Six synagogues in various sections of Paris were demolished early this morning and two persons were wounded when bombs apparently planted by Nazi agents exploded in the building of the Jewish houses of worship.
Among the synagogues destroyed was the famous temple on Rue de la Victoire, which was the seat of the Jewish consistory in France and housed the archives, library and administrative offices of the Grand Rabbi. The temple dated from the eighteenth century. Another bomb demolished the Sephardic synagogue in Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, destroying the remains of James Rothschild, founder of the famous banking house, which were interred there. Other synagogues bombed were on the streets: Tournelles, Montespan, Copernic, and Pavee. An unexploded bomb was removed from another synagogue before any damage could be done.
The Paris police announced that they were “actively investigating the incidents.”
The news of the bombing of synagogues was received by leaders of the Catholic Church in Vichy with disfavor. The Catholic Church has been particularly articulate in its opposition to “anti-Christian racism.” It is understood that a leading member of the Catholic hierarchy counselled Marshal Petain against too stringent anti-Jewish measures.
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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.
