—.4;6

Neif - 3

4::bus

Remember the
1 lth Commandment:

French Flavor in Geneva's Old Town.

Geneva: A City
Of Diverse Jewry

RUTH ROVNER

Special to The Jewish News

I

nside the 100-year old
synagogue, the worship-
pers are following the ser-
vice attentively. They include
longtime members of the con-
gregation as well as Jewish
visitors from far-flung places.
When the service ends, we
all walk outdoors. Some
visitors stop to admire the
distinctive building; others
pause to look at the memorial
plaque to the Holocaust
victims.
Then we join the regular
members in the reception hall
for the kiddush. After the
cantor gives greetings in
French, we lift our glasses for
the blessing and then sip
French wine and taste sweet
cakes; members converse
with enthusiasm about the
Jewish choir, lecture pro-
grams and youth activities
that are part of Geneva's
varied Jewish life.
Visiting Geneva's main
synagogue and meeting its
congregation is just one of the
pleasures of a visit to this in-
ternatinal city on the shores
of Lake Geneva.
The Jewish visitor. to
Geneva also has the chance to
see how the Jews here — who
come from North Africa,
Eastern Europe, and many
other places — have created a
dynamic and diverse Jewish
community in keeping with
the cosmopolitan ambiance of
Switzerland's third largest
city.
With a small Jewish
population of only 3,000,
Geneva's Jews still have four
separate congregations: a
liberal, ultra-Orthodox,
Sephardic and Ashkenazi.
The kosher restaurant
Shalom is located in the heart
of the fashionable shopping
district on Rue du Rhone.

Numerous Jewish organiza-
tions have their European or
world headquarters here, in-
cluding the World Jewish
Congress, the World ORT
Federation, and the
American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee.
The building at No. 10 rue
St. Leger, near the Old City,
is headquarters for the
Jewish Community Center.
With its extensive facilities,
this is the center of Jewish
life for local residents.
Upstairs, is one of the many
meeting rooms. A fully
kosher lunch — prepared in
the kosher kitchen nearby —
is being set out for those who
will soon attend a committee
meeting.
There are also classrooms
where youngsters meet twice
a week for Hebrew school
classes and the small chapel
where Jewish youth gather
on Thursdays, the day the
public schools are closed.
Downstairs is the huge
reception room used for
special occasions. In the
library, visitors sit at tables
reading, while others search
for books from the well-
stocked shelves.

Librarian Judith Markish
oversees a collection of 20,000
books and publications. They
range from a rare manuscript
of David Jans of Prague, a
16th century astronomer, to
modern novels by French-
Jewish authors. Most books
are in French, but there are
also volumes in German,
English, Hebrew, Russian,
Yiddish, Ladino and Arabic.

"And Thou
Shalt be
Informed"

You've read the
five books of
Moses. Isn't it
time to try the
Fifty-Two Issues
of the Detroit
Jewish News? It
may not be
holy, but it's
weekly! And
such a bargain.
To order your
own subscription
call 354-6060.

A librarian from Hungary,
an office assistant from Egypt
— both typify the diversity of
Geneva's Jewish population,
which has been enlarged and
enriched by recent migrations
of Jews from Eastern Europe
and North Africa.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

125