Jacqueline Keller, former director of CRIF, dies at 97

Wednesday 19 November 2025 - 14:30

By: Sahili Aya

Jacqueline Keller, former director of CRIF, dies at 97

The Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) announced on Wednesday the death of Jacqueline Keller, who led the organization from 1981 to 1996. She passed away on Tuesday at the age of 97, the institution said in a statement expressing “deep sadness”.

Keller, described as an honorary director of CRIF, left a lasting imprint through her strong sense of duty, discipline, and quiet determination, noted Robert Ejnes, the organization’s executive director. Under the presidency of Théo Klein, she helped organize the first CRIF Annual Dinner, which has since become a key event for dialogue between Jewish institutions and the French Republic. Her tenure is credited with playing a significant role in modernizing the organization.

As a child during the Holocaust, Keller experienced firsthand the vulnerability of Jewish life in France. According to CRIF, this early trauma shaped her civic consciousness and reinforced her lifelong commitment to defending the dignity, safety, and representation of French Jews.