Behind the Headlines France’s New Chief Rabbi Reflects Profound Changes in French Jewry

The election of Rabbi Rene Samuel Sirat as France’s new Chief Rabbi has been a confirmation of the increasing role played by Sephardi Jews from North Africa in France.

Sephardi Jews form more than 50 percent of the 750,000-strong Jewish community in France and it was logical that a Sephardi of North African origin should become the successor of Rabbi Jacob Kaplan who has been the representative of the Ashkenazi Jews and of a certain Jewish establishment.

There were of course Sephardic in France before the massive immigration of Jews from North Africa but they were already well integrated into French life since most of them were descendants of Jews who had come from Spain and Portugal some five centuries ago.

Sephardi Jews from North Africa have brought with them rigorous traditions that French Jews no longer had because of their integration into French society in the 19th Century. At the time of the Dreyfus affair many French Jews had last their Jewish identity and the 19th Century was full of examples of conversions to Christianity throughout Europe. Nevertheless, attempts by French Jewish bourgeoiseto integrate touched off a violent wave of anti-Semitism which culminated with the Dreyfus affair.

SEPHARDIM BROUGHT CHANGE

The arrival of Jews from Eastern European countries in the 1930s brought the resurgence of a new Jewish conscience for a while until the Nazi Holocaust.

The primer change which helped preserve Judaism was the creation of the State of Israel but the important factor behind the blossoming of the French Jewish community was the arrival in France of North African Jews in the early 1960s.

Sephardi Jews from North Africa brought a new cohesion to the Jewish community but also challenged the “establishment” formed by those who claimed to belong to French society for over a century.

Rabbi Kaplan, who was elected Chief Rabbi in 1955, represented, like it or not, the establishment though he did much for the rapprochement of Ashkenazis and Sephardic. North African Jews, who were forced to leave a region where they had lived for centuries, showed they were more aware of the acute problems Israel has been facing since its creation. They also formed the care of those French Jews who emigrated to the Jewish State.

They brought new blood to existing Jewish organizations and more punch to their actions and the recent “12 hours” meeting in favor of Israel demonstrated that out of 15,000 people present they outnumbered Jews of Eastern European origins.

One would be wrong in assuming that North African Jews are behind the creation of the radical “Jewish Revival” movement which has called on French Jews to condemn France’s Middle East policy by voting against President Valery Giscard d’Estaing. The revival movement is headed by an Ashkenazi Jew and consists of people who share the views of the present Israeli government.

RABBI OF ALL FRENCH JEWS

There are Sephardic in this movement but North African Jews, more than others, are aware of the danger of constituting a political lobby in France. Nevertheless, certain of their representatives contributed to fuel the criticism unleashed by the radicals against the “Establishment”and the Rothschild family in particular which heads the major Jewish institutions.

Rabbi Sirat does not want to be considered the rabbi of the Sephardic. “It is not a Sephardi or Ashkenazi rabbi who has been elected but the rabbi of all French Jews, “he stated.

It is true that Ashkenazi Jews, who are the survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, did much to reconstruct a community which had been destroyed and Rabbi Kaplan did his best to defend Jewish interests when he opposed Gen. Charles de Gaulle who condemned Israel’s preventive war in 1967. But Rabbi Kaplan was in fact, spurred by North African Jews in doing so because French Jews were much more restrained in their reactions.

North African Jews, unlike Ashkenazis who suffered the Holocaust, do not have any guilt feelings. They do not want to be identical with ordinary French people and feel more Jewish than other Jews and also more French than other Frenchmen. Sociologists have found that North African Jews claim aggressively their French citizenship and their attachment to Judaism as well.

Sephardi Jews from North Africa refused to make the concessions that Jewish immigrants from Eastern countries did 50 years ago. Without sacrificing Judaism, they rapidly took an active role in French social, economic, scientific and cultural sectors. They form more than 50 percent, perhaps 60 percent, of the community but 80 percent of its activities are in their hands. As an example, a majority of pupils in religious schools are Sephardic. The election of Rabbi Sirat, who was born in Algeria 50 years ago, is therefore a recognition of their active contribution to Judaism in France.

Rabbi Kaplan, who had been elected for life, expressed his desire to retire several years ago but the French Jewish Consistory was unable to find him a suitable successor. Most rabbis in France are Sephardic and it would have been difficult for them to accept another Ashkenazi chief especially as North African Jews have been increasingly accusing the “establishment” of not fulfilling their aspirations any longer.

DOES NOT APPROVE BEGIN’S WEST BANK POLICY

The election of Sirat appeared to be the best solution to keep the community united. Rabbi Sirat is known as a liberal and his views are similar to those of his rival, Rabbi Max Warchawski of Strasbourg. Both men do not approve of the Begin administration’s policy on the West Bank. At the some time, they are ready to oppose France’s Middle East attitude in a firm manner if necessary.

Being an intellectual who has done much to promote the teaching of Hebrew and Jewish traditions in France, Sirat said he would give priority to education. But he firmly stated that if the “superior interests of Israel were at stake it would be our duty to intervene and to tell the government of our country that we would not allow the destruction of Israel.”

In his first message to French Jews, Rabbi Sirat said: “I hope that we will have at heart, through our actions and our research, through our persevering and continuing rapprochement towards religion to hasten the arrival of the Messiah. Tradition points out that the Messiah is ready and it only depends on us to make him come.” He added: “All Jews in the world agree on one point: the superior interests of Israel are vital in the daily life of a Jew whether he lives in Israel or in diaspora.”