The turmoil around the Gaza war has transformed French Jews into “different people” than they were two years ago, pioneering rabbi Delphine Horvilleur said on the Haaretz Podcast.

“I don't know any of any Jewish family in France who hasn’t had a conversation around the Shabbat table,” Horvilleur said, contemplating possible emigration and wondering what will remain of Jews in France a decade from now. 

In her discussion with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Horvilleur talks about inspiring the hit HBO show "Reformed" and the books she's penned herself: "Living with Our Dead" and "How Isn't It Going? Conversations After October 7." 

The rabbi also addressed the hate mail and death threats she received after writing a column in a French Jewish magazine last spring that was critical of far-right members of the Israeli government who justified denying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza as legitimate acts of war. She noted the “really harsh” threats she received were smaller in number than the amount of support. 

“Even today, I walk in the streets of Paris, and Jews stop me and say, ‘thank you for speaking out, because we believe exactly what you said, but we cannot say it anymore.’ Somehow the crisis and the war and the pain and the trauma created an inability to talk.

"And for me, the real threat today lies in not being able to say what we think, to talk and re-engage in the Jewish conversation” in which, Horvilleur said, it is possible to be “both supportive of and critical of” Israel. 

Join Haaretz and meet our journalists at the Other Israel Film Festival, running from November 6-13 in New York City. Use the code haaretz25 at checkout for 20 percent off admission. View the event schedule and buy tickets here.

The turmoil around the Gaza war has transformed French Jews into &ldquo;different people&rdquo; than they were two years ago, pioneering rabbi Delphine Horvilleur said on the Haaretz Podcast.
&ldquo;I don't know any of any Jewish family in France who hasn&rsquo;t had a conversation around the Shabbat table,&rdquo; Horvilleur said, contemplating possible emigration and wondering what will remain of Jews in France a decade from now.&nbsp;
In her discussion with podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Horvilleur talks about inspiring the hit <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/life/television/2025-04-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/creator-of-reformed-on-how-judaism-inspired-comedy-in-a-show-about-a-famed-french-rabbi/00000196-3337-dc5b-af96-7bb7ab3e0000">HBO show "Reformed"</a> and the books she's penned herself: "<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-05-19/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/the-french-female-rabbi-who-looks-death-in-the-eye/00000188-34d0-d7fd-adec-fffb19f80000">Living with Our Dead</a>" and "How Isn't It Going? Conversations After October 7."&nbsp;
The rabbi also addressed the hate mail and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-05-16/ty-article/.premium/prominent-french-rabbi-gets-death-threats-over-criticism-of-israeli-actions-in-gaza/00000196-d5c9-db37-addf-f7ed88910000">death threats she received</a> after writing a column in a French Jewish magazine last spring that was critical of far-right members of the Israeli government who justified <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-01-09/ty-article/.premium/smotrich-gaza-aid-will-be-reduced-to-minimum-required-by-intl-law-after-trump-sworn-in/00000194-4abe-d3d4-a1b4-fffeb9f90000">denying humanitarian aid</a> to Palestinians in Gaza as legitimate acts of war. She noted the &ldquo;really harsh&rdquo; threats she received were smaller in number than the amount of support.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Even today, I walk in the streets of Paris, and Jews stop me and say, &lsquo;thank you for speaking out, because we believe exactly what you said, but we cannot say it anymore.&rsquo; Somehow the crisis and the war and the pain and the trauma created an inability to talk.
"And for me, the real threat today lies in not being able to say what we think, to talk and re-engage in the Jewish conversation&rdquo; in which, Horvilleur said, it is possible to be &ldquo;both supportive of and critical of&rdquo; Israel.&nbsp;
Join Haaretz and meet our journalists at the Other Israel Film Festival, running from November 6-13 in New York City. Use the code&nbsp;haaretz25 at checkout for 20 percent off admission. <a href="https://otherisrael.org/">View the event schedule and buy tickets here</a>.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

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