Cent
pourcent Juif. Cent pourcent Français:
A
taste of French Judaism.
France
holds the third largest Jewish community in the world. As such, it
has a vast history and it is a topic that is not easily explained in
a few pages. This essay discusses three main topics concerning the
Jewish community in France: Jewish-French history, Antisemitism and
modern Jewish life.
As
I began to study the Jewish community I soon realized that life for
the Jews in France was different than anywhere else. Compared to the
two largest communities of the world (Israel and the United States),
the French are much more united. They are not as politically active
yet they manage to constantly get mentioned on French Television (as
we will see, one of the causes for antisemitism in France). Similar
to the rest of the country, Jewish life revolves around Paris. The
Consistoire central israélite
de France,
the French Chabad movement and the Cultural Judaism all have their
headquarters in the capital. Everyone that wants to get married by
Jewish law (although it has no legal value in France) must be married
by a Consistoire1
rabbi.
Every city that has a Jewish community has also at least one
synagogue and one school, even if it is in the middle of the Alps.
In
order to understand the modern day Jewish community, one must
understand how it came to be. Thierry Schmoll (my host dad, who
happened to be Jewish) did a genealogy research project and it is
through his family that the Jewish-French History can be understood.
From Jew to French
to Juif: The Schmoll family
Prior
to the Revolution things where very different for the Jewish
community2.
For the most, Jews lived in their own villages, spoke only Idish3
and had no say in France's political affairs. It was in 1791 when the
Jews where first granted legal equality towards other Frenchmen4.
Because of this decree Jews where now seen as individuals and not as
a minority. Although this was a major step in Jewish History it came
with a price. Most Jewish communities where dissolved, antisemitic
riots rouse near density populated areas and Jews where prohibited
from publicly displaying their religion5.
It was then when the process of Assimilation and the Jewish Question6
became issues for the Jewish community.
When
Napoleon came in to power he decreed that all Jews had to be
registered according to their last name and their village of origin.
It is in these documents that Schmoll found his most ancient
relatives. Schmoll showed me a copy of the files where he had found
his relative's names. He has a book that was given to him by the
Jewish Genealogy Association where transcriptions of the original
documents can be found7.
His oldest relative was named Schmoll Shmuel. He lived in a village
in Alsace. His profession is unknown.
Napoleon
also reinstated the Sanedrin. An ancient Jewish council that
consisted of 70 members and a president. Traditionally the Sanedrin
was formed by 71 rabbis but this time it was formed by 45 rabbis and
26 laiques. The fact that such a distinction had to be made
shows that two types of Jews had to be distinguish: religious and
secular.8
Schmoll's
next set of documents comes from a similar source as his first one. A
copy of the 1851 register was also shown to me9.
In this copy most names had a birthday, an address and a full name10.
By comparing both registers (1808 and 1851) it became clear that new
last names appeared, many of them French or German (and not Jewish).
Many
years past and although Jews where technically equal to other French,
in reality they where still second class citizens. The Dreyfus affair
is a clear example of how antisemitism in France never ceased to
exist11.
In fact, it was not until 1905 when a law was passed which separated
the Church from the State that Jews began to play an significant role
in French politics.
During
the first War, the territory of Alsace-Lorraine was turned into a
battlefield that was constantly captured and recaptured. The Jews who
lived in the area remained faithful to France and many decided to
move to Paris. Schmoll's grandparents were among those who moved to
the Capital.
In
1940 the German troops arrived in Paris. Most of France had been
invaded and Jews had to run out of the city in order to avoid
deportation12.
It is estimated that 75,000 French Jews died during the Holocaust.
Before Paris was taken, the majority of the Jewish community fled.
Schmoll's grandfather, Josh Shwab, traveled south to Murat.
In
1944 a Resistance group was coming back to Murat from a mission.
While they were gone, the Gestapo general Geissler was in the
village. The Resistance opened fire on the Gestapo troops and the
general was killed. Because they feared that the Gestapo would come
back with more troops, all the men of the village went to the
mountains for a few days. Two weeks after the incident, when everyone
was back, the Gestapo raided the city and killing 80 men and
deporting 130. Josh Shwab was lucky to have survived because that
exact day he was out of town sorting some business.
After
the war, many Jews returned to Paris but many had new homes and
families to take care of. It is estimated that around 235,000 Jews
came to France during the following two decades13.
It was then when the Jews stopped being simply Jews and became
complete functional members of French society14.
It was then when they became Juif.
Antisemitism in
France, not only a French thing.
Antisemitism
in France has existed as long as the Jews have lived in French
territory. Historically, France is no different from any other
European country. However, nowadays things in France have changed.
France has been pushing for a laique society and it has
done everything in its power to maintain religion a tabooed topic.
France has also opened its doors to millions of Muslim, many of whom
came with very antisemitic ideals. I meet with Rabbi Alter Goldstein
to understand more about this topic. Goldstein made a clear
distinction about two types of antisemitism in France. “There is a
difference between French antisemitism and Arab hatred.” Goldstein
explains that in general, Arabs are much more aggressive and have no
“hotzpah”15
while the French are more subtle and are less likely to take action.
Goldstein
continued to explain how French antisemitism was mostly due to
ignorance. For instance, he has been approached on the street by men
who wanted to know where his horns and his tale were. A myth that is
kept alive by those who have never meet a Jew in their life. Goldsten
also attributes antisemitism in France to be a result of the way the
State of Israel is displayed in the media. In general, the French are
not exactly pro-Israelis (clearly not nearly as much as the
Americans). This may very well be because in the French media
Palestinians are displayed as a minority who is bullied around by
Israel. The media shows a clear distinction between Israelis and
Palestinians and this contradicts the French ideal of egalite. The
French are also bothered by how much attention the Jews get on the
media. After all, they are just another minority in France and there
is no reason for them to be a constant topic of discussion.
On
the other hand, we have the Muslim antisemitism. Since the time of
the Bible, Jews and Muslims have been fighting. Rabbi Goldstein made
reference to the story of the twin brothers Jacob and Esau16.
The two sons of Isaac from whom both Judaism and Islam originated
where constantly on fight amongst themselves. In modern times, the
conflict among both religions has become a global issue that is far
more complex than the politics surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. In Marseille and Lyon there is a great populations
consisting of both Jews and Muslim. Rabbi Alter explains the tension
of certain neighborhoods as a local “Gaza-Israel” situation.
The
incident in Toulouse17
where a man armed with a .45 caliber gun open fire in a Jewish school
was not the first attack that has claimed the lives of Jews. In 2006
Ilan Halani, a Parisian Jew, was kidnapped by a gang. Halani was
tortured and eventually abandoned to his death. The incident was
classified as antisemitic because the gang's members claimed to have
kidnapped Halani because “Members of the gang confessed that they
believed all Jews to be rich and it motivated them to target several
Jews” 18.
Most members of the gang where from Muslim decent. In 1995 a car
exploded in front of a Jewish school in Lyon. Luckily the children
were safe an although fourteen people where hurt, non died1920.
In
the past few years, in particular after operation “cast lead” in
200821,
antisemitism incidents have increased. It is estimated that in 2009
there where 832 incident, a 22% increase compared to the previous
year22.
The amount of incidents has also increased in 2010 and 2011. As a
reaction to this, the Jewish Community Protective Services (SPCJ) has
increased its security. SPCJ is a Jewish-run organism that takes care
of the security for the community. Every country that has a Jewish
community has a similar organization that monitors antisemitic
activity in the country and provides protection year round,
particularly during the main holidays and Sabbath.
Modern Jewish life
in France.
Religious
life in France is very complicated. After all, France is a secular
state. So secular that in fact, “requiring citizens to declare
their ethic origin would be a transgression of the French doctrine of
assimilation, one of the founding principals of the Republique.”23.
Moreover, the French government neither keeps records of religion nor
do they seem to care. In theory, all Frenchmen are supposed to be
equal. However, it is estimated that around half a million Jews live
in France.
Judaism
in modern France has to be studied under two main categories. Paris
and outside of Paris. As Rabbi Goldsten puts it, “[in Paris] it is
a whole different dynamic.”
During
his rabbinical studies, Goldstein lived in the Paris Yeshivah24,
one of the biggest Yeshivot of the world. He explained how Paris had
multiple Jewish neighborhoods and a very “young and active”
community. Goldstein claims that for Parisians, being Jewish is a
matter of honor. “You wear your kippa with pride” as you walk
down the street and every time an antisemitic incident occurs, all
Jews will have no second toughs on fighting back. The community in
Paris has approximately 300,000 members and it is also divided, like
everywhere else in the world, according to origin (Mizrahi or
Ashkenazi), and according to the current (orthodox, conservative,
reform and secular).
In
contrast, we have the Grenoble community. A much smaller community
(of around 3,00 members) that is slowly disappearing. Because
Grenoble is such a diverse city there rarely are any antisemitic
incidents and the majority of the community is completely integrated
in to the city's life. There are only five synagogues25
and only one Jewish school26.
There is also one main community center which organizes many cultural
activities. Schmoll is very active in the community center because it
allows him to be a part of Jewish life without being very religious.
Because the community is so small, it is not divided according to
origin. It is instead divided by the synagogue to which you attend
and everyone knows everyone else.
In
Grenoble, assimilation is great issue. Because there is only one
school, most of the youth feel no connection to their Jewish side.
There is also no youth club for them to attend27
and unless you come from a religious family you are not very likely
to have many Jewish friends. Sadly, since the majority of the active
community is either religious or older, not a lot of attention is
given to the secular youth. I was very surprised to see that
assimilation is not a “big deal” for the French Jews. In every
other community I have traveled to, assimilation is one of the
biggest problems they face. I believe that in France this is not the
case because the French egalite is sometimes more powerful
than the Jewish tradition.
The
Jewish community in general is not very happy with the results of
last week's election, They claim that Holland's socialist and
immigrant ideas will not be beneficial to them. It is estimated that
many people will leave France and go to Israel to do Aliyah in the
next few months. Approximately one thousand French Jews do Aliyah
every year.
After
the Toulouse incident, there was a solidarity march to which I
attended. I was moved by how united the French Jews were and I could
see, that although they are integrated into the French society, they
will never truly be equal to everyone else. Jews will always be there
to help each other out28.
Understanding the
French and the Jewish using Trompenaars dimensions.
When
analyzing the French Jewish community with Trompenaar many issues can
arise. First of all, the Jewish-French culture is neither completely
French nor completely Jewish. As discussed earlier, the community is
made up of both religious and secular individuals whom all have their
own balance between the two.
For
example, the people I meet while eating with Rabbi Goldstein are
completely Diffused. All of their friends are Jews and they do not
seem to care for meeting non-Jews (I was very welcomed amongst them
because a very good friend of mine who studied in Grenoble last year
gave me their contact information). On the other hand, Thierry
Schmoll is a little less Diffused, I think this is because he has
changed cities multiple times and because he lives a very secular
life. His circle of friends is not at all exclusively Jewish.
Another
contrast can be seen with the Universalist and Particularist
dimensions. France is a Particularist society but orthodox Judaism
is Universalist. In this case, a balance is not easily found for the
orthodox members of the community, but for the more secular Jews who
have no issue with bending the Jewish laws and traditions, a delicate
balance between can often be found (hence the existence of
conservative and reform Judaism).
There
is great agreement amongst both cultures in that they both are
Communitarian. However, because the Jews are a minority inside the
French society, their sense of community is stronger towards their
religion than what it is to the State. Similarly, the State sees Jews
as any other Frenchmen and does not see them as distinguished members
of the community.
Two
other main similarities are clear: both cultures are Emotional and
driven by an External Control. The French and the Jews have proven
throughout history that they have an ability to adapt to their
environment. This ability has ensured both culture's survival,
regardless of the many difficulties they have faced.
When
dealing with Achievement vs Ascription and Sequential vs Synchronic
my opinion is that because of the complex identity of a French Jew,
where he stands in these two categories is more personal than
cultural. Although traditional Judaism may seem very Sequential
(every rite has a specific order in which it must be performed and
many traditions have to be done at prices moments of the day) there
is also a very Synchronic side to the religion (in general, the role
of the traditional Jewish woman who has no time-related obligations
because she must take care of the household and the family).
In
order to do a more profound study of this subject a specific section
of the Jewish-French community must be observed.
There
is a French saying that says, “Cent pourcent Juif. Cent pourcent
Francais” and it could not be further away from the truth.
1Similar
to the American Orthodox Union. The Consistoire central
israélite
de France
was founded by Napoleon in 1808 and today it serves as the main
religious institute that unifies all Jews in France.
2Jews
first arrived to France in the year 6 C.E. However, they where not
fully welcomed until the Revolution. Jews where constantly
prosecuted and expelled just to return and have history repeat
itself.
3A
Jewish language that was spoken by most Ashkenazi Jews. With the
creation of Israel and the rebirth of modern Hebrew, the Idish
is now practically a death language.
4France
was the first country to to emancipate the Jews.
5Because
of this, the Sabbath was prohibited. Also, the Sabbath created
conflict because during the revolution a 10 day week was installed
and the Sabbath would break the order of the new calendar.
6The
Jewish Question is something that has been gretly debated through
modern Jewish history. It mainly deal with the question of what to
do with the Jews?
7Work
Cited 1
8Work
Cited 3
9Work
Cited 2
10That
is to say, not a Hebrew name were you are named by heritage (Jaim
ben Ismael), but by name and last name (Gabriel Begun).
11The
Dreyfus affair is a very important episode in the history of
Zionism. Alfred Dreyfus, a French Camptain was convicted to treason
by the French authorities. Some years later evidence came in light
of Dreyfus innocence but illegal documents where fabricated that
convicted the general again. The affair grew in to a complex
situation but Dreyfus was eventually set free. Theodor Hetzel, the
father of Zionism, was working as a journalist at the time and it is
during the affair when he realized how powerful antisemitism was.
12Jews
where not safe under the Vichy regime. Although Vichy's attitude
towards the Jews is greatly debated his regime helped the Nazi
troops and had very strict antisemitic laws.
13Most
Jews where Mizrahim and came from Northern Africa where France had
multiple colonies.
14Leon
Blum became the first Jew to be the Head of State of any country in
almost 2,000 years. He was the head of the provisional government
that was in charge of France between 1946-1947.
15Idsh
word. Meaning respect for others.
16Genesis
25:28
17Work
cited 4
18Work
cited 5
19Work
cited 6
20This
incident was part of a series of attacks made by Armed Islamic Group
who at the time where fighting to expel all French influence from
North Africa.
21An
Israeli operation on the Gaza strip that received large amounts of
media attention.
22Work
cited 7
23Work
Cited 8, page 301.
24A
Yeshiva is a center of Jewish studies. Many religious Jews choose to
go a Yeshiva instead of going to a University. Some Yeshivot have
certain programs where one can study the Torah and an additional
field to major in.
25Beit
Chabad, Rashi, Bar Yojai, Sjut Avot and Beit Halimud.
26The
school is called Ecole Juif de Grenoble.There used to be a
second school but it was closed last year due to financial reasons.
27In
most of the world, secular young Jews (like myself) live their
Judaism through a youth club. In Grenoble there used to be a branch
of Bnei Hakivah but it was closed because there where not enough
members.
28For
the past few months I have been going every Friday night to the
Beith Chabad synagogue and I have been having dinner with the
Rabbi's family afterward. I am never the only guest and I have had
the opportunity to meet many people who have had many interesting
stories that I would have loved to include in this paper.
Work
Cited
- Recueil des declarations de prise de nom patronymique des Juif du Haut-Rhin en 1808. Releves effectues par Pierre Katz. Cercle de Genealogie Juif. 2nd edition. Paris 1999.
- Les communautes juives du Haut-Rhin en 1851. Releves du recensement effectues par Pierre Katz. Cercle de Genealogie Juif. Paris 2002.
- Histoire juive de la Revolution a l'Etat d'Israel. Faits et documents. Renee Neher-Bernheim. Edition du Seuil. 2002.
- Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong. Jean-Benoit Nadeau & Julie Barlow. 5th edition. London 2010.
- Interview with Rabbi Alter Goldstein
- Interview with Thierry Schmoll.
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