Central Consistory

The Consistoire central israélite (German Consistory ) was created by Napoleon in 1808 organization of the Jewish denomination in France at that time, ie including parts of Germany and Italy. The time of the consistory as a semi-governmental institution ended in 1905 with the law on the separation of church and state in France. Since then, there are the Israelite Consistory central and sub- regional consistory as purely private institutions of voluntary administrative cooperation of the individual Jewish communities, organized by Konsistorialbezirken, usually consisting of several departments.

• 3.1 Effect on the provisions in the German states
• 3.2 Other regional consistory
• 3.3 reorganization in the 20th century
• 3.4 Alsace -Lorraine and the Alsace -Moselle area of ​​justice

Establishment of the consistory

During the French Revolution, the existing internal structures of the Jewish communities had been abolished. The introduced by Napoleon reforms were welcomed by the majority of Jewish community leaders in the hope that Judaism in France would obtain in this way a status similar to the Catholic Church in the Concordat of 1801 and the Protestants in the " organic products " from 1802. Napoleon himself was anxious to have a means of controlling the Jewish community are available and at the same time the Jews to integrate as citizens ( Citoyens ) into French society. The statutes of the Consistory were set by imperial decree on March 17, 1808 in force.

Organization

Central Consistory and regional consistory

In the adoption of the establishment of a central or national Consistory in Paris was established that at the top of the 13 regional consistory ( consistoires régionaux, also referred to as consistoires départementaux ) stand, which should in turn control the local communities ( communautés juives ). For each department with a Jewish population of at least 2,000 people a Consistoire was built. If the Jewish population was less than 2000, a Consistoire for several departments was established.

1808, there were 13 regional consistory:

• Consistoire Bordeaux
• Consistoire Casale Monferrato
• Consistoire Koblenz ( moved to Bonn from September 22, 1810 )
• Consistoire Krefeld
• Consistoire Mainz
• Consistoire Marseille
• Consistoire Metz
• Consistoire Nancy
• Consistoire Paris
• Consistoire Strasbourg
• Consistoire Trier
• Consistoire Turin
• Consistoire Wintzenheim

Occupation

In the central consistory sat three Grands rabbi exist ( Grand Rabbi ) and two lay in the regional consistory rabbin a grand and three laymen. They were chosen from 25 notables who had to be appointed by the parishioners and approved by the local prefect. All appointments were subject to the confirmation of the government. Every Jewish family Board had the consistory pay taxes. The motto of the central consistory "Religion and Fatherland" stressed the importance of assimilation.

Leading members of the Consistoire in the 19th century were the politician Adolphe Crémieux, the 1843 elected president of the organization, and the Orientalist Jules Oppert.

Tasks

The consistory, who received a semi-public status, should regulate the internal affairs of the Jewish community after the Protestant model. The Consistory had to manage the cult to keep the Jews to exercise useful occupations and to provide the authorities with the Jewish recruits.

Reforms

The existence of the consistory was threatened from the beginning by serious financial difficulties. As often failed to pay the taxes, whose 1816 collection by the State Revenue Office has been decided.

1831 authorized king Louis -Philippe, that the wages of the rabbis and community officials were paid by the state.

In the 1840s, the right to vote for the consistory was extended. The principle of Notabilität was indeed maintained, but increased the number of notables significant. After the revolution of 1848, every male Jew was declared more than 25 years notabel and thus eligible to vote. During the Second Empire, this democratization has been partly reversed. The central consistory limited the number of voters, especially in the choice of rabbis. A central task for the consistory was now the training of rabbis.

The rabbinical seminary, founded in 1829 in Metz was initially a traditional yeshiva. With the relocation of the seminar to Paris in 1859, efforts intensified to modernization.

Historical Development

Influence on the regulations in the German states

The reorganization of the Jewish community under Napoleon had a significant influence on the events and the regulations in the German states, similar to other areas (eg, Civil Code). The reign of Napoleon's Kingdom of Westphalia brother followed already in December 1808 the French model ( explained under Jewish Community Kassel).

See also:

• Badisches Jews Edict of 1809
• Prussian Jews Edict of 1812
• Bavarian Jews Edict of 1813

After the fall of Napoleon, the consistorial system in the towns in Westphalia, Belgium and Luxembourg was retained.

Other regional consistory

Another three Consistories created in 1810 by the conquest of central Italy: Consistoire Florence, Livorno and Consistoire Consistoire Rome.

1845 a superior consistory in Algiers was founded and regional consistory in Oran and Constantine. 1867 this Algerian Consistories were connected to mainland France.

1846 Consistoire Bayonne was created and in 1857 the Consistoire Lyon.

After the defeat in the Franco-German War and the loss of Alsace and parts of Lorraine walked part of the population, including many Jews, out of the newly created National Rural Alsace -Lorraine to France. Therefore, 1872 new consistory came in Lille and Vesoul.

Reorganization in the 20th century

The Consistoire Central remained the only officially recognized representative of the Jews in France until the introduction of the law on separation of religion and state in 1905. Jewish communities had to be from 1905 as associations ( associations ) constitute and manage without state subsidies. As the umbrella organization of most associations, the Union des associations de France et d' Algérie culturelles was founded. The groupings of Orthodox Judaism that had not been subjected to the consistorial system already before 1905, and this union did not join. The selected governing body of the Union is called to this day Consistoire why the false impression of a continuity arises.

By lifting the consistorial system in France additional associations of national importance could arise. 1950 FSJU (fund social Juif unifié ) was established from the 1968 AUJF ( Appel unifié of juifs de France) has emerged. In addition, there is the CRIF ( Conseil des institutions représentatif juives de France ), an organization representing the interests of all Jewish organizations in France.

Alsace -Lorraine and the Alsace -Moselle area of ​​justice

One particular development there was in Alsace - Lorraine, where French institutions were retained after the German annexation in 1871. Since Alsace -Lorraine, now occupy the departments of Bas- Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle its territory in 1905 was not part of France, the Laizismusgesetze are not here, but the Droit local en Alsace et de Moselle, in terms of status of religious communities - and many other questions - French law until 1871, and the German legislation in the years thereafter comprises until 1918. The local Jewish communities continue to form for each department a Konsistorialbezirk each with its own consistory. The three Israelite Consistory be distinguished as consistoires concord ataires of private law in the rest of France and not subject to the private law today Central Consistory.