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12 Tishrei 5764 - October 8, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
French Jewry Considering Emigration
by Arnon Yaffe, reporting from Paris

Long lines strung out at kosher food stores just before Rosh Hashanah and the streets of the Paris Jewish quarter were packed with people. Heavily laden shoppers navigated through the crowds in search of sheep heads for sale. Yet a tense atmosphere pervaded among Jews in the heart of Paris and in the suburbs as Yom Hadin drew near, with grave worries over the precarious situation in France as well as the situation in Eretz Yisroel.

In an article about the Jewish community, Le Monde reported the Jews "have a bad feeling" in France despite the decrease in the number of antisemitic attacks and they "retreat from their Jewish identity or are tempted to leave for Israel or Canada." Antisemitic street demonstrations have not abated.

In France more and more the Left and the media continue adopt the Palestinian position against the existence of Israel and pressure Jews to demonstrate loyalty to France and to denounce Israel. To accomplish this certain Israeli figures have been enlisted, including Avraham Burg; Zeev Sternhal, the historian of French fascism who himself appears to have been infected with their propaganda; and a certain Wershavsky, who served as the rabbi of Strasbourg and turned into an anti-Israeli inciter. These three and others are now highly sought after for interviews on Israel's chances of continued survival.

Most of the Jewish community, comprised of Jews who immigrated from North Africa, are worried at the prospect of having to undergo another uprooting away from France after arriving in French suburbs penniless forty years ago and working hard to establish themselves. In Jewish neighborhoods residents feel they have been abandoned by authorities who have surrendered to the Muslims. These Jews do not see themselves staying in France for long. French society allowed them to live as traditional Jews tied to Israel and to be Frenchmen as well, but this tolerant attitude has changed recently.

At the Senate in Paris, symposiums are held on Jewish topics such as, "What future does the Jew have in France?" or "Towards a forced ghetto." Whole families relocate from dangerous neighborhoods and congregate in increasingly Jewish neighborhoods.

Even assimilated, secular Jews are finding themselves upset by impossible situations. Albert Levy, a leftist Jew who works as an attorney for an anti-racist (yet antisemitic) organization, was helpless after his offspring from a mixed marriage converted to Islam and were expelled from school for wearing a Muslim scarf. In the Deri family, which immigrated from North Africa, one of the children voices anti-Israel positions as the leader of a leftist stream of the Socialist Party. Meanwhile his brother, like many others, went to Israel to flee antisemitism, preferring to live in a country under the constant threat of terrorism.

According to the Jewish Agency the aliya rate has doubled, while many others have decided to leave France but are waiting. Israel is not the only option. Many are also streaming into Canada, but their numbers are completely unknown. Many French Jews travel to Israel several times per year and some feel at home in both countries.

In suburbs like Sarselle people dream of leaving France. "Whoever has the means, gets out of France," said one Jew there. They are afraid of settling and losing themselves in the secular society, going the way of the Shinui Party. Young French Jews prefer to return to Judaism in France despite the difficulties and to send their children to religious and chareidi schools rather than falling into a secular Israeli lifestyle in Netanya.

The ghetto that journalists are so eager to warn against refers to the return to Torah and mitzvos among young French Jews. In France, far from the anti-religious government in Israel, on the street it is apparent that traditional Jews are searching for spirituality. Halls are rented out for tefillos due to a lack of space in the botei knesses. During the days of selichos 2,000 Jews gathered for a special shiur given by Chief Rabbi Yosef Sitruk in a large hall. Many people attend daily gemora shiurim in botei medrash following Shacharis. Jewish schools are filled to capacity.

 

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