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January 4, 2016 - Tevet 23, 5776
Pour un dessin By Guido Vitale* “Si Dieu existe, il ne tue pas pour un dessin” (Joann Sfar) *Guido Vitale is the editor-in-chief of Pagine Ebraiche.   Signatures By Daniela Gross About 13,000 people signed an appeal against Nazi and fascist groups. The petition, titled “A Signature against Fascism,” was launched online two weeks ago. As Paolo Berizzi reported on the daily La Repubblica, this campaign is aimed at requiring the political leadership to ban all organizations “clearly inspired by fascism or Nazism, which have, for a long time, been promoting festivals, demonstrations, and meetings (also and mostly) in Milan and in the Lombardia region.” The goal of the anti-fascist groups and associations which started the petition on the website change.org, is to collect 100,000 signatures to present to the political leadership by the end of April. This would be just in time for the Liberation celebrations on the 25th, when many gatherings are frequently held by the extreme right. It is a strong call to action for democracy and against racism and totalitarianism, which sounds even stronger these days when xenophobia is again a concrete reality.		NEWS A New President for the MEIS By Daniel Reichel Dario Disegni is the new president of the Foundation of the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah of Ferrara (MEIS). He was appointed by the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini. “I am grateful to the Minister for his trust in me. It is an honor and at the same time a very challenging position,” Disegni told Pagine Ebraiche. “During my mandate we will proceed to the completion and the inauguration of the museum itself,” continued Disegni, also currently president of the Jewish Community of Turin and Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy. Read more NEWS President of Italian Rabbinical Assembly Speaks Ahead of Bergoglio’s visit By Adam Smulevich and Rossella Tercatin   On January 17, Jorge Bergoglio will visit the Synagogue of Rome, marking the third visit of a pope to the synagogue since the first landmark visit by John Paul II in 1986. “The situation is very different from a few decades ago. It would be erroneous to deceive ourselves that problems no longer exist. However, we have to acknowledge that the Church is making a sincere effort and this represents an excellent premise,” president of the Italian Rabbinical Assembly rav Giuseppe Momigliano told Pagine Ebraiche, discussing the relationship between Christianity and Judaism ahead of the visit. Read more FEATUREs - A Shul in the Heart of Roman Jewish Life By Rachel Silvera It all started during Hanukkah 1985 and it marked a new challenge for the young people of the Roman Jewish Community. Today the Oratorio Fatucci-Panzieri synagogue, known as "Tempio dei Giovani" (because it was mostly attended by young Jews), located inside the Israelite Hospital on the Tiber Island, facing the Great Synagogue of Rome, is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. The significant milestone was celebrated with a party hosted by old and new members alike. Read more Français Conscience de Pierpaolo Pinhas Punturello* La transition de “enfants d'Israël”, un clan tribal, un cercle de la communauté, au peuple des enfants d'Israël, une communauté responsable, ne passe pas par une prise de connaissance, un moment de la conscience nationale. Les Juifs se rendent compte qu'ils sont devenus un peuple parce que le Pharaon, dans Exode 1, 9, pour la première fois, les définit un peuple. Une définition qui est négative, qui est liée à une persécution, mais en même temps vraie. Nous devons attendre Moshé et l'horizon de la libération pour voir un peuple, le notre, qui prendra conscience de lui-même. Parce qu'un peuple est fort, quand il connait sa force et ces limites, ses horizons et ses frontières sans avoir besoin d'aucune voix externe qui lui rappelle qu'il est devenu "fort et nombreu."   *Pierpaolo Pinhas Punturello est rabin. La traduction est de Francesca Matalon. Lire la suite Double Life - Shiva at pub Simta By Daniela Fubini* The light of hundreds of candles lit in apparent lack of order sheds light and warmth all around the shattered windows of the pub Simta. On the left, the health food store is open until late. Nothing has changed here, not even the position of the carts, still close to the entrance on the right and bordering the pub. On those carts, the terrorist put down his backpack to take out a long weapon and then started shooting from that edge of the store towards people sitting quietly on a chilly Friday afternoon, in the uncertain sun between short rainfalls. In the meanders of the candles, some shapes are clear some are lost. The names of the two young men murdered here are neat, and so is a heart right by the doorstep, somewhat childish but essential in its meaning. There used to be a Star of David, but its points were broken by the need of more people to add another candle, and another. *Daniela Fubini (Twitter @d_fubini) lives and writes in Tel Aviv, where she arrived in 2008 from Turin via New York. Read more
Follow us on    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  You received this newsletter because you authorized UCEI to contact you. If you would like to remove your email address from our list, or if you would like to subscribe using a new email address, please send a blank email to  desk@ucei.it stating "unsubscribe" or "subscribe" in the subject field. © 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 Avete ricevuto questo messaggio perché avete trasmesso a Ucei l'autorizzazione a comunicare con voi. Se non desiderate ricevere ulteriori comunicazioni o se volete comunicare un nuovo indirizzo email, scrivete a: desk@ucei.it indicando nell'oggetto del messaggio "cancella" o "modifica". © 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.