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March 9th, 2015 - Adar 17th, 5775

Die Zukunft
By Guido Vitale*

“Die Zukunft war früher auch besser" (Karl Valentin)

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

“Pio” is the Italian translation of Pius, a name which has  Latin roots and means "pious, dutiful". In the past, twelve popes chose this auspicious name, the last one being Pius XII. He reigned from March 2,1939 to his death in 1958, during the dramatic years of the World War II. He has always been considered a controversial figure, mainly for his actions during the Shoah. Was he the “Pope of Hitler”, as described by some historians, because he never took a public stand against the anti-Jewish persecutions? Or was he the “Vatican’s Schindler”, as many otherS refer to him, because many Jews in those years found their salvation in Catholic institutions?

While scholars still wait for the opening of the Vatican Archives, his name suddenly returned to the spotlight, triggering a harsh debate. On March 2, “Shades of Truth”, a movie written and directed by the Italian Liana Marabini, and dedicated to Pius XII, was presented in the Vatican. The film didn’t indulge in too many subtleties and portrayed the pontiff as saving over 800,000 Jews all over Europe. Ms. Marabini, who in the past directed other movies on the history of the Church, wanted in this way to support the pontiff’s beatification.

However, “Shades of Truth” met with fierce opposition. Pagine Ebraiche had already alerted its readers about it (“The archives are still closed but Catholic cinematography gives us another fiction to rewrite history”, it said), and after its presentation definitevely rejected it. So did the main Italian newspapers. Among them was also the Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s daily newspaper which stated: “It’s not with works such as ‘Shades of Truth’ that one can help historical understanding of the actions of Pius XII and his Church in relation to the Jewish people during the World War II.”


 
  davar
NEWS
A Day for the Righteous 
By Francesca Matalon

“The people that we honor today are in love; they love justice and democracy”. This is how the mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia opened the inauguration of the commemorative trees and stones dedicated to The Righteous Among the Nations, by the Italian organization Gariwo in the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations in Milan on Friday, March 6 during the third annual European Day of the Righteous
.

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FOOD
Beteavòn, the Kitchen in Milan that Feeds Whoever Needs It

By Ada Treves

A growing success and outstanding results, based on generosity and the idea of mutual support: “Beteavòn”, the first Kosher Kitchen in Italy was born in January 2014 to provide take away meals for free, for whoever needs them. Food is prepared following the laws of kashrut, the Jewish diet, by the educational branch of the Chabad Lubavitch movement - the Merkos l’Inyonei Chinuch - but food is completely free disregarding age, sex or religion.

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MEDIA
Pagine Ebraiche Ready
for Spring

By Rachel Silvera

The March issue of Pagine Ebraiche is a sort of literary green therapy. Its' monthly dossier is dedicated to copious stories about plants, fruits, flowers and their connection with Jews.
Roberto Jona, a botanist, guides the readers through the symbols of the plants and fruits found in the Torah. Rabbi Gianfranco Di Segni shows the Talmudic plants. And still another article introduces the Rome rose garden, an old and fascinating Jewish graveyard dating from 1645. Sarah Kaminski presents Rebbe Nachman’s tale about a Turkish prince.
Read more

EVENTS 
Model UN in Jerusalem
By Michael Sierra

More than 200 students from schools all over Jerusalem formally attired for the occasion, gathered this week at The Rubin Guest House to take part in the Israel Model United Nations (IMUN) for 3 days.
The Israel Model United Nations, the Israeli version of the MUN is an educational and academic simulation in which students learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations.

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Sarah Kaminski, University of Turin

איך זה שכל כך מעט ספרים של המחנך העתונאי ואומן המילים לילדים ג'אני רודארי תורגמו לעברית. רודארי כתב סיפורים, שירי נונסנס ומשחקים בשפה האיטלקית. הסופר האיטלקי האהוב, משהו בין שלונסקי וגוטמן לקטנים, הוא אבן יסוד להורים, מחנכים וילדים מגיל 5 ועד 100. רודארי נולד באזור פיימונטה ב 1920 ומת ברומא בגיל שישים. בישראל יצא לאור הספר הקלאסי ״סיפורי הטלפון״ בתרגומה של אורה אייל. כדאי וראוי לתרגם ספרים נוספים, כי לקרוא את רודארי מבטיח הנאה צרופה לגדולים וקטנים. פשוט כיף
 

pilpul
Burning Books
By David Bidussa*

Changing around the order of events doesn’t change the result. With just under two centuries of hindsight, it can be argued that the biting words of German poet Heinrich Heine that “wherever they burn books, in the end they will also burn people” are not always accurate. Sometimes they burn people first, and afterwards set fire to the books
.

*David Bidussa is an historian of social ideas. The article was translated by Sahar Zivan.

 
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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, Amanda Benjamin, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Dori Fleekop, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Jonathan Misrachi, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Sabina Muccigrosso, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Jazmine Pignatello, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Colby Robbins,  Danielle Rockman, Lindsay Shedlin,
Michael Sierra, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves, Lauren Waldman, Sahar Zivan.


Questo notiziario è realizzato in condizioni di particolare difficoltà. I redattori di questo notiziario sono giornalisti italiani di madrelingua italiana. Mettono a disposizione le loro energie e le loro competenze per raccontare in lingua inglese l'ebraismo italiano, i suoi valori, la sua cultura e i suoi valori. Nonostante il nostro impegno il lettore potrebbe trovare errori e imperfezioni nell'utilizzo del linguaggio che faremo del nostro meglio per evitare. Contiamo sulla vostra comprensione e soprattutto sul vostro aiuto e sul vostro consiglio per correggere gli errori e migliorare.

Pagine Ebraiche International Edition è una pubblicazione edita dall'Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane. L'UCEI sviluppa mezzi di comunicazione che incoraggiano la conoscenza e il confronto delle realtà ebraiche. Gli articoli e i commenti pubblicati, a meno che non sia espressamente indicato il contrario, non possono essere intesi come una presa di posizione ufficiale, ma solo come la autonoma espressione delle persone che li firmano e che si sono rese gratuitamente disponibili. Gli utenti che fossero interessati a offrire un proprio contributo possono rivolgersi all'indirizzo  desk@ucei.it

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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, Amanda Benjamin, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Dori Fleekop, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Jonathan Misrachi, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Sabina Muccigrosso, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Jazmine Pignatello, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Colby Robbins,  Danielle Rockman, Lindsay Shedlin, Michael Sierra, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves, Lauren Waldman,
Sahar Zivan.