CULTURE – A 20th-century Jewish Italian family album

Inaugurating its new exhibition titled Ebrei nel Novecento Italiano (Jews in 20th century Italy), the Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara has launched the digital project “Ti racconto il mio ‘900” (I tell you my 20th century). This initiative aims to document scenes and moments from everyday life during that period, making “all Italian Jews protagonists of the exhibition,” which is the fourth component of the museum’s permanent display. The project captures a range of experiences, from joyful family events to shared community ceremonies, including symbolic and representative objects.
The call to action was successful, according to MEIS. About thirty stories were collected, leading to the creation of a photographic album presented on the European Jewish Culture Day. “It is a ‘family’ album that has helped us grow as a museum dedicated to narrating the two-millennia-long history of Italian Judaism,” notes MEIS. The album begins with a testimony about the devastating flood that affected Florence and its synagogue in November 1966, and includes QR codes linking to the stories submitted. It features elements such as memories of food, faces, and encounters, with poignant photographs of Italy before the Holocaust (including a Yom Kippur in 1938 in Ferrara) and the challenging process of rebuilding after WWII, with ongoing research to continue over time.
All contributions will be published in a dedicated section on the museum’s website, MEIS announced.