EVENTS Teatro La Fenice to Host Inaugural Ceremony Marking the 500th Anniversary of Venice’s Ghetto

By Rossella Tercatin

Teatro La Fenice, one of the most renowned Italian opera houses, will be the venue of the official opening ceremony in remembrance of the creation of the Ghetto of Venice, the first ghetto in history, in 1516 On March 29, 2016, representatives of Italian and international institutions and Jewish leaders from all over the world will gather to listen to the keynote speaker, the British historian, Simon Schama. Afterwards, Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber will conduct the Fenice Orchestra in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony no. 1 in D Major.

The event is organized in collaboration with the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) with the support of the World Jewish Congress and the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ).
Both UCEI and WJC presidents, Renzo Gattegna and Ronald Lauder, will take part in the ceremony.

Starting from March there will be conferences, exhibitions, and book presentations to mark the 500th anniversary of the creation of the Ghetto and this will continue throughout 2016.