Sephardic Jewish Genealogy in France

Introduction to Sephardic Jews in France

France has a rich and varied history of Sephardic Jewish communities, particularly in regions such as Bordeaux, Bayonne, Dax, La Bastide-Clairence, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. This guide provides an overview of the history, genealogy, and archival resources related to these communities.

Video: Sephardim in ancien régime France – Ton Tielen and David Mendoza

Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux

Historic Timeline of Sephardic Jews in Bordeaux

  • 1550: King Henry II of France grants the Portuguese New Christians the right to settle in Bordeaux.
  • 1610s-1650s: Continued settlement of Portuguese New Christians in Bordeaux. 1604 and 1612 ordinances forbidding people from speaking ill of or doing harm to Portuguese merchants.
  • The New Christians mainly lived in the parishes of St. Eulalie and St. Eloy and claimed the right to be buried in the cemeteries of these and other parishes, as well as monasteries.
  • 1710: A portion of the Catholic cemetery was reserved specifically for the Portuguese. Some start to openly profess Judaism.
  • Their marriages were performed by Catholic priests, with notes indicating they were conducted according to Portuguese customs.
  • A charitable institution called the Sedaca was established to support those in need, including Sephardi communities in Eretz Israel, local impoverished individuals, and travelers.
  • 1723: New letters-patent were obtained, officially referring to “Portuguese merchants” as Jews for the first time.
  • Joseph Falcon was appointed as the first rabbi in 1719, followed by Jacob Ḥayyim Athias and his son David.
  • Openly self-declared Jews from Avignon and Comtat-Venaissin settled in Bordeaux, but the “Portuguese” Jews kept themselves apart from the newcomers.
  • 1730s: The community establishes synagogues and other institutions. A 1731 objection to a protection tax for Jews and a 1734 reminder about prohibiting public practice of Judaism occurred.
  • A 1753 report referred to the practice of the Jewish religion in seven private prayer rooms as a “scandal.”
  • 1753: The Portuguese Jews of Bordeaux receive letters of naturalization, granting them the same rights as other French citizens.
  • 1780s: The Jewish population in Bordeaux grows and prospers.
  • 1791: The French Revolution leads to the emancipation of Jews in France, granting full citizenship and equal rights.
  • 1800s: The Jewish community, primarily Sephardic, continues to thrive, contributing significantly to the cultural and economic life of Bordeaux.
  • 1812: The Great Synagogue of Bordeaux is inaugurated.
  • 1870: The Crémieux Decree grants French citizenship to Jews in French Algeria, influencing the broader French Jewish community.
  • 1930s: Bordeaux remains an important center for Sephardic Jews, though the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe begins to affect the community.
  • 1940-1945: Holocaust
  • 1960s-1980s: Arrival of Sephardic Jews from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia

Genealogical Resources for Bordeaux

The surviving Birth, Circumcision, Marriage, and Burial records of the Portuguese-Jewish community of Bordeaux (‘Israélites Portugais’) have been digitized and can be accessed through the Bordeaux Archives website.

  • Birth Register
  • BORDEAUX GG 844 (1738-1792)
  • Circumcision Registers
  • BORDEAUX GG 842 (1706-1775)
  • BORDEAUX GG 843 (1732-1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 846 (1750-1784)
  • BORDEAUX GG 847 (1773-1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 848 (1774-1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 849 (1774-1793)
  • BORDEAUX GG 851 (1785-1793)
  • Marriage Register
  • BORDEAUX GG 850 (1775-1792)
  • Death Register
  • BORDEAUX GG 845 (1739-1792)

Bordeaux Portuguese Jewish Cemetery

Portuguese Jewish cemetery on Cours de la Marne

Books on the Sephardic Jews of Bordeaux

For additional information, visit this link.

Sephardic Jews of Bayonne

Historical Overview

Bayonne, a significant French port close to the Spanish border, saw the establishment of a Sephardic Jewish community in 1550. These “Portuguese” Jews were initially banned from retail business but later integrated into the local economy, focusing on professions like chocolate making, merchant activities, and shipping. The community faced challenges, including expulsion and restrictions, but maintained a distinct identity.

Genealogical Resources for Bayonne

Surviving community records are held by the Archives départementales of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and have been digitized.

  • Circumcision Registers
  • Samuel (GOMES) ATIAS, 1725-1773
  • Jacob SILVA, 1752-1759
  • Birth, Marriage, Death Registers
  • Births, Marriages, Burials, 1751-1788

Civil Records of the Jews of Bayonne

In 1808, Napoleon’s decrees led to the formal registration of Jewish names, impacting both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews.

  • 1808 Register of Declarations Juifs
  • 1808 Transcription of Jewish Names and Given Names

Inquisition Records

Notable trials and insights into crypto-Jewish life in Bayonne are documented, including cases from 1663 and 1664 involving prominent families.

Books on the Sephardic Jews of Bayonne

  • Histoire de l’établissement des juifs à Bordeaux et à Bayonne depuis 1550 by Louis Francia de Beaufleury
  • Histoire des juifs de Bayonne by Henry Léon
  • Revue des études juives, Volume 127 (contains an index of burials in the Bidache cemetery)

For further resources, refer to the following French-language PDF on genealogical sources in the Bayonne archives.

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