Herve Alphand, French Ambassador to the United States, today presented the medal of the chevalier of the Legion of Honor to Irving M. Engel, president of the American Jewish Committee. Mr. Engel was cited by the French Ambassador for his “steadfast and tireless efforts, as president of the American Jewish Committee, in behalf of the international protection of human rights.”
In accepting the honor, Mr. Engel stressed “the profound debt owed to France by democracy and by the United States and the Jewish people.” The AJC president pointed to the fact that “it was the French Revolution which established in Europe the principle of full emancipation and equality for all people regardless of religion.”
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.
