In the beginning, in 1996, we were a small group, predominantly but not exclusively women.
Some of us were familiar with the synagogue and knowledgeable in liturgy but were dissatisfied with the way followed by mainstream Judaism in Nice. So we led Kabbalat Shabbat services on a regular basis and, even if sometimes we were barely more than a minyan, we never missed one service. Some of us had never attended a synagogue before, and would never think of joining one where a woman does not count.
Today, thirteen years later, over 120 families belong to Maayane Or.
We provide a full range of religious services for Shabbat, for all Jewish holidays and for all life’s events. We offer Bat and Bar Mitzvah classes at various levels. We organize regular activities for children. We are a learning organization with an emphasis on continuing adult education. We organize film screenings, a literary café, dance classes and cultural travels.
We are a welcoming organization; we enjoy together Shabbat dinners, seders and more.
We are an organization open to networking and exchange; we participate in interfaith activities; we have put ourselves on the map as we are part of the national French Massorti association as well as active on an international level as a participant in the Grundtvig program.
