The Chief Rabbi of France, Dr. Isaie Schwartz, died here today at the age of 76. He was born in Alsace, studied in France and held several ministerial posts including Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg before being elected Chief Rabbi of France in March, 1939.
When, during the German occupation of France, French collaborators were sent to arrest him and turn him over to the Gestapo, the Chief Rabbi argued the collaborators into helping him escape into the French countryside where he lived as a peasant until the war’s end.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
