Décret impérial, Qui ordonne l'exécution d'un Reglement du 10 décembre 1806, concernant les Juifs. Au Palais des Tuileries, le 17 mars 1808.

(FRENCH JUDAICA)

Rondonneau

(Paris)

1808

Historiated masthead

Szajkowski, Napoleonica-Judaica 127

Historic legislation, establishing the Consistoire, the formal organization of French Jewry which continues to dominate Jewish life in France to this day. By decree, an Israelite consistory ("un consistoire israélite") is to be established wherever there is a significant Jewish population (minimally 2,000 individuals). Each consistory is to be composed of a certain number of rabbis as well as lay members. While on the one hand, the consistorial system might have brought order to Jewish communal life where hitherto there reigned dissension (e.g. only one, rather than plural synagogues would be allowed per department), on the other hand, this centralized governing body (i.e. "le grand sanhedrin") assured Napoleon absolute control over the mores of his Jewish subjects. The rabbis were now to serve as agents of the government responsible for delivering obedient French citizens who would gladly serve in the army. One notes with interest paragraph 20 whereby the rabbis must be fluent in either French (in France) or Italian (in Italy). Furthermore, it is preferable that knowledge of the Hebrew language be augmented by familiarity with Greek and Latin. See S. Schwarzfuchs, Napoleon, The Jews and the Sanhedrin (1979) pp. 103-106, 122-124.