MEDIA Discovery the World of Philosophy on DafDaf

By Ada Treves

Filò is the protagonist of issue 69 of DafDaf, the Jewish magazine for kids, that at the very end of the school year has decided to offer young readers new pages, on philosophy. And Filò – this is the name that the author, Sara Gomel, has chosen for the the character that will be her help in the coming months – has become protagonist of the cover as well, thanks to the illustration by Luisa Valenti: “Dear readers, I invite you to follow me on a journey into the mysterious world of philosophy! My name is Filò, and I will accompany you in the discovery of this ancient discipline, born in Greece more than two thousand years ago. Together, and with the help of many philosophers from the past, we will try to observe with attention the world around us but also our inner world, with what happens in our heads and in our hearts. If you will follow me, you will find that by trying to be philosophers you will learn new ways, and the adults will go back to asking ‘why’ about many things, just like when they were kids.” Luisa Valenti, again, is the author of the “Stregario filosofico,” which explains that drawing and philosophizing are roads to know oneself, not to forget that every philosopher is a scientist and that every child is an artist, and a philosopher.

The pages devoted to “markets and values” speak of innovation: “Have you ever heard of SmartCity? It is a term now very fashionable that combines the word smart – intelligent – with city – the city -. The union of the two terms brings us to the smart city, or a space that is developed in an intelligent way, to improve the life of its citizens, using economic and human resources, digital and traditional infrastructures”. The pages, developed in occasion of the Festival Economia held in Trento, also explain to the young readers the “ten commandments for a smart city” written by the American economist Dan Hoornweg, and with the excuse of the Festival the Jewish magazine for kids suggests also a touristic route that among white snow and flowering meadows leads to Merano, where the Jewish presence dates back to the Middle Ages.

Maria Teresa Milano, Hebrew scholar and musicologist, is in charge of the pages dedicated to music, and on issue 69 of DafDaf she has decided to present the story of Miriam, in songs, starting with the soundtrack of “The Prince of Egypt” and Miriam’s Song by Debbie Friedman, to arrive at Hanevia Miriam by Zohar Fresco and Freedom is a voice, by Bobby McFerrin. Pirke Avot and the Midrashim arrive in the page by Nedelia Tedeschi, aka morà Dafdafà, with an old rabbi who once asked his disciples: “Which of you would know be able to tell me how you can distinguish the moment when the night ends and the day begins?” Before Diego, from Rome, who in the last page presents himself, the story of “Ginettaccio e Alfonsina” accompanies readers on a path that links the story of Gino Bartali. Bartali in 2013 became Righteous among the Nations thanks both to the false documents he transported hidden in his bike and to the choice of hiding a family of fugitive Jews from Rijeka – and Alfonsina Morini, the athlete with strong legs and unshakable determination that showed the world that even girls on bikes girls could go fast, very fast. Their story is the story of bikes in Italy, just in time to plan wonderful Summer trips. By bike.