Description

March 3, 1942 – Publication in the Official Journal of the law of February 18 which repeals the Crémieux decree of 1870 declaring French citizens the native Israelites of the departments of Algeria.

June 22, 1942 – The Governor General of Algeria sends the Prefect of Constantine a request for “revision of the war titles of all the Jews in your department who are holders of combatant cards issued by your office”. He wants “to be sure that the Jews having the combatant’s card indeed meet the conditions required for this purpose”.

July 3, 1942 – The General Secretariat of Veterans Affairs in Constantine communicates to the Prefect a first “list of names of Jews in the department of Constantine from whom the combatant card has been withdrawn”, and specifies that “withdrawals which may occur subsequently [to him] will be served as and when they are carried out”.

June to December 1942 – Numerous lists of names of combatant card holders are established for verification purposes.

October 29, 1942 – A press article which headlines “The statute of the Jews in Algeria – Modification of the texts relating to the advantages granted to the combatants of 14-18 and 39-40”, reports a decree of October 19 relating to the application of the articles 4 and 5 of the law of February 18, 1942. This abrogates the Crémieux decree and fixed the new status of the indigenous Jews of Algeria. It details the procedure to be followed and the conditions to be fulfilled.

Article 4 grants French citizenship to Algerian Jews who have not suffered any criminal conviction in one of the following four categories : 1 ° holders of the combatant’s card ; 2 ° having been the subject of a citation during the campaign of 39-40 with attribution of the Croix de Guerre ; 3 ° decorated for acts of war, with the Legion of Honor or the military medal ; 4 ° war orphans, ascendants, widowers or orphans of soldiers who died for France.

Article 5 stipulates that Jews who do not meet these conditions, but who themselves or their families have rendered important services to their country, may, by requesting, regain French nationality.