French writer Marek Halter announced here that an agreement has been reached between the city of Paris and the Ministry of Culture for the creation of a Jewish museum in Paris. Halter, active in intellectual circles, said the city and the ministry will share the costs of creating it and operating it.
He told the French daily, Le Quotidien, yesterday that a precise budget has not yet been worked out but that the intitial costs will probably be over $2 million a year. Halter also said that both Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac and Culture Minister Jack Lang have asked him to head the museum.
Spokesmen for the city of Paris, and the Ministry of Culture refused to comment on Halter’s announcement aside from saying that it is “somewhat premature.”
Jewish community leaders in France have asked the government for years to create a Jewish museum to assemble some of the priceless Jewish artistic and historic heirlooms now scattered in dozens of museums and collections in France.
Neither Halter nor the official spokesmen would say when the museum will open nor when work will start on renovating the building which will house it, an 18th century mansion in the heart of historic Paris.
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