The Absence of a Jewish Russian Legacy in France:

Abstract

In the second half of the nineteenth century and in the early twentieth century, Jews who had been living in France since the Middle Ages were particularly zealous in their desire for Jews coming from other countries, especially Russia, to become French. This chapter presents two episodes from the history of the relationships between French Jews and Russian Jews, and of the misunderstanding between the two groups. It explains the failure to promote the cultural heritage of Jewish immigrants coming from the Russian Empire. Ben-Ami, came to France to make contact with the Alliance Israelite Universelle organization. The chapter illustrates the complex relationship between French Jews and Russian Jews through the Schwartzbard affair. Ben-Ami's testimony and the analysis of the presentation of the Schwartzbard affair in the French Jewish and Russian Jewish press show that the expectations of Jews from the Russian Empire were limited. Keywords:Ben-Ami; France; Jewish Russian legacy; Schwartzbard Affair