Paris – French Jews Can Now Reclaim Original Jewish Surnames

Paris – French Jews are celebrating a recent decision by the French Ministry of Justice that allows them to reclaim their original Jewish surnames.

The TIMES OF ISRAEL (http://bit.ly/10z5b8s) is reporting that the decision revises current French policy which dictates that surname changes are “immutable,” once processed.

Many French Jews changed their names to avoid detection and anti-Semitism during the decades surrounding WWII, but now a growing number of young people are seeking to reclaim their names in efforts to properly honor their family heritage.

The decision ends years of legally wrangling that began when two French Jewish women applied for names changes on the grounds that the ability to reclaim their family surnames amounted to “symbolic reparations” owed to Jewish citizens by the French government.

According to the French Ministry of Justice, each application will now handled on an individual basis.