In the aftermath of the murders in Paris this past January, I interviewed Bruno Chaouat, Professor and Chair of the Department of French and Italian at the University of Minnesota, about the impact of the Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher deli terrorist attacks in France.

In the interview, Professor Chaouat also provides an overview of the French Jewish community and its history, demography, and traditions.

In honor of Bastille Day yesterday and the tradition of the friendship between the United States and France, America’s oldest ally, we pause to consider the future of democracy, the free expression of ideas, and civility in a world where these values are not always shared.

The interview has been broken up into four parts: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.