In 2014, on the centennial of the Di Castro Sinagogue, Rome’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni described the place known as the \u201cTemple in Via Balbo\u201d as something fundamentally different from the Great Synagogue, which was completed a decade earlier. Nevertheless, a close relationship has always existed between the two synagogues: \u201cAnything that could not be done in one was done in the other.\u201d
\nInaugurated amid a time of historical upheaval, just months before Italy entered World War I, the Di Castro Oratory has served a range of roles over the years, enduring the turbulent 20th century. It witnessed the onset of racial persecution in 1938, becoming both a symbol of resilience under Nazi-Fascism and a cornerstone for revival after WWII. In the post-war years, the Jewish Brigade, a heroic volunteer force from Mandate Palestine, stopped here to bring relief to war-ravaged communities.
\nAs the Di Castro Synagogue marked 110 years, the Jewish Community of Rome celebrated this milestone with a commemorative day of reflection. The event explored the site\u2019s journey from its early 20th-century origins, funded through a donation from Grazia Pontecorvo, widow of Salvatore Di Castro, who envisioned a synagogue in Esquilino, an central neighborhood with an increasing Jewish presence. In a \u201ccall to action,\u201d the Community seeked to collect as many photos and documents as possible, honoring this unique temple\u2019s history as the first synagogue built outside the former Jewish quarter.
\nNotably, the Synagogue\u2019s doors opened to many Libyan Jews expelled from their country in the late 1960s. Since 1972, the building has also housed the Ashkenazi synagogue, which initially served Jewish refugees who had fled communities devastated by Nazis, their allies, and collaborators. Over half a century later, the Di Castro Synagogue remains a vital symbol for the Jewish community in Rome.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"