Kitchen x Paris

The Idea
Tamia & David B’Chiri moved to San Francisco from Paris about 3 years ago. They experienced The Kitchen, our partnership with GLIDE, and our way of doing jewish and were transformed. They fell in love with The Kitchen and our community, participating in learning, shabbat and going to Alabama with GLIDE & The Kitchen. When they returned to Paris, they missed the vibrant way of “doing jewish” at The Kitchen and decided to try and bring this approach to Paris — so they called Rabbi Noa.

The New Jewish Movement in France
At the same time, a consortium of four synagogues, representing thousands of Parisian Jews, combined to form a coalition called Judaisme Enmouvement or JEM, including Copernique and Beaugrenelle (+ Liberal Jewish Movement of France). As progressive, non-orthodox communities, not recognized by the Consistoire, these jews wanted to create a modern jewish experience. Led by the Presdident of Copernique, Jean-Francois Bensahel and Gad Weil, the coalition was created.

JEM x The Kitchen
Tamia and the leaders of JEM worked together to bring Rabbi Noa & Rabbi Michael to Paris with the aim of offering an example of modern Jewish life to JEM and the progressive jews of Paris.

Over the past few months, Rabbis Noa & Michael have been in regular contact with Tamia and leaders of JEM, forming and embarking on a three year relationship — with trips of Kitchen leaders going to Paris, and Parisian JEM leaders coming to the US annually. This year, Rabbis Noa & Michael met with educators, youth movement leaders, JEM leaders and Rabbis over zoom to help shape and prepare a six day engagement in Paris.

The Kitchen in Paris
The goals of the multi day engagement were to teach Kitchen principles (Why and How), demonstrate Kitchen experiences (through prayer and learning) and use our work with GLIDE as examples of ways the Parisian community could develop and grow. We taught 3 times a day the for 6 days, leading sessions for educators, rabbis, those interested in prayer, 20’s + 30’s, entrepreneurs, communications professionals, those heavily involved as well as those interested but not yet involved. We participated in teaching to congregations on shabbat both Friday night and Saturday morning and demonstrating our approaches to prayer with IKAR Hazan, Hillel Tigay Saturday night we culminated shabbat with havdallah on the roof of Copernique and the 20’s / 30’s group which ended in a spontaneous, exuberant horah —with the stars and the Eiffel Tower shining near by.

The questions were deep and we made huge inroads and connections with many, many people. The week exceeded all expectations, it was invigorating and powerful to see the energy and ideas take shape in real time.

Key areas of interest included:

• The specific connection of Jewish practice and belief with acts of universal justice (relatively unknown in France).

• A “user focused” experience model of Jewish life, where services are designed centralizing the perspective of participants

• Our approach to “doing Jewish” which puts questions of pedigree aside and prioritizes willing and engaged participation

• GLIDE’s radical welcoming and work in educating Americans about our racist history and its current iterations today

Paris comes to The Kitchen
We are beyond proud to be a part of this collaboration with JEM and look forward to welcoming a group of leaders this upcoming Sukkot and Simchat Torah to The Kitchen, where they can continue to experience what we have build and have to teach and we can host them in SF.

Over the next few years, we will continue our relationship with Paris over zoom, advising JEM on how to tackle challenges and develop their communities, as well as return to Paris with more Kitchen leaders, and host a group from Paris to Alabama with GLIDE.

A special thank you to our funders Vincent Worms and Liz & Avidan Ross for making the first part of this partnership happen.

Interested in learning more about our trip to Paris? Email Rabbi Noa here