Most Jewish travelers arrive in Strasbourg on the way of a trip to the Black Forest and Alsace region. Many of us come there mainly because we are looking for a good kosher restaurant, and for a synagogue to pray on Saturdays
Strasbourg has a large and warm Jewish community. 20,000 Jews are registered in the Jewish community, and many more do not pay membership fees, but attend prayers and events. We can find 26 synagogues in Strasbourg, as well as 17 kosher restaurants. (Click here for the list of restaurants). i
Most of the Jews live in the Contades neighborhood, named after the large park in the center of the neighborhood. Some local Jews call this neighborhood the "The Ghetto." When I walked there on Shabbat, I saw a lot of skullcaps and hats on heads of people on their way to the synagogues, and on Saturday afternoon the park was full of Jewish families strolling after the Cholent. Everyone welcomes each other with the blessing of "Shabbat Shalom", even if they do not know us. For us it is closest to "feeling at home." i
Strasbourg is rich in historical tourist sites, but it is poor in Jewish heritage sites. Jews were deported from Strasbourg in 1349, and for more than 500 years, until the French Revolution, Jews were not allowed to live in city, and were not allowed to stay in the city at nights. In the Middle Ages, Strasburg was surrounded by a wall, mostly by the river. The Jews were allowed in and out of the city only through a side gate in the wall. Today we can see this gate near one of the entrances to the Republic Square. On the railing is the sign "The Gate of the Jews". i
The Jews who worked in Strasbourg used to live in the surrounding area. That is why synagogues and Jewish institutions were not built there either, which is why Strasbourg has so few Jewish heritage sites to offer. Only in 1791, after the French Revolution, were Jews granted equal rights and were also allowed to live in cities
The old Jewish cemetery was on the territory that is today the Republic Square. During the black plague in Europe at the 14th century, the Jews were suspected of causing the epidemic by poisoning the water wells of the Gentiles. Most of Strasbourg Jews were brought into the cemetery, where they were burned to death. About two thousand innocent Jews were murdered there
Despite its shortage of Jewish sites, I recommend spending at least one day of sightseeing in Strasbourg. It is a pretty city, and it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. The Old City area is built mostly of stone houses with wooden beams. The streets are narrow, and are pedestrianized with paving stones. The place preserves the medieval character and atmosphere. It is a great pleasure just to wander around
The symbol of the city is the huge Cathedral Notre-Dame built from the 11th to the 15th centuries. Until the 19th century, it was considered the tallest cathedral in the world. It's a very impressive building from the outside, and those who come in say it's amazing on the inside as well. From the top floor we can see spectacular panoramic views of the entire city. On nights, the cathedral is lit up with a special artistic illumination of 500 light bulbs of different colors, giving the church a rare beauty
The exterior walls of the church are decorated with many sculptures; one of them will be of special interest to us. It is the "Church and Synagogue" statue. It is located on the western outside wall of the cathedral. It is a statue of two women. One represents the Christian Church, and it transmits self-confidence and supremacy, and looks at a kind of contempt on the woman next to it. The second sculpture represents Judaism and synagogue. The female figure in this statue is bowed, her eyes bound and covered, and she transmits sadness and defeat. Her staff is broken and the Two Tablets in her hand are upside-down. Her crown lies at her feet
On the other side of the big square is the "Notre Dame Museum". The museum is dedicated mostly to various stone sculptures that would stand on the roofs of ruined churches and cathedrals, as well as stone decorations that adorned the facades and gates of ancient cathedrals. What interests us is the inner courtyard on the ground floor, on whose walls are fragments of ancient Jewish tombstones. The oldest tombstone is of "Rabbi Gershon" who died in 1349. The tombstones were not brought from the old Jewish cemetery, because it was destroyed centuries ago. The tombstones we see today were robbed from the Jewish cemetery, and used as building blocks. When they were discovered in recent decades, they were removed from the walls and brought to the museum
One of the main streets in the Old City was the "Street of the Jews", and so it is called till today. It is located parallel to the cathedral, on its left. In the Middle Ages, Jews were concentrated on this street until they were expelled from the city. When Jews began to return to Strasbourg in the early 20th century, they did not return to this street, but purchased homes in more modern areas of the city
House No. 15 on Jewish Street is standing on the location of the old main synagogue. On the building we can see a sign says: "In this area was the center of the Jews in the Middle Ages, before the massacre of 1349. The synagogue was in number 15, and the mikveh was at number 19." i
An ancient medieval mikveh was discovered in 1986 during renovations made in house No. 19. The mikveh dates to around year 1,200. The entrance is in the right side of the building. The key is in the Tourist Info Bureau on the cathedral plaza, and they give it to tourist guides upon request in advance
The most picturesque area of Strasbourg is called "Le Petit France" (Little France). It is on the west side of the "Big Island". It has narrow stone alleys, between houses built of wooden columns with concrete between them, which are reflected in the canal water. Most of these houses were built in the 16th-17th century
Little France is surrounded by four canals with bridges crossing it. these beautiful bridges are called Les Ponts Couverts. In the 14th century they were built with a roof above them, giving them the name "the covered bridges", even though they no longer have roofs
The new city is in the German Quarter called "Neustadt". The Germans occupied the area in 1870, and began building momentum on the outskirts of the city. They built large Prussian and German style houses, until the French reconquered the area in 1918. The Jewish area today is also part of Neustadt
Strasbourg is considered the "Capital of Europe" because it houses EU political institutions. It is the seat of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, and the European Parliament. Huge buildings are built in circular styles. The European Parliament meets one week each month. We were advised that during these weeks it is very difficult to find a hotel room, because hundreds of delegates and their assistants come to town. Therefore, before arriving in Strasbourg, it is advisable to check online if Parliament is convening at the time that you wish to visit
One of the pleasant ways to travel in Strasbourg is to sail on tour boats cruising its canals. During the cruise there are explanations of what you see around. I recommend starting our excursion with such a trip, figuring out what we want to see up-close later on, and then going on foot to the places we choose
When we come to Strasbourg with children, it is recommended to tour the city by the small Mini Train which runs through most of the tourist sites
Cycling enthusiasts have cycling trails between the sites, and bikes can be hired
In all hotels and tourist offices we can buy a Strasbourg PASS card, offering admission to museums and sites at no additional cost and discounts on all kinds of places and tourist attractions. Great savings. Recommended! i
There are many museums in Strasbourg. The most interesting to the Jewish travelers is the "Alsace Museum". The second floor has two rooms with Jewish displays. There are special amulets there, once put over the maternity bed for protection. One of the special exhibits is a large plaque with prayers for Napoleon in Hebrew and French, which were hung in most of the synagogues in Strasbourg
Address: 23-25 quai Saint Nicola
Prior to World War II, 10,000 Jews lived in Strasbourg, of whom about 1,000 were murdered in the Holocaust. Most of the Jews managed to escape on time. The majority escaped to villages and towns in the south of France, and some to Israel and America. The post-war years were years of restoration of the Alsace Jewish communities. In the post-war years they established in Strasbourg the central synagogue, a Jewish school, the Akiva school, and many other Jewish institutions
Recently, the Jews of Strasbourg celebrated the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of the "La Paix" (SHALOM) synagogue. It is in a large complex. The huge synagogue, whose ceiling is very high and reminds us of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. The acoustics are amazing. During the Shabbat prayers we can clearly hear the cantor and choir. Amazing experience
As mentioned, there are 26 synagogues in Strasbourg, and half of them pray in the special "Alsace rite". In fact, it is the "Rhinus rite" used by the Kalonymus family that came with the Roman conquest of Alsace about a thousand years ago. Most of yeshiva heads in this area of Europe were from the Kalonymus dynasty, including the head of the Worms Yeshiva, where the Rashi studied
The "Alsace rite" is slightly different from the prayer rite to which we are used in Israel. They do not say "Pitum HaKtoret" in Shacharit, nor do they say the "Viduy" of 13 Midot. After the Shacharit prayers they add chapter 83 in Psalm, and after Maariv prayer they add chapter 25 in Psalm. They have a special "Yotzer", and on special Shabbatot they recite liturgical poems that are unfamiliar to us, such as Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, 4 Shabbatot before Passover, Shabbat of a circumcision, and so on. Their Selichot are much different from ours
The synagogues where the prayers are of Alsace version are: La Paix, the center (in the same building), Miyan Ami, Ets Chaim, Wolfishheim, and the Eliza Fondation
The Ashkenaz rite is used in synagogues: Amira, Adat Yisrael, Chaverim, Birkat Yoseph, and Lingolsheim
And there are also synagogues in which they pray in Sephardic version: Rambam, Weiler, Asplanda, Chemdat Shlomo, Eshel, Ort, Chafetz Chaim, and Bishheim
The synagogues where we can get a Minyan 3 times every day are: Merkaz, Rambam, Adat Yisrael, Minyan Ami, Etz Haim, Chaverim, Eshel, Chafetz Chaim, and Birkat Yoseph. The rest of the synagogues hold services only on Saturdays and holidays
Today there are no direct flights from Israel to Strasbourg, only charters flights. Those wishing to visit Strasbourg must land in Paris. From Paris one can take a domestic flight or a train, or drive a rental car
(Photo courtesy of the Office de Tourisme de Strasbourg et sa Region)
The writer was a guest of the French Tourism Bureau in Israel
