The Jewish presence in Chinon seems to date from the 12th century. Administrative documents attest to this from the following century.

Most of the Jews lived in the rue de la Juiverie, near the Palais de Justice in Chinon. There was then a synagogue, a mikvah and a renowned study center.

On August 27, 1321, following a false accusation (frequent at the time) of poisoning wells, the 160 Jews of Chinon were burned alive in a place on the outskirts of the city, on the Island of Tours, where they were currently finds the faubourg Saint-Jacques .

Among the illustrious Jews of Chinon, we can cite the Tossafists Jacob and Nethanel of Chinon and the great rabbinical figure Isaac ben Isaac.