Memory & History
Private sessions with historians at the Shoah Memorial or CNRS researchers. Deep-dive into the French specificity of the Holocaust, the Vel d'Hiv, Drancy, and the politics of memory.
Paris · The Jewish Marais · Private walks
The Jewish Marais,
tasted and told
by a journalist
A private walk up the Marais: tastings at the bakeries and delis, conversations with shopkeepers and locals, and the story of the Jews of France from their first presence to this week's news. Led by Élie Petit, journalist covering Jewish Europe today, not a tour guide. For 1 to 6 guests, in English or French.
Le Marais · Paris, France
The signature walk
Up the Marais,
one bite at a time
We walk up the quarter street by street. Each stop is a taste, a person and a chapter: the shopkeeper behind the counter, the neighbor on the bench, the rabbi between two prayers. By the end you have eaten well and you understand two thousand years of Jewish France, right up to what people in the street are talking about today.
Origins
The medieval Jews of Paris, the old "rue des Juifs", expulsions and returns. Where the story starts, long before the Pletzl.
The Pletzl
Emancipation in 1791, then the Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Eastern Europe. A taste of the Ashkenazi bakeries and delis that still hold the street.
War and return
The round-ups, the children of the quarter, then the arrival of the Jews of North Africa after 1962. Another cuisine, another accent, the same streets.
Today
Falafel, grocers, shopkeepers and locals. What it means to be Jewish in France right now, from someone who covers it every week as a journalist.
Our approach
This is not
a walking tour.
What others offer
- Walking tour of the Jewish Quarter
- Historical anecdotes from a licensed guide
- Visit to a synagogue exterior
- Group of 10–20 tourists
- A souvenir photo on rue des Rosiers
What we offer
- Tastings and talks with the shopkeepers of the Marais
- Private meeting with a Holocaust historian
- Dinner with a Jewish-European intellectual
- Conversation with a rabbi in his study
- Access to editorial rooms and cultural circles
- A connection to a living community
Cultural Giving
Your experience funds
the ecosystem
you discover
Each encounter is paired with a suggested donation directly to the speaker's institution. Your visit becomes an act of cultural philanthropy — no middleman, no obligation.
You meet
A historian, rabbi, journalist, or artist shares their world with you in a private encounter.
We guide
At the end of your program, you receive a Cultural Giving Guide with each institution's story and direct donation links.
You give
You donate directly to the institutions that moved you. Your choice, your impact.
Example institutions you may support
Mémorial de la Shoah
France's Holocaust memorial and education center, welcoming 200,000+ visitors per year.
K. — European Jewish Review
Independent multilingual journal covering Jewish intellectual life across Europe in 5 languages.
Cultural Projects & Films
Independent documentaries and exhibitions exploring Jewish heritage in Europe.
Research Labs & Universities
CNRS, EHESS, and university programs studying Jewish history, antisemitism, and memory.
Encounters
Experiences you cannot
book anywhere else
Art & Culture
From Chagall to contemporary Jewish artists, from the Jewish Museum to private galleries. Discover the Jewish contribution to French art and letters across centuries.
Table & Tradition
Curated meals — kosher or not — at restaurants that tell a story. Ashkenazi delis, Tunisian cuisine, Franco-Israeli fusion. Shabbat dinner with a Parisian family on request.
Your host
Élie Petit
I'm not a tour guide. I'm a journalist who covers Jewish life in Europe as it happens, and a cultural fixer: the same job I do for NBC Universal, Disney+, and international film crews shooting in France. My work is opening doors.
The Marais is my beat. I know the shopkeepers, the bakers and the people on the benches, and I can tell you what happened there in 1394, in 1942 and last week.
As Deputy Editor-in-Chief of K. — The European Jewish Review, I work daily at the intersection of Jewish thought, European politics, and culture. I teach at Université Paris Nanterre. I know the people, the places, and the conversations that matter.
K. — European Jewish Review
Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Five years covering Jewish intellectual life across Europe.
FixersInParis
10+ years as a production fixer. Clients include NBC Universal (2 Emmy Awards), Disney+, Adidas, MrBeast.
Université Paris Nanterre
Lecturer. Background in journalism — Washington Post, BBC, NPR.
Programs
Tailored to your time,
interests, and pace
The Marais Tasting Walk
3 to 4 hours · 1 to 6 guests
- A private walk up the Jewish Marais
- Tastings at bakeries, delis and grocers
- Meetings with shopkeepers and locals
- The Jews of France, from origins to today
- A private encounter on request
Immersion
6 to 8 hours · 1 to 6 guests
- The Marais Tasting Walk in the morning
- 2 private encounters: historian, rabbi, journalist or artist
- Shoah Memorial or Jewish museum
- Lunch at a chosen restaurant
- Cultural Giving Guide
Every program is private and priced on quote: tell me your dates, group size and interests, and I'll send you a written quote within 24 hours. Quotes include VAT (20%) and say exactly what is included. In a hurry? Call or WhatsApp +33 6 68 08 61 02. Terms of sale.
Get in touch
Tell us about
your visit
Share your dates, interests, and group size. I'll send you a written quote within 24 hours. Already in Paris? Call or message me, the walk is often possible within a day or two.
Something went wrong and your inquiry was not sent. Please write to e.petit@fixersinparis.com or use WhatsApp.
Thank you — I'll be in touch within 48 hours.