Michel Zaffran
Genealogical oddities encountered during my research into the Jews of Algeria
The author describes in detail some surprising information he came across whilst conducting genealogical research into his family in Algiers and Constantine. This astonishing, often baffling and sometimes unbelievable information is analysed, and the author offers some possible explanations he has arrived at, often with the help of other genealogists. Readers are invited to form their own opinions and share their suggestions.
Joëlle Meyer
My Ancestors from Fürth, Bavaria, in the 18th and 19th Centuries. An Overview of the Sources Used.
This article recounts a genealogical research project focused on the author’s Jewish ancestors, who were originally from Fürth, Bavaria. Drawing on her father’s memories, she gradually reconstructs her family lineage, particularly around her great- grandmother Berthe Levy, who was born in Strasbourg. Thanks to French archives and genealogy websites, she traces her lineage back to her ancestors from Fürth and Frankfurt in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Her research highlights families such as the Stettens and the Stuttgarter, jewelers who were well-integrated into the Jewish community of Fürth, a major Jewish city in Europe between the 18th and 19th centuries. The article describes in detail the many sources used: local archives, databases, books, museums, religious records, and historical documents.
Jacob Rosen-Koenigsbuch
Professor Philippe Mario Aghion – A Genealogical Investigation
Jewish genealogy must go beyond mere records to reconstruct lives upended by immigration, by incorporating a broader historical and cultural context. Through a study of the family of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics laureate, Professor Philippe Aghion, this article traces the rise of an influential Sephardic Jewish family in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, where multilingualism, migration and strong community ties shaped their identity. Despite their prosperity, political instability and the pressures of the post-World War II era prompted his parents, Raymond Aghion and Gaby Hanoka—who would later found the fashion house ‘Chloé’—to leave Egypt for Paris. Their journey illustrates the decline of Egyptian Judaism and shows how this diverse and adaptable context influenced the success and innovation of future generations.