What is "pletzl"

n. (alternative form of pletzel English)

The Pletzl (פלעצל, "little place" in the Yiddish language) is the Jewish quarter in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The Place Saint-Paul and the surrounding area were, unofficially, named the Pletzl when the neighborhood became predominantly Jewish because of an influx of immigrants at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth.

When the Parisian Jews were expelled from the city 600 years ago, it was here in the Marais district that they settled. (The Marais was just outside the city wall at the time.) The depth and diversity of the community have grown over the years through immigration from Eastern Europe and North Africa. The area is now characterised by its synagogues, butchers, Jewish delicatessens, and falafel vendors, which provide a social and cultural fabric for its inhabitants.

The darkest days for this community came during the Second World War, when Vichy collaboration with the Nazis resulted in the raids in which many residents were abducted and sent off to death camps. Today, the community is an Orthodox one, extremely religious, and most citizens belong to one of the three local synagogues; one located at 17, rue des Rosiers, another at 25, rue des Rosiers and the one at 10, rue Pavée, an art nouveau temple designed by Hector Guimard, famous for his work on the Paris Métro.