Toulouse community thrives

CURT LEVIANT AND ERIKA PFEIFER LEVIANT

Toulouse, a beautiful city located in the Midi-Pyrenees in the heart of southwest France, has always had a resonance in my memory, even though I had never been there. I knew it as a place in southern France, the so-called “Free France,” where members of the Paris branch of my family had found refuge during the Second World War, when northern France was occupied by the Germans and Jews were sent to death camps.

This flexible freedom, however, did not last long, for when in November 1942 the U.S. and Allied forces invaded North Africa, the German army rolled into southern France, and Jews who could not go into hiding were doomed. I also knew of Toulouse as a site where, before the First World War, members of the Russian branch of the Leviants came to France to study at the local university when, as Jews, they were denied admission to a Russian university – even today, about one-third of the Toulouse population is composed of students. Therefore, when we had the opportunity to travel to southern France, Toulouse was a not-to-be-missed destination.

We didn’t just land in Toulouse; we got there in stages. First, we explored Paris, staying at the Hôtel de Crillon, one of Paris’ fabled hostelries, and one of the two remaining palace hotels in the city. A few days later, we spent a week in a rented, furnished apartment on the Left Bank, enjoying its homey atmosphere in the heart of the bubbling university district (via francehomestyle.com, which has a selection of apartments throughout Paris and all over France).

Our train ride south from Paris, with Rail Europe’s super-fast TGV, took us through the French countryside to Toulouse. Here, we chose the Hôtel Riquet, a stunning four-star hotel right in the heart of the Old City, just a few minutes’ walk from the train station. Our three-day stay at the Hôtel Riquet was enhanced by our gorgeous room, an amicable welcome and a delicious buffet breakfast. The concierge was also helpful in recommending Jewish sites of interest and told us not to miss the Museum of Resistance and Deportation and the Resistance Monument. Because of the hotel’s ideal location we were able to walk everywhere, never once having to rely either on public transportation or taxis.

Many classic buildings from the late-19th century are part of the Toulouse skyline, as are the many museums, 16th-century public buildings and private mansions, all of which give Toulouse its flavor and beautiful European look. Toulouse is also known as La Ville Rose, the Pink City, for its many structures in reddish stucco. Because of its many diverse museums, Toulouse could also be called Museum City.

In the imposing Toulouse opera house, another one of the great buildings in the city, we saw a program devoted to Stravinsky and dance, featuring his famous Pulcinella and his Symphony of Psalms. With its decorative and ornate 19th-century interior, the opera house was reminiscent of similar grand houses in Paris and Italy.

Some of the stunning buildings in the city and its great open squares include Place du Capitole, City Hall, Saint-Sernin Basilica (built from the 11th to the 14th centuries), Saint-Georges Square (the largest in the city) and Saint-Etienne Cathedral, which dates to the 13th century. Fascinating, as well, are views of the Garonne River from the bridges.

The Tolouse Tourism Board has a Pass Tourisme, a card that offers free access or reduced rates to several tourist attractions, museums, places of entertainment and shopping, and unlimited use of bus, metro and tram. For further details, visit toulouse-tourisme.com.

Toulouse, with its 23,000 Jews, is now the third largest Jewish community in France, after Paris and Marseilles. Most of the Jews are from North Africa, part of the wave of Jewish immigrants from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, who left once those three countries gained political independence. Feeling uncomfortable with a rising Arab nationalism, Jews left en masse for France, enriching Jewish life in various parts of France, where Ashkenazi Jews had only a tenuous hold on Jewish traditions.

Jews have lived in Toulouse from the eighth century but over the hundreds of years have suffered humiliations, expulsions, onerous taxation and pogroms. A synagogue was built in the 11th century but, after the Jews were massacred in 1321, no Jewish community existed in Toulouse until the beginning of the 19th century.

There are 12 synagogues in the city, many kosher restaurants and butcher shops, three dozen Jewish organizations and three day schools. At one of them, in March 2012, a rabbi/teacher and three students were murdered by a Muslim fanatic, who himself was killed after a daylong siege. For a recent memorial ceremony, the chief rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, and the president of France, François Hollande, participated.

As a counterpoint to the recent tragedy in Toulouse there is a story of decency – of the cardinal of Toulouse, Jules-Gerard Saliege, who was the first to speak up in defence of Jews and to criticize the Germans and the Vichy government. He wrote directly to Vichy authorities and circulated a pastoral letter about “Christian morality ... that imposes duties that come from God.” He criticized the “dreadful spectacle of fathers and mothers being treated like cattle, and family members separated and sent to an unknown destination.” (He did not yet know about the death camps.) Saliege continued, saying that “the Jews are our brothers and they cannot be abused.”

This letter was read from 400 pulpits in France in August 1942 and was an overnight sensation. Vatican Radio read it for four days in a row and it was heard over BBC broadcast. Hundreds of thousands of copies were made and distributed by the French Resistance. It also caused the reputation of the German puppet regime, the Vichy government, to plummet. Although the cardinal was persecuted, he refused to withdraw his remarks, saying it was his duty to teach morals to his diocese and, if necessary, to government officials as well. Yad Vashem recognized this heroic prelate and made him one of the Righteous Gentiles of the world.

The Sabbath services at the Hekhal David Synagogue on 2 Riquet St. were lively with many youngsters participating. For the two main Shabbat meals we were invited to the local Chabad rabbi’s house, where the festive day was made heimish in typical welcoming Chabad fashion.

Coming home from the Friday night dinner we wanted to be sure we were on the right street.

We stopped a man and began chatting with him in French. After a few exchanges, he said: “Do you speak English?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are we breaking our teeth with French?”

We soon established that we are on the right path and continued talking. He said he was an American professor with a specialty in comparative literature and taught at a California university.

“I too studied comp lit,” I told him, “but you don’t sound like a Californian.”

“I’m not. I come from Brooklyn.”

“Me too,” I said. “Where?”

“Coney Island,” he said.

“Then, like me, you must have gone to Lincoln High School.”

“Sure did.”

“Did you ever have Mr. Lapidus for creative writing?”

“Absolutely.”

We continued praising that wonderful college-level high school, which writers like Arthur Miller and Joseph Heller attended, and then said goodbye and Shabbat shalom, for it was obvious that the man who spoke with us was Jewish. Everybody was Jewish at Lincoln – even the Italians and the Greek Orthodox. To continue the coincidences, the next day he was also a guest at the Chabad rabbi’s house for lunch.

Toulouse is a gateway to the Tarn region as well, with its many picturesque towns and villages, including Albi and Montauban, the latter of which also has a small, active Jewish community. For travel by train, in order to save money and time standing in long ticket lines, be sure to get the Rail Europe Pass or the France Pass before you leave home (1-888-382-7245). It is available only in the United States and Canada.

Curt Leviant is the author of the recently published Zix Zexy Ztories. Erika Pfeifer Leviant writes articles on art and on travel for various publications.

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