A collective fine of 1,000,000 france has been imposed upon the Jews of Nice, unoccupied France, according to information reaching here today.
The fine was ordered following the seizure of the Grand Synagogue in Nice by members of Petain’s body guard units known as Service d’Odre de la legion. Under the pretext that “communist literature” was discovered in the synagogue, Petain’s legionnaires desecrated and devastated the interior of the building and demanded the payment by the Jewish community of a collective fine within twenty-four hours. The soldiers did not leave the synagogue premises until the fine was paid.
Similar incidents are reported to have taken place in other cities of unoccupied France. In all instances, members of Marshal Petain’s body-guard detachment were involved.
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.
