Wednesday 14 – Thursday 18 October 2026
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust
JR’s 2025 trip to Paris was so popular that we’re returning this autumn for a different view of the City of Light. Last year we learnt about the avant-garde artists of the early 20th century, this year we’ll explore the lives and cultural milieu of those who bought work and gave over their châteaux to salons to celebrate and support Jewish arts and culture.
Once again, we’ll stay in the bohemian Montparnasse neighbourhood at The Drawing House, with comfortable rooms, excellent amenities and delicious food. This time, however, our local Left Bank explorations will consider the writing of Gertrude Stein, the art of Ossip Zadkine and photography of Man Ray. Venturing to the Right Bank, we’ll visit the Musée Carnavalet, to learn about French cultural history and view artefacts including Stein’s writing desk and Proust’s bedroom.
In the Parc Monceau area, we'll learn about Jewish gallerists such as Paul Rosenberg, as well as great Jewish collectors, the Camondo and Ephrussi families, with a visit to the newly reopened Musée Nissim de Camondo. We’ll also visit The Archives de la Planète: Musée Albert Kahn where Albert Kahn, an Alsatian Jewish banker, created a photographic archive of his travels around the world (in 23 years rather than 88 days) of more than 72,000 images from 50 countries.
The Camondo family were related by marriage to their Parc Monceau neighbours, the Cahen family. In 1895 Comte Louis Cahen d'Anvers bought and renovated Château de Champs-sur-Marne as a holiday home for relatives and friends, as well as a venue for parties to which luminaries such as Marcel Proust, Isadora Duncan and Paul Bourget were invited. Confiscated by the Nazis during World War II, this Jewish country house has had a complicated post-war journey. It has frequently been used as a location for films, including Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons and Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. Following in the footsteps of the Cahens, we’ll take a day trip to the countryside, to explore the Château and, weather permitting, its beautiful grounds.
Led by art historian Monica Bohm-Duchen and JR’s executive director Dr Aviva Dautch. They will be joined by artist, educator and cantor Leon Fenster.
This tour is arranged in association with Bespoke Kosher Travel and is for Jewish Renaissance subscribers only. Not currently a subscriber? Click here to subscribe.
REFUNDS DISCLAIMER: Please note that due to the multiple bookings involved in organising a JR tour, we are unable to offer refunds, except in the event that the tour does not go ahead. We recommend that you arrange your own travel insurance to cover any individual circumstances. There is a possibility, but no guarantee, that we might be able to refund you if there is a waiting list for the trip and we can fill your space.
Pictured: Parc Monceau © Alamy
Tour info
Destination: Paris
Dates: Wednesday 14 – Thursday 18 October 2026
Cost*: £1,845pp (sharing double/twin room), £2,175pp (inc single supplement)
Deposit required: £850pp due by 24 February 2026.
Booking: To reserve your place, please click the relevant button above and complete the form.
*Price includes:
Comfortable, well-equipped and well-located accommodation at the four-star Drawing House in Montparnasse, which boasts an indoor pool and artist-designed rooms;
Group transport within Paris and its outskirts to the various venues during the trip. Please note that your return travel to and from Paris is not included and is your own responsibility;
All entrance tickets to museums, including the Musées Zadkine, Carnavalet, Albert Kahn and Nissim de Camondo;
Day trip and entry to the Château de Champs-sur-Marne;
Guided walking tours of Montparnasse and Parc Monceau;
Additional expert lectures contextualising our explorations;
A JR-style private musical Friday night service, Shabbat study and havdalah. (No instruments, to allow those who are Shabbat observant to participate. Prayer books will be provided).
All applicable taxes and tips.
All breakfasts, plus two dinners and two lunches (not inclusive of alcohol), including Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch. All food provided will be vegetarian or pescatarian (no seafood/non-kosher fish).
All single travellers will be given sole occupancy of a double room.
Please note that although Jewish Renaissance is arranging this trip, the travel company you are contracting with is Bespoke Kosher Travel, who are making all the bookings within the above package and providing your package protection (IATA and PTS registered and bonded) – this covers all elements of the tour as described above, but does not include issues caused by your flights or individual circumstances. It is highly important that you also arrange your own individual travel insurance.
This is a high-end tour, in both comfort and quality, however Jewish Renaissance has partially subsidised the single supplement to help lower the cost and overall has set the price as low as possible, so that cost isn’t a barrier. If you would like to support this tour or JR’s work with a voluntary contribution, please donate here.
This tour involves a substantial amount of walking. If you have mobility or accessibility issues, please contact us via tours@jewishrenaissance.org.uk before booking.
ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER?
JR Tours are open to subscribers only. Subscriptions start at £33/a and can be purchased at subscribe.jewishrenaissance.org.uk.
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
Please complete the form below to reserve a place on this tour. If you require assistance completing the form, please contact the JR office on +44 (0) 7340 137 450 (calls, texts or WhatsApp welcome) or tours@jewishrenaissance.org.uk. Once your form is received and your JR subscription confirmed, you will be contacted regarding payment for your deposit.
