MEMORY – Farewell to Rabbanit Elena Rossi Artom, who dedicated her life to education

Elena Rossi Artom, historical memory of the Italian community in Israel and wife of the Rabbi of Turin Menachem Emanuele Artom (1916-1992), died in Israel. She was born in Ancona in 1920 and at the age of 4 moved to Bologna, where she grew up. At 19, after the promulgation of the fascist racial laws prevented her from attending university, she emigrated to what was Mandatory Palestine, the soon-to-be State of Israel. Expert in Jewish genealogy, she wrote, among others, the volume Gli Artom, Storia di una famiglia della Comunità ebraica di Asti attraverso le sue generazioni – sec. XVI-XX, unraveling the Artom family history within the Asti Jewish community from 16th to 20th century. She edited the book Scritti sull’ebraismo in memoria di Emanuele Menachem Artom, a collection of essays on Judaism dedicated to her husband’s memory. She also curated an updated edition of her husband’s main work, the Machazor di rito italiano completo secondo gli usi di tutte le Comunità, a Machazor (prayer book) according to the Italian rite that incorporates diverse customs from various regional Italian Jewish Communities.
“Just like her husband, she has always considered us students as family, and she was always willing to give us advice and help in the educational field,” said Rabbi Umberto Piperno, who was a student of Rabbi Artom’s. “She ably and consistently collaborated with her husband in all of his works, including the monumental Machazor, contributing with her sweetness to the austerity of Rabbi Artom’s teaching.”
The Hevrat Yehudè Italia, the association representing the Israeli Jewish Community in Israel is mourning her as well, as she is considered “one of the pillars of Italian Judaism” in Israel.

Translated by Francesca Pischedda and revised by Annadora Zuanel, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.