In occupied zone, persecution starts as of the arrival of the German troops. In June 1940, the SS Standartenführer Knochen installs in Paris a special kommando of Gestapo in charge in particular of the payment of the Jewish question. In July-August, it is the expulsion of the Jews of Alsace-Lorraine and the beginning of racist propaganda. September 27, the First Ordinance of the German military Commander promulgates a statute of the Jews, of which the goal is to mark the victims. It comprises a definition of the Jew a little less strict than the definition of the German law of 1935 which regarded as Juif any individual having two grandparents of Israélite confession. In the statute of September 27 is regarded as Juif any individual professing the religion israélite or having three grandparents of israélite confession. The Jews in addition are excluded from public employment and the great economic functions. Prohibition is made with those which fled in Southern zone to pass by again the line of demarcation. Those which remain must be made count. In a word, the Jews are thrown to the street and are counted: the net is tended.
In October, office IV B 4 of the central Management of Gestapo directed by Eichmann sends in Paris, to take the direction of the operations, a specialist, the SS Hauptsturmführer Dannecker. Follow a whole series of discriminatory or despoiling ordinances, until the fine of the billion imposed to all the Jews France in 1941.

Immediately, without same awaiting German pressures, the paternal government of the Marshal does not trail either east adopts regulations and laws anti-semites, applicable to all the French territory, which do not have anything to envy those of the Nazi Germany.
October 3, 1940, the Vichy government promulgates a Statute of the Jews, first French law openly anti-semite. The Jews from now on are prohibited in the Administration, teaching, the legal one, the army, the press, the theatres; they do not have any more the right to be either lawyers, doctors, etc.
Actually, as of July 1940, the Jews are excluded from the public office. The Jewish teachers must give up their classes with the re-entry. The first German ordinance " relating to measurements against the Jews " is taken on September 27, 1940 and relates to the occupied zone. The Jews which fled the northern zone cannot go back there and the families which remain there must be made count. A seal is affixed on the indentity card. " article 4 comprises an economic aspect: any trade whose owner is Jewish must be indicated as " undertaken Jewish " by a special poster written in German and French language ". Adam Rayski, future head of EGO in the Paris area comments on in the following terms these events: " that felt the Average Age ".
Always during the summer, the Jews are the object of an odious propaganda campaign in the press. The population remains without voice, too occupied providing for its needs. Among the most hateful reactions, that of the Lissac family, which, as of August 2, 1940, makes pass an advertisement in the press to restore a " truth ": " Lissac would not know without ill will being confused with Isaac, name israélite par excellence ".
October 3, 1940, the Council of Ministers of Vichy issues the first statute of the Jews. A series of restrictive measurements follows, of which a list of functions and mandates prohibited to the Jews: high administration, large trades, etc. They are also seen banished certain professions like journalism, the literature, the cinema, the theatre, arts, etc. If they can continue to exert liberal professions, it is by taking account of a numerus clausus fixed at 2%. The Jews titular of the card of combatant of 1914-1918, or quoted at the time of the countryside 1939-l940 or decorated with the Legion with honor, will be able to continue to exert their functions in condition however which they are subordinates. Some intellectuals rise against these positions, like Jean Guéhenno writing at the date of October 19, 1940: " the Vichy government publishes this morning the statute of the Jews in France. Us here are anti-semites and racist [... ]. I feel full with shame."
The tradesmen must stick on their windows the yellow posters " Jewish Company "; offusqués, some add to side that they were of the heroes of war and are good patriots. The companies are aryanisées. Provisional administrators are given the responsability to manage undertaken and buildings belonging to Jews. These economic measurements result in reducing to poverty the Jewish community. In June 1941, the access to the universities is also subjected to a numerus clausus.
In occupied zone, vexations multiply: prohibition to have a radio set, to have the telephone, to come out of at home enters 20 hours and 6 hours, the obligation to make its races between 15 and 16 hours. The decree of May 1942 institutes as from June 7 the port of yellow star for any old Jew of more than 6 years. The Parisian ones often sympathize. The Jews cannot attend the establishments of spectacle any more.
Many are those which flee towards the free zone. A stage is reached in the descent into Hell at the time of the great Parisian raid of July 16, 1942 with the assistance of the French font: 12 884 people are stopped (46 % of the foreign Jews and stateless people), 3 031 men and especially 5 802 women and 4 051 children. The camps of internment are sordid places where mortality is significant in the absence of hygiene. The contribution of Vichy to the deportation is not any more to show, the raid of Vel of hiv brings the proof from there.
Before the German invasion, one estimated at 300.000 the number of Jews, all confused nationalities, alive in France. Approximately 80.000 of them will be off-set in the concentration camps. On those, 3.000 only, approximately, will survive.