ABSTRACT
To the Jewish labour movement in Paris, 1905 was a turning point in several respects. The Japanese victory over Russia and the subsequent Russian Revolution deeply impressed the members of the international revolutionary circles in Paris. Jewish workers were far more eager to join unions than to become members of political organizations. This was understandable, since the unions were more likely to bring immediate improvement to their situation. The capmakers' union was a conventional union in that it protected only the economic interests of its members. As the capmakers' union received support from the French trade unions virtually from the moment of its establishment, the Jewish unions for other trades had close ties with the French trade unions from the outset. The Jewish workers employed in the fine leather industry, which produced items such as wallets and bags, formed a branch of the French union during the strikes in 1909 rather than during the famous May strikes in 1906.
