On July 14, France celebrates Bastille Day, commemorating the storming of the Bastille, back in 1789, during the French Revolution. To mark the occasion, the Forward has compiled some of its must-reads about France.
“The France That Hasn’t Shown Its Face to Dominique Strauss-Kahn”
A professor of French history discusses France’s culture of anti-Semitism, which, curiously, has yet to rear its head amid the DSK scandal.
“The Name of Pétain, Hero and Villain, Is Cleansed From the Streets of France”
In the tiny French village of Tremblois-lès-Carignan, France’s last street named for Vichy leader Marshal Philippe Pétain recently received a new moniker.
“Co Co: Couturier, Collaborator”
Why did a contemporary Coco Chanel biopic leave out the French designer’s Nazi sympathies?
”France’s Ban, and Israel’s Burka Problem”
Miriam Shaviv explains what she thinks Israel, and especially its rabbis, could learn from France’s recent ban on face veils.
“Jokes and Other Things the French Find Funny”
The Moroccan-born Jewish comic Gad Elmaleh is the toast of France.
“A Jewish Food Writer Explores France”
Our “Ingredients” columnist, Leah Koenig, speaks with famed food writer Joan Nathan about her recent book about Jewish cooking in France. Bonus: Nathan’s recipe for fennel and citrus salad.
“Building a Collective Consciousness on a National Scale”
Benjamin Ivry looks at how the Jewish historian Pierre Nora defined what is quintessentially French.
“Jean Zay: What He Contributed, What He Endured”
The Cannes festival co-founder and French minister secured lasting cultural advancement in his home country before being murdered at age 39.
“Abraham Cahan on ‘The Dreyfus Trial’”
The Forward’s legendary founding editor, Abraham Cahan, reflects on the treason trial of the French Jewish captain Alfred Dreyfus.
“From Suitcase to ‘Suite Française’”
A recent biography looks at the tragic life and posthumous fame of “Suite Française” author Irène Némirovsky.
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