Everyone is enthralled with Paris, the beauty and culture mixed with the excitement make it a desired destination. My trip to France is to the Southern region of Provence, which borders the Mediterranean. It is known for its plains of rolling vineyards, fields of lavender and olive groves. The largest city is Marseille.
Surrounded by the Alps and the Pyrenees it borders Italy and Spain which has brought an influx of Spanish and Italian Jews into the region. During the middle ages the crusades brought persecution to the Jews with blood libels. Jews were burned at the stake by the leaders of the church under the rule of King Philip Augustus. He imprisoned many and took their land then forced the Jews to wear a badge in the provinces of Languedoc, Normandy and Provence. During the reign of Louis IX more persecutions took place and the next King seized everything the Jews owned. There were massacres of Jews due to the black plague and it goes on until the Nazi occupation.
Despite all the expulsions and persecutions Jewish learning managed to thrive during the middle ages. One of the foremost Jewish scholars during that time was Rashi. Champagne, Loir Valley, Languedoc and Provence became centers of Jewish learning.
My travel to this region to explore the beauty of Provence will lead me to explore the history of Jewish Talmudic scholars and Kabbalist that flourished in this region. The remnants of a once-thriving Jewish life still remain as well as the scars of the horrors of persecution.
