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October 20th, 2014 - Tishrei 26th, 5775

A Better World
by Guido Vitale*

"I always feel the world becomes a slightly better place when I meet someone who has ties to multiple sports teams and can’t decide which one to cheer at a game." (Jaron Lanier)

*Guido Vitale is the editor-in-chief of Pagine Ebraiche.
 
Italian Word of the Week:
MINHAG
by Daniela Gross

The word “Minhag” comes from Hebrew, specifically from the verb “nahag” that means a particular way of behaving or a system of customs, and it is largely used in any Italian Jewish Community to indicate the ritual used during services. It can sound weird, because the Italian Jewry is not so large, but the different areas of the country have their own Minhag, with their own chants, styles and texts, and they jealously preserve it.

This diversity is deeply rooted in the ancient and complex history of Italian Jewry. The ritual of the Jewish community of Rome is already specifically mentioned in the Talmud. However, after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, Rome’s “Minhag” rituals absorbed important influences from the Sefardic traditions while in Central and North Italy it is closer to the Askenazi. But, this arrangement doesn’t preclude other crossovers and intermixing.

So, for instance, in an area near Turin – in Asti, Fossano, Moncalvo – the Jews have ever since prayed according a particular Minhag, the Apam, born from a combination of the ancient French, Provencal, and German rites. On the other hand, in Trieste, in North East Italy, for the last century people have prayed alternating the Ashkenazi rituals during Shabbat and Sefardic ones during the week days. Here, as in the other Italian communities, the Jewish world is an impressive melting pot.
 
  davar
NEWS
Italy Honors Italian-Israeli Citizens
By Rossella Tercatin

The President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano has honored three Italian-Israeli citizens for their role as a bridge between the two countries. 
 
The Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Order of the Star of Italy) was bestowed on Elena Maria Rossi Artom, Cecilia Nizza and Alessandro Viterbo. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 15th at the Italian Synagogue in Jerusalem; attending it on the behalf of Napolitano was the Italian Ambassador to Israel Francesco Maria Talò.
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NEWS
Flood Hits Genoa, the Jewish Community Reacts

By Simone Somekh*

On October 9th and 10th, the Italian city of Genoa was hit by a devastating flood.
“We came to Genoa from Milan to spend Sukkot with our family,” said Sarah Momigliano Sciunnach, 24, still shocked by the unceasing rain and consequent damage. “On Friday morning there were three men praying in the synagogue, but then the police came and asked them to go home.”

*Simone Somekh is a student at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and writes as a freelancer for the Jewish Italian press.

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FEATURES
Illustrated Mitzvot

By Francesca Matalon

Nine books, one interactive DVD and more than three hundred berachot; this is the monumental work of Moise Levy, a doctor and maskil from Milan who just published a boxed set of books entitled "Halachà illustrata: guida illustrata alle norme ebraiche" (Illustrated Halachà: Illustrated Guide to Jewish Law).
The eight books are the Italian translation from Hebrew of the series Itturé Halachà by rabbi Zeev Greenwald which explains in depth every aspect of the halachah in every occasion of the year and moment of the day (Seder Hayom, Berachot, Seder Yom Shabbat, The 39 Melachot, Yamim Norayim, Pesach-Shavuot-Av-Elul-Sukkot-Hanukkah-Purim, Kashrut and Hamitbach.
(Artwork by Giorgio Albertini)

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Español
Alguer

Francesco Moises Bassano

Cuando los aragoneses conquistaron la parte norte de la isla de Cerdeña en 1323, se constituí a su paso una nueva presencia judía en la isla, que había contribuido a la financiación de esta conquista. Especialmente en Alguer – una puerto del noroeste que aún es una enclave lingüística catalana- se desarrolló una importante comunidad judía, sólo segunda a Cagliari, formada por familias provenientes principalmente de Mallorca, Cataluña y Provenza.


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pilpul
Shadow and Light

By Roberto Della Rocca*

One of the fundamental requirements for constructing a kosher sukkah is that its roof must create more area of shadow than light. Rabbeinu Behaye [c. 1255-1340, Spain] states that the Creator is the Great Shadow, and not wanting that any one person denigrate the importance or authority of another, He gave a part of His Shadow to every person and thing in the world. Shadow is, in fact, the very image of us, and it marks out the position and projection of every subject and object in the world. Living in the sukkah helps us to rediscover the healthy dimension of our reflected image—both individual and collective—too often washed out and assaulted by too much light.


*Roberto Della Rocca is a rabbi and the Director of the Education Department at the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
The article was translated by professor Daniel Leisawitz, Italian Studies, Muhlenberg College, Chew St. Allentown, Pennsylvania USA.



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This newsletter is published under difficult conditions. The editors of this newsletter are Italian journalists whose native language is Italian. They are willing to offer their energy and their skills to give international readers the opportunity of learning more about the Italian Jewish world, its values, its culture and its traditions.
In spite of all our efforts to avoid this, readers may find an occasional language mistake. We count on your understanding and on your help and advice to correct these mistakes and improve our publication.

Pagine Ebraiche International Edition is published by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI). UCEI publications encourage an understanding of the Jewish world and the debate within it. The articles and opinions published by Pagine Ebraiche International Edition, unless expressly stated otherwise, cannot be interpreted as the official position of UCEI, but only as the self-expression of the people who sign them, offering their comments to UCEI publications. Readers who are interested in making their own contribution should email us at desk@ucei.it 
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© UCEI - All rights reserved - The articles may only be reproduced after obtaining the written permission of the editor-in-chief. Pagine Ebraiche - Reg Rome Court 199/2009 – Editor in Chief: Guido Vitale - Managing Editor: Daniela Gross.
Special thanks to: Francesco Moises Bassano, Susanna Barki, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves.


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© UCEI - Tutti i diritti riservati - I testi possono essere riprodotti solo dopo aver ottenuto l'autorizzazione scritta della Direzione. Pagine Ebraiche International Edition - notiziario dell'ebraismo italiano - Reg. Tribunale di Roma 199/2009 - direttore responsabile: Guido Vitale -
Coordinamento: Daniela Gross.
Realizzato con il contributo di:
Francesco Moises Bassano, Susanna Barki, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves.