The bell rang in Italian Jewish schools

Millions of Italian pupils are heading back to school, after six months at home. But the bell already rang in some Jewish schools. A week ago, students went back to their classrooms in Rome, Milan, Turin, and Trieste (the four Jewish schools presently active in Italy). It was an extraordinary moment for students, teachers, and families, in a country hit hard by the pandemic. And it was a first glimpse of the new normality of the virus-era.
Jewish schools worked hard to guarantee a safe learning environment. Spaces were sanitized, equipped with hand sanitizers and thermal scanners, and many protocols are in place for social distancing in classrooms and shared spaces. Things won’t be the same, but there is no doubt that the path forward is now open.
It was not easy. In times of pandemic, reopening whatever community space is complex. However, the joy expressed by the kids on their first day of school was its own reward. “Reopening the kindergarten was a big emotion”, confirmed to Pagine Ebraiche the President of Milan Jewish community Milo Hasbani. “We had to deal with a hundred kids, parents, and teachers. It was a great general test for the reopening of the school, a few days later”. Since the city was dramatically affected by the pandemic, Milan school was the first to close. Reopening was the best way to be back together, both as an educative institution and a community.