Northafrican Jews in France Seek Participation in Communal Work

The Association of Jewish Repatriates from North Africa urged French Jewry today to make possible greater participation by the repatriates in the work and responsibilities of Jewish institutions and organizations in France.

The association, holding its annual general assembly here, represents the majority of the 100,000 repatriates from Algeria and thousands more from Morocco and Tunisia. Its goal is to maintain close contacts among the Algerian newcomers and to further their integration into the French community.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of expert Jewish opinion that the integration of the 100,000 Algerian Jews into the French Jewish community has been one of the most successful in history. Thanks largely to the work of the Fonds Sociale Juif Unifie, the major French Jewish welfare agency, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the repatriates have been integrated both culturally and socially. Former Algerian Chief Rabbis David Ashkenazi and Rahmin Naouri, are serving as presidents of the association.

Speakers representing newly-formed communities called on French Jewry to provide seats for the repatriates on the governing bodies of French Jewish organizations and pledged in return to work for maximum cooperation with those organizations.

Pierre Attal and Maurice Ayoun, attorneys specializing in compensation claims, reported on current French legislation for indemnification for Algerian Jews for private and communal property abandoned in the former French territory and explained current legislative projects in that field. The association is a member of the National Union for Indemnification which represents most repatriate organizations.

Andre Narboni, former president of the Algerian Zionist Federation, brought greetings from Israel and from North African Jews who have settled there. He also called for closer ties between repatriates now living in Israel and France.