Napoleon’s Decrees on Equal Rights for the Jewish People

About twelve years ago, I was a participant on a tour of the Jewish Marais. I was particurlarly excited to visit a beautiful synagogue I had read about. As we entered, I was immediately drawn to a picture on the wall depicting Napoleon surrounded by Jewish people with a Menorah.

I asked the guide about it and she replied: "We remember!". As I looked puzzled, she explained "Napoleon gave us equal rights as other citizens". At that time, Jewish people were not treated equally by European monarchs. The first picture is very close to what I saw at the Synagogue. On the following “Grand Sanhedrin" meeting engraving, you can also see the face on Napoleon on the arch.

In a decree dated 30 May 1806, Napoleon ordered the creation of an "Assembly made of people practising the Jewish religion". It was the very first decree among others leading to the recognition of their faith as legal as Catholicism and Protestantism and the creation of a structured organisation with the same rights as the other two.

This is another great example of things that are not told about Napoleon in foreign history...