A new initiative targeting children and youth in southern Italy has taken off. The project consists of a series of online events for the youngest residents of the Apulia, Calabria, Basilicata, and Sicily regions who don’t have opportunities to socialize like their peers in major Jewish Communities. The project is realized by the Jewish Southern Italy Project of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities in collaboration with the Jewish Community of Naples, which reunites the entirety of the Southern Jewish community, except for the Abruzzo and Sardinia regions. The vast area includes seven sections: three in Apulia (Trani, San Nicandro Garganico, and Taranto); two in Sicily (Palermo and Catania); one in Calabria (Palmi); and one in Basilicata (Matera). It is a mosaic of small groups that, although sharing the same identity, do not have many opportunities to meet and get to know each other. Hence, the idea of creating an online network to connect children, youth, and their families to keep Judaism and its traditions alive, even in places where distance and small numbers make everything more complicated.
The first meeting, held on September 7, was dedicated to Rosh HaShanah, which marks the beginning of the new Jewish year. The next event is scheduled for September 17 and will focus on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.