Upcoming Lecture: French Revolution, Napoleon and Jews
On Thursday, November 21, 2019, the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York City is hosting an exciting and informative lecture titled The French Revolution, Napoleon and the Jews. The lecture is being given by Dr. Frances Malino of Wellesley College, and is part of a larger series being sponsored by the Temple named The French Jewish Experience.
The series includes 7 lectures and is sponsored by the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in collaboration with the Copernic Synagogue in Paris. It is exciting to see such informative and thought-provoking lectures in New York City, reflects Vice President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Emmanuil Grinshpun. Such discussions will certainly encourage more lectures and open discussion throughout the community.
Napoleon’s view of Jews has been widely commented upon by historians. Throughout his conquest of Europe, his influence and ideas were widely spread throughout the region. Napoleon’s personal attitude towards Jewish people has been construed in different ways by historians, as at various times he made statements both in support and opposition to the Jewish people.
Dr. Frances Malino is the Sophia Moses Robison Professor Emerita of Jewish Studies and History at Wellesley College. Her research is focused upon Jewish history, and includes Jews living in medieval Spain, the lands of Islam, France, and Europe. Most recently, Dr. Malino published a biographical account of a Jew in the French Revolution, she also frequently gives seminars on antisemitism in historical perspective and the construction of Jewish identity in Europe, America, the Middle East, and South Asia.
Having a respected academic provide such a lecture, which will likely lead to a broader discussion, and will help provide the historical perspectives of Jewish people during that time and area. It may also help draw parallels between those perspectives and modern times reflects Emmanuil Grinshpun. France has a large and vibrant Jewish community. There are over 700 thousand Jewish people living in France today. In 2015, Prime Minister Manuel Valls famously said, “France without Jews would not be France.”
However, today’s Jewish community in France has become subjected to rising anti-Semitism and other turbulent issues. It has become a sad reality to see anti-Semitic acts as normal news in French newspapers.
Emmanuil Grinshpun: Accordingly, it is important to maintain an open dialogue amongst community members to encourage and share news, ideas, and foster collaborative support. Further details on the upcoming lecture series are accessible on the Temple’s website.
Originally Posted: http://www.emmanuilgrinshpunmoldova.com/upcoming-lecture-french-revolution-napoleon-and-jews/
