French-Israeli Historian and Resistance Fighter Lucien Lazare Dies at 101

Lucien Lazare, a prominent Franco-Israeli historian and former Resistance fighter, passed away in Jerusalem on Tuesday at the age of 101. Born in Strasbourg in 1924, Lazare joined the French Resistance during World War II at a young age. He was a member of the Éclaireurs Israélites de France (Jewish Scouts of France) and participated in combat operations, including the liberation of Castres in 1944.

Following the war, Lazare pursued a career in education and held leadership positions within the Jewish community of Strasbourg. In 1968, he immigrated to Israel with his family, where he later directed a high school in Jerusalem.

Lazare dedicated much of his historical work to the study of the Jewish Resistance in France and the "Righteous Among the Nations" who saved Jews during the Holocaust. He was a member of the commission responsible for designating the Righteous at Yad Vashem and authored numerous books on the subject, including coordinating a dictionary of the Righteous in France. At his 100th birthday, he noted he was one of the last surviving members of the armed Resistance in France.

Lazare also advocated for non-violence, viewing those who risked their lives to save Jews as "non-violent resistors." In a 2022 interview, he summarized his message to future generations as "banish hatred." He was also the father-in-law of Avraham Burg, a former Speaker of the Knesset.