The Cabinet today approved a series of weeping decrees placing economic restrictions on the Jews along the lines of the curbs in effect in Nazi-occupied France.
The measures, which limit Jews’ private economic activity in unoccupied France for the first time, were draws up by Xavier Vallat, Commissioner for Jewish Affairs, in consultation with the Nazi authorities in Paris.
Jewish physicians and lawyers will be limited to two per cent of the total number, with preference given to war veteran, Vallat stated. A numerus clausus of three per cent for Jews will be established in universities.
The statutes, details of which have not yet been completed, will bar Jews from acquiring buildings and business firms and will ban them from "professions based on ideas and speculation which, dishonestly carried out, would permit a rapid increase of fortunes," Vallat stated.
To implement the anti-Jewish program, the authorities are planning a census of Jews in unoccupied France. It is also intended to expel a large number of Jews from Vichy as "undesirables."
The Vichy anti-Jewish measures follow the Nazi program closely, even to providing for placarding of Jewish-owned shops and, possible, appointment of non-Jews to "manage" Jewish-owned enterprises. Heavy penalties are set for violation of the new statutes.
Vallat said exemptions would be given only to orphans and-widows of Jewish war dead and possibly to Jewish families which have been in France for five generations and have rendered special services to the nation.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
