Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki, renowned as "Rashi," stands as one of the towering figures in Jewish culture. Despite his historical significance, the allure of tourism often bypasses him. Rashi's era, in the 11th century, coincided with the time of the great philosopher Maimonides, whose public relations campaign today outshines that of Rashi. Many Jewish travelers now flock to Cordoba, Spain, to pay homage to Maimonides' statue, while Rashi's town of Troyes in France remains relatively unexplored, mainly because, until recently, it offered little to engage visitors

This oversight is perplexing when we consider the trail of followers who embark on journeys to destinations like Worms, Ashkenaz, once eminent centers of Torah study. Worms even boasts a structure named the "Rashi Synagogue," and travelers are drawn to "Rashi's mikveh" for a symbolic bath. However, this narrative is somewhat inaccurate. Rashi's time in Worms and Ashkenaz spanned only about a decade, starting when he was 18 and enrolled in the yeshiva of Rabbi Yaakov Ben Yakar. This yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Gershom Meor HaGola ("The Light of the Diaspora"), who, incidentally, passed away on the very day Rashi was born

In stark contrast, Rashi spent the entirety of his life in the charming town of Troyes, where he began his journey as a Dayan at the age of 30 and eventually passed away at the age of 65. There he was born, lived there, and his daughters were born there. Troyes was not only the place he called home but where he established his yeshiva and penned his illustrious commentaries and books on the Torah and the Talmud

Until recently, those Jewish travelers venturing to Troyes in honor of Rashi often left disheartened, confronted with a lack of notable attractions. However, times are changing. The Troyes municipality has curated a hiking trail that traces Rashi's footsteps, and the Jewish community has erected a delightful museum in his memory

The Jewish Quarter

The Old Jewish Quarter of Troyes, with its enchanting streets and houses, exudes a timeless beauty. Most streets in the ancient quarter are lined with square stones, eschewing modern asphalt. The houses, two stories in height, exhibit walls made from wooden beams set at precise intervals, filled in with clay, mud, and concrete tiles, creating a picturesque and postcard-like atmosphere. These houses have beauty as in paintings or postcards. It is on these very streets that Rashi and his descendants, Rabeynu Tam and the Rashbam, once strolled

In the morning when I was there, I put on 'Tefillin of Rashi' in my hotel room. I recalled friends from my synagogue who put two tefillin pairs, Rashi and also Rabeynu Tam. After Shacharit morning prayers, I leave the hotel, wander the beautiful alleys, and think about what Rashi and Rabeynu Tam were talking about right here, on their way to the synagogue or back home. Suddenly they seem closer and more tangible and real than ever

The former Jewish Quarter, where Rashi's synagogue and yeshiva were once located, now begins at the intersection of Bouchera Street and the main Rue de la Cite. It extends northwest to the curve of the Seine River, intersecting Gonthier Street with Danton Avenue, encompassing an area akin to half of Jerusalem's Old City Jewish Quarter

Rashi's synagogue and yeshiva once stood on what is now Rue Probert 2, a location with unmistakable historical significance. In his commentary on Masechet Sukkah, page 4, Rashi mentions the Tosefta and notes that Jews would congregate at a "synagogue with a multitude of halls like a basilica." This building likely fits the description

The architecture of the building offers telling clues of its past as a place of worship. The front features remnants of a grand arch, possibly the former main entrance. The entrance was later sealed with concrete, and windows were added. On the west side, two entrances with arches remain, topped by round windows, a feature typical of synagogues and churches

       

To visit the very place where Rashi composed his profound commentaries is a thrilling experience. Eager to enter the building, I knocked on a few doors, but no one answered

Two versions of the building's history persist. Some believe it was once a church built in the 8th century, later abandoned in favor of a larger church, at which point the Jewish community acquired it. By the time Rashi was born, it was already serving as a synagogue, which he and his parents frequented. Upon his return from Worms, Rashi established his yeshiva here. Another version suggests that Christians constructed the church in the 16th century, supplanting an earlier synagogue where Rashi had prayed

Rashi's own home was on the parallel street, as he himself describes and writes. Rashi's house was located on "the Jews street". Today it's called "Rue du Paon", where house 15 and part of house 13 are standing on the lot of Rashi's home

In 1524, many years after Rashi's passing, a massive fire ravaged the Old City, consuming many wooden structures, including the Jewish quarter and Rashi's former residence. The city was subsequently rebuilt with modern houses, but the streets retained their historical layout. Most of the paving stones that now line the streets have withstood the test of time and likely bore the weight of Rashi's footsteps. Apparently, Rashi also stepped on these stones

To follow in his path, I removed my shoes at the location of Rashi's home, feeling a connection to the biblical verse, "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground" (Exodus 3/5). I walked barefoot on the very stones trodden by Rashi, an experience filled with excitement. Try it too

At the end of La Cite Street, the Seine River flows. In days of yore, one of the city wall gates, "Fort Girard," stood there, a name evoking the roots of "Jew." This gate marked the corner of the Jewish Quarter, and today, only a small blue memorial plaque adorns the river wall

Jewish sites downtown

Downtown Troyes teems with local legends about Rashi. On the outer wall of one house, at the beginning of The Cats Alley, there is an indention. According to folklore, Rashi's mother, pregnant with him, once traversed this alley. As a Christian horseman charged down the narrow lane, she clung to the wall, and the wall itself seemed to yield, forming a niche into which the pregnant mother sought refuge. The telltale dent in the wall remains to this day

The poet Shaul Chernichovsky penned a ballad, "The Wonder Wall which is in Worms," referencing this legend. However, it's worth noting that Rashi's mother never set foot in Worms but instead resided exclusively in Troyes

The house where Rashi was born and raised once stood near what is now Alexander Israel Square, facing the municipal facade. (The square is named after a local Jew who served as France's Deputy Foreign Minister and Senator in the early 20th century). Following Rashi's family's departure, the house was sold and eventually transformed into a butcher shop. Legend has it that the shop remained remarkably free of flies, a testament to Rashi's holiness. Today, a grand carousel occupies the exact location of his childhood home

The house where Rashi was born and grew up was located at the edge of where today is the Alexander Israel Square, in front of the municipality facade. (It's named after a local Jew who was France's Deputy Foreign Minister and Senator at early 20th century).           i

The main shopping street of the city during Rashi's days is now called "Emil Zola street". Most of the shops here were owned by Jewish merchants. The street intersects with "The Exchange street", which was the banking center during Rashi times. Most of the exchangers were also Jews

When we are currently studying issues of "Eruv Chatzerot" (courtyards mix), we rely on Rashi's detailed descriptions, which literally paint what the courtyards looked like, and what each railing or doorway or balcony that the Gemara speaks of were looked like. Rashi relied on his own eyes. In Troyes there were shared courtyards for several houses with a common entry. In many places in the Old City we can also see these yards today, and better understand what Rashi wrote about

Rashi died in 29th of Tamuz 1105, and was buried in the old Jewish cemetery, called "The Jewish Field." His tomb and his exact burial place are unknown. Legend says that when Rashi was writing his commentary to masechet Makot, he reached to page 19. After the words "He was pure bathtub and rose and eat Ma'aser," Rashi could only write the word "pure," and then his soul came out in purity. In this page in the Talmud printed the sentence: "Our Rabbi's body is pure, and its soul came out in purity, and didn't interpreted anymore". They say also that at the time of his death, a voice from sky came out and said, "All Israel will be your sons".         i

In the 14th century the Jews were expelled from Troyes, and after years the Gentiles demolished the "field of the Jews" for expanding the city. The headstones disappeared and on the grounds were built houses and a the "Champagne" theater building, and later a parking lot was paved on most of the Jewish cemetery. A memorial of Rashi was erected in 1990 In front of the theater. It is a nearly 3-meter-wide ball, which the Hebrew letters "RA-SH-I" are engraved throughout

Address: Gambetta Boulevard 1

It is designed in an ultra-modern style. But for us Rashi represents an old tradition, the opposite of the modernism. It just doesn't fit. Personally, I didn't like this monument

"Rashi's Synagogue"

The currently active synagogue in Troyes was established in 1960, on a location of a 17th century monastery. All the houses in this area are ancient, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The synagogue was named after Rashi, although Rashi himself had never been to this synagogue, because during his times this area was rural, outside the city. There were many vineyards and apple orchards, and maybe Rashi's vineyard was nearby. We know that Rashi earned a living from growing vineyards and wine trade, and in his commentary he is proficient in vine varieties and wine-producing methods in wineries

In the 60s there were only 60 families in the local Jewish community, and in the 1960s many Jewish people from North Africa arrived in Troyes. Today, North Africans make up 80% of the Jewish community, and only 20% are original Alsatian. The synagogue has become narrower from containing all the worshipers, but it could not be expanded because it is located in a preservation building. The community leaders broke the eastern wall, extending the synagogue's area into the inner courtyard. It was paved, so that the exterior walls of the adjacent houses serve as internal walls of the synagogue. It was forbidden to build a roof, so they mounted a glass ceiling, as in a greenhouse. Above the Holy Ark is the verse "What good are your tents, Ya'akov", so under the glass roof an aluminum ceiling spread in the form of a fluttering tent in the wind. The result is beautiful

 

In the adjacent houses and in the courtyards between them, the Jewish community has opened "Rashi Visitors Center". Rashi's study room was restored there. The room and furniture look so authentic that it feels like Rashi himself really was in this room. The chair at the head of the table has a very high backrest. On the table in front of it is a small stand, with a Gemara open on it, as if Rashi is in the middle of learning

I looked at the Gemara and saw that it's opened in Masechet Sukkah. I flipped the pages backword to page 40, searched and found where Rashi wrote: "And I heard from many of my rabbis who were learnt… and I bothered from my youth on all sides of the Talmud method to solve it as they say, and I cannot". And here I am privileged to be exactly where Rashi testifies where he heard from his parents and bothered about his youth. Wow! This is where all the great enterprise of Rashi's interpretation began

I sat there and read slowly all the Rashi on both pages of the Gemara. That was my height of pleasure on this trip to France. When I was sitting there on "Rashi's chair", it occurred to me that if he had lived in our generation, he probably would have been a "settler" in Juddah and Shomron. He had a great affection for Eretz Israel, and he also drew several maps of the country. In Massechet Gittin (page 7) about the pasuk "the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem" (Judges 21/19), Rashi drow a map including Shiloh and Lebonah, settelments established in our generation too

In the next room they did a reconstruction of a "Rashi's prayer room". It is a kind of Schtibel with old style wooden benches and a small Holy Ark made of walnut wood, without Parochet. Both rooms have an atmosphere of holiness and uplifting. This is not only because of the authentic furniture, but also because of the lighting is a kind of darkness that arouses holy anguish. There are no visible projectors or electrical lighting. The dim light inside comes only through "windows." But these are not real windows that face out, these are opaque colored glass, with a window frame. The "windows" hang on the wall, and behind them are unnoticed electric lights

From there, we continue our tour to the conference room of the community, adjacent to the synagogue. One of the walls is made of a huge stained glass, in which Rashi's genealogy pedigree is painted, his daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and fatherhood. The pedigree ends in the 14th century, when the Jews were expelled from Troyes. The exhibition curator, Mrs. Yigwa Delphin, decided to put this technique on display, because Rashi writes in several places about stained glass and the art of glass. It was part of his childhood landscape. For example, in the Massechet Berachot (page 25) Rashi explains the differences between pottery and glassware. From this, we can understand how proficient he was in the glass industry

The next hall in the exhibition is the library. The curator wanted to describe not only his daily life, but also the scope of Rashi's work. On one of the walls of the library there are all the Talmud's books with Rashi's commentary. On the opposite wall are Bible books with Rashi commentary. In another area, all the Midrashic books that Rashi quotes. Also, more than 300 books have been written about Rashi in various languages, and many of them are on display in this library

Only one library wall has no bookshelves. One of the walls is a huge screen, with promotional videos. Most of the films were filmed so the bottom of the scene is as if a continuation of the floor of the library hall. This makes the viewers feel like part of the picture, as if they too roam the city of Troyes among the medieval houses, and can better identify with the messages in the videos

Address: 5 rue Brunneval. To schedule visits call: 01 53 73 25 3 33+         i

Opposite the synagogue across the street is the "Rashi Institute". It is an academic institution for research and study of Rashi and Judaism, with courses for learning Hebrew and Arabic

Near the synagogue there is a supermarket that sells kosher products, including meat products under the supervision of the Beit Din of Paris. The selection is unsatisfactory, so many local Jewish families make concentrated orders from a kosher supermarket in Strasbourg, and the shipment arrives at their homes once a week

Other local tourist sites

In Troyes we focus on the Rashi, but the city and its surroundings have other tourist attractions as well. The center of the Old City, near the Old Jewish Quarter, is a huge and impressive cathedral, where the Christians who abandoned the Probert Church, which was purchased by the Jewish community for the purpose of the synagogue, where Rashi prayed

There is also an interesting glass museum in the city. The city is crossed by the Seine River, along which we see all kinds of sculptures

Among them is a huge statue of heart. It's worth going to see it at night too, ecause it's lit by special heartbeat red lighting. On many bridges here are locks that hung loving couples

Those who visit Troyes for more than one day can also travel outside the city. Troyes is the capital of Champagne County, known for its excellent bubbly wine reputation, called "Champagne". On the sides of most roads we see vineyards. Almost every village in the area has several wineries

There is a winery that produces also kosher champagne. It is a prestigious winery called Drappier, which offer a visitor center. We can get tours of the wine preservation cellars and hear about the special production process of the champagne wines

We are particularly interested in kosher wine. I was taken to see two huge stainless steel containers that are containing 10,000 liters, in which the sparkling wine was aged under the supervision of OU, by Rabbi Mordechai Zakbach and Rabbi Gabi Zialushinsky

The taps of the kosher wine containers are closed with special stickers, plus the names of the overseers (Mashgiach) are signed, so that if anyone tries to open the stickers, it's noticed immediately that someone has touched and moved it

At the end of the tour, I was invited to taste the champagne in the guest room. One of the workers brought a closed bottle of champagne, and gave the winery manager. He handed me the bottle and said "You should open the bottle. I'm not allowed". I was pleased to see that the non-Jewish workers are also familiar with our Halacha and strictly observing it

Art lovers will be interested in visiting the home of the well-known painter Pierre Renoir in the village of Essauer. His home looks today exactly the same today as one of his famous paintings

 

There are no "Please Don't Touch" signs in the house, because they want visitors to feel Renoir's life. The house also has his study rooms. In one of the rooms there is also his chair with his original easel stand, and guests are allowed to sit on it. At the end of the street is the local cemetery where Renoir himself is also buried

Families who come with children will be happy to spend at least half a day in the Nigloland amusement park

Shopping enthusiasts will be pleased to know that in the vicinity of Troyes there are 4 shopping centers, including the outlet MacArthur Glenn, considered to be the largest in France. There are 30,000 square meters of stores, not including the parking and amusement areas. "This is our Eiffel Tower," says the manager of the complex, Pavio Sekyevetty. All famous brands, such as Hugo Boss, Nike, Ralph Lorraine, and the like operate their factory store in this open mall. Buyers are coming even from Paris or Belgium to this outlet

2 thoughts on “Troyes worthy trying to follow Rashi”
  1. ,Hi Jacob
    I loved this piece you did on Rashi and Troyes. There is so much detail and such great pictures. I am a teacher in the UK and I have a particular interest in Rashi. At the moment I am trying to put together a virtual tour of Rashi's world. I would love to include some of your photos and descriptions of Troyes and the Rashi shul. Would you be happy for me to do so? Of course I would attribute you. Please let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
    Best wishes, Michelle

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