Louis Kahn (admiral)
Encyclopedia
Louis-Lazare Kahn known as Admiral Louis Kahn, was the first French
Jewish Admiral
, and a leader of the French Jewish community.
in 1914. During World War II, he escaped from France
via Spain
, headed from London
, then to Algiers
, the shipbuilding
center of the Free French Naval Forces
(Forces navales françaises libres) or FNFL.
With the Secretary of the Navy (Ministre de la Marine) Louis Jacquinot
and the Vice-Admiral André Lemonnier, Engineer General Louis Kahn was one of the project managers of the revival of the Navy from Algiers.
Roger Peyrefitte
thus described Admiral Kahn’s role:
"London and Jean Pierre-Bloch
make me think of another Jew who went to join the Free French Forces
: the Engineer General, Admiral Kahn. He had perfected a means of protecting shipping against torpedoes, and wished to submit the invention to Churchill
. He apparently wished to impose a condition, however, which was the recognition of de Gaulle
’s government by England
, which till then had only approved it. He declined the most attractive offers for his invention, but was finally persuaded by de Gaulle himself to relinquish his patent without stipulation. This story reminds one of Chaim Weizmann
, who in 1914, delivered his discovery of acetone
to England only on the understanding that a Jewish national home should be established in Palestine. It’s only fair that he should have been the first President of the State of Israel
. Confidentially though, I prefer the adventure of Admiral Kahn, who only became President of the Consistory (see Consistory (Judaism)
."
He was president of the Marine Academy (l’Académie de marine) from 1959 to 1961.
He was president of the Consistoire Central des juifs de France (1963–1967). He was also president-delegate of the Alliance Israélite Universelle
and vice-president of the ORT
(see World ORT
).
Admiral Kahn was close to rabbi David Feuerwerker
. The latter officiated at the wedding of the son of the president of the Consistoire Central in the Synagogue Chasseloup-Laubat, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
Admiral Kahn was buried at Versailles
’s Jewish cemetery. The funeral was led by Jacob Kaplan', France’s Chief Rabbi. Note that both, Kahn and Kaplan, were Kohanim.
In 1968, the writer Arnold Mandel gave the following description of Admiral Kahn:
"Louis Kahn, a high-ranking naval engineer, died in Paris in February, at the age of 72. A technician of exceptional competence, he had rendered great service to de Gaulle's Free French Committee in London during World War II
. He played a major role in the French Jewish community. As president of the Central Consistory, he widened the scope and contacts of that old institution of French Jewry, so long petrified in social conservatism
. He was a religious man and a practicing Jew. Called "Admiral Kahn" by everyone (he had the civil equivalent of that rank), he extended his activity and influence far beyond consistorial circles. He often spoke in his personal capacity in defense of nonconformist views. He made numerous trips to Israel. In 1963 he headed the French delegation to the "Days of French Judaism" in Tel Aviv
. He was given a state funeral
with a guard of honor
in the court of honor of the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris."
On July 18, 2010, in a speech, the French Secretary of State for development of the territory, Hubert Falco
, paid homage to him.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
Jewish Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
, and a leader of the French Jewish community.
Biography
Louis Kahn was born in 1895 and received a degree in marine engineering from the École PolytechniqueÉcole Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
in 1914. During World War II, he escaped from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
via Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, headed from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, then to Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, the shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
center of the Free French Naval Forces
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
(Forces navales françaises libres) or FNFL.
With the Secretary of the Navy (Ministre de la Marine) Louis Jacquinot
Louis Jacquinot
Louis Jacquinot was a French lawyer and politician, and chief of Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré's office.Jacquinot was born in Gondrecourt-le-Château in 1898. Entering parliament in 1932, he later served for a short time as under-secretary of state for home affairs in Paul Reynaud's cabinet...
and the Vice-Admiral André Lemonnier, Engineer General Louis Kahn was one of the project managers of the revival of the Navy from Algiers.
Roger Peyrefitte
Roger Peyrefitte
Roger Peyrefitte was a French diplomat, writer of bestseller novels and gossipy non-fiction, and a defender of gay rights.-Life and work:...
thus described Admiral Kahn’s role:
"London and Jean Pierre-Bloch
Jean Pierre-Bloch
Jean Pierre-Bloch was a French Resistant of the Second World War as an activist, being a former president of the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism....
make me think of another Jew who went to join the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
: the Engineer General, Admiral Kahn. He had perfected a means of protecting shipping against torpedoes, and wished to submit the invention to Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. He apparently wished to impose a condition, however, which was the recognition of de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
’s government by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which till then had only approved it. He declined the most attractive offers for his invention, but was finally persuaded by de Gaulle himself to relinquish his patent without stipulation. This story reminds one of Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
, who in 1914, delivered his discovery of acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
to England only on the understanding that a Jewish national home should be established in Palestine. It’s only fair that he should have been the first President of the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Confidentially though, I prefer the adventure of Admiral Kahn, who only became President of the Consistory (see Consistory (Judaism)
Consistory (Judaism)
In Jewish usage, a consistory is a body governing the Jewish congregations of a province or of a country; also the district administered by the consistory...
."
He was president of the Marine Academy (l’Académie de marine) from 1959 to 1961.
He was president of the Consistoire Central des juifs de France (1963–1967). He was also president-delegate of the Alliance Israélite Universelle
Alliance Israélite Universelle
The Alliance Israélite Universelle is a Paris-based international Jewish organization founded in 1860 by the French statesman Adolphe Crémieux to safeguard the human rights of Jews around the world...
and vice-president of the ORT
Ort
Ort or ORT may refer to:*World ORT, a non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish people**ORT Argentina, a non-government organization devoted to education in Argentina...
(see World ORT
World ORT
World ORT is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education, with past and present activities in over 100 countries....
).
Admiral Kahn was close to rabbi David Feuerwerker
David Feuerwerker
- Born in Geneva :He was born on October 2, 1912, at 11 Rue du Mont-Blanc, in Geneva, Switzerland. He was the seventh of eleven children. His father Jacob Feuerwerker was born in Sighet, now Sighetu Marmatiei, Maramureş, then Hungary, now Rumania...
. The latter officiated at the wedding of the son of the president of the Consistoire Central in the Synagogue Chasseloup-Laubat, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
Admiral Kahn was buried at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
’s Jewish cemetery. The funeral was led by Jacob Kaplan', France’s Chief Rabbi. Note that both, Kahn and Kaplan, were Kohanim.
In 1968, the writer Arnold Mandel gave the following description of Admiral Kahn:
"Louis Kahn, a high-ranking naval engineer, died in Paris in February, at the age of 72. A technician of exceptional competence, he had rendered great service to de Gaulle's Free French Committee in London during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He played a major role in the French Jewish community. As president of the Central Consistory, he widened the scope and contacts of that old institution of French Jewry, so long petrified in social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
. He was a religious man and a practicing Jew. Called "Admiral Kahn" by everyone (he had the civil equivalent of that rank), he extended his activity and influence far beyond consistorial circles. He often spoke in his personal capacity in defense of nonconformist views. He made numerous trips to Israel. In 1963 he headed the French delegation to the "Days of French Judaism" in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. He was given a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
with a guard of honor
Guard of Honor
Guard of Honor is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Gould Cozzens published in 1948. The novel is set during World War II, with most of the action occurring on or near a fictional Army Air Forces base in central Florida. The action occurs over a period of approximately 48 hours...
in the court of honor of the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris."
On July 18, 2010, in a speech, the French Secretary of State for development of the territory, Hubert Falco
Hubert Falco
Hubert Falco is a French politician who has been appointed Secretary of State for development of the territory in the government of François Fillon on March 18, 2008. He is the mayor of Toulon.-References:...
, paid homage to him.