Dr. Andre Chouraqui, well known author and scholar, former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem and a prominent leader of the North African Jewish community, has received a rare French award–a gold medal of the French Academy.
The medal, usually reserved for foreign heads of state, was bestowed on Chouraqui for his literary work, particularly his recently published 26-volume French translation of the Old and New Testaments. The presentation was made last Thursday by Pierre Bitard, Consul General of France in Jerusalem.
Chouraqui has written 25 books, in addition to the translation, which were translated into nine languages. One of the books, “A Letter to an Arab Friend,” was read by King Hassan of Morocco who invited Chouraqui to visit him last March. Thurs, Chouraqui become the first Israeli ever to be openly invited by an Arab head of state.
Chouraqui was born in Algeria 61 years ago. He received a doctorate in law from the Sorbonne and served as a lawyer and judge in Algeria. During World War II he was one of the founders of the Maquis and was awarded the Legion of Honor by President Charles de Goulle. He settled in Jerusalem and served as Deputy Mayor from 1965 to 1973. He is one of several prominent Sephardi Jews under reported consideration by Premier Menachem Begin as the next President of Israel to succeed President Ephraim Katzir when his five-year term ends in May.
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