CALABRIA – Jewish renaissance in the South

Over 50 locations in the Calabria region of Southern Italy participated in the European Day of Jewish Culture. From Reggio Calabria to Bova Marina, and from Crotone to Vibo Valentia, “the enthusiasm was remarkable and confirms a growing interest in the Jewish world,” noted UCEI Vice President Giulio Disegni. This interest was evident not only in Calabria, Disegni added, but across all of Southern Italy, where Jews were expelled after 1500 years of a thriving presence at the end of the fifteenth century, during Spanish rule. From regions such as Puglia and Sicily, Disegni also noted, “I am receiving important feedback.”
To connect with local Jewish heritage, neighborhood visits, exhibitions and installations were organized, with more to come. Disegni himself will be in Noto and Modica, Sicily, on Sunday 22 September, to commemorate the tragic massacre of Jews in 1474, alongside UCEI President Noemi Di Segni.
Roque Pugliese, the representative for the Jewish Section in Palmi, expressed his satisfaction: “Judaism has returned to Calabria, and this is deeply moving. We feel a vibrant and engaged Calabria, from both citizens and institutions, with notable dedication throughout the region.” Pugliese highlighted the involvement of the Regional Coordination of Provincial Student Councils at the Day’s events as an example of this dedication. As Franca Falduto, the regional head of the Councils, emphasized, the organization’s primary goal is “to promote youth participation in the cultural and social growth of communities,” a commitment recently reaffirmed, reflecting a renewed and widespread engagement with Judaism.

Photograph: a visit to the Jewish quarter in Nicotera