JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL – To be a Jew today, a discussion about identity

Essere ebrei oggi (Being Jewish today, published by Il Mulino,) the latest essay by Italian-Israeli demographer and statistician Sergio Della Pergola, was conceived well before October 7. However, as the author acknowledges, “history also advances through leaps and disruptions.” Thus, the Hamas massacres have already had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on the definition of Jewish identity, balancing “continuity and transformation,” both in Israel and in Diaspora communities, with particular focus on Italy. As Della Pergola, emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, notes in a chapter dedicated to Italy, the Italian Jewish experience has often anticipated “that of other communities worldwide, for better or for worse, in its political relationship with the non-Jewish majority and in the search for new and original paths.”
Della Pergola’s book was the focal point of one of the events held on the closing day of the Jewish Book Festival in Ferrara, organized by the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS). Present at the event, in what MEIS director Amedeo Spagnoletto described as “a unique and special” occasion, were the three successive presidents of the museum since its founding: Riccardo Calimani (2008–2015), Dario Disegni (2016–2024), and Guido Ottolenghi, who has held the position since August.
The discussion, moderated by Pagine Ebraiche, delved into key points from the essay and reflections based on surveys, tables, and projections. “This book was born out of a need to clarify, to initiate an act of public transparency,” Della Pergola explained, starting from the challenge of defining the essence of Judaism and the ways in which Jewish identity manifests. In Italy, as in the rest of Europe, the predominant responses to the question of what Judaism represents were “the fight against antisemitism” and “the memory of the Shoah,” followed at some distance by “culture,” “Jewish holidays,” and “religion.” This suggests a more defensive approach to Jewish identity rather than a proactive one.
Della Pergola’s numbers “can speak,” the panel agreed. Each speaker shares not only involvement in MEIS but also past or current presidencies of Italian Jewish communities. Disegni has led the Turin community since 2015, while Ottolenghi and Calimani have served in Bologna and Venice, respectively. Their discussion inevitably turned to the state of Italian Judaism, its unique characteristics, and the challenges posed by demographic decline—an issue Rabbi Luciano Caro, the chief rabbi of Ferrara, also raised with concern.
Essere ebrei, oggi is a book intended for a general audience. There is hope, as expressed by the other speakers, that a future volume, Essere ebrei, domani (Being Jewish tomorrow), may follow. Meanwhile, Della Pergola’s new work, Us Jews: Reflections on Identity and Demography, focusing on American Jewry and the internal divisions it faces, particularly in relation to Israel, will be published in English in a few weeks.

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