The PIC

A public interest consortium (PIC) is a legal entity governed by French public law. It enables public and private partners to pool resources to carry out missions of general interest, thanks to a light operating structure and flexible management that facilitate cooperation between the partners. A PIC is based on a defined geographical area.

The PIC Rashi’s objective is to raise European citizens’ awareness of the legacy of Rashi, which helped to shape European history. With the ‘European Heritage’ label, PIC Rashi wants to offer visitors a coherent narrative trail created around a network of 6 sites: the old Jewish quarter of Troyes, the Rashi European University and Cultural Institute , the ‘Maison Rachi‘ and the three frescoes of the ‘Rashi Trail‘ in Dampierre, Ramerupt and Lhuître.

Initiated by the French State, the Grand Est Regional Council, the Aube Departmental Council, the City of Troyes and the Central Consistory of France, this project aims to raise awareness of Rashi’s legacy and influence, with a focus on Troyes and the Aube region, by placing this local history within a European context.

Given its scope and the European values it embodies – such as gender equality, a commitment to the transmission of knowledge and the defence of freedom of expression – ‘Rashi of Troyes, European Place of Remembrance’ has been awarded the European Heritage Label as part of the 2025 selection.

The PIC Rachi thus promotes the legacy of Rashi of Troyes and his school of thought, the Tossafists, for their contribution to the development of a European identity from the Middle Ages onwards.

Founding members

The French State, represented by the Prefecture of Aube

The Grand Est Regional Council

The Aube Departmental Council

The City of Troyes

The Central consistory of France

Active members

Troyes La Champagne Tourisme

Aube en Champagne Attractivité

The ‘Maison Rachi‘

The Rashi European University and Cultural Institute

The European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage in France association

The Arcis-Mailly-Ramerupt Community of Municipalities

The City of Vitry-le-François

Scientific Council

Brigitte BEDOS-REZAK, Professor of History at New York University (United States)

Claude DE MECQUENEM, Archaeologist at INRAP – French Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (France)

Patrick DEMOUY, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France)

Nicolas DOHRMANN, Director of Archives and Heritage at the Aube Department (France)

Paul GRADVOHL, Professor of History at Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Vice-President of the Rashi European University and Cultural Institute (France)

René GUTMAN, Emeritus Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg (France)

Robert FOSSET, Former President of the Academic Society of Aube (France)

Warren Zev HARVEY, Professor in the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)

Théodora JARRASSÉ-RAQUILLET, Researcher at the Grand Est Regional Heritage Inventory Service (France)

Monsignor Alexandre JOLY, Bishop of Troyes (France)

William Chester JORDAN, Professor of History at Princeton University (United States)

Anne JUSSIAUME, Director of the Count of Champagne Campus (University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France)

Judith KOGEL, Director of Research at the IRHT – French Institute for Research and History of Texts (France)

David LEMLER, Senior Lecturer in Medieval Hebrew Literature and Civilisation at Sorbonne University (France)

Amy LIVINGSTONE, Dean of the School of History and Heritage at the University of Lincoln (United Kingdom)

Marc-Alain OUAKNIN, Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Literature at Bar-Ilan University ; Founder of Targoum-IRETS – French Institute for Research and Study on the Translation of Sacred Texts (France)

Gérard RABINOVITCH, Director of Instruction at the European Institute Emmanuel Levinas, Vice-President of the Rashi European University and Cultural Institute (France)

Avraham (Rami) REINER, Professor of Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel)

Pinchas ROTH, Professor of Medieval Jewish History and History of Halakhah at Bar-Ilan University (Israel)

Pierre SAVY, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the Université Gustave-Eiffel (France)

Perrine SIMON-NAHUM, Director of research at the CNRS – French Centre for Scientific Research, Series director at Éditions Odile Jacob (France)

Claire SOUSSEN, Professor of Medieval History at the University Littoral Côte d’Opale, Director of La Nouvelle Gallia Judaica (France)

Michel TAMINE, Professor of General Linguistics and Phonetics at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, President of the French Onomastics Society (France)

Susanne URBAN, Dean of Research and Information on Antisemitism at the University of Marburg, President of Moreshet (Germany)

Luis YAGÜE, Researcher in Semitic Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid (France)