By Pagine Ebraiche staff “Instead of sitting on my hands, I thought the moment had come to do something, hoping that even such a little gesture can help us win the fight against the virus and see the light as soon as possible.” Gabriele Ortona, 50 years old, from Livorno, is an entrepreneur as well …
By Paolo Brogi* It was the one missing picture. And it just came to light thanks to the Stolperstein which was placed in Ancona in memory of Nella Montefiori a few days ago. The photograph of Nella Montefiori, a teacher from Ancona who hid in Rome after the racial laws were issued and was then …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff “This is a historic day, not only for the Jewish community, but for the whole city. Rabbi Toaff left an indelible mark on our story, he influenced all of us with his example and his open-mindedness. The symbolic acknowledgement of this person today is an important step also to strengthen even …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff* Jews, Catholics and Muslims in Italy are coming together to strengthen a shared commitment against prejudice, discrimination and gender-based violence, in particular the one against teenage girls, considering the role they will assume in the society in the future. This is the challenge of the project “Not in my name. Ebrei, …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff After being praised by both the critics and the public, Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” won the Grand Jury Prize at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. The film, considered by many the umpteenth masterpiece by the Polish-born director, narrates the vicissitudes of captain Alfred Dreyfus, a symbol of …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff Grazia Di Veroli devoted her life to Remembrance through projects and initiatives aimed to overcome the challenge of passing it down to the younger generations. She escorted the last witnesses of the Shoah to many public events. She was recently appointed vice-president of the National Association of Former Deportees (ANED) section …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff* In 1895, a group of dissidents from Società Ginnastica Cristoforo Colombo founded Società Ginnastica Andrea Doria, based in Carignano, an elegant district in the centre of Genoa. The founding group had previously performed in improvised shows in via Corsica, using telephone poles as climbing poles, tree branches as parallel bars, and …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff The extraordinary artefacts found in the newly rediscovered Jewish cemetery in Bologna, one of the largest medieval Jewish cemeteries in the world, are finally on display at the Jewish Museum in Bologna. After years of studies and restoration, they are presented in the exhibition, “The House of Life. Jewelry and Stories …
By Guido Vitale* He moves his first steps in the dark. The sheet he puts in front of him is intensely, impenetrably black. Then Hannes Binder starts to raise to the surface something that looks like light. And his work takes shape absorbing the sunrays that are flooding his spacious, glass-walled studio. Underneath the dark …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff* This spring journey, for which Mr. Bloisi is intensively training, is dedicated to a proper symbol of the Aliyah Bet, Captain Enrico Levi, in the occasion of celebrating 100 years from his birth. Among the supporters of this journey there are the ANPI provincial committees of Milan, Varese, Padua, UCEI, Padua’s …
By Adam Smulevich The Progetto Curricolo Nazionale Studi Ebraici (Project for a National Curriculum in Jewish studies) promoted by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) has reached its final stages after five years of intense work with the participation of the four Italian Jewish schools (Trieste, Turin, Milan and Rome) and their managers, teachers, …
By Ro Oranim* In accordance with Papal law, Jewish families were not permitted to raise Catholic children. Once news of his baptism leaked, Edgardo Mortara was taken into custody by the Vatican. It all started with a well-meaning decision. A decision that, without the intention of inflicting harm or pain, would change the lives of …
By Pagine Ebraiche staff Piero Terracina turned 90. He was born on November 12, 1928 in Rome and survived the Shoah. The present given to him by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities is a Chanukkia, the symbol of the upcoming Festival of lights, that embodies values such as the fight of light against darkness, …
By Nicholas Oliveti* Padua is a mid-sized city located in northeastern Italy, about 25 miles east of Venice. Around the year 1000 the first Jews arrived in Padua. Towards the mid-14th century, many Jews from around Italy, who practiced banking and the art of moneylending came to Padua at the invitation of the Carrera feudal …
By Cimring* Tortellini in brodo (meat tortellini in broth), tagliatelle al ragù (pasta with meat sauce), lasagne verdi alla bolognese (lasagna with meat sauce and béchamel), zuppa inglese (cake and cream), and mascarpone (particular type of soft cheese often used in desserts) are some of the many reasons why the city of Bologna attracts many …
By Jenna Lustbader* The first extent mention of Jews living in the ancient northern Italian city of Mantua (Mantova) dates to around 1145. Soon after this, Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167), one of the most important Jewish biblical commentators and philosophers of the Middle Ages, stayed for a time in the city, during his exilic journeys. …
By Ilise Posner* Could there be an imitation cheese lurking on your shelf? Parmesan cheese, a simple delight for many has an intriguing history. It originated in, you guessed it, the Italian province of Parma and has been prepared for the past eight centuries there. But first, let’s get back to the history of this …
by Austin Marques* The city of Pisa, Italy is one of the centers of European medieval art and home to impressive architectural structures. The Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) is home to four Catholic monuments: the Cathedral, the Baptistry, the Campanile (known in English as “the leaning tower”), and the Monumental Cemetery. But few …
By Aine Filler* Ferrara, a town in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northeast Italy, is known as being the melting pot for different Jewish cultures. Jews first emigrated to Ferrara hundreds of years ago since the local laws generally tended to treat Jewish residents with respect. Many of them had fled from areas that were controlled …
By Vicky Hallett* Ready for a quick history lesson? About 1,952 years ago, Rome sacked Jerusalem. Its soldiers carried off the treasures of the temple and thousands of Jews. The money and slave labor were then used to build a gigantic amphitheater you’ve probably heard of. It’s called the Colosseum. So there’s no denying that …