SOISSONS (Aisne département, Picardie région)

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UPDATE:  On the Aisne River about 60 miles northeast of Paris and one of the most ancient towns in France, its strategic location has made it the scene of many battles throughout history. A large Jewish community existed by the twelfth century at the latest. Later, Count Raoul granted the convent of Notre Dame an annual income of six gold bezants for as long as Jews remained in the town; they were thus untouched by the Expulsion of 1182. The synagogue was situated under the castle walls and the first cemetery close to the early enclosure of the town. The second cemetery was near St. Christopher's Gate. The Medieval community ended with expulsion in 1306. At beginning of World War II, the Jewish population was 80 with no community reestablished after WWII. [January 2008]