The Jews of the Pope

The Jews in the Comtat Venaissin: the careers of the Jews

In the middle of the Middle Ages, the Jewish community finds itself in exile, indeed all European kingdoms are driven out of their lands. Nevertheless, there is one sovereign who agrees to welcome them: the Pope. This is why when, at the beginning of the 14th century, the Jewish community was expelled from the Kingdom of France, it went to Provence, at the gates of Comtat Venaissin.

Expulsion des Juifs (portant wheel) en 1182. Miniature des Grandes Chroniques de France.

The sovereign pontiff, in addition to welcoming them, assures the Jews security and freedom of worship; nevertheless, it is not without constraints and attempts to convert them!

In the middle of the 15th century, one of its constraints was to live in a grouped way within the city, or village, thus giving rise to what is known as Jewish or Jewish career. The word career comes from the Provençal carriera which means the street. It goes without saying that when we talk about Jewish careers it can be a street, but also an entire neighborhood.

The door of the'ancienne Juiverie, Malaucène - ©Robert Caillet / Public domain

La rue hébräique de Cavaillon en 1898, Fonds Jouve

In Cavaillon the word of career takes its full meaning since the community was settled in the current Hebrew street, and only this one street! It is known that it was closed by a wall at one end (on rue de la République) and that there was a door at the other end of the street (on rue Chabran); indeed, if they were free during the day, it was not the same at night. So that a community guard was present to watch this door; and later the community will have to pay a Christian guard this time to keep the other side.

This street, which will remain closed until the 18th century (until Comtat Venaissin was attached to France and these rules disappeared),has counted up to 200 people ! They lived in conditions of hygiene that were sometimes appalling since there was no drainage of dirty water and garbage...

Limited in their place of life but not that...

If they don't have the right to live everywhere in the city, it's not just that restriction. Another of the restrictions relates to trades. In fact, the Jews did not have the right to pursue all trades. Only three of them were allowed: wear and tear (that is, the loan of money, forbidden for Catholics), thrift (working with used clothes) and flea market (working with salvage materials).

Jewish Lenders in France, illuminated manuscript, XIII° c.

« Médecin juif » - See page for author / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

Symbolism and Rituals - The Mikvé

Mikvah is a Hebrew word; it is a ritual bath that is very important in Jewish religious life. Indeed, it makes it possible to purify the body as much in the moments of daily life as in the moments of religious life. The mikvah has, most of the time, the appearance of a well; today the recent mikvaot take the form of a swimming pool. Although it may seem ordinary in its form, it occupies a fundamental place within the Jewish religion.

But where does this water come from?

Indeed, any water in a well cannot act as a mikvé. It is important that this water comes naturally (oceans, seas, springs, rivers, lakes) and that it can be renewed (no stagnant water); indeed, for Jews, this natural water contains divine origins, with purifying powers. That is why the rules for building a mikvé must be observed precisely:

- A construction on the ground, be integrated into the foundations of a building.

- contain a minimum of 760 liters of water

The mikvé de cavaillon is one of the oldest in French territory and was classified as historical monuments on 17 April 2007. It is located under the courtyard of the house adjoining the synagogue, in the basement of the synagogue; for security reasons, it is no longer accessible to the public.

The immersion basin is located at a depth of 7 m, it is fed by the water table, and it is accessed by a staircase.

Mikvé - © F. Guyonnet

Signs to recognize them

In 1215, Pope Innocent III summoned the bishops for a meeting: the Council of Lateran. This pope, who had the responsibility of protecting the Jewish community, nevertheless sees in it the murderers of Christ. This council will therefore set up a set of rules against Jews and the community.

Three axes emerge:
- Jews must have no authority over Christians, so they are excluded from any public service
- their worship must not be extended
- Christians must avoid contact

In order for the latter to be feasible, they must be distinguished from the rest of the population. And for this we will impose on them the wearing of a special sign: it will be the wheel made of yellow fabric. In Comtat Venaissin it is called the petassoun.

Enluminure sur un manuscrit du Moyen-Age : vers 1460, un juif allemand porte la wheel. Manuscrit Add. 14762, British Library, Londres

Juif allemand portant la wheel. Manuscrit médiéval (c.1476) - Manuscript Add. 14762, British Library, London

Why this choice?
What does the wheel mean?

The latter would symbolize the thirty denarii of Judas. The wheel is worn on the left chest. Later, the wearing of a yellow hat will be imposed on men; and for women, the wheel is often replaced by a veil, a scarf, a ribbon in the hair of yellow color.

Why the yellow color?

In the arts and for a long time, this color symbolizes treachery, felons; it is also the color of Judas's mantle in artistic representations.

From the moment they are given a distinctive attribute, we will find this representation in engravings and paintings. But the yellow wheel is not the only element. In this 16th century drawing, you can see the representation of a man and a woman of Jewish faith.

In addition to the yellow wheel hanging on their garments, you can see other symbols that are often attached to Jews: the coin purse (which refers to wear, greed, and Judas's denarius), garlic (very present in Jewish cuisine), and goose (which symbolizes corruption)

The Synagogue of Cavaillon

Did you know that the Vaucluse is home to the two oldest synagogues in France? The first is in Carpentras (1367) and the second in Cavaillon (1494).

From this first synagogue of Cavaillon, there are only the foundations, the lower hall and a tower visible from Chabran Street. In this lower room there is the bakery; but be careful this one is only for making the unleaved bread of the Jewish Easter (Passover).

However, this synagogue became too narrow and old, so it was enlarged in the 18th century. This shows a specific internal organization compared to other synagogues: the new room on the floor is reserved for men, having no more room, the women will be in the lower room, i.e. the bakery (a thin floor separating the floors and allowing women to hear very well what was happening on the first floor).

Synagogue of Cavaillon

Vue intérieure

This 18th-century synagogue also exhibits originality in its interior design and decoration. As Jews were not entitled to exercise all the trades, it was Christian craftsmen who built the building.

We then have a Provencal Baroque art that is expressed through plant motifs (olive branches) and architectural motifs (Corinthian capitals).

The colours and gilding are much more reminiscent of a court woman's boudoir than a place of worship.

Synagogue - OT LCDP

In the interior layout, the canopy on the upper floor, which houses the reading table (Teba), reminds us of the priest's pulpit in the churches; in the usual synagogues, this teba is located next to the place where the Torah is stored.

Little curiosity! An armchair is suspended in a corner of the room, on a small cloud. But what is it for? According to Jewish tradition, the prophet Elijah is not really dead; he must one day return to proclaim peace and good in the world to come. Due to his return, an armchair is always left empty.

Fauteuil d'Elie - ©Matthieu Raffier

Chandelier à 7 branches

Synagogues are not just a place of worship. It is the centre of community life in the “quarries”; it serves as a place of prayer, Torah studies (talmud), school for children, and it is also the administrative “seat” of the community (civil status, etc.).