Dreyfus Affair.
Apart from its permanent collections, the museum provides guided tours, interactive workshops, a media library, and a bookshop. Special exhibitions featuring items like medieval gravestones, a nineteenth-century sukkah, a traditional Moroccan bridal gown, and a fifteenth-century Ashkenazi Holy Ark add further depth to the visitor experience. This museum serves as a dynamic hub for safeguarding and celebrating Jewish cultural heritage.
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