LIST OF FRENCH JEWS

Jews have lived in France since Roman times, and since the French Revolution (and Emancipation) have contributed to all aspects of French culture and society. A significant number perished in the Holocaust, deported to Nazi death camps by the French Vichy government. After the war, France served as a haven for Jewish refugees, and an influx of immigration (mostly of Sephardi Jews from North Africa) saw the Jewish population triple to around 600,000, making it the largest Jewish community in Western Europe at the present time.
The following is a list of some prominent Jews and people of Jewish origins (not all of them practice, or practiced, the Jewish religion) who were born in, or are very strongly associated with, France.

Contents

Historical figures

Activists

Clergymen

Military

Politicians

Other

Academic figures

Scientists

Social scientists

Cultural figures

Artists

Film and stage

Musicians

Writers and poets

Business figures

Sport figures

See also

References

Footnotes

Historical figures

Activists

★ René Cassin (1887 - 1976) drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, won Nobel Peace Prize (1968)^[1]

★ Daniel Cohn-Bendit (1945 - ) student leader and German Green MEP^[2]

★ Lewis Goldsmith, journalist and political writer ^[1]

★ Bernard Kouchner (1939 - ) politician, founder of Médecins Sans Frontières^[3]

★ Alain Krivine (1941 - ) student leader and Trotskyist MEP^[4]

★ André Spire (1868 - 1966) lawyer, journalist, poet, Jewish society and French Zionism leader^[5]

Clergymen

★ Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger (1926 - 2007) former Catholic archbishop of Paris and cardinal^[6]

Military

★ Affiche Rouge - French Resistance group, mostly Jewish members

★ Denise Bloch (1915 - 1945) WWII SOE spy^[7]

★ Nissim de Camondo (1892 - 1917) pilot in WWI^[8]

★ Alfred Dreyfus (1859 - 1935) military officer^[9]

Politicians

★ Robert Badinter (1928 - ) Justice minister, 1981-6; abolished the death penalty in France^[10]

★ Léon Blum (1872 - 1950) Prime Minister 1936-7, 1938, 1946-7^[11]

★ Adolphe Crémieux (1796 - 1880) Justice minister, 1848, 1870-1^[12]

★ Laurent Fabius (1946 - ) Prime Minister, 1984-6^[13]

★ Louis-Lucien Klotz (1868 - 1930) journalist and politician; Minister of Finance during World War I^[14]

★ Bernard Kouchner (1939 - ) politician and doctor^[15]

★ Georges Mandel (1885 - 1944) Interior minister, 1939^[16]

★ Pierre Mendès-France (1907 - 1982) Prime Minister, 1954-5; withdrew from Indochina^[17]

★ Jules Moch (1893 - 1985) Transport minister, 1945-7; Interior minister, 1947-50; Defense minister, 1950-1^[18]

★ Dominique Strauss-Kahn (1949 - ) Finance minister, 1997-9^[19]

★ Simone Veil (1927 - ) Health minister, 1974-6; legalized abortion, President of the European Parliament 1979-82^[20]

Other

★ Ilan Halimi, murder victim^[21]

Academic figures

Scientists

★ Anatole Abragam (1914 - ) Russian-born physicist^[22]

★ Hippolyte Bernheim (1840 - 1919) hypnosis pioneer^[23]

★ Maurice Block (1816 - 1901) statistician ^[2]

★ Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (1933 - ) physicist, Nobel Prize (1997)^[24]

★ Alexander Grothendieck (1928 - ) German-born mathematician, Fields Medal (1966)^[25]

★ Jacques Hadamard (1865 - 1963) mathematician^[26]

★ François Jacob (1920 - ) microbiologist, Nobel Prize (1965)^[27]

★ Gabriel Lippmann (1845 - 1921) physicist, Nobel Prize (1908)^[28]

★ Andre Michael Lwoff (1902 - 1994) microbiologist, Nobel Prize (1965)^[29]

★ Henri Moissan (1852 - 1907) chemist, Nobel Prize (1906) (half Jewish)^[30]

★ Olinde Rodrigues (1795 - 1851) mathematician & social reformer^[31]

★ Laurent Schwartz (1915 - 2002) mathematician, Fields Medal (1950)^[32]

★ André Weil (1906 - 1998) mathematician, Wolf Prize (1979)^[33]

Social scientists

★ Albert Aftalion, Bulgarian-born French economist ^[3]

★ Raymond Aron (1905 - 1983) sociologist^[34]

★ Julien Benda (1867 - 1956) philosopher & novelist^[35]

★ Henri Bergson (1859 - 1941) philosopher, Nobel Prize (1927)^[36]

★ Marc Bloch (1886 - 1944) historian & Resistance leader^[37]

★ Léon Brunschvicg (1869 - 1944) philosopher^[38]

★ Hélène Cixous (1937 - ) feminist critic^[39]

★ Jacques Derrida (1930 - 2004) philosopher^[40]

★ Émile Durkheim (1858 - 1917) sociologist^[41]

★ Alain Finkielkraut (1949 - ) essayist^[42]

★ Gersonides (1288 - 1344) philosopher^[43]

★ André Glucksmann (1937 - ) philosopher^[44]

★ Jean Gottmann (1915 - 1994) geographer ^[4]

★ Robert Hertz (1881 - 1915) sociologist^[45]

★ Emmanuel Lévinas (1906 - 1995) philosopher^[46]

★ Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908 - ) anthropologist^[47]

★ Bernard-Henri Lévy (1948 - ) philosopher^[48]

★ Lucien Lévy-Bruhl (1857 - 1939) philosopher & anthropologist^[49]

★ Gabriel Marcel (1889 - 1973) philosopher^[50]

★ Marcel Mauss (1872 - 1950) sociologist^[51]

★ Jacob Rodrigues Pereira (1715 - 1780) first to teach the deaf^[52]

★ Rashi (1040 - 1105) religious commentator^[53]

★ Maxime Rodinson (1915 - 2004) historian^[54]

★ George Steiner (1929 - ) literary critic^[55]

★ Simone Weil (1909 - 1943) philosopher & mystic^[56]

Cultural figures

Artists

★ Christian Boltanski (1944 - ) photographer, sculptor and installation artist^[57]

★ Claude Cahun (1894 - 1954) photographer^[58]

★ André François (1915 - 2005) cartoonist^[59]

★ Michel Kikoine (1892 - 1968) painter^[60]

★ Moise Kisling (1891 - 1953) Polish-born painter^[61]

★ Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903) painter (half Jewish)^[62]

★ Joann Sfar (1971 - ) cartoonist^[63]

★ Chaim Soutine (1893 - 1943) Belarusian-born painter^[64]

★ Pauline Trigère (1909 - 2002) fashion designer^[65]

★ Ossip Zadkine (1890 - 1967) sculptor (half Jewish)^[66]

Film and stage

★ Anouk Aimée (1932 - ) actress^[5]

★ Alexandre Aja (1978 - ) director (''Haute Tension'')^[67]

★ Arthur (born Jacques Essebag) TV productor, TV Host, humorist, actor(1966 - ) ^[68]

★ Richard Anconina^[6] (1953 - ) actor^[69]

★ Yvan Attal (1965-) filmmaker^[70]

★ Jean-Pierre Aumont (1911 - 2001) actor^[7]

★ Elie KAKOU (1960 - 1999) humorist, actor

★ Sarah Bernhardt (1844 - 1923) world-famous stage actress^[71]

★ Michel Boujenah (1952 - ) actor, productor, director^[72]

★ Alain Chabat (1958 - ) actor, humorist, director^[73]

★ Sami Frey (1937-)A Famous stag actor,director,movie actor

★ David Charvet (1972 - ) French-born actor/singer (''Baywatch'')^[74]

★ Elie Chouraqui (1953- ) director, productor, scripwriter, actor^[75]

★ Marcel Dalio (1900 - 1983) actor^[76]

★ Gerard Darmon (1948 - ) actor, singer^[77]

★ Arié Elmaleh (1975 - ) actor, brother of Gad^[78]

★ Gad Elmaleh (1971 - ) humorist, actor, singer brother of Arié^[79]

★ Daniel Emilfork (1924 - 2006) actor^[80]

★ Anna Held (1872 - 1918) actress^[81]

★ Agnès Jaoui (1964 - ) director & actress^[82]

★ Marin Karmitz (1938 - ) producer^[83]

★ Elie Kakou (1960 - 1999) humorist, actor^[84]

★ Claude Lanzmann (1925-) filmmaker^[85]

★ Claude Lelouch (1937-) director^[86]

★ Marcel Marceau (1923 - ) mime artist^[87]

★ Jean-Pierre Melville (1917 - 1973) film director and screenwriter^[88]

★ Rachel (1821 - 1858) stage actress^[89]

★ Alexandra Rosenfeld (1986 - ) Miss France 2006^[90]

★ Ida Rubinstein (1885 - 1960) Belle Epoque icon^[91]

★ Elie Semoun (1963 - ) humorist, actor, singer^[92]

★ Michael Vartan (1968 - ) actor^[93]

★ William Wyler (1902 - 1981) director^[94]

Musicians

★ Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813 - 1888) composer & pianist^[95]

★ Barbara (borned Monique Serf) (1930 - 1997) singer[96]

★ Patrick Bruel (borned Patrick Benguigui) (1959 - ) singer, actor[97]

★ Joe Dassin (1938 - 1980) singer^[98]

★ Natalie Dessay (1965 - ) soprano^[99]

★ Sacha Distel (1933 - 2004) singer^[100]

★ Paul Dukas (1835 - 1965) composer^[101]

★ Serge Gainsbourg (1928 - 1991) singer-songwriter^[102]

★ Jean-Jacques Goldman (1951 - ) singer and songwriter^[103]

★ Fromental Halévy (1799 - 1862) composer^[104]

★ Ludovic Halevy (1834-1908), librettist^[105]

★ Joseph Kosma (1905 - 1969) film composer^[106]

★ Jacques Lanzmann (1927 - 2006) lyricist; brother of Claude Lanzmann^[107]

★ Isidore de Lara (1858 - 1930) composer ^[108]

★ René Leibowitz (1913 - 1972) composer^[109]

★ Daniel Levi (1961 - ) singer, composer^[110]

★ Enrico Macias (1938 - ) singer[111]

★ Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974) composer^[112]

★ Pierre Monteux (1875 - 1964) conductor^[113]

★ Georges Moustaki (1934 - ) composer, singer^[114]

★ Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880) composer^[115]

★ Régine (1929 - ) Belgian-born singer^[116]

★ Sapho - singer^[117]

★ Martial Solal (1927 - ) jazz pianist & composer^[118]

★ Alexandre Tansman (1897 - 1986) composer, pianist^[119]

★ Émile Waldteufel (1837 - 1915) composer^[120]

Writers and poets

★ Tristan Bernard (1866 - 1947) playwright & novelist^[121]

★ Henri Bernstein (1876 - 1953) playwright^[122]

★ Henri Blowitz, journalist ^[8]

★ Paul Celan (1920 - 1970) poet^[123]

★ Romain Gary (1914 - 1980) novelist^[124]

★ Max Jacob (1876 - 1944) poet^[125]

★ Edmond Jabès (1912 - 1991)poet^[126]

★ Joseph Joffo (1931-) writer^[9]

★ Gabriel Josipovici (1940-) novelist^[10]

★ Gustave Kahn (1859 - 1936) poet & art critic^[127]

★ Joseph Kessel (1898 - 1979) novelist & journalist^[128]

★ Jacques Lanzmann (1927 - 2006) writer^[129]

★ Justine Lévy (1974-) novelist^[130]

★ André Maurois (1885-1967)author^[131]

★ Albert Memmi (1921-) novelist & sociologist^[132]

★ Patrick Modiano (1945-) writer (half Jewish)^[133]

★ Irène Némirovsky (1903 - 1942) writer^[134]

★ Georges Perec (1936 - 1982) novelist^[135]

★ Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922) writer (half Jewish)^[136]

★ Yasmina Reza (1959-)playwright^[137]

★ Nathalie Sarraute (1900 - 1999) writer^[138]

★ Claude Sarraute, journalist, writer^[139]

★ Jean-Jacques Schuhl, writer^[140]

★ Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber (1924 - 2006) journalist, co-founder L'Express^[141]

★ Anne Sinclair (1948-) political journalist; wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn^[142]

★ André Suarès (1868 - 1948) poet^[143]

★ Tristan Tzara (1896 - 1963) poet^[144]

★ Ilarie Voronca (1903 - 1946) poet & essayist^[145]

★ Bernard Werber, best-selling author^[146]

Business figures

★ Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet (1906 - 1996) founder and head of Publicis Groupe^[147]

★ Moïse de Camondo (1860 - 1935) banker^[148]

★ Isaac & Daniel Carasso, founders of Danone^[149]

★ André Citroën (1878 - 1935) founder of Citroën^[150]

★ Marcel Dassault (1892 - 1986) aerospace industrialist^[151]

★ Michel^[152], David^[153], and Pierre David-Weill^[11], bankers and chairman of Lazard LLC Partners

★ Achille Fould (1800 - 1867) financier^[154]

★ Maurice Girodias (1919 - 1900) founder of Olympia Press (half Jewish)^[155]

★ Maurice de Hirsch, banker ^[12]

★ Philippe Kahn, founder of Borland^[156]

★ Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, owner of Louis-Dreyfus & Co. (half Jewish)^[157]

★ Alexandre, Simon & Elie Lazard, founders of Lazard Frères ^[11]

★ Michel Adam Lisowski, founder and president of Fashion TV^[158]

★ André Meyer (1898 - 1979) French/American financier^[159]

★ Jean-Pierre Meyer Deputy Chairman of L'Oreal cosmetics^[160]

★ Jean-Charles Naouri, financier^[161]

★ Emile and Isaac Péreire, bankers ^[14]

★ Rothschild banking & wine growing family of France^[162]

★ Alain, Gerard, and Pierre Wertheimer owners and co-founder of Chanel^[163]

Sport figures

★ Ossip Bernstein, chess grandmaster ^[15]

★ François Cevert (1944 - 1973) racing driver (half Jewish)^[164]

★ Robert Cohen (1930-) boxer: World Bantamweight Champion^[165]

★ Pierre Darmon (1934-) tennis player^[166]

★ René Dreyfus (1905 - 1993) racing driver^[167]

★ Alphonse Halimi (1932 - 2006) boxer: World Bantamweight Champion^[168]

★ Maurice Herzog, mountaineer : first 8000 m : mountain Annapurna (1950); later a politician^[16]

★ Daniel Wildenstein, racehorse owner ^[17]

★ Maurice Cohen, OGC Nice president

See also

★ History of the Jews in France

★ List of French people

References

Footnotes

1. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: "he was of Portuguese Jewish descent"
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed: "He was born in Berlin of Jewish parents. He studied at Bonn and Giessen, but settled in Paris, becoming naturalized there"
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2nd ed., art. "Aftalion, Albert"
4. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: "the only child of prosperous Jewish parents"
5.
6. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Anconina
7. Jean-Pierre Aumont ... returned to fight for his country despite the danger
to him as a Jew
8. Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd ed., art. "Blowitz, Henri
9. "A Bag of Marbles" - Joseph Joffo
10. (Jewish Year Book 2005 p215)
11. Encyclopaedia Judaica, art. "Lazard"
12. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: "His grandfather Jacob had established the family as one of the first Jewish families to acquire great wealth and social acceptability in Bavaria ... His mother came from an Orthodox Frankfurt family and ensured that the children were properly instructed in Jewish matters ... he moved to Paris ... He was a well-known and ubiquitous member of the smart set in Paris"
13. Encyclopaedia Judaica, art. "Lazard"
14. Encyclopaedia Judaica, art. "Pereire, Emile and Isaac"
15. Encyclopaedia Judaica, art. "Chess"
16. ''Jewish Chronicle'', November 30 1962 p.1
17. Encyclopaedia Judaica, art. "Wildenstein"