At BGU, Helping the Dialogue Between Italy and Israel
At Ben Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev in Israel, over a hundred students are enrolled in a weekly class titled “Discovering Italy: A Journey Through Its History, Society, and Culture.” The course was conceived and is taught in English by Professor Cristina Bettin, a historian and teacher of Italian studies, as well as the president of the Association of Italian Scholars and Scientists in Israel (AISSI). The course explores Italian history, society, and culture from its origins to the present day with a multidisciplinary approach.
“In Israel, there aren’t structured programs dedicated to Italian history,” Bettin explained to Pagine Ebraiche. “Nonetheless, there is huge interest in Italy. Students are passionate about our culture, which is why I created a general course touching on all the fundamental aspects: history, art, literature, music, and society. In Israel, one cannot study medieval Italian history, or even Roman history, systematically. This course is designed to fill those gaps.”
Classes explore different historical periods in chronological order. From the Roman Empire to the Italian Shoah, and from the Renaissance to Futurism, I focus on a different era each week, considering all its dimensions. The Jewish experience is always included, with attention given to microhistory, Italian Jews, the Jewish Brigade, and the Righteous Among the Nations—topics that are not usually studied in Israel.
“The course also features Italian and international experts. Among them is filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu, who has directed documentaries about Italian cinema and black identity. “It is important for students to hear different voices to broaden their horizons on topics not included in their textbooks,” said Bettin. Providing this kind of academic content, and especially bringing guests to Beersheva in southern Israel, can be challenging. “Everyone wants to go to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, but I also want Italian culture to reach the periphery. Beersheva students are often excluded from cultural events. This course is a response to this inequality. Students’ enthusiasm does not conceal the difficulties related to the war and its impact on relations with Italy. “As of today, we only have four agreements. They are all in the field of engineering, whereas there are none in the human sciences. My students would like to study in Italy for a semester, but there are no Erasmus programs available. Without a scholarship, studying abroad is impossible.”
As AISSI president, Bettin aims to strengthen academic ties between the two countries. “We have built a network of over eighty Italian researchers. We organize bilingual webinars in English and Italian to maintain an open dialogue. We discuss topics such as archaeology, physics, justice, and start-ups, and we have a large following in Italy.”
It has become harder to invite Italian teachers to Israel. “Some fear repercussions on their academic lives. Others are not supported by their universities, not necessarily for ideological reasons, but sometimes due to a lack of insurance coverage.” Nevertheless, Bettin maintains a proactive approach. “I don’t think the entire academic world is against Israel, but we need concrete instruments. As AISSI, we are doing our best. We have contacts, we are developing joint projects, and we are trying to start workshops and publish joint works. We are doing what we can with the resources we have, and we are open to any kind of collaboration.”
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Translated by Chiara Tona and revised by Rebecca Luna Escobar, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainee in the newsroom of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities — Pagine Ebraiche.