Love, in all its nuances, will be at the heart of the 2026 European Day of Jewish Culture, kicking off in Italy on Sunday, September 6. Warsaw will host the European opening ceremony, and Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, will serve as Italy’s leading city for the event for the first time. Around 100 cities across the …
The September 6 edition of the 2026 European Day of Jewish Culture will also extend into the digital sphere, with the National Library of Israel (NLI) will present a special online exhibition inspired by the Song of Songs, in keeping with this year’s theme of love. This collaboration is one of the most prestigious cultural …
Nestled between the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo in Lombardy, Lake Iseo is an exceptional travel destination. Unlike many better-known Italian resorts, it has retained a distinctly human scale and has so far escaped the worst effects of overtourism. As you leave the lakeside promenade and enter the town through narrow streets with evocative, almost …
“Germany was the homeland of my maternal grandparents and mother, from which they were fortunate enough to escape. However, it swallowed up a large part of their family in its concentration camps: my great-grandparents, uncles and aunts, seven siblings on one side and eight on the other, both children and adults.” As reported by Corriere …
“Preserve your tongue from evil” (Psalm 34:14). There are moments when our words and actions become matters of responsibility. This is one of those moments. As Italian Jews, we see Israel as a democracy based on self-determination, security, and freedom, as outlined in its Declaration of Independence. For this reason, we feel a duty to …
Until about a decade ago, a child in Israel could receive an electric wheelchair around the age of six because it was believed that younger children lacked the necessary skills to operate it. Today, many patients at ALYN, a world-leading pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation facility located in Jerusalem, receive one at age three. This change …
Following its approval in the Senate, the antisemitism bill is now under consideration in the Chamber of Deputies. UCEI President Livia Ottolenghi expressed hope for swift, bipartisan approval. “Our concern and our priority are that the law be passed, period. The existence of a law combating antisemitism would send an extremely important message about the …
On May 31, a concert featuring pianist Anna D’Errico and composer Gianni Bozzola opened the 14th edition of the festival “Musica nel Complesso Ebraico” (Music in the Jewish Complex) at the synagogue of Casale Monferrato (Piedmont). Giulio Castagnoli is the founder and director of the festival. The festival continues on Sunday, June 7, with a …
Eighty years after World War II ended, Italian courts continue to recognize the right to compensation for the heirs of Holocaust victims and victims of other crimes committed by the Third Reich. A 2022 law opened a concrete legal avenue: heirs can file claims against Germany in Italian courts, obtain a judgment ordering compensation, and …
A special occasion brought Florence Sara Baruchi Campagnano back to her native Florence. She is the daughter of Hulda Campagnano, the only Italian witness to the Eichmann trial. She is also the niece of Rabbi Nathan Cassuto, the heroic chief rabbi of Florence who was murdered during the Holocaust. She came back for the ceremony …
There are thousands of reports, connections, and interviews. Giovan Battista Brunori is the Jerusalem bureau chief for RAI, the Italian national public broadcaster. He is one of the journalists reporting on the Middle East directly from the field. He has documented the profound transformation underway after the October 7 massacres, the beginning of a multi-front …
The applause for Eli Sharabi never seemed to stop. Young people who gathered at the Jewish Community of Ferrara listened silently to the story of his 491-day captivity in Gaza. They heard how Hamas terrorists had ripped away the people he loved: his wife, Lianne, and his daughters, Noya and Yahel. They were murdered in …
About 50 young Italians, aged 18 to 26, took part in the latest edition of the Taglit-Birthright Israel educational program. They were divided into two groups. The program’s goal was for participants to experience Israeli society firsthand through an immersive 10-day journey. During this time, they learned, had fun, met their peers, and participated in …
In mid-July, the most recent book by journalist Pierluigi Battista was awarded the 2026 Viareggio-Rèpaci Prize in the nonfiction category. The prestigious Italian literary prize was first awarded in 1930. In congratulating the author, we present our book review. This is a cruel and unjust story with a tragic ending. It is filled with episodes …
Warsaw will host the opening ceremony for the upcoming European Day of Jewish Culture (EDJC) on Sunday, September 6. The theme this year is love. “Few cities embody as much of European Jewish history as Warsaw does: centuries of vibrant Jewish life, its near-complete destruction during the Holocaust, and the determined efforts of remembrance, renewal, …
The 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games will take place in Taranto, Apulia, from August 21 to September 3, 2026. It will be the fourth time Italy will host the multi-sport event, which brings together approximately 4,000 athletes from 26 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, despite facing the Mediterranean Sea, Israel will not …
In December 2025, Mombaroccio, a town in the Marche region where Allied forces broke through the Gothic Line during WWII, was awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Merit by the Italian president. The award recognized the town’s assistance to refugees and people fleeing persecution who were sheltered at the local Franciscan monastery and in private …
Paolo Ferrara, a 76-year-old retired heart surgeon and Culture Councillor of the Jewish Community of Naples, is president of the newly reconstituted Naples and Campania chapter of the Jewish-Christian Friendship. The initiative is based on three fundamental principles, he explained: an absence of prejudice; a readiness to acknowledge and remain receptive to inspiration from the …
Italy mourns the passing of Francesco Guccini, the “maestrone” of Italian singer-songwriters. Guccini died on August 5 at the age of 86 in his hometown of Pavana, near Pistoia in Tuscany. The soundtrack to several generations, Guccini was among the first Italian musicians to address the horrors of the Holocaust. He addressed the topic in …
“Working in a small community means taking care of everything from A to Z, from looking after the synagogue to cooking to changing a light bulb if necessary.” This is the philosophy of Marco Del Monte, who has served as head of religious affairs at the Jewish Community of Bologna for about three and a …
There has been no official statement from the embassy yet, but the news has already been reported by Israeli media. The new Israeli ambassador to Rome will be Lior Haiat, a 52-year-old who currently serves as the deputy director-general for North America at the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. Haiat has previously served as Israel’s …
The National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) Foundation in Ferrara has started the process of incorporation of the Jewish Museum of Bologna (MEB) Foundation. The goal is to create a single hub with unified governance. The central headquarters will be located in Ferrara. “The core of this operation lies in the shared …
On the night of August 2, a group of neo-Nazis attempted to storm a hotel near Sofia, Bulgaria, where dozens of Italian Jewish teenagers were staying for a summer camp organized by a Jewish youth movement. “Around 11:00 p.m., we received a voice message saying that a group of neo-Nazis was threatening to break into …
Last weekend, Napoli’s football team celebrated its 100th anniversary. This milestone marks the culmination of a story that began in August 1926 with the establishment of the team by the Jewish entrepreneur and philanthropist Giorgio Ascarelli. A beloved figure in Naples, Ascarelli owned one of the most important textile industries in Italy and Europe. He …
The Jewish Community of Florence has a new president of its “Settimio Saadun” Jewish Hospice. Giuseppe Burschtein, an entrepreneur and communications expert, as well as a former chief of staff to the president of the Tuscany Region, was elected to the position. “Caring for the elderly does not simply mean ensuring assistance and safety. It …
The solo exhibition Innesti_Gesto e Materia (Grafts_Gesture and Matter) at the Open Space Gallery in Florence explores “the thin and ambiguous boundary between the natural element and artificial intervention” through the vision of Italian-Israeli architect and designer David Palterer. Curated by Norberto Medardi and Marco Tonelli, the exhibition runs through August 9.Palterer has been a …