Jules Isaac
Encyclopedia
Jules Isaac was a Jewish French historian.
, stationed in Rennes
at the time of Jules' birth, who had opted for France rather than Prussia on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
in 1870. At 13, Jules lost both his parents in the course of a few months, and became an interne at the lycée Lakanal
at Sceaux
. Aged 20, he first met Charles Péguy
, the start of a long friendship, marked in particular by their creation of the review Cahiers de la Quinzaine and their joint support of Dreyfus in the Dreyfus affair
.
He received the agrégation
in history, in 1902, the year of his marriage to Laure Ettinghausen. He taught in Nice
, then at Sens
. Ernest Lavisse
introduced him to the Hachette publishing house, who published the collection of history textbooks by Albert Malet
. From then on Isaac was charged with editing aide-mémoire
s for the baccalauréat. Made professor at the lycée Louis-le-Grand
, then at lycée Saint-Louis
, he extended his collaboration to textbooks for à des manuels primaire supérieur teaching, also added to the Malet collection.
Albert Malet died on the Western front in 1915, and Jules Isaac edited alone a new series imposed by new education programmes. However, Malet's name remained the name by which the collection was known. A member of the Ligue des droits de l'homme et du citoyen, then of the Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
, Jules Isaac got involved in trying to foster better understanding between French and Germans, and struggled especially for the revision of school textbooks to that end. In 1936, he was made inspector-general of public instruction.
At the end of 1940, he was removed from office under the Vichy
regime due to the statute discriminating against Jews. The académician Abel Bonnard
declared to Gringoire
on 13 November 1942 that "it was not possible that France's history should be taught to young people by an Isaac". Isaac's wife and daughter were arrested at Riom on 7 October 1943, then deported to Auschwitz and killed there. His son was also arrested, but succeeded in escaping from a camp in Germany. In 1945, Jules Isaac was re-established in his rights as honorary inspector-general.
. Cofounder, with Edmond Fleg among others, and active member of "Amitiés judéo-chrétiennes" in 1947, he was particularly engaged in fighting anti-Semitism's Christian origins, which he saw as decisive. His essential idea was to make Early Christianity's Jewish origins better valued.
In 1949, he and Pope Pius XII
intervened to revise the Good Friday prayer, which previously contained offensive references to the Jews. He thus helped start the road that led to Vatican II and the declaration Nostra Ætate (1965) by Pope John XXIII
.
Life
His father was a Jewish career soldier from the AlsaceAlsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, stationed in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
at the time of Jules' birth, who had opted for France rather than Prussia on the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in 1870. At 13, Jules lost both his parents in the course of a few months, and became an interne at the lycée Lakanal
Lycée Lakanal
Lycée Lakanal is a secondary public school in Sceaux, France. It was named after Joseph Lakanal, a French politician, and an original member of the Institut de France. The school also offers a middle school and highly ranked "classes préparatoires" undergraduate training...
at Sceaux
Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine
Sceaux is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Wealth:Sceaux is famous for the Château of Sceaux, set in its large park , designed by André Le Nôtre, measuring...
. Aged 20, he first met Charles Péguy
Charles Péguy
Charles Péguy was a noted French poet, essayist, and editor. His two main philosophies were socialism and nationalism, but by 1908 at the latest, after years of uneasy agnosticism, he had become a devout but non-practicing Roman Catholic.From that time, Catholicism strongly influenced his...
, the start of a long friendship, marked in particular by their creation of the review Cahiers de la Quinzaine and their joint support of Dreyfus in the Dreyfus affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
.
He received the agrégation
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
in history, in 1902, the year of his marriage to Laure Ettinghausen. He taught in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, then at Sens
Sens
Sens is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne and the Vanne, which empties into the Yonne here.-History:...
. Ernest Lavisse
Ernest Lavisse
Ernest Lavisse was a French historian.- Biography :He was born at Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, Aisne.In 1865 he obtained a fellowship in history, and in 1875 became a doctor of letters; he was appointed maître de conférence at the École Normale Supérieure, succeeding Fustel de Coulanges, and then...
introduced him to the Hachette publishing house, who published the collection of history textbooks by Albert Malet
Albert Malet (historian)
Albert Malet was a French historian and author of scholarly textbooks, killed during the First World War.- Life :...
. From then on Isaac was charged with editing aide-mémoire
Aide-mémoire
In international relations, an aide-mémoire is a proposed agreement or negotiating text circulated informally among delegations for discussion without committing the originating delegation's country to the contents. It has no identified source, title, or attribution and no standing in the...
s for the baccalauréat. Made professor at the lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
, then at lycée Saint-Louis
Lycée Saint-Louis
The lycée Saint-Louis is a higher education establishment located in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, in the Latin Quarter. It is the only public French lycée exclusively dedicated to classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles...
, he extended his collaboration to textbooks for à des manuels primaire supérieur teaching, also added to the Malet collection.
Albert Malet died on the Western front in 1915, and Jules Isaac edited alone a new series imposed by new education programmes. However, Malet's name remained the name by which the collection was known. A member of the Ligue des droits de l'homme et du citoyen, then of the Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
The Watchfulness Committee of Antifascist Intellectuals was a French political organization created in March 1934, in the wake of the February 6, 1934 riots organized by far right leagues, which had led to the fall of the second Cartel des gauches government...
, Jules Isaac got involved in trying to foster better understanding between French and Germans, and struggled especially for the revision of school textbooks to that end. In 1936, he was made inspector-general of public instruction.
At the end of 1940, he was removed from office under the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
regime due to the statute discriminating against Jews. The académician Abel Bonnard
Abel Bonnard
Abel Bonnard was a French poet, novelist and politician.-Biography:Born in Poitiers, Vienne, his early education was in Marseilles with secondary studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris...
declared to Gringoire
Gringoire (newspaper)
Gringoire was a political and literary weekly newspaper in France, founded in 1928 by Horace de Carbuccia , Georges Suarez and Joseph Kessel....
on 13 November 1942 that "it was not possible that France's history should be taught to young people by an Isaac". Isaac's wife and daughter were arrested at Riom on 7 October 1943, then deported to Auschwitz and killed there. His son was also arrested, but succeeded in escaping from a camp in Germany. In 1945, Jules Isaac was re-established in his rights as honorary inspector-general.
Judaeo-Christian relations
Jules Isaac dedicated a large part of his efforts to research into the causes of antisemitism. He published Jésus et Israël, edited during the war, then inspired by the Charte de SeelisbergSeelisberg
Seelisberg is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:The Rütli meadow, according to legend the site of the original oath foundational to the Old Swiss Confederacy, is situated in the territory of the municipality....
. Cofounder, with Edmond Fleg among others, and active member of "Amitiés judéo-chrétiennes" in 1947, he was particularly engaged in fighting anti-Semitism's Christian origins, which he saw as decisive. His essential idea was to make Early Christianity's Jewish origins better valued.
In 1949, he and Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
intervened to revise the Good Friday prayer, which previously contained offensive references to the Jews. He thus helped start the road that led to Vatican II and the declaration Nostra Ætate (1965) by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
.
Works
- Jésus et Israël, 1948 ;
- Genèse de l'antisémitisme, 1956 ;
- L'Enseignement du mépris, 1962.
External links
- Biography of Jules Isaac
- André Kaspi : Jules Isaac ou la passion de la vérité (Plon 2002).
- http://www.jewishmag.com/153mag/nosta_aetate/nosta_aetate.htm