Bastille Day: Jewish France in Light and Shadow
Concerning both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, at the center of major historical developments, the Jewish history of France is as diverse as the French nation. It spans from the enlightened to the cruel, from the progressive to the tragic. Here are some defining moments in French-Jewish history. Happy Bastille Day to all! 1. 1040-1105 – Legend has it that Rashi, the great medieval Torah commentator, allowed his daughters to lay Tefillin 2. June 17, 1244 – The burning of the Talmud in Paris 3. 1394 – Jews are exiled from France. Only one of several exile decrees between[]