Jews in the provincial city of Perigueux in southwest France say they are suffering a virtual boycott because of wild rumors charging them with a variety of crimes, including kidnapping young girls. The rumors are of the same kind that erupted recently in Amiens and, a year ago, in Orleans. Perigueux has the smallest Jewish community of any of the medium-sized provincial cities. Jews there have apparently decided to sweat out the whispering campaign. They have not lodged official complaints with the police nor have they asked for help from any Jewish organizations. The situation in Amiens was brought to light by a non-Jewish shopkeeper who complained to the authorities. Tradesmen there, a majority of them non-Jewish, were being accused of engaging in the white slave traffic. The same type of rumor emerged in Orleans in 1969, directed exclusively against Jewish shopkeepers.
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.
