NEW DATE! May 27, 2020 6:30 PM UNDERSTANDING ANTI-SEMITISM IN
FRANCE, FROM DREYFUS TO TODAY with Professor Pierre Birnbaum,
Université de Paris Part of THE FRENCH JEWISH EXPERIENCE Series The
reemergence of anti-Semitism as a political and social movement in the
1890s surprised both Jews and their friends, who thought old
prejudices had all but died out. This lecture will explore that
reemergence and the evolution of anti-Semitism from the time of the
Dreyfus Affair and the era’s virulently anti-Semitic press to a
second, more vicious wave in the 1930s and again in the 21st century.
It will also address how French Jews have understood each wave and
defended themselves against the hatred. ABOUT THE FRENCH JEWISH
EXPERIENCE: For a thousand years, French Jews have swung on a
pendulum from triumph to tragedy. The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center
is proud to sponsor a 7-part lecture series in collaboration with the
Copernic Synagogue in Paris, to explore that complex story, at once so
familiar and entirely alien to many American Jews. Some of the
greatest Jewish rabbis, composers and thinkers, going as far back as
Rashi and his grandson Rebenu Tam, have made France their home.
Despite their wide-ranging successes, France’s Jews are no strangers
to the woes of the modern Jewish experience. Jews have long occupied
an ambivalent place in France. In medieval times, they were reviled
and expelled, forced to wear special clothing and barred from most
occupations. With the Revolution of 1789, they became the first Jews
in the world to be granted equal citizenship under the law. And in the
political culture that developed around the ideals of liberté,
égalité, fraternité, this vibrant and diverse community of over
half a million — the largest in Europe, third largest in the world
— has thrived, leaving a visible mark on the arts and business,
politics, literature, philosophy and the professions. Yet ancient
suspicions have lingered. Some of the same Enlightenment thinkers who
inspired the Revolution also passed down a deep antipathy to Jews that
flared into the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890s. During World War II,
one-quarter of French Jewry was deported to Nazi death camps. And
today, anti-Semitism is resurgent, a chain of murders, beatings and
hatred sparking a dramatic rise in Jewish emigration. This series will
explore that paradox between French ideals and Jewish realities and
paint a portrait of the diversity and creativity of France’s Jews
since the time of the Revolution. Each lecture will stand on its
own, so feel free to attend as many as you wish. This program is
sponsored by the Streicker family and Dr. Masha Mimran 212.507.9580
| emanuelnyc.org/streickercenter
culture
94
Views
28/05/2020 Last update