SUMMARY of #92

OUR SOCIETY'S LIFE

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FAMILIES

The 1912 Eclipse.

Bernard LÉVY discusses the picture taken on April 17, 1912 in Le Vésinet, a suburb of Paris. Some sixty persons from prominent Jewish Parisian families had gathered there to watch the total sun eclipse. The author, who is one of their descendants, identifies them, shows how they are related and sketches their personal fates.


The Wertenschlag surname

In our issue #91 Françoise JOB has published an article about the surname Wertenschlag which was adopted by Jews from the Haut-Rhin Département as ordered by the Napoleonic decree of July 20, 1808. Several readers have been startled by the enigma the paper contained. Their answers are published here.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Bernard LYON-CAEN analyzes the deed executed by two Jews from Metz, Isaac Oulif and Nathan Olry Cahen in the office #41 of the Royal Counselors, Notaries in Paris on August 10, 1722. One party acquires the other’s half of a house which they jointly own in Metz. The author exploits the document from three points of view: such early deeds implying Jews in the Registers of the Parisian Notaries are rare; in which conditions did the Jews in Metz dwell?; how does this deed fit into the history of the Jews from Metz?

Georges GRANER reports in detail about the seminar of November 18 and 19, 2007 organized in Marseilles by Danièle FAREAU, the president of the Marseilles section of Cercle de Généalogie Juive. Three historians lectured under the theme “Jewish migrations in Marseilles” about: Jewish presence from Antiquity to present; Jews in Marseille in the 17^th century; The role played by Jews in Marseilles during the 19^th century. The seminar also hosted genealogy workshops and provided visits to Département Archives.

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NEW DOCUMENTS IN OUR LIBRARY

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BOOK REVIEW

Monique LEVYand Jean-Philippe CHAUMONT have just published the first volume of Dictionnaire biographique des rabbins ... en France et Algérie (Berg International ed., Paris , 2007) covering the range from 1807 to 1905. Monique LÉVY explains the purpose and use of the book.

Véronique CAHEN publishes the computerization of the ketouba (marriage contract) stubs at the Paris Consistoire from 1872 to 1884, to be followed by two other volumes up to 1912.

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QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

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PRESS REVIEW