Raphaël Haroche

Place of Birth: Paris, France

Date of Birth: 7 November, 1975

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish

Raphaël Haroche is a French singer, songwriter, and actor. He is also known simply as Raphaël.

His father is the son of a Moroccan Jewish father and a Ukrainian Jewish mother. Raphaël’s mother was raised in Argentina, with her own parents having been from Swiss Jewish and French Jewish families, respectively. Raphaël’s maternal grandparents both had deep Alsatian Jewish and German Jewish roots, traceable to the early 1600s. His uncle is physicist Serge Haroche, who won the Nobel Price for Physics in 2012.

Raphaël was raised in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine. He has two children with his partner, actress Melanie Thierry.

Raphaël’s paternal grandfather was Albert Haroche (the son of Isaac Haroche and Esther Azerrad). Albert was born in Morocco. His parents worked at the École de l’Alliance israélite (AIU). Isaac was born in Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz. Esther was born in Tetouan, Tetouan Province, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima, the daughter of Aquiba Azerrad and Frejia Bibas.

Raphaël’s paternal grandmother was Valentina Roubleva/Roublev (the daughter of Alexander Roublev and Sophie Fromstein). Valentina was born in Odessa, now Ukraine, to a family of physicians. She relocated to Morocco in the early 1920s. Alexander was the son of Gregori Roublev and Evguenia Grunblat, who herself was born in Minsk, Belarus, and also had roots in Lithuania. Sophie was the daughter of Moishe Duvid, who was from Chisinau, Moldova, and of Rivka Ferdman.

Raphaël’s maternal grandfather was Jean-Pierre Lang-Willar (the son of Alfred Lang-Willar and Suzanne Picard). Jean-Pierre’s parents were from Switzerland. Alfred was born in Bâle, Basel-Stadt, to parents from Alsace, Benoît Lang, who was from Sierentz, Haut-Rhin, and Sophie Willar, from Epfi, Bas-Rhin. Suzanne was born in La Chaux De Fonds, the daughter of Gabriel Picard and Jeanne Bloch.

Raphaël’s maternal grandmother was Arlette Dreyfus (the daughter of Henri Dreyfus and Hélène Lang). Arlette was born in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. Henri was born in Elbeuf, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, to parents from Alsace, Alfred Isaac Dreyfus, who was from Wissembourg, Bas-Rhin, and Pauline Paraf, from Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin. Hélène was born in Paris, the daughter of Benoît Lang and Sophie Willar. Raphaël’s maternal grandparents were first cousins.

Through his Alsatian Jewish heritage, Raphaël is a fifth cousin, once removed, of politiican Gabriel Attal, who has been Prime Minister of France, since 9 January, 2024. Raphaël’s four times great-grandparents, Moïse Bloch, who was born in Wintzenheim, Haut-Rhin, and Anne Hanna Meyer, who was born in Durmenach, Haut-Rhin, were also Gabriel’s three times paternal great-grandparents.

Source: Genealogy of Raphaël Haroche – https://www.geni.com