CARPENTRAS, France — Since Roman times, Jews have lived in this town in northern Provence, which lies on an ancient trade route from Marseille to Bruges, Belgium. This year, about 50 people will hold a communal Passover Seder at the Carpentras Synagogue, built in 1367 and one of the oldest active synagogues in Europe. Today’s congregation has about 100 members, many with roots in North Africa; their Seder traditions include salmon tagine and a feast of vegetable salads. PhotoHaroseth, the fruit paste that evokes the bricks and mortar used by Jewish slaves in the Passover narrative of the Old Testament, is part of every Seder ritual. Because there is no longer a shochet, a kosher butcher, in Carpentras, Ms. Levy must order the meat from Marseille, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) away.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2018 17:01 UTC