Located in the western suburbs of Paris, 17.1 km. (10.6 miles) from the center, is this capital of the Yvelines département with 86,000 residents. Versailles appears for the first time in a medieval document dated 1038 CE. Formerly, the de facto capital of the kingdom of France, Versailles is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. From 18th century are found Jews native to Alsace, Germany, and Comtat Venaissin in this Royal City. The existing synagogue was constructed in 1886, thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Cecil FURTADO-HEINE, three years after the constitution of the modern Jewish community. This one is composed of Ashkenazim and Sephardim, but services are celebrated according to Sephardic ritual. Admiral Louis KAHN, who governed the destinies of the Central Consistory from 1963 until 1967, was originally from Versailles. Doctor Paul WEIL, founder of the Départemental Center of Hematology and Blood Transfusion were also part of this community.
MM. EMILE HOUTH and GÉRARD NAHON published "The Jewish Community of Versailles" in 1971 in The Magazine of the History of Versailles. A.C. I. et Synagogue: 10, rue Albert Joly - 78000 VERSAILLES, Tél: 01-39-07-19-19, Fax: 01-39-50-96-34, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [January 2008]
Cimetière Israélite: 3, rue Pershing - 78000 VERSAILLES