When I was a student in Paris 15 years ago almost every shop on the Rue des Rosiers was Jewish…delis, bakeries, boutiques, restaurants. But fashion has been slowly taking over like a virus, as one by one they all get transformed into high-end clothing boutiques (Lee Jean’s excepted; what a waste of a fabulous location). Today I walked past the old Goldenberg Deli, closed for several years since the owners couldn’t afford to bring their kitchens up to modern health code standards. Now it’s a clothing boutique called Le Temps des Cerises – Japan Rags (a chain of vintage-style clothes).
They’ve kept the tile facade of the historic deli as well as the name on their awning. But really, who cares? Aside from the ever-expanding As du Falafel, the Jewish district is shrinking every year, and soon the Marais will look like any other Paris shopping district. A shame.
