MEDIA Five Internships and the 500th Anniversary of the Ghetto
By Pagine Ebraiche staff*
The year 2016 marks the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Ghetto of Venice. The March issue of Pagine Ebraiche features a special section devoted to the event; edited by journalist Ada Treves. The articles are going to be translated for Pagine Ebraiche International Edition by the students of the Scuola Superiore di Lingue Moderne per Interpreti e Traduttori dell’Università degli Studi di Trieste, the major school for interpreters and translators in Italy. Five of them, Giulia, Ilaria, Giulia, Isabella e Letizia, have chosen to do their internships in the newsroom of Pagine Ebraiche. The following is the introduction to the special section.
“The delicate condition of the Venetian Jewish community represents a crossroads that has made people come to difficult and uncompromising decisions that, at the same time, were open to the external world”. Pagine Ebraiche opens its dossier dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Venice Ghetto with an article written by Rav Roberto della Rocca. In his article he observes that “one of the community’s strong points was its capability of taking out and assimilating the external world without being absorbed by it and adapting its response to the changing world “. Nowadays, those who live in today’s Ghetto and observe it from the windows of the art galleries and shops offer an insight into its narrow streets that often transforms criticism into tender thoughts. The Ghetto is alive, and many leaders have asserted that for the organizations they represent that the Jewish community’s value and its glorious history deserve respect and the attention owed to the demanding present. Dario Calimani and Enrico Levis analyze the significance of this important anniversary, while Gadi Luzzatto Voghera tries to clarify some of the many misunderstandings that are confusing at times. Michele Bugliesi, Chancellor of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, highlights the incredible amount of intellectual energy which is released from such a small place. The date not to be missed is this coming March 24. This is when the official celebrations of the anniversary will begin at the Fenice theater, with a concert of the Symphony in D major by Mahler, conducted by the Israeli, Omer Meir Wellber.
*This article was translated into English by Ilaria Modena, student at the Scuola superiore interpreti e traduttori di Trieste, who is doing her apprenticeship in the newsroom of Pagine Ebraiche.