French Jews Choose a Sephardi as New Head

France's Jewish community, the largest in Europe, chose a Sephardi Jew as its leader Sunday for the first time in half a century.

Francis Kalifat, 63, said his priority as president of the CRIF umbrella grouping of Jewish organizations was to "fight against anti-Semitism in all its forms."

He succeeds 79-year-old Roger Cukierman for a three-year term, breaking the dominance of Ashkenazi Jews in the organization which groups together 70 associations.

Kalifat takes over at a highly sensitive time for French Jews, who were targeted when a jihadist gunman linked to the attackers of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killed four hostages in the siege of a kosher supermarket in January 2015.

More than 800 anti-Semitic acts and threats were recorded in France last year.