‘To Be French?’: The Construction of Jewish Communities and Identities in Colonial Algeria, 1830-1923
Open Access
Author:
Mazzatesta, Lauren
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in English, History, and French
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Laura Robson, Thesis Supervisor Matt Tierney, Thesis Honors Advisor Jacob F. Lee, Thesis Honors Advisor J.-Marc Authier, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Algeria France Jewish French colonial policy Alliance Israélite Universelle World War I Crémieux Decree 19th Century 20th Century
Abstract:
Since the age of antiquity, Algeria was home to a robust Jewish community, rich in its diversity and solidarity among the other Jewish communities in North Africa. Yet, the 1870 Crémieux Decree forced Algeria’s Jewish community into a new legal, social, and political model in order to adhere to the decree’s larger purpose of elevating the position of French Jews. As a result, Algerian Jews’ way of life was forever altered. The French government intervened on nearly every facet of their life. One can consider the impacts upon Algeria’s Jewish community through their family relations, education, and citizenship, considering the French government’s laws dictated each of these spheres of life to coalesce with their political agenda in rendering Algerian Jews as French citizens. Although Algerians Jews in general welcomed French citizenship, they sacrificed their culture and Mzabi community, also known as the Mozabite Jewish community, at the expense of such legal recognition, which eroded the authenticity and the presence of Algeria’s Jewish community over time to the extent that Algeria is no longer home to such a flourishing Jewish community.
