Alliance Israélite Universelle

Alliance Israélite Universelle 

The Alliance Israélite Universelle was set up by Adolphe Crémieux in 1860, originally to ‘reconcile Judaism with the modern world’, to combine Jewish identity for those ‘attached with [their] heart to the ancient religion of [their]fathers’ with French culture. The Alliance was created for the greater emancipation and moral progress of Jews and for relief of those who suffered, for civic equality and for strengthening self-improvement. Yet, through its influential school system it became a potent force for instilling French culture inside and outside the country, for furthering French interests, and for embodying French humanism. It was the first Jewish movement that transcended national boundaries by its international network.