Bummed Out

Hi all,

You know, I get the question: "Would you like to live in France?" a few times a month.  I'm never sure how to answer it.  I love France.  I love the language, I love the style of life: long lunches, good bread, good cheese, good wine.... So much is just ... better here.

But some things are not.  Obviously, the US is far from perfect.  But in the US, I rarely find myself worrying about anti-Semitism, especially in big cities.  At Tufts, I found a nurturing Jewish community and a student community who was receptive to learning about my culture and values.  Yet in Paris, a fully modern metropolis, I was careful to hide my Judaism.  I left my favorite necklace, which has a Jewish star, at home for the duration of my semester abroad.  When I went to synagogue, I was questioned just as I was when taking the airplane to Israel - a necessary security measure since the synagogue (Rue Copernic) had been bombed in 1980.

Here in Toulon, the Jewish community is not large.  I learned this as I investigated temples to attend Yom Kippur services (there is one! - much, much more traditional than I am used to).  The Jewish community center in Toulon is fenced in and pushed back from the street.  The Arab community here is large, - and I have been warned about hiding my identity (more stereotyping?!) but I personally have not witnessed tension or felt unsafe.  And aside from the stupidities sometimes repeated by my students, Anti-Semitism has not been a major part of my life here.

Yet a few weeks ago, I went with some friends to a park that is a five minute walk from my house.  Where we discovered swastikas "decorating" the play equipment:

And today I opened up my email and Facebook to learn that a Rabbi and three children were shot outside a Jewish school in Toulouse, a city a mere 280 miles from me.  

I don't have the words to express my sadness at this tragic event.  My condolences to the families who are now suffering as a result of this vicious attack.  

Thanks to everyone who wrote to me to stay safe, mucho amore, I'm doing my best :)

Love always,

xoxo

Samantha