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France Names Group to Except “meritorious’ Jews from Discharge

December 27, 1940
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The Government has appointed a special committee to discover Jewish officials with “outstanding merits” exempted from discharge under the anti-Jewish law of Oct. 18, it was disclosed today.

This measure became necessary because the Jews affected were reluctant to make voluntary applications stressing their merits, resulting in mass dismissals which were especially harmful to the field of higher scientific research.

It is unofficially estimated that more than 250 Jews have been eliminated from the legal service under the anti-Jewish law, including judges, justices and prosecutors. More than 1,500 have been dismissed from the education system, about two-thirds of them being teachers in elementary and secondary schools.

Since promulgation of the anti-Jewish statute, the official Journal daily carries a member of Jews applications for change of name from Jewish-sounding to more Gallic names. The anti-Jewish press comments ironically on these applications, while Jewish community leaders unanimously condemn this “lack of dignity.”

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