In the wake of the La Grande-Motte Synagogue attack and political turmoil, France Central Consistory vice president and Marseilles Consistory president Michel Cohen Tenoudji expressed concern to The Jerusalem Post about the future of French Jewry and fate of the French Republic.
After the August 24 arson terrorist attack on the Beth Yaacov synagogue in southern France, the Jewish community was shocked and outraged, said Cohen Tenoudji. The attack by the 33-year-old Algerian man, which wounded a police officer, amplified fears about rising antisemitism in the country.
“The Jews are beginning to lose hope for a future in France,” said Cohen Tenoudji. “Jewish life is rich and prosperous in France but everyone holds their breath wondering how much longer this will last.”
The Jewish leader, one of the Central Consistory’s vice presidents, referenced Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ) statistics which indicated that antisemitic incidents in the Republic had increased by 1000% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The French Jewish community is vigilant in its protection of what Cohen Tenoudji described as a “serene” but “worried” Jewish life, with synagogues equipped with secure entrances, video and electronic surveillance, and the close collaboration of groups like SPCJ with law enforcement.
