Description

This report gives an overview of February 1942. It also contains pieces of information on elected Muslim officials, reformist ulemas, religious brotherhoods, indigenous Israelites, the press, economic issues, propaganda …

The opening of the free school in Constantine for Jewish students has not yet been possible for material reasons. The president of the Consistory Mr. Bakouche asked the prefectural authority and the Academy that the premises of one of the three schools closed in the Jewish quarter, by application of the numerus clausus, be reopened, as a public school in favor of dismissed students, sons of certain categories of Jews, justifying military titles or exceptional service.

The law of February 18 fixes the new status of the Algerian Jewish population. It provides for broad exceptions and grants French citizenship to certain categories of Jews, veterans, or descendants of veterans on request. This new regulation, misinterpreted by Muslims, is seen as a step backward from the law of October 7 repealing the Crémieux decree, while it only fixes the status of Algerian Jews.

Licenses for drinking establishments can no longer be kept by native Israelites who have lost French citizenship.

The report mentions the trial of the State Court of Lyon where 32 Algerian Jewish speculators are indicted for illicit increase by fictitious sale to the chain on simple game of writing. Important personalities are indicted in this trial: the Douied brothers of Algiers, Mr. Elie Ghozland, and various large traders from Oran and Constantine.

“The Jewish leaders of Constantine began a maneuver which resulted in a first meeting between the Chief Rabbi Jais, the president of the Consistory and two priests of the Catholic Church, in order to seek support from Catholics by drawing anti-racist arguments in the Gospel “.

The report quotes the newspaper “L’Entente” which was censored by the information control service. In the article entitled “Muslims, the Order of Physicians and the Status of the Jews”, Dr. Bendjelloul praises the organization of the Order of Physicians and indicates that it is appropriate to bow to the decisions of the Marshal, that the application of the statute of the Jews in Algeria is a necessity. He proposes in the face of the insufficiency of this medical body in this country, that the Jewish doctors who were to be deprived of exercising, be sent to the countryside where there is a lack of doctors. He also asks that Jewish midwives continue to practice and that the numerus clausus not be applied to them. “This article has been entirely censored because of the political aim sought (rapprochement with the Jews with a view to subsequent financial support from them).”