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September 15th, 2014 - Elul 20th, 5774
Today’s Lesson by Guido Vitale* Italian Jews have just lived another overwhelming European Day of Jewish Culture. We have seen that Italian Judaism is alive and has much to offer to the whole Italian society. But, above all, we have realized that Italian society is expecting great things from Italian Jews and from Jewish culture. *Guido Vitale is the editor-in-chief of Pagine Ebraiche.   Italian Word of the Week: CULTURA by Daniela Gross The word of the day is “cultura” not for its linguistic implications, so intuitive (its translation is “culture”), but because today the “cultura” has been the leitmotiv both for the Italian and the European Jewry. Today, during the “European Day of Jewish Culture” (in Italian “Giornata europea della cultura ebraica”), the most beautiful and interesting Jewish places all across the Old Continent opened their doors and the Communities promoted meetings, exhibits and artistic events aimed to dialogue with the society and to get to know better each other. This issue of Pagine Ebraiche International covers only a part of many of the appointments set today across Italy but it is enough to taste the importance of this big event that any years recalls about 50,000 visitors: about one fourth of the European audience. In the last ten years Italians got used to wait to the “Giornata europea della cultura ebraica” as an opportunity to visit the magnificent artistic and historical patrimony of the Italian Jewish world, to come into contact with the Communities and their volunteers who, with admirable commitment, handle the events. In this day the ancient culture and tradition of the Italian Jews are on the spot and, even in bad times, it is a day of joy and hope. We are deeply conscious, in fact, that we can meet each other, communicate and fight some common clichés only through culture: the most efficient, deep and universal mean we can rely on.		EVENTS - EUROPEAN DAY OF JEWISH CULTURE On Women’s Side By Adam Smulevich “On this day, dedicated to women roles and contributions to Jewish life, we want to express our determination in defending each and every woman of this world – mothers, wives, daughters, sisters – from violence, abuse and any kind of threat. We will always be on their side”. This concept has been expressed by Renzo Gattegna, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, during the opening ceremony of the 15th edition of European Day of Jewish Culture in Ferrara, the principal city for Italy in 2014. The ceremony was attended, among others, by the Minister of Education Stefania Giannini. Read more EVENTS – MILAN JEWISH FESTIVAL Women, Exodus and Freedom By Daniel Reichel “This year we have a double theme: freedom and women”, explained on Sunday Rabbis Alfonso Arbib during the presentation of Jewish and the City, the international festival of Jewish Culture of Milan, whose title is “Pesach, the long Journey towards Freedom”. The second day of the Festival has coincided with the European Day of Jewish Culture, which dedicated this edition to the role of Women in Judaism. In the Central Synagogue of Milan, a big crowd turned up for rav Alfonso Arbib lesson: the Chief Rabbi of the city focused on the role played by women in the Haggadah, and talked extensively about Miriam, Moshe’s sister, and the daughter of Pharoah, reminding to all that “She has been the first person to fight the persecution against the Jews when she saved the life of Moshe”. Read more EVENTS – ROME JEWISH FESTIVAL A Kabbalah night to be remembered By Rachel Silvera To attend a lecture by Fania Oz, daughter of the prominent Israeli writer Amos, herself a writer and an historian, or a concert by the Israeli singer Idan Raichel. To taste food samples from traditional Jewish Roman cuisine, from the famous carciofo alla giudia (fried artichoke) to the zucchini concia. To discover more about the concept of family in Jewish tradition related by Rome Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni. On Saturday, after the end of Shabbat, the Kabbalah Night opened in Rome The Festival of Jewish culture and Literature that takes place in the very heart of the Old Jewish Ghetto, offering visitors endless inspiring opportunities to explore Jewish culture and literature. Read more EVENTs Reading in Pordenone By Ada Treves Pordenonelegge is one of the most important Italian literature festivals and it is held in September in Pordenone, a small town situated less than sixty kilometres from Venice, in the region called Friuli Venezia Giulia. Pordenone, with its characteristic medieval centre, boasts the presence of an extraordinary audience keen on culture and literature every year. Together with a specific attention to themes like cross cultural understanding, multiethnic integration and a strong interest in poetry, edition after edition also the attention to Jewish and Israeli culture has been steadily growing, to the point that the edition opening this week will be inaugurated by David Grossman, interviewed by Gian Mario Villalta, one of the three curators of the Festival, together with Valentina Gasparet and Alberto Garlini. Read more OUT OF THE BOOT Diana, Researching on Medieval Philosophy in Germany By Simone Somekh* Later today Diana will be joining 200 experts in medieval philosophy for an international convention at the University of Cologne. Before heading to the lectures, Diana Di Segni, 30, discusses her new life in Germany, and although it has been very tough to find a time for the interview due to her busy schedule, she seems relaxed and eager to share her experience. *Simone Somekh is a student at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and writes as a freelancer for the Jewish Italian press. Shirly Piperno, fashion styling and communication student at Istituto Marangoni, London, contributed reporting. Read more INTERVIEW Italian Ambassador in Amman: "Jordan, a Safe Regional Hub" By Alain Elkann* Jordan’s key role in the region, its relationship with the Western world, the threat of ISIS. The Italian Ambassador in Amman, Patrizio Fondi, talks about the current situation in the Middle East and the struggle to maintain stability and security. Does serving as an ambassador in Amman today mean living with a lot of pressure? Above all, it means being vigilant and not just in the obvious sense of being prudent and taking all reasonable precautions for the embassy and for oneself, but in the sense of closely following rapidly-evolving events as well as following subsequent reactions in Jordan in order to keep Rome constantly abreast of the situation. It should be pointed out, while not underestimating the risks and dangers, that the general atmosphere in Amman is much better than in other neighbouring countries. Therefore, I consider myself to be in a privileged position compared to colleagues working in the same region. *Author and journalist, www.alainelkanninterviews.com Read more Français Femmes et féminisme Francesca Matalon “Il faut accepter cette idée révolutionnaire, que les femmes sont des personnes”, disait Yeshayahu Leibowitz il ya vingt-cinq ans. Et juste hier, dans une conférence pour la Journée Européenne de la Culture Juive 2014, la présentatrice s'est sentie en devoir de spécifier qu'il l'affirmait en riant, comme une blague. C'est un peu surprenant, n'était-il pas évident? Discussions, organizations, luttes, et pourtant voilà, en fait c'est aussi simple que ça. Il faut peut-être juste se demander si ça a un sens d'appeler cela du féminisme. Lire la suite Every day is Judgment Day By Yaacov Mascetti* Another year has gone by, and it's Rosh HaShana again. While every year I sit in shul, and experience the liturgical moment of Divine judgment, "yom ha-din," the day in which G-d opens the book of Life and initiates a process of examination of every human being, there's an alternative story which I have been telling myself in the last few years. This story, which I'd like to share with you here, is not my story – it is an alternative perspective presented in the Gemara, in the Tractate of Rosh HaShana – it is marginally presented, I'd say, and then immediately put aside. And the state of mind of those who can live according to this "story" is extremely unique. With the risk of sounding elitist, I am going to propose it here, not as a possible perspective for the "many," but as an alternative for the "few." The source of this narrative is a discussion conceived by Yesha'ayahu Leibovitz on Rosh HaShana, and is re-elaborated by yours truly. *Ph.D., Department of Comparative Literature, Bar Ilan University Read more
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