The Jewish section of the M.O.I.

The Jewish presence in France dates back to Gallo-Roman times. Persecution of the Jews began in the early Middle Ages. In the 20th century, some French Jews, known as ” Israelites “, gradually withdrew from Judaism, opting for assimilation; in some cases, they maintained a more or less regular religious practice. While some Jews arrived […]

While not all of the 110,000 Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe professed progressive ideas, many of them, both men and women, were driven by a universalist, secular revolutionary ideal. Often politicized in their home countries, they chose to settle in France out of admiration for the France of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and Jewish […]

The Communist Party set out to provide a framework for both French and immigrant workers. In 1926, to defend the interests of foreign workers, it set up the M.O.E. (Main-d’œuvre Étrangère), a “sector of activity” dedicated to immigrants of various origins. This structure became the Main-d’œuvre Immigrée (M.O.I.) in 1932, and language groups were set […]