Many of these exiled Jews fled to Flanders, Provence, or the Iberian Peninsula. But when Philip’s son, King Louis X, invited the Jews back in 1315, some 30,000 Jews returned. Once again there were numerous strings attached, most notably that the agreement was only for twelve years; after that, the king would decide whether or not to renew the agreement.
Yet, if the Jews who returned had hopes that Louis would prove to be a benevolent ruler, those hopes were soon dashed, proving the truth of Tehillim 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes.”
No sooner were the Jews back in France than a horrific famine struck the country—and the Jews were accused of exploiting the poor people, who lacked even bread. Then Louis died in 1316, and the kings who came after him were no friends of the Jews. Charles IV, who expelled the Jews in 1322, was the reigning king when the twelve-year agreement concluded. He did not renew it. Yet the pattern of expulsion and return continued when Charles V let the Jews back into the country in 1359—although the number of Jews who returned was much smaller, since many French Jews had already moved east, to Bohemia, Austria, and even Poland.
Besides the growing anti-Semitism and the fickleness of kings, there was another reason why France was becoming less attractive. The 1300s were years of hunger, with famines occurring about every five years. The weakened state of the populace made them especially vulnerable when the Black Plague arrived in France in 1348. However, it was the Jews who were made the scapegoat and accused of poisoning wells, and several communities were massacred.
The final blow came in 1394, when Charles VI expelled the Jews from France for the last time. The order, which was signed on Yom Kippur, went into effect on November 3 of that year. By this time there were only 100 Jews left in the Kingdom of France.
Why did the Jews remain in France during this period? Again, it must be remembered that a decree of exile by the King of France didn’t mean the doors were closed in neighboring provinces, such as Burgundy or Provence. Also, during these years France was becoming the most powerful country in Europe, which meant it offered substantial economic opportunities. Finally, discrimination, massacres and expulsion weren’t unique to France. It was a part of life in Christian Medieval Europe. Thus, when the doors reopened a few centuries later, Jews returned to France—and encountered a new foe, the birth of modern anti-Semitism.
Next week: From the Dreyfus Affair to Operation Protective Edge
