Amy Dweck, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair, and Marissa Vinograd, Assistant Director of Women’s Philanthropy, represented the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County on a recent JFNA Financial Resource Development (FRD) mission to Paris. At the same time, Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County President & CEO Igor Alterman was also in Paris, participating in a seminar organized by The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), alongside Federation executives.
The visit came at a critical time, as France is facing a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, mirroring record levels seen in the United States. This alarming trend has also sparked a significant increase in Aliyah (immigration to Israel, a core part of Jewish identity and heritage) applications. Throughout the mission, many speakers drew powerful comparisons between today’s climate and some of the darkest periods in French Jewish history, including the Dreyfus trial and the Vichy Regime.
Throughout the trip, the group visited significant sites central to French Jewish life, including the Synagogue de la Victoire (the Great Synagogue of Paris), the Shoah Memorial in Paris, and Le Marais, another historic Jewish Quarter. They also visited the Sarcelles community, often referred to as “Little Jerusalem” for its rich North African Sephardic heritage. They met with French Jewish leaders, the Chief Rabbi of France, families preparing to make Aliyah, children at a Jewish summer camp supported by the Jewish Agency, and young professionals working to strengthen Jewish life and community security in France. All leaders were focused on anti-Semitism and how to combat it.
One of the most meaningful highlights was meeting with olim—Jews who had decided to leave their home country and make Aliyah. They even had the honor of handing the families their visas, a symbolic and emotional moment for all.
The delegation also heard from Israel’s Ambassador to France, Joshua L. Zarka, who spoke candidly about diplomatic efforts and the challenges facing Jewish communities in France. A session with the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), the umbrella organization representing French Jewry, emphasized that while antisemitism is not new, it has intensified, and people are increasingly unafraid to express hateful views. Unlike in the United States, France enforces strict hate speech laws that can lead to jail time.
“I was deeply inspired by the resilience of the French Jewish community seeing how Jewish life in Paris has become even livelier since October 7 and their commitment to combating antisemitism, not only socially, but through legal channels as well,” said Marissa Vinograd. “What moved me most was how intentionally they instill a love of Jewish identity and culture in their children. The pride and joy these children showed in being Jewish was truly uplifting. It challenged me to think about how we can do more to foster that same sense of pride and belonging in our own community.”
The mission culminated in an emotional and symbolic flight to Israel, where the olim were welcomed at Ben Gurion Airport.
“Our time in Paris was a powerful reminder that Jewish life is interconnected across borders,” said Alterman. “When one community faces a challenge, the entire Jewish world feels it, and it is our responsibility to respond together.”
Together, these parallel experiences in Paris underscored the power of global Jewish unity, reaffirming our Federation’s role in strengthening Jewish identity, combating antisemitism, and standing in solidarity with communities around the world.
