JEWISH CULTURE – People of the Book, dozens of events from Soncino to Rome
The European Day of Jewish Culture will kick off in Italy on September 14 in Soncino, a city in the Lombardy province of Cremona. The theme of this year’s event is “The People of the Book,” and Soncino, where the first Hebrew Bible with vocalizations was printed in 1488, will serve as the flagship city.
The theme will unify all the initiatives taking place across Italy. More than a hundred locations will participate with meetings and events. In Rome, Rabbis Riccardo Di Segni and Gianfranco Di Segni will present the new Italian translation of the tractate Makkot (Corporal Punishments) of the Talmud. Guided visits will be offered to the collection of ancient books of the Jewish Community of Rome, and the Kiryat Sefer bookstore will celebrate its 15th anniversary with Italian writer Lia Levi. In the archeological area of Ostia, home to the remains of the oldest synagogue in Europe, visitors can see the recently discovered mikveh, or ritual bath.
Bologna will celebrate Angelo Fortunato Formiggini. A prominent figure in the Italian publishing world, Formiggini committed suicide after the racial laws were promulgated in 1938. The exhibition “La casa del ridere. Alle origini dell’umorismo ebraico” (The House of Laughter: At the Origins of Jewish Humor), will explore Formiggini’s legacy and that of other authors.
In Turin, an exhibition dedicated to documents and Jewish books from the State Archives and the Terracini Archive will open on September 18. In Milan, a musical will take audiences on a journey through the works of Jewish composers, from Jerome Kern to George Gershwin. The book “Il nuovo rifiuto di Israele” (The New Refusal of Israel), curated by Massimo De Angelis, will be the focus of a discussion at the synagogue in via Guastalla. The Chief Rabbi of Milan, Alfonso Arbib, Monsignor Pierfrancesco Fumagalli, vice prefect of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and Imam Yahya Pallavicini will take part in the event.
The European Day of Jewish Culture is coordinated nationally by the UCEI and promoted at the European level by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ).
Visitors are encouraged to visit the event’s website https://www.ucei.it/giornata-della-cultura/2025/