An interesting, if brief, accounting of the deep culture alluded to in this story at the beginning of the autobiography of the composer Darius Milhaud, entitled "My Happy Life".
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I spent my teenage years going to the one Catholic School, L'immaculee Conception, in Carpentras. I did not know then that I had jewish roots. I discovered them when I dated my future husband. I did both recipees for our Passover this year and they turned out delicious. I highly recommend. They represent a region that is close to my heart and that I will now include in our yearly passover. So thank you New York Times and Joan Thomas.
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This article is very nice, but there's no way that this town will be a thriving Jewish community when Jews are leaving France in the thousands amidst rising antisemitism. This disturbing trend is all too underreported and ignored.
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Beautiful article and the descriptions of cuilinary traditions particularly Passover "bulke" as we call it. My bubbe made it many ways plain and with a hole in the center and cinnamon/sugar for breakfast. All of us our children and grandchildren love this recipe!!
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thank you so much, Joan.
like the other commenters, I too was thrilled to read about the history of this ancient town and its lengthy Jewish connection made manifest in particular by the synagogue - and of course the mouth-watering food.
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Twice we tried to visit this synagogue - once it was closed for the day and the other time they were on an extended lunch break and we were jet lagged from a transatlantic flight. Beautiful article - and next time we will definitely plan ahead! The town is on a hill surrounded by farmland where among other things, beautiful cantaloupes are grown.
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@ Lynn Dinner Port Washington NY
I sympathize with your unfortunate experience, but I would not be surprised if the closed synagogue was a typically French phenomenon: when the operating budgets of public buildings get tight, they put up a sign "In repair" and keep the place closed.
Speaking as a member of the Synagogue de Carpentras who also volunteers as a guide in English and French one day a week, we have regular hours and days now that weren't as structured as in the past. There are always synagogue volunteers available as guides. Like most places outside big cities, we close for two hours at lunch. Check our website, as hours change from season to season.
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Please could the author also use her fabulous culinary and journalism skills to investigate the differences between Jewish cuisine in France and that found in the US and UK. In Kosher shops and restaurants in Paris they have never heard of salt beef, or chopped herring, or chopped liver and do not even begin to try to explain schmaltz to them. The French ” Casher” shop keeper happily promotes matzo meal to me however, which isn’t interesting at all. It seems French Jewish cuisine is very similar to French cuisine, only Kosher, and the ”Casher” food shops also cater to the muslim community in search of the dietary unforbidden not easily found elsewhere.
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@ Anna Broman Paris
I think you may be up against two parallel phenomena: in the US, the so-called Jewish cuisine is a modified import of East European ghetto; in France, it must have undergone changes for the better, influenced by the French respect of the taste buds and palates. Even at "Goldenberg's" [spell. ?] in Paris the food is much more French than Judaeo-East-European.
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Sadly, Goldbergs in le Marais closed a few years ago. In London’s St John’s Wood there is Harry Morgan’s Restaurant which is great (latkes, salt beef etc).
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The Jewish cuisine of Provence, which I can speak to since we own a home there, is primarily derived from the Sephardic traditions which are more middle eastern. That’s why gefilte fish, schmaltz, chopped liver, etc. , which are Ashkenazi or Eastern European are hard to find. I had an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father so I got to partake of both.
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France has the third largest Jewish population in the world, after Israel and the United States.
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But with current trends, it won't soon. Jews are fleeing in droves over antisemitsm.
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I would certainly love to have that Haroseth recipe.
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Link to it is below the text for the article.
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Sad. Kicked out of France and went to Provence. When the Germans occupied France and controlled Vichy France, the Jews were rounded up with the help of the French, transported east and gassed. These now are north African Jews that arrived after the war? Now they have to be thinking of leaving too since many realize that France is not safe for Jews. The US will not let then in. FDR refused to allow the Jews on the St Louis to leave the ship. They had to return to France and were gassed. History repeating and repeating and not good. That is the back drop of this food article.
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Carpentras (haiku) "We didn't have to - prove or hide anything; that's - why it feels like home"
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This very nice piece is missing vital information which could lead people to wrongly believe that this small slice of Europe was something of a Jewish paradise, especially as Joan Nathan tells us that Carpentras became known as "la petite Jerusalem." Yes, Carpentras was at times considerably better than other places in Europe for Jews, but since it is now a crime to talk or write about Anti-Semitism in parts of Europe, and since there is so much bigotry in the US against all religious, racial, and ethnic minorities, no one is served by ignoring hard facts. Pope Clement VII at first confirmed the rights of Jews of Carpentras in 1524. However, in 1525 he issued an order requiring all Jewish men to wear yellow hats at all times so that they could be identified as Jews. Jewish women were also required to wear distinct identifying marks. Then in 1539 Clement VII issued a decree revoking all the rights of the Jews of Carpentras. Only upon the accession of Paul III were the Jews of Carpentras able to send representatives to Rome in order to obtain from the Pope a new examination into their rights. This request was finally successful, and their rights were restored. The victory was short lived. In 1569 Pope Pius VII expelled all Jews from Carpentras. Most Jews were forced to leave, and the only reason any Jewish community existed was because the Rector of Carpentras permitted a very small number of Jews to remain. These few individuals grew into the community Joan Nathan writes of.
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Another RC papal sin. Did any Pontiff ever publicly apologize for their abhorrent behavior?
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It was fun to be a Jew in the middle ages (not really). No kosher butcher today? A good reason to become a vegetarian.
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So the residents of the ghetto were imprisoned in order to "protect" them? And they were allowed to go out during the day "under strictly limited conditions." Was this also in order to protect them? I suppose if it were happening now, they'd have to wear electronic ankle bracelets.
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Indeed. They were no doubt forced to wear yellow identifying clothing as well to facilitate the townspeople being extra kind to them.
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That oven is INCREDIBLE!
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Absolutely! Since its Provence maybe they make kosher pissaladiere?
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When we visited the Carpentras, Mme Lévy explained that when the Jews were given permission to build this synagogue, it had to be designed in a way to remind them from whom they had been given leave. If you look at the first photo, there are windows above the brown door. From the inside looking out, when the sun shines through those windows, you can't help but see a cross.
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We were in Carpentras shortly after a Jewish graveyard was vandalized in a way so sickening it stunned. Bodies were dug from graves and impaled on spikes on the wrought iron gate. How can France (rightfully) love their history and not realize, from one generation to the next, that the Jewish people of France have made such wonderful contributions: Art, Medicine, Life, Law and Laughter. Why can not France educate with all forms of modern communication that the Jewish people gave so much? I hope that this day -- this Passover -- goes beautifully and safely. And that there are those of us around the world who believe that they are celebrating a religion of life. French life included.
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I have a lovely memory of the Carpentras Synagogue. Years ago, when my husband and I visited Provence, we arranged to see the synagogue. I don’t remember the name of our guide. Perhaps it was Mme. Lévy. There was an Israeli couple there. They spoke only Hebrew and English. Our guide spoke only French. Fortunately, I was able to translate the guide’s French into English for the Israeli guests. At the end of the tour, we all hugged. It is one of my most precious memories among my 21 visits to France.
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We have been visiting the synagogue since 2000, and they have always accommodated us with space for our kosher picnic lunch. There have been building restorations during this period, along with an increase in communal activity. Let's all support Dr. Benzekrit in his belief that Carpentras will again be the the center of a vibrant Jewish community.
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I always wondered, where did the Judaic laws of kashrut and the later Roman Catholic rules of food come from. There is nothing in the Ten Commandments about any restrictions on food, and all the latter are a superstructure erected by theologians on the simple and straightforward foundation of the Ten Commandments that are the basis of primordial monotheism.
In my irreligious view, the Jews of Carpetras will continue to be true Jews, if they eat wild boar ham, smoked or cured, that must be typical of that region.
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Yours is an interesting point of view, but it does not conform with the typical understanding of what it means to be a "true Jew" which is to conform in principle or practice to all 613 commandments of the Torah. The Decalogue or 10 Commandments are the "epitome" or summation of all the commandments yet the law is much more complex and varied and the written Torah (Pentateuch or 5 Books of Moses) does include the basis on which the Rabbis later developed the more complex rules around keeping kosher. It's thought the the fundamental basis of this is suprarational, in terms of which species for instance are actually kosher, these laws have historically served to insulate the Jewish community from its neighbors to some degree, and medical justifications have been discovered for some of the observances (i.e trichinosis//ban on pork). Your irreligious view is exactly that, thank you.
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Fascinating - no surprise given the author is Joan Nathan. Next year in La Petite Jerusalem!
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What no Latkes?
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Love the thought that the synagogue will once again become a vital community!
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NO chance.. France is so hostile to Jews these days. Our Jewish friends in PARIS were told by their rabbi to remove the mezuzzah from the door and avoid any public displays of faith.
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Was there many years ago! Deep feelings.
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Isn't there a special chair in the Synagogue of Carpentras reserved for the Prophet Elijah (not only for Passover purposes?)?
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Many synagogues might have a chair for Elijah. The sandek holds the baby for his bris while sitting in Elijah's chair.
Although my family has been in Italy for centuries, we think it came from Provence, specifically from Bédariddes, a small town near Carprentas, then moved to Italy and italianized the name to Bedarida. Where we in Provence already in the Middles Ages or arrived from Spain after 1492? We really don't know. I visited the synagogue in Carprentas and there I saw a 1730 (?) Bible belonging to Samuel Bédariddes and a marriage contract between Rachel Bédariddes and Mr.xxxx. So the last name Bédariddes was kind of common, and now I see that Mrs. Levy great-grandmother was named Noemi Bédaride, which is the same as mine "Bedarida".
The article kind of confirms that my family originated in Provence. Thank you.
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Jews from Piedmont often have surnames reflecting the names of towns in Provence. There were Jews in Provence before there were Jews in Spain. The Jewish dialect of Piedmont may possibly have originated in southern France, since it is quite different from the other Jewish dialects in northern Italy.
http://jochnowitz.net/Essays/JudeoItalian.html
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In 1968, I had the enormous good fortune to meet Armand Lunel, the last speaker of Judeo-Provencal. I had never imagined that such a language existed. As a result, research about this language became a major goal of my studies.
http://jochnowitz.net/Essays/JudeoProvencal.html
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Over the decades I have had the good fortune to hear and read what George has to say about this. So good fortune can be passed forward.
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Couldn't agree more with Mort Kolko. We happened to stumble on a wedding there.
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According to the story told to us by Mme Lévy, when the Jews were given permission to build this synagogue, it had to be designed in a way to remind them they were there by the pope's leave. You can see in the first photo the windows above the brown door. From the inside looking out, as the sun shines through those windows, you can't help but see a big cross.
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The account of this beautiful and ancient community is a ray of joy and hope in these troubled times. Brava Joan Nathan!
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As Mort Kolko alludes to it, in May of 1990 the Carpentras cemetery was desecrated, and the body of Felix Germon was removed from the grave and defiled. The following weekend there was a huge demonstration in Paris. Not until 1996 was an arrest finally made-- a gang of young skinheads were arrested and convicted of the crimes. I remember this so well because my friend and I were driving in Provence, looking for the synagogue and found it. It was not open--members of the congregation were at that very moment discovering the desecration, which we read about in the next morning's papers. Seeing the "brown door" to the synagogue (barely visible on page D1 in the paper version) has given me a chill.
It's good to know of the restorations being carried out now! Thank you for this article, and here's a second vote for the salmon tagine recipe!
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I, too, have visited the synagogue in Carpentras and agree it is worth the visit. However, it seems too rosy to speak of a ghetto that is locked at night and a population that had to wear yellow when traveling outside the ghetto, had limited access to shops, and could can only hold certain jobs. Not the most welcoming environment for immigrants ...
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Sign me up for the next flight over. Thank you Ms. Nathan. I feel like I'm reading from your book on the chronological history of Jewish Food. Wonderful.
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It wouldn’t be Passover without a fascinating article from Joan Nathan, revealing the history — culinary and otherwise — of the world’s varied Jewish communities. This story was no exception. Let’s hope the town and its beautiful synagogue can continue to thrive.
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Cloistered in medieval France, the Synagogue of Carpentras, stands in modern time to tell the tales of perseverance in community and congregation. Observance of the rites and laws of the Jewish faith are explained to visitors,
while the remains of rituals_purity baths, shabbat preparations, and prayer sanctuaries are explored through various landings.
Thank you Ms. Nathan and Ms. Levy.
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The Vaucluse has also been a refuge for Protestants since forever. And the town of Cavaillon, not far from Carpentras, has another ancient synagogue well worth a visit.
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You're my kind of person. You also know about the one in Cavaillon as well. And there is one in Avignon as well in the Place Jerusalem. Outside the courtyard is a street with gargoyles of cattle atop many buildings. That was how the butchers advertised.
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my wife and I found our way to this historic synagogue an a Shabbat morning many years ago , after the jewish cemetery had been vandalized. we were in Provence on vacation. We were greeted warmly as we entered and became part of the minyan immediately. there was a bar mitzvah that morning , which made our visit very special. The roots of the jewish people run very deep in France and should be enhanced , respected and preserved. I recommend to anyone visiting Provence to find your way to Carpentras and this truly magnificent spiritual gem.
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Thank you for this very uplifting article. Joan Nathan is a wonderful author, her last cookbook King Solomon’s Table has been a favorite of mine as much for the history as for the recipes.
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To 'discover' this community is so lovely...not only have they endured but continue to thrive. Thank goodness for Ms Levy for her historical knowledge and her culinary talents!
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This article is so uplifting. I'm deeply happy to learn of the existence of this synogogue and its hallowed traditions, and delighted to read about Ms. Levy!
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The profound comfort of this uplifting, edifying and delicious article in our current age of one after another horror confronting us daily, in the NYT, cannot be over emphasized. Many, many thanks, and please pass the haroseth.
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I'd LOVE to see the salmon tagine recipe!
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Seconded! (Although Google has a few already.) Ms Levy's veal is so gorgeous - what does her salmon tagine look like?!
Why can't the NYT devote an entire edition to stories like this--stories that showcase the good of humanity. Thank you Ms. Nathan and more please!
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Couldn't agree more! Seems like the last few years the grim reapers have taken over the Times editor's! Or maybe it's because many of them now live near the toxic Gowanus Canal! Happy Passover!!!
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Fantastic article. Very timely and informative. Lovely profile of an ancient and beautiful community in the heart of Provence.
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We visited the Synagogue a number of years ago; the Synagogue caretaker showed us around and was incredibly gracious. The Underground Mikvah was a great surprise. The history of the community was fascinating and the two hours we spent there was unforgettable.
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Wow, went on a cycling trip in Provence about 10 years ago. Spent a morning in the pictured square in Carpentras, but there was no mention of the synagogue. Rode to Bédoin, and up to the top of Mt. Ventoux. No one offered me a knish!!
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I'd be very surprised if knishes were available in Provence, as they're mostly part of Ashkenasi culture! My sister who lives in Provence appreciated this article as she visited Carpentras and its synagogue many times. She also knows Mrs. Levy as her grand-daughter is a friend of one of my nieces.
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They wouldn't have! They are not local. Maybe one of those bagel things that Ms. Nathan mentioned, but not a knish!
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Why would they offer you a knish in France? They come from central and eastern Europe.
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Gorgeous piece by Joan Nathan extolling "Tradition!" (h/t Fiddler on the Roof) in Carpentras, the heart of Provencal Judaism. The Jewish village of Carpentras has lasted for almost 800 years - despite the Holocaust in France and Germany last century.
Thank you, Ms. Nathan for bringing us a French Seder and the 13th Century recipe for Haroset (Charoses). This extraordinary symbol of "mortar" used to build the pyramids of bricks, celebrates the Jews in slavery under Pharoah in Egypt. This recipe, using the gorgeous fruits of Provence, making sweetness from the bitterness of slavery, is to be treasured.
Perhaps Jesus of Nazareth, whose Last Supper was a Passover Seder, enjoyed the sweet Charoses with the bitter herb (maror, horseradish), reminding him of the bitterness of life when the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt.
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There is a great explanation of Charoset that has nothing to do with the mortar of the bricks. Instead, it may recall something far sweeter. Recall that we read Shir haShirim (Song of Songs; Song of Solomon) during the holiday of Passover, and Shir haShirim is a rather erotic love poem that is considered a love song between God and His/Her chosen people. Well, many of the fruits that are used to make up charoset are mentioned in Shir haShirim. So Charoset, by including the fruits of love that are in the book we read, becomes a foreshadowing of that love made real in the giving of the Torah. Not the mortar (which really, why would that be sweet?) but the love of God Him/Herself. This is not my original thought but I do love it and share it at all the Sedarim I attend or make. I share it in the name of Rabbi Arthur Waskow, from whom I learned it.
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Jewish sources tell us that the seder with the foods and rituals as we know and use today was unlikely to have occurred during the time of Jesus.
I so love Joan Nathan's articles. I always learn something and her recipes are delicious and easy. I am going to make both of these recipes for Passover!
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A very interesting, uplifting story of sustained Jewish traditions. Wish I could attend the Pesah meal, meet Ms. Levy, hear more of her fascinating family history and enjoy sharing this holiday of freedom with members of the international, local congregation in Carpentras! Maybe next year.
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