Dedicated choices for youth and culture, the challenge of renewal, and the future of Italian Jews were among the topics discussed during the last meeting of the Council (Board) of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities, held in Rome at the end of July. The first item on the agenda was the approval of the financial statement for 2023. The surplus of 51,000 euros recorded could have been higher, explained the budget councillor Davide Romanin Jacur, but the board decided to invest more resources in funding youth activities, in a fund for commitments to employees and collaborators, in a maternity fund, and a legal fund because \u201csince October 7th, there has been a surge in cases: we established it to reimburse the lawyers who have been helping us for a long time on a pro bono basis.\u201d
\nThe board also established a fund for the Southern regions, a communication fund, a fund for the transformation of the management program, and a general \u201cemergency\u201d fund, in addition to one for the structural needs of the communities. Specific resources were also set aside for real estate interventions and to address the decrease in resources from the 8×1000 collection, the voluntary donation system where taxpayers can allocate 0.8% of their annual income tax payment to a recognized religious denomination, social assistance organization, or a specific category of public interest projects.
\nCommunication strategy was introduced by councillor Davide Jona Falco, who then gave the floor to the heads of various services for a presentation of their activities. Prior approvals included funding for youth initiatives, also requested by the Union of Italian Young Jews \u2013\u00a0UGEI or the European Day of Jewish Culture in September, and to strengthen ties and collaboration with Italians in Israel. Amendments to the statute were also approved that will allow, under certain conditions, for remote meetings to be organized.
\nIntroduced by UCEI Youth Policy councillor Simone Mortara, UGEI President Luca Spizzichino outlined leadership project \u201caimed at addressing the generational turnover crisis by forming a platform of new leaders who will take on responsibilities within the youth world and beyond.\u201d For the first edition of the project the goal is to focus \u201con about twenty young people from all over Italy,\u201d to be trained through various meetings, workshops, and an experience in Israel.
\nDuring the meeting, one of the most discussed topics was the best ways to combat anti-Jewish hatred. In the fight against antisemitism, \u201cUCEI is the most important partner of my office,’ stated General Pasquale Angelosanto, national coordinator against antisemitism since January, who joined the meeting online. The Center for Contemporary Jewish Documentation – CDEC highlighted that incidents of antisemitism have quadrupled from 2023 to date. Angelosanto expressed confidence \u201cthat the results of our actions will come, because we cannot limit ourselves to counting negative incidents.\u201d To give new impetus to this effort, he added, \u201cimmediate initiatives will be needed along with medium-term ones.\u201d
\nA cornerstone in this regard \u201cwill be the new national strategy against anti-Semitism, which we plan to present by the end of the year.\u201d Two guiding principles in its development will be the European strategy against antisemitism on one hand and global guidelines discussed at the latest World Jewish Congress meeting in Buenos Aires on the other. Key elements of the strategy, Angelosanto announced, will include \u201cresearch, data collection and analysis; education in schools; preservation of cultural memory; and utmost attention to digital platforms.\u201d
\nDuring the session, several awards were also conferred. First, to lawyers Diletta Perugia and Tommaso Levi, who have been assisting the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities pro bono for many years. UCEI honored them with a certificate of recognition \u201cfor their sense of responsibility, courage, and dedication.\u201d The certificate was presented by Vice President Giulio Disegni. Another recognition was bestowed upon Milena Pavoncello, who recently completed 45 years of work at the Jewish school in Rome, first as a teacher and then as director. \u201cHer leadership and kindness will leave an indelible mark,\u201d stated UCEI President Noemi Di Segni. UCEI Assessor Livia Ottolenghi echoed, \u201cPavoncello is a reference point for the network of Jewish education.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"