VENICE – Jewish Ripples display
The Umberto Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem ushered in the new Jewish year with an exhibition dedicated to Venice and its many Jewish connections. “Ripples of Venice” (Increspature Veneziane), which opened on September 18, pairs select objects from the permanent Judaica collection with artistic projects created during residencies in the lagoon, which were promoted by the Beit Venezia — House of Jewish Culture Foundation.
“Jewish Venice is not only about Venice itself, but also about the entire Jewish world,” said Shaul Bassi, professor of English Literature at Ca’ Foscari University and the driving force behind Beit Venezia. He expressed gratitude “for the opportunity offered by museum director Daniel Niv and curator Dvora Liss” to develop two threads that are “particularly dear to us, putting past and present into conversation in a fascinating and timeless dialogue.”
On the one hand, the exhibition highlights the rich editorial vitality of Jewish Venice through the centuries by showcasing projects centered on books. On the other hand, it explores the biblical concept of Mabul (the flood, in Hebrew) and the challenges the city is currently facing due to climate change. The exhibition runs through May 1, 2026.
In a note, the curators emphasized their intention to celebrate “the creativity, learning, and hope that have sustained Jewish life across generations — a living testimony of resilience and renewal, and of the unbreakable bond between Jewish collective memory and the future — in hope and prayer for better times.” Meanwhile, Beit Venezia continues its mission of inspiration and dissemination. Bassi announced that one of the projects the foundation is working on is a graphic novel about Sara Copio Sullam. In the 17th century, Sullam led a literary circle that broke through the cultural barriers imposed by the Serenissima with the ghetto.
Translated by Matilde Bortolussi and revised by Rebecca Luna Escobar, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainees in the newsroom of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.