Israélite: A French Jew of long-standing. The term came into use following the emancipation of the Jews by the Constituent Assembly that emerged from the French Revolution on September 27, 1791.
In everyday language, however, the word “Jew” is used to refer to followers of Judaism who are organized into communities that face discrimination.
The French Revolution granted Jews full citizenship and helped facilitate their rapid integration into society.
Whether used as a noun or an adjective, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term “Israelite” reemerged to refer to emancipated Jews who were citizens. It was then adopted into everyday vocabulary and by French institutions—both religious and social—such as, for example, the “Alliance Israélite Universelle” or “Les Éclaireurs Israélites de France.” The term “Israelite” was intended to be free of the negative connotations attached to the word “Jew” by centuries of prejudice and stigmatization.
During World War II, a semantic shift took place with the enactment of genocidal anti-Jewish laws that targeted both “Jews” of French origin (the “Israelites”) and “Jews” of foreign origin. According to Robert Badinter, “the 1940 statute claimed a conceptual victim: it killed off the French Israelite, and the Jew took its place.”
Although it is still associated with certain institutions, the term “Israelite” has fallen out of use.
From now on, the term “Jew” is used, regardless of whether the person in question is of French origin or not.
Reference:
– Cabanel, Patrick, and Chantal Bordes-Benayoun, 2005, *A Model of Integration: Jews and Israelites in France and Europe*(19th–20th Centuries), Berg-International.
– Adam Rayski, (1992), The Choice of the Jews Under Vichy, La Découverte.
