Gaston Doumergue, the President of France, has in the course of his varied career been, among other things, the Secretary of a small Jewish Community in Algiers. This was revealed today by close friends of the President.
The community of which the President of France was the humble Secretary was Elarba in Algiers. Doumergue held at that time
the position of a Judge. The salary, however, was only 120 francs a month, and when the position of Kehillah Secretary became vacant, Doumergue applied for it. The applicant, who had many good friends among the Jewish residents, in spite of his being a Protestant, was accepted for the position.
Records of the community show that Doumergue fulfilled his duties admirably. He attended all Jewish Community meetings and participated, in the homes of the various Jewish residents, in the Sabbath and other holiday ceremonials.
One of Doumergue’s duties was to prime up interest in Jewish community affairs, and it is reported that became of his familiarity with Jewish history and religion, he was able to make very eloquent pleas for adherence to Jewish tradition.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
