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This is an examination of the complex encounter of France and its Jews from just before the Revolution to the eve of the 21st century. In the late 18th century approximately 40,000 Jews lived in communities across France, not considered French by themselves or others. In 1989, France had the largest, most vital Jewish population in western and central Europe. This book looks closely at the period that began when France's Jews were offered citizenship during the Revolution. It examines how they and succeeding generations embraced opportunities of integration and acculturation, redefined their identities and adapted their Judaism to the pragmatic and ideological demands of the time, and participated in French culture and politics. The book also looks at the problem of secular political antisemitism, culminating in the Holocaust.