''Communauté Juive Libérale'' d'Île-de-France (CJL) is a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
community led by the
Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Pauline Bebe Pauline Bebe is the rabbi of Communauté Juive Libérale, a Progressive Jewish congregation in Paris. She was the first female rabbi in France, and the first female rabbi to lead a synagogue there. France has only four women rabbis, Bebe, Cél ...
, the first (and until 2007 the only) woman rabbi in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. The community belongs to the Reform movement. The CJL is part of the
World Union for Progressive Judaism
The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) is the international umbrella organization for the various branches of Reform, Liberal and Progressive Judaism, as well as the separate Reconstructionist Judaism. The WUPJ is based in 40 countries ...
which unites more than 1000 communities worldwide.
Although
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...
is dominant within worldwide Judaism, it is still underdeveloped in France. In France, liberal Judaism is practiced by more than 15,000 people who are distributed in 16 communities belonging to several currents, including l’Union libérale israélite de France (ULIF), le Mouvement juif libéral de France (MJLF), and la Communauté juive libérale d’Île-de-France (CJL). The CJL and a few other Reform communities are not accepted within the orthodox ''Consistoire''. The ''Consistoire'' was founded in 1808 after the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, when the
Jews of France
The history of the Jews in France deals with Jews and Jewish communities in France since at least the Early Middle Ages. France was a centre of Jewish learning in the Middle Ages, but persecution increased over time, including multiple expulsio ...
were granted civil rights under the direction of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, whose goal was to make mainstream Frenchmen out of the Jewish people.
To 1995 at 2006, the CJL's home was in the
18th arrondissement of Paris. The congregation originally resembled a
chavurah, and was located in a small apartment. Since May 2006 the CJL have a new home, La ''Maison du judaïsme'', in the
11th arrondissement of Paris. The ''Maison du judaïsme'' consists of a multi-purpose complex center with a synagogue, a theater, an art exhibit and a library, as well as classrooms and offices. It also has a cultural organization called NITSA. As of 2013, the congregation of the CJL consists of more than 400 households,
[Appel aux dons mai 2013, statistiques]
/ref> and about 100 children regularly go to the Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educ ...
and benefits from a warm atmosphere.
See also
Pauline Bebe Pauline Bebe is the rabbi of Communauté Juive Libérale, a Progressive Jewish congregation in Paris. She was the first female rabbi in France, and the first female rabbi to lead a synagogue there. France has only four women rabbis, Bebe, Cél ...
References
External links
Website of Communaute juive liberale
{{DEFAULTSORT:Communaute Juive Liberale
Reform synagogues in France
Synagogues in Paris
Jews and Judaism in France
Buildings and structures in the 11th arrondissement of Paris
World Union for Progressive Judaism