The Dreyfus Family Affair
Guest Speaker: Bonita Posen
19:30 Monday 15 January
Live at Netanya AACI and on Zoom
Following his arrest in 1894 on trumped up charges, the Jewish army captain Alfred Dreyfus was sent to Devil’s Island where cynical high ranking army officials expected him to die as a result of the appalling conditions he endured. It took 2 more trials and 12 years for Dreyfus to be finally exonerated and rehabilitated though he had been released in 1899.
Meanwhile France raged as Dreyfusard (supporting Dreyfus) and anti Dreyfusard battled each other And of course the noble writer Emile Zola castigated the whole business in his famous J’accuse letter to the newspaper.
Whilst 1906 might have seen Dreyfus finally reinstated it wasn’t the whole story; he would never have survived, by his own admission, were it not for the unfailing efforts of his whole family and in particular his wife Lucie and his brother Mathieu. Theirs was an extraordinary story.
Dreyfus went on to fight for France in the First World War as did other members of his family with enormous bravery. Alfred Dreyfus died in 1935.
The Dreyfus family, Alfred Dreyfus’ children and extended family, his descendants continued during the Second World War to defend France both in armed conflict and as members of the Resistance. Theirs is also an extraordinary story of French Jewish heroism and loyalty. A new museum that was built for the purpose of exhibiting the life of Alfred Dreyfus is located, appropriately, in The Zola House. a short distance from Paris at Medan.
The Dreyfus Affair is truly a family affair extending through two generations and through two world wars.
All proceeds to be donated in support of the war effort.
Members pre-paid and on Zoom NIS 40
Members at door NIS 50
Non-members NIS 60
