Destinations - France

Our tour in France is to Alsace.

Alsace is home to a Jewish heritage with an exceptional history. It portrays the multi-cultural wealth of Alsace and its prime role in the history of Judaism in France.

Colmar Synagogue, Alsace

The Jews settled in Gaul during the Roman era. The decline of the Jewish population started with the First Crusade in 1096, continued with the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, which declared the wearing of the yellow badge compulsory.

In the Rhine region hostility towards the Jews increased during the Black Death in 1348 and a year later a number of Jews from Strasbourg were accused of poisoning the wells and burned at the stake. Jews were then evicted from most Alsatian towns. From then rural Judaism developed where they became traders in cattle, horses or grain.

It was the Jews of Alsace who moved to New Orleans, USA to establish a Jewish community there.

Read about our Alsace Tour Details here