Synagogue of Saint-Étienne

The Jewish community of the Loire and Haute-Loire was created in 1868 by Alsatian Jews, who were jointed by others after the Franco-Prussian War. At the beginning of the 20th century, Jews from Russia and Poland moved to Saint-Étienne.^[4]

The synagogue in Saint-Étienne was built in 1880.^[5]

Approximately twenty-five^[5] to one hundred Jewish families lived in Saint-Étienne at the beginning of the Second World War. They were joined by a number of refugee families from Alsace–Lorraine and Germany, for a total of around 500 people.^[5] A portion of this population (71 people^[6]) were arrested during a roundup on August 26, 1942, and brought to Lyon, then Drancy, before being deported to numerous extermination camps.^[6][7][8][9]

Following the Liberation of France, the Jewish community restarted their activities.^[4] André Stora was the Hazzan for the synagogue from 1951 to 1956, before becoming the Hazzan of the Grand Synagogue of Paris.^[10]

In the 1960s, the land under the synagogue started sinking. The building was destroyed and a community center was constructed in its place. Around the same time, North African Jews were integrated into the community.^[4] Today the synagogue is home to approximately sixty families.^[4] The Rabbi is Michel Elharrar.^[1]

• History of the Jews in France
• List of synagogues in France