The Museum of Jewish Art and History opened in 1998 in the prestigious Hôtel de Saint-Aignan in the Marais. It is dedicated to Jewish cultural, historic and artistic heritage. It focuses on the history of the Jewish people in France and describes how Jewish communities evolved from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It also presents the communities in Europe and North Africa who helped shape Judaism in France today. Among the museum's main exhibits are unique Medieval funerary stones (13th and 14th century), masterpieces of goldsmithery, representing a very rich collection of Jewish ritual objects, an ethnographic collection of traditional costumes and jewellery of Western and Eastern origin. There are also historical archives including family documents linked to the Dreyfus Affair as well as paintings by Chagall, Soutin, Kikoïne and other members of the School of Paris, which illustrate the participation of Jewish painters in modern art.

The museum offers a bookshop, media centre, auditorium for conferences, concerts and films and workshops for young people to promote learning and interaction.