• The Cultural Institute of Judaism, in the heart of rue Duguesclin (Lyon 7), was designed for visitors who know nothing about Judaism.

  • A playful and interactive educational trail provides an introduction to Jewish history and traditions.

  • By deconstructing received ideas linked to Judaism, the Institute hopes to reduce anti-Semitism due to ignorance.

The place is discreet, almost secret, in the heart of rue Duguesclin (Lyon 7).

Nestled behind the Neve Chalom synagogue, the Cultural Institute of Judaism nevertheless opens its doors wide to the public.

It must be said that its opening, in March 2020, slightly delayed the arrival of its first visitors... Today, it is an ultramodern place, bathed in soft light, which above all welcomes those who know nothing about Judaism. .

“We are neither in a place of worship, nor in a museum”, specifies Henri Fitouchi, its director.

“We called it an institute because we want it to be a place of dialogue and exchange.

The objective is to make people discover Judaism in all its aspects: religion, Jewish history and culture, festivals, traditions, customs... from its origins to the present day.

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Animated films to explain Jewish objects and symbols

The idea for this place “where no question is taboo” comes from Alain Sebban, president of the consistory in Rhône-Alpes.

"The consistory is the body that represents the Jews to the authorities", explains Henri Fitouchi, "The Jews have lived in France for 2000 years, but they have had access to French nationality only since Napoleon, who asked them to organize themselves through these consistories.

Within these premises, Alain Sebban wanted to dedicate a large empty space to an interactive tour designed by Frédéric Cilia, scenographer for Quorum Productions (Caluire).

“Mr. Cilia is not Jewish, and it is voluntary!

“says Henri Fitouchi.

“We wanted a non-Jew to present Judaism to non-Jews, with hindsight, without being involved”.

Equipped with a helmet and a tablet, the visitor walks through a space where ten showcases present ten emblematic objects of Judaism.

Thanks to the tablet, he can project a short animated film on the walls to explain to him what the Torah, the Bar-Mitzvah or the seven-branch candlestick are, in a very fun and educational way.

We learn in particular that a prayer for France has been given for 200 years in the synagogues, that the Star of David only became widespread in the 19th century, and that the writer-reporter Joseph Kessel had obtained the very first visa to enter israel...

Attend a Shabbat in virtual reality

As a highlight, virtual reality headsets allow you to follow a Shabbat and a service in a synagogue, as if you were there.

The immersion is impressive, and the recurrence of young characters brings warmth to the content.

“Our goal is to receive everyone, but especially the younger generations,” admits Henri Fitouchi.

“We are trying to desecrate religion, to break down taboos, barriers.

We don't learn that at school, but the teachers are keen to know that this institute exists, and we gladly receive school groups.

We recently received classes from Saint-Marc, which is a private Catholic institution and which gave us very good feedback.

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