“La Mort aux Juifs”: Leading Jewish Group Demands Change In Town’s Name of “Death to Jews”

Rashi_woodcutAnd you thought the Redskins controversy was bad.

There are reports this week is of a bizarre confrontation where the Simon Wiesenthal Centre has asked the French government to rename a small village in central France that is currently called “Death to Jews” (La Mort aux Juifs). However, the town is resisting the efforts to change the name that dates back to the 11th Century.

The conflict has some strong similarities with the Redskins controversy to the extent that defenders are insisting that the name is now a harmless historic relic. Marie-Elizabeth Secretand, deputy mayor of Courtemaux (a village of 289 people that oversees the contested hamlet), insisted that “It’s ridiculous. This name has always existed,. No one has anything against the Jews, of course. It doesn’t surprise me that this is coming up again. Why change a name that goes back to the Middle Ages or even further? We should respect these old names.”

What the town views as historical, others view as genocidal. The Center’s director Shimon Samuels asked the French government to step in to change the name. That raises a question of who makes such a decision. In the United States, this would be entirely a local matter but in France it appears that the federal government may have more authority to force such a change.

philippe_ivThe name could reflect a particularly infamous period in France when Jews were expelled on July 22, 1306 by King Philip IV — known incongruously as Phillip the Fair. (They had actually been expelled in 1182 from France by the earlier King Philip but they had returned) In 1290, Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I and many moved to France. Then the Lateran Council of 1215 summoned by Pope Innocent III forbade the living or working together and trading between Jews and Christians. In 1242, the people even burned 20 cartloads of the Torah in Paris in 1242.

This name is unfortunately not unique. Just a couple of months ago, a Spanish town named Castrillo Matajudios (Little Hill Fort of Jew Killers) changed its name to Mota de Judios (Hill of the Jews).

Putting aside such curious questions like the mascot for the local schools in such places, there remains the fact that the name of these towns clearly contain a genocidal message. Where Redskins is viewed as offensive, these towns are named after homicidal religious pogroms. Perhaps it is time for a new history to be written?

Source: Time

82 thoughts on ““La Mort aux Juifs”: Leading Jewish Group Demands Change In Town’s Name of “Death to Jews””

  1. красавцы французы, не растеряли ещё чувства национального самосознания)))

  2. @leecarroll

    And exactly how does YOUR not lumping people into groups protect you from people who do lump people into groups? Because some people lump you into the Jewish group all on their own. That fear you now have about wearing the Star of David is your subconcious brain trying to tell you something. My advice is, “LISTEN!”.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. I have been lumped in a group.

      “INFIDEL!” they shout, “Burn in Hell!”

      The group exists who would kill me for not being of their religion.

      They offer the choices of conversion, crucifixion, or catch a boat as they establish their Caliphate.

      There are moderates; of course there are. They don’t bother me. It is those who take these ancient texts as modern knowledge that bother me. Those who believe in the truth of these ancient hoary words and give their very lives in testimony of that belief — they are the ones to worry about.

      Their goal is simple: Global Caliphate.
      Their methods vary: Terrorism, war, sabotage, and demographics (“invade” as friendly immigrants and become a majority).

      I am in a group not of my making. Unless you are their particular sect, so are you, my friend. Or at least enemy of our common enemy by their choice.

  3. Squeeky, I thankfully do not lump people into groups and say if one of them, if a number of them, then all.

  4. @leecarroll

    If you are Jewish, and wish to believe that Muslims don ‘t hate you for it, then what can I say??? You are one of those people who have to learn things the hard way.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  5. http://time.com/3112186/jewish-anti-semitism-europe-middle-east/

    Squeeky were those the muslims in Scotland, Miami, Europe?

    Synagogues from the UK to France have been defaced, and there’s no sense of outrage to be found

    I wore a Star of David around my neck the entire time I lived in Scotland. I think I’d be uncomfortable doing the same now. The rage emanating from Europe toward Jews is white hot. A synagogue in Surrey was defaced. Another synagogue was vandalized in Miami of all places. But what’s lacking when it happens in Europe is any sense of outrage from the Europeans.

  6. Max as soon as they said Dearborn I knew it had to be related to (essentially(?) ) ethnic profiling.(hear on and off over the years that Dearborn has very high Muslim population.) They are working off of Squeeky’s proposition about Muslims I am afraid

  7. Leecarroll
    Video: CAIR-MI Files Suit Challenging Lack of Due Process for Terror Watch Lists

  8. @po

    One can ‘t ever address it. Some things are not fixable or amenable to reason. That is how we end up having wars. Do you think anything other than war will ever “address ” the Gazan’s attitude to Israel ‘s very existence???

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Gazans’ attitude to Israel’s very existence????

      When Gazans are the ones whose existence is being bloated off by 60 plus years of Israeli oppression?! Nice way of blaming the victims!
      Not unlike shooting an unarmed black boy for being threatening to the heavily armed cop currently verbally abusing him!

      I thought we were talking about Muslims, why are you bringing up Gazans and Israel?

  9. Sometimes you can make generalizations about a group. IMO. If you think most Muslims are not anti-Jewish, then you have that right. I wish you luck in your interactions with that community.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    how can one ever address this?

  10. @leecarroll

    Sometimes you can make generalizations about a group. IMO. If you think most Muslims are not anti-Jewish, then you have that right. I wish you luck in your interactions with that community.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  11. Maybe Obama will work on ISIS first. They’re coming to raise their flag in the White House you know. At that point, related European and American conversations will be moot.

  12. @leecarroll

    At 4:05 pm above I gave a good cite to where the new anti -semitism is coming from. It ‘s Muslims. I have known 3 muslims personally. One at the service station, one at a convenience store, and one at college. All are “nice ” people within a certain ambit, but each of them is rabidly anti -Jewish. Sooo, yes I believe the cite.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Knowing 3 people is anecdotal, it is not an indication of a group of people.
      The home I was raised in was brought by an Iranian family. I went there, maybe 15years ago to ask if I could see the house once more. A woman in Iranian dress slightly opened the door. I thought it was just the usual precautions anyone takes. I introduced myself and told her why I was at her door. She looked at me and said “Are you Jewish?” I said “Yes.” and she closed the door in my face. Does that mean that all Iranians are anti-Semitic? Not if you ask the Jewish Iranian doctor I once dated.
      I have no doubt a lot of the anti Semitism is from the middle east community, there and possibly here, because of the rabid hate that they have been taught. Their children were taught, as we see with ISIS now, to hate and to want to kill. It has been their stated goal of the terrorist muslims, including some of their leaders to annihilate Israel and to rid the world of Jews. That said it does not let others off the hook who are anti-Semitic and happen to non muslim.
      (I had a friend, a veterinarian (and Christian,, tell me a ‘joke” that was absolutely anti semitic. When I pointed that out first she didn’t see it and then I was being thin skinned, Doesn’t make all christian/christian veterinarians anti-Semitic.
      This is how hatred of a group works, this is how the ‘we need to get rid of ( ) works’. All of them are anti semitic, all are anti Christian, anti muslim, progressives, republicans. etc, whatever you disagree with or hate. Better get rid of them before they try and get rid of us
      Always remember Martin Niemöller’s words:

      “First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
      because I was not a communist;
      Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
      because I was not a socialist;
      Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
      because I was not a trade unionist;
      Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
      because I was not a Jew;
      Then they came for me—
      and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

  13. Max I wasn’t ignoring it. I was responding to the post(s) indicating anti Semitism was no big deal.
    (and since 9/11 (I do not know about before) anti muslim hatred is very definitely a problem
    Squeeky Orthodox Jews live their religion everyday too so should we get rid of them?
    It is the terrorists who are using Islam as their excuse for their behavior, it is not the religion.

  14. Orthodox Jews, who mostly live in New York, which would make them northern Jews don’t eat ham either Squeeky, would that make them “stupid” too?

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