Nice Synagogue
History
Nice became part of Frances in 1860. Prior to that, since 1388, it had been part of the County of Savoy, modern-day Italy, dominated by Roman Catholicism. The first recorded presence of Jews in Nice dates from the 14th century where Jews were required to wear a distinctive symbol. At times during the 15th century, Jews were required to live in certain areas and were limited to certain professions. During the 16th and 17th centuries, a much more liberal approach was adopted, resulting in Jews migrating to Nice from Italy and The Netherlands. From 1723, falling under Sardinian control, King Victor Amédée decreed that all Jews were required to live in the ghetto.
In 1733 permission was given to designate a synagogue on the third floor of a building owned by the Catholic brotherhood Pénitents Noirs, with a mikveh in the basement. Later this building was sold to help finance the construction of the current synagogue.
Later in the 18th century, Charles Emmanuel III, the Duke of Savoy, relaxed those rules, with further relaxation following the French Revolution in 1789. Falling under Sardinian control in the 19th century, Jews living in Nice were again regulated. Under the rule of King Charles Albert, from the mid-19th century, Jews were fully emancipated.
During World War II, Nice was initially in the demilitarized zone between the Vichy-controlled and the Italian occupied areas. Nice attracted many Jews from other areas that were subject to persecution. When the Nazis occupied Nice, from 1943, over five months, 5,000 Jews were arrested and deported. Following the war, the number of Jews swelled to 20,000, mainly from North Africa. In the early part of the 21st century, less than 10,000 Jews lived in Nice.
See also
Notes
- ^ Also the Grand Synagogue of Nice.
References
- ^ Base Mérimée: Synagogue ou temple israélite, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ "Grand Synagogue of Nice". The Cultural Guide to Jewish Europe. n.d. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Great Synagogue in Nice". Historic Synagogues Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Centre for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Levitt, Robert (2021). "Exploring Jewish Nice". Via Nissa. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Nice". The Cultural Guide to Jewish Europe. n.d. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Levitt, Robert (January 14, 2020). "Exploring Jewish Nice and Its Many Layers of History". Jewish Heritage Europe. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Blumenkranz, Bernhard; Levitte, Georges; Weinberg, David (n.d.). "Nice, France". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Liphshiz, Cnaan (September 28, 2019). "Hit by terror and economic woes, Nice's Jewish community faces uncertain future". Times of Israel. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
External links
Media related to Synagogue de Nice at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in French)