She was born on September 26, 1940, in Tunisia into a Jewish family of Livorno origin.

[4] They have five children: Anne, wife Miller, senior civil servant; Jean; Hélène; Emmanuelle; Laure.

She passed the entrance exam to the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles (class of 1960 Lettres).

Her course focuses on the history of Judaism in the ancient world and, more particularly, on the links of Judea with the Hellenic and Roman world, as well as on the importance of the Jewish diaspora through the study of texts by Greek and Roman authors and the Historical Books of the Bible.

She has directed doctoral candidates including Katell Berthelot who earned her degree in 2001.