MEDIA A Step forward for Melamed

By Ada Treves

Part of the wide offer that the staff of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities produces every day, the weekly newsletter “melamed” – dedicated to education and schools – is taking another step forward. Melamed has been identified for more than three years with a specific section of UCEI’s press review. Each week a selection of the most significant items has been sent to teachers, Jewish leaders and to those who have responsibilities in terms of education and schools. In the last year a comment as been added to the selection of the press review, and it has been published also on the daily newsletter of Italian Jewry, paginebraiche24. As part of the gradual growth that has always characterized the work of the newsroom, the new weekly newsletter “sheva – melamed” adds to the weekly press review two sections: “Comment and Debate” and “News”.

The first issue opens with a text by Rabbi Gianfranco Di Segni, “School Reforms” about the centrality always attached by Judaism to education and study, while the news section focalizes on UK and Israel. Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, chief rabbi of the United Kingdom has recommended the teaching of Islam in schools, in a sign of cooperation also responding to the president of the British Association of Muslim schools. Ashfaque Chowdhury in addition to the teaching of Judaism and Christianity has expressed the hope for exchanges and collaborative initiatives among diverse educational institutions. In Israel the first college for students with autism, Asperger syndrome and other complex disabilities related to learning will open in March, aiming to respond to the specific needs of its students, and offering them complete courses, that are recognized by the Ministry of Education. The usual commentary on the weekly selection of the press coverage closes the first number of sheva – melamed, talking about books published and prohibited, both in Europe and in Israel.