FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY, November 1, 2013 – Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, and the Provence-Alps-Côte d'Azur Tourism Board have launched last week in the United States the new Provence Jewish Heritage Route, a guide to the region’s historic Jewish sites. It has been written for the tourism board by journalist and author Jules B. Farber, the author of the Pope’s Jews in Provence and several other books.
Honoring France’s oldest Jewish community and rich heritage dating back more than two millenia, the guide highlights thirteen sites from Marseille's opulent 19th century Temple Breteuil to the birthplace of Nostradamus in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to the oldest French synagogue built in 1367 in Carpentras. The route also showcases locations that could otherwise have been easily overlooked. Other notable sites include the Arles museum with a 4th century carved burial stone depicting Abraham; Camp des Milles, near Aix-en-Provence, a “holding camp” for Jews before deportation to Nazi death camps, in which the restored cattle car train on tracks has become a haunting memorial and educational center; the 14th century synagogue in Cavaillon, turned into a museum, whose collection includes an oil lamp with a double seven-branch menorah dating from 1st century B.C. or 1st century A.D.
For this occasion, Atout France has created a dedicated landing page “Celebrating Jewish Heritage in France,” which includes a link to the downloadable version of Provence Jewish Heritage Route and the possibility of ordering the hard copy online. There are also links to a group tour, an 8-day all-inclusive land package featuring the Jewish heritage of Paris, Rouen (Normandy) and Provence as well as a walking tour of the Marais, the historic heart of France’s Jewish Community in Paris, offered by the tour operator France.com. In addition to the Provence guide and information, the landing page includes other articles on Jewish heritage in France, a history of the Jewish French community, kosher cuisine, itineraries and more which are all accessible from the home page of Atout France’s official website us.rendezvousenfrance.com or by visiting www.jewishheritageinfrance.com.
About Atout France
Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, is the sole national organization responsible for the development and promotion of tourism to France. As an association of public and private interests, Atout France is charged with supporting tourism to France and assisting its partners internationally through its network of 35 offices in 32 countries. Atout France is also responsible for assisting regions, counties, towns and cities in the development and modernization of their tourism assets, as well as for administering France’s new hotel rating system.
For information on traveling to France, please visit: http://us.rendezvousenfrance.com/
PRESS CONTACTS
Anne-Marie Bernard
Director of Communications
Tel: 011-33-(0)4 91 56 47 33
Email: am.bernard@crt-paca.fr
