In a city celebrated for its art, architecture, and revolutionary spirit, one museum quietly tells a 2,000-year story of endurance, creativity, exile, rebirth, and identity. Tucked into the storied lanes of Paris’s Marais district, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme (mahJ) is not just a museum—it is a journey through the soul of Jewish France.
For readers of the New York Jewish Travel Guide, whose travels seek meaning as much as movement, the mahJ is an essential cultural pilgrimage.
A Majestic Setting in Historic Jewish Paris
The museum is housed in the elegant Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, a 17th-century mansion built between 1644 and 1650. Its classical courtyard, sculpted stonework, and graceful interiors provide a striking contrast to the centuries of upheaval chronicled within its walls.
Located at 71 rue du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement (Metro: Rambuteau or Hôtel de Ville), the mahJ stands in the historic Marais—once home to vibrant medieval Jewish life. Walking these streets, visitors are retracing footsteps that stretch back to the Middle Ages and beyond.
France today is home to the world’s third-largest Jewish community, after Israel and the United States. The mahJ contextualizes that remarkable continuity with depth, scholarship, and artistic beauty.
A Collection of Global Significance
The mahJ houses the third-largest Judaica collection in the world, following the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Jewish Museum in New York.
Its holdings—now exceeding 12,000 works and archival documents—span from the Middle Ages to contemporary times. The permanent collection traces Jewish life in:
France
Western and Eastern Europe
North Africa
The broader Mediterranean world
Visitors encounter ritual silver, Torah ornaments, rare manuscripts, textiles, furniture, paintings, photographs, and intimate historical documents. Each object is more than decorative—it is testimony.
Among the museum’s most moving treasures are:
The Isaac Strauss collection (donated in 1890 by Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild)
Seventy medieval gravestones were discovered in 1849 in the Rue Pierre-Sarrazin cemetery.
Archival materials connecting centuries of Jewish resilience in France
The museum is also heir to the Musée d’Art Juif, founded in 1948 by Shoah survivors—an origin that grounds the institution in memory and moral responsibility.
The Story of French Judaism—And Beyond
What distinguishes the mahJ for Jewish travelers is its nuanced portrayal of French Jewish identity. The museum gives special attention to how communities from Alsace, Provence, Eastern Europe, and North Africa—particularly from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria—shaped modern French Judaism.
This layered narrative resonates deeply for American visitors, especially those with Sephardic or Ashkenazic roots tracing back through Europe or the Mediterranean.
The exhibitions explore:
Medieval expulsions and readmissions
Emancipation during the French Revolution
The Dreyfus Affair
Immigration waves of the 19th and 20th centuries
The Shoah and postwar reconstruction
Contemporary Jewish cultural expression
The mahJ does not present Judaism as static—it shows a living, evolving civilization.
More Than a Museum
The MahJ is also one of Paris’s major cultural landmarks. Beyond the permanent collection, visitors will find:
Rotating temporary exhibitions of international caliber
An auditorium hosting lectures, concerts, and film screenings
A research-oriented mediatheque
A carefully curated bookstore featuring Judaica, history, and art publications
For travelers planning their itinerary, allow at least one hour for the permanent exhibition. Those interested in temporary exhibits or programs should plan for two to three hours.
Practical Information for Travelers
Address:
Hôtel de Saint-Aignan
71, rue du Temple, 75003 Paris
Métro: Rambuteau or Hôtel de Ville
Hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Wednesday until 9:00 PM)
Saturday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Closed Mondays
Closed January 1, May 1, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur
The ticket office closes 45 minutes before closing
Admission: €10
Website: www.mahj.org
Tel: +33 1 53 01 86 60
Why It Matters for Jewish Travelers
For New York Jewish Travel Guide readers, the mahJ offers something uniquely powerful: perspective.
In a world where Jewish history is often told through tragedy alone, this museum emphasizes creativity, intellectual life, ritual beauty, and cultural contribution alongside struggle and survival. It situates French Jewish history within the broader arc of global Judaism—reminding us that Jewish civilization has always crossed borders.
A visit here pairs beautifully with:
A walking tour of the Marais Jewish quarter
A stop at local kosher bakeries and bookstores
Exploration of medieval Jewish Paris
The mahJ invites reflection—not only on where Jewish communities have been, but where they are going.
In Paris—a city synonymous with artistic genius—the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme stands as a monument to Jewish creativity, resilience, and continuity. It is a must-visit for anyone seeking to understand Jewish life in France and its profound influence on European culture.
For travelers who believe that journeys should enrich both heart and mind, this museum delivers an experience that lingers long after you step back into the Paris streets.
When in Paris, make time for the mahJ. It is history—beautifully preserved, thoughtfully presented, and deeply alive.
By Meyer Harroch, New York Jewish Travel Guide
