MEDIA Election Time on Pagine Ebraiche
By Rachel Silvera
New elections in Israel and also in the Jewish Community of Turin and Milan: the April issue of Pagine Ebraiche is currently available and gives readers news and insights about the wind of change that has brought thousands to the polls, redesigning a new future for Israel and for the two largest Jewish communities in Italy.
After a particularly animated campaign Israel went to the polls and confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party. But is the situation really as it seems? In his article, the demographer Sergio Della Pergola, discusses five key issues to govern the state of Israel. First, the decisions relating to Iran and Palestine, then the relationship with Obama, which is apparently compromised. As well there is the everlasting conflict between the idea of a Jewish state and the idea of a democratic state and finally the internal political tensions and social inequalities in Israel.
The last elections also highlighted two people: Moshe Kahlon the leader of the newly-founded Kulanu party and Ayman Odeh, the man who brought together the three previously existing Arab parties in a Joint List which won 13 seats in the Knesset.
The past month marked election time also for many Italian Jews.
The new Council of the Jewish Community of Milan was elected last week with a perfect balance between the two lists WellCommunity and Lechaim (with 8 elected members each), together with the personal success of the independent candidate, Antonella Musatti.
Recently the Jewish Community of Turin elected a new council and president (Dario Disegni) as well as the Italian Union of Jewish Students who chose Talia Bidussa as its new leader.
“Read to grow” is the special April issue that Pagine Ebraiche dedicates to literature for children and teenagers for the Bologna Childen’s Book Fair (BCBF). The fair is one of the most important exhibitions on children’s literature in the world. It is where the Pagine Ebraiche along with DafDaf (Pagine Ebraiche’s children newspaper) have been distributed to all the stands at the fair.
The program of BCBF also offered several events organized and promoted by the editorial staff of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities: Tuesday, March 31, at the Authors’ Cafe Anna Castagnoli, Nadia Terranova, Paolo Cesari and Luisa Valenti will discuss the difficulty of telling children “What you should not say”, on a panel sponsored and coordinated by the editors of DafDaf. In the program “Fuori Salone” (Out of the Fair) there will be a section dedicated to the children’s version of “Portico d’Ottavia.” This is the evocative story of a building in the heart of the ghetto of Rome told by the author, the historian Anna Foa along with the illustrator Matteo Berton at the Jewish Museum Bologna and the exhibition of Rutu Modan. Inside the April issue there is the everlasting, “The Paul Street Boys” book in an article by Franco Palmieri. Are there childrens’ books without pictures? Yes,there are. This challenge is signed by American BJ Novak the author of “The Book with No Pictures”, reflecting the value of words which are the primary source of intelligence and charm.
The business section is dedicated to Expo 2015, which opens in Milan on May 1, 2015. Readers will find an interview with the Commissioner, Giuseppe Sala. Sala explained to Pagine Ebraiche the challenges ahead and focused on the new Israel Pavilion.
The monthly interview features with Amos Luzzatto, intellectual, activist, doctor and fundamental voice of Italian Jewry. Luzzatto is also the former president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. An eclectic writer, Luzzatto has edited the newly published book, “Culture and Jewish ethics” by Dante Lattes (published by Bonanno) in collaboration with the Association Hans Jonas.