Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe

Born to a family of embroiderers, Abraham Hirsch studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, France. Because the traditional apprentice system was often closed to Jews, the burgeoning academic system offered more opportunity for aspiring Jewish architects. Hirsch was the first known Jew to have attended a Western school of architecture, and he went on to become the chief architect of Lyon. He designed numerous buildings in the city, including the Grand Synagogue of Lyon.