Indian Chief Travel Guides

The Old Jewish Quarter

In the Rue Pavée where there is another, rather less well-preserved hôtel, dating from the 16th century, the Hôtel de Lamoignon, the Jewish Quarter of Paris begins, an area characterized by narrow medieval streets. The Quartier Juif is still dominated by felafel stalls, and kosher restaurants, foods stores and bakeries, such as that of Florence Finkelsztaijn, which also sells the flat, unleavened bread, mazze. However, alongside Orthodox Jews, more and more trendy figures from the“in crowd” are being seen here, for in recent years the Jewish Quarter has become a refined address for art galleries and fashion designers. A stroll through the Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the quarter, is particularly rewarding on Sundays, for then the shops are open, but the delivery traffic is absent. The Jewish community of Paris is, by the way, the largest in Europe (400,000 members).