New UCEI Executive Board Elected
On February 15, the Council of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities elected the new executive board, which will be led by president Livia Ottolenghi. Milo Hasbani (Milan) serves as vice president and is responsible for Jewish Italy promotion, relations with Israel, and fundraising. Monique Sasson (Rome) also serves as vice president and is responsible for politics against antisemitism, international relations, and fundraising.
The Welfare Council has appointed Alessandro Benedetto Sermoneta (Rome) as Welfare councilor, Rav Ariel Di Porto as Education and Schools councilor, Paolo Gnignati (Venice) as Legal Affairs councilor, David Menasci (Bologna) as Community Relations councilor, Davide Romanin Jacur (Padua) as Budget councilor, and Alex Zarfati (Rome) as Youth councilor.
Outside of the board, Ruben Della Rocca (Rome) was appointed to Memory, Michele Boccia (Milan) to Personnel and Organization, and Riccardo Joshua Moretti (Parma) to Culture. The presidency retains responsibility for communication and has entrusted it to Davide Jona Falco (Rome).
Ottolenghi announced the launch of strategic working groups on issues such as communication, higher rabbinical education, and Jewish studies degree programs. The aim is to strengthen governance and make the organization more effective and coordinated. “We want to set up strategic working groups on important topics without limiting ourselves to committees alone,” Ottolenghi emphasized, pointing to the need for more comprehensive and structured work.
When presenting the team, the UCEI president explained that she and her executive committee colleagues had reserved the right to redesign positions and responsibilities over time to promote greater efficiency and organizational innovation.
Six committees were approved: Budget; Education and Schools; Youth; Culture; Antisemitism and Memory; and Welfare.
The council also elected members to the board of arbitrators. In order of preference received, they are: Dario Bedarida, Fabiana Di Porto, Bianca Tedeschi Gardella, Franco Pavoncello, Rony Hamaui, Gaia Bertolin, and Edoardo Debenedetti. The alternates are Antonella Di Castro, Giuditta Servi, Elvira Di Cave, and Sandro Di Castro. The council then elected the UCEI Board of Auditors and choseCesare Cava, Claudio Coen, and Enrico Orvieto.
(From right to left, the members of the executive board: Rabbi Ariel Di Porto, David Menasci, Alex Zarfati, Paolo Gnignati, president Livia Ottolenghi, Davide Romanin Jacur, Milo Hasbani, Monique Sasson, Benedetto Alessandro Sermoneta, and the non-executive board members, Riccardo Joshua Moretti and Davide Jona Falco)