Delphine Horvilleur

Delphine Horvilleur
Delphine Horvilleur in 2019
Personal life
Born (1974-11-08) 8 November 1974
Nancy, France
SpouseAriel Weil
EducationHebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
OccupationRabbi, writer
Websitedelphinehorvilleur.com
Religious life
ReligionJudaism

Delphine Horvilleur (French pronunciation: [dɛlfin ɔʁvilœʁ]; born 8 November 1974) is a French rabbi and writer, the third woman to become a rabbi in France.[1][2][3] From 2008 to 2026 she served as a rabbi of the Liberal Jewish Movement of France, which merged in 2019 into Judaïsme en mouvement, a Jewish liberal association affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism.[4][5] She is the editorial director of Tenou'a, an online journal of Jewish thought.[6] Her books include Vivre avec nos morts (2021), published in English as Living with Our Dead (2024).[7]

Life

Horvilleur was born and raised in Nancy, then moved to Jerusalem at the age of 17 and studied life sciences at the Hebrew University.[1] On 4 November 1995 she attended the Tel Aviv peace rally at the end of which Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.[8] Five years later, she came back to Paris and worked as a journalist for France 2 (2000-2003), notably at the channel's Jerusalem bureau with Charles Enderlin and as a reporter for its evening news,[1][9] then as New York correspondent of the Jewish radio station RCJ (2003-2008). She studied with well-known Jewish scholars, such as French philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin and ex-Chief Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, and eventually moved to New York and studied at Drisha Yeshiva.[1] She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2008, and later returned to France.[4] In 2016, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem awarded her a special commendation.[10]

In 2012, by presidential decree, she became the first woman rabbi appointed to France's National AIDS Council.[11]

In 2009, Horvilleur became editor-in-chief of Tenou'a, a quarterly journal published by the Tenou'a association from the Liberal Jewish Movement of France. It is a reference magazine of liberal Jewish thought in France, where various religious sensibilities are found around societal issues (feminism, environment, sexuality, migration policy, etc.).[12] As of 2024 Horvilleur was Editorial Director.[6] In 2018 she founded the Ateliers Tenou'a, monthly study circles on texts of the Jewish tradition, also held in other cities including Brussels.[13]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Horvilleur became known for her weekly online Zoom talks on Jewish texts. Her popular lectures were attended by a variety of people outside of the Jewish community.[7]

In August 2022, she delivered the inaugural lecture opening the academic year at Sciences Po in Paris.[14]

Her book Il n'y a pas de Ajar was adapted for the stage in 2023, directed by Johanna Nizard and Arnaud Aldigé at the Théâtre de l'Atelier.[15] In 2025, Le Sens des choses, a French television series adapted from her book Vivre avec nos morts, was released on Max.[16]

In May 2025, after the Israeli government announced a plan of "conquest" of Gaza, she published a statement denouncing what she called Israel's "political rout and moral bankruptcy", saying she spoke "out of love for Israel"; the statement drew wide support as well as death threats from supporters of the Israeli government.[17][18]

In February 2026, she delivered remarks at Central Synagogue in New York.[19] In June 2026, she announced her departure from Judaïsme en mouvement, effective that autumn, in order to develop her teaching of Jewish thought.[5]

She is a member of the reading committee of the Comédie-Française, as one of four outside personalities appointed by the French Minister of Culture.[20]

Horvilleur is married to Ariel Weil, mayor of the Paris Centre arrondissement. They have three children.[21]

Honours and awards

Publications

  • Notarikon: The Rabbinic Art of Word-breaking. Brookdale Center: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. 2008. OCLC 192021507.
  • Horvilleur, Delphine (2011). "Lifting the Curtain - The theatrical Kol Nidre". In Hoffman, Rabbi Lawrence A. (ed.). All these Vows. Jewish Lights Publishing. pp. 150–154.
  • En tenue d'Ève : féminin, pudeur et judaïsme (in French). Grasset. 2013. ISBN 978-2757869666. OCLC 1024070980.
  • Comment les rabbins font les enfants ? : sexe, transmission, identité dans le judaïsme (in French). Grasset. 2015. ISBN 978-2253186090. OCLC 993080865.
  • Des mille et une façons d'être juif ou musulman (in French). Seuil. 2017. ISBN 978-2021349313. OCLC 1033520372. with Rachid Benzine
  • Réflexions sur la question antisémite (in French). Grasset. 2019. ISBN 978-2253820345. OCLC 1140368044. Published in English as Anti-Semitism Revisited: How the Rabbis Made Sense of Hatred. Translated by David Bellos. MacLehose Press. 2021. ISBN 978-1529404753.
  • Comprendre le monde (in French). Bayard Culture. 2020. ISBN 978-2227497993. OCLC 1163855144.
  • Le Rabbin et le Psychanalyste : l'exigence d'interprétation (in French). Éditions Hermann. 2020. ISBN 979-1-0370-0317-1.
  • Vivre avec nos morts (in French). Grasset. 2021. ISBN 9782246826941. Published in English as Living with Our Dead: On Loss and Consolation. Translated by Lisa Appignanesi. Europa Editions. 2024. ISBN 978-1609457952.
  • Il n'y a pas de Ajar (in French). Grasset. 2022. ISBN 9782246831563.
  • Comment ça va pas ? Conversations après le 7 octobre (in French). Grasset. 2024. ISBN 978-2246838463.
  • Euh… Comment parler de la mort aux enfants (in French). Bayard/Grasset. 2025. ISBN 978-2-227-50301-4.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Benhamou, Rebecca (21 June 2013). "No liberté and égalité in France for women rabbis". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "32nd IAJGS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on JEWISH GENEALOGY - Paris from 15th till 18th July 2012 - Rabbin Delphine HORVILLEUR". Paris2012.eu. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Delphine Horvilleur : " Pour rester vivante, la religion doit être bousculée " - societe - Elle". Elle.fr. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  4. 1 2 Halpern, Gilad (8 July 2012). "Just don't call her 'Monsieur le rabbin' - Israel News". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Nos vies restent liées par ce que nous avons tissé ensemble". Judaïsme en mouvement (in French). 13 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Tenou'a team". Tenou'a. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 Lieblich, Julia (30 September 2022). "French Feminist Rabbi Captivates Multifaith Crowds With Musings on Mortality". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "L'émotion de Delphine Horvilleur au souvenir de l'assassinat d'Yitzhak Rabin". INA (in French). 3 November 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "L'hypertension". INA (in French). 11 December 2001. Retrieved 16 August 2026. Report by Delphine Horvilleur broadcast in "20 heures le journal", France 2.
  10. ↑ Klug, Lisa (5 September 2016). "France's foremost female rabbi takes a stab at the patriarchy". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "Décret du 27 avril 2012 portant nomination au Conseil national du syndrome immunodéficitaire acquis (sida)". Légifrance (in French).
  12. ↑ "Delphine Horvilleur : " On renvoie toujours la femme à son utérus "" (in French). 26 March 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "L'Atelier Tenou'a, un cercle d'étude sous le signe du dialogue et de l'ouverture". Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Leçon inaugurale de Delphine Horvilleur - Rentrée 2022 campus de Paris". YouTube (Sciences Po official channel) (in French). August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Santi, Agnès (24 August 2023). "Johanna Nizard interprète Il n'y a pas de Ajar de Delphine Horvilleur". La Terrasse (in French).
  16. ↑ "Le Sens des Choses". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Blin, Simon (9 May 2025). "Gaza : la rabbine Delphine Horvilleur sort du silence pour dénoncer la «faillite morale d'Israël»". Libération (in French).
  18. ↑ "Prominent French Rabbi Gets Death Threats Over Criticism of Israeli Actions in Gaza". Haaretz. 16 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Remarks from Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur". YouTube (Central Synagogue official channel). 27 February 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Comité de lecture". Comédie-Française (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Woman is the Jew of the world". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  22. ↑ Décret du 20 novembre 2015 portant promotion et nomination (PREX1525578D), Journal officiel de la République française.
  23. ↑ "Global Hope Coalition Award to Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur". World Union for Progressive Judaism. October 2018.
  24. ↑ "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres - hiver 2019". Ministère de la Culture (in French).
  25. ↑ "Décret du 31 décembre 2020 portant promotion et nomination dans l'ordre national de la Légion d'honneur" (PDF). Journal officiel de la République française (in French). 1 January 2021.
  26. ↑ "Delphine Horvilleur, lauréate du prix des Savoirs 2021". Livres Hebdo (in French). 13 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "Roman, manga, BD : les 10 lauréats du Prix Babelio 2021". ActuaLitté (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  28. ↑ "Delphine Horvilleur remporte le Prix Renaudot poche 2022". aVoir-aLire (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Margot Friedländer and Delphine Horvilleur receive the Prize for Understanding and Tolerance". Jewish Museum Berlin. 17 November 2024.
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