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Société Des Études Juives

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Society for the study of Jewish history and literature, and especially of the history and literature of the Jews of France; its headquarters are in Paris. It was founded in 1880, chiefly through the efforts of Baron James Edouard de Rothschild, Isidore Loeb, Arsène Darmesteter, Charles Netter, and especially Chief Rabbi Zadoc Kahn. In harmony with its purpose, it publishes the quarterly "Revue des Etudes Juives" as well as works bearing on Jewish subjects, grants subventions for books of that character, and organizes public lectures. The society is composed of corporate members, who pay a minimumannual fee of 25 francs; of life-members, who pay a minimum initiation fee of 400 francs; and of charter members, the minimum entrance-fee for whom is 1,000 francs; both the latter classes being exempt from all annual dues. The organization received official recognition in a decree dated Dec. 6, 1896, and is consequently empowered to accept legacies and donations. Its annual revenue is about 13,000 francs. Since its foundation Israel Lévi has been secretary of its editorial board.

The works published by the society are strictly scientific in character. The list of contributors contains the names of Léon Bardinet, Cagnat, Abraham Cahen, Arsène and James Darmesteter, Joseph Derenbourg, Rubens Duval, H. Graetz, H. Gross, S. Halberstam, Joseph Halévy, Zadoc Kahn, David Kaufmann, Meyer Kayserling, Alexander Kohut, François Lenormant, Isidore Loeb, Immanuel Löw, Simeon Luce, Marco Mortara, Adolf Neubauer, Jules Oppert, Ernest Renan, Ulysse Robert, Moritz Steinschneider, and Maurice Vernes. The chief contributors at the present time (1905) are: Elkan N. Adler, Wilhelm Bacher, Ludwig Blau, A. Büchler, Abraham Epstein, Iguaz Goldziher, Baron David Günzburg, A. Harkavy, M. Lambert, Israel Lévi, S. Poznanski, M. Schwab, and Solomon and Théodore Reinach.

In addition to the "Revue," which has reached its fiftieth volume, and the "Annuaires" of the first four years, the society has published: "Tables du Calendrier Juif Depuis l'Ere Chrétienne Jusqu'au Dix-Huitième Siècle avec la Concordance des Dates Juives et des Dates Chrétiennes"; "La Littérature des Pauvres dansle Bible," by Isidore Loeb; "Gallia Judaica," by H. Gross; "Textes d'Auteurs Grecs et Romains Rélatifs au Judaïsme," by Théodore Reinach; and the complete works of Flavius Josephus, translated into French under the supervision of Théodore Reinach (vol. i, "Antiquités Judaïques," -, by Weill; , "Antiquités Judaïques," -, by Chamonard; , part i, "Contre Apion," by Blum).

The society is preparing a French translation of the works of Philo, a corpus of inscriptions, another of laws relating to the Jews, and a register of documents referring to the Jews in France. For the series of public lectures which it has organized, it has secured the cooperation of Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu, Ernest Renan, Gaston Paris, Maspero, Dieulafoy, Cagnat, Baron Carra de Vaux, Albert and Jean Réville, Victor Bérard, Guillaume Guizot, and others.