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February 1, 2016 - Shevat 22, 5776

news

Italian and Slovenian Towns of Gorizia Reunite in the Name of Their Jewish Past

By Ada Treves

Dario Disegni, president of the "Fondazione Beni culturali ebraici in Italia" (FBCEI) - i.e. the Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy, the non-profit organization established by the Union of the Jewish Communities of Italy (UCEI) to promote the preservation, restoration and development of Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy - met with the mayor of the Slovenian town of Nova Gorica Matej Arcon and the mayor of the Italian town of Gorizia Ettore Romoli.
The unprecedented meeting took place on the border between the two countries, in Valdirose, just a short walk from a mythical frontier, scene of many dramatic events of the twentieth century, and the last fraction of the Iron Curtain to fall, to give way to a new Europe.
The two Gorizias, once painfully torn because of the Cold War and because of political and ethnic rivalries, are now united again in the name of Jewish Gorizia.

news

A New Holocaust Memorial
Inaugurated in Bologna

By Daniel Reichel

Two huge dark walls, made of steel, stand facing one another, dominating the square. Between the two walls there is a narrow passage that people can cross. By doing that, one cannot help but feel oppressed and that's what the architects of the new Bologna Shoah Memorial want: they designed a space to remember how Europe was oppressed by Nazism and fascism, to remind people of the tragedy of the Holocaust.
The structure was inaugurated on January 27 in a square very close to the central station of the city. “This project was made possible by the combined commitment of all of the institutions involved. The goal was to show that the memory of the past is still alive,” said Daniele De Paz, president of the Jewish Community of Bologna, during the inauguration ceremony.
The Community promoted the project that was supported by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), the Monte di Bologna and Ravenna Foundation, the Municipality of Bologna, the Order of Architects and Ferrovie dello Stato (the State Railways).

newS

Pagine Ebraiche Embarrasses
Iranian President

By Pagine Ebraiche staff

A Pagine Ebraiche journalist was the only reporter who asked Iranian president Hassan Rouhani about human rights during the press conference Rouhani held in Rome on the last day of his visit to Italy last Wednesday.
“How do you think we can trust your words and your propaganda if your nation continues to be ranked as one of the top countries that promotes human rights denial?” Adam Smulevich asked. The question did not receive any answer, since Rouhani decided to leave the room, where, until that moment, he had held a press conference where the only questions allowed had received a prior approval by Iranian diplomatic staff.
Rouhani's refusal to answer quickly made the rounds of the web and newspapers.

news

Italian Poll Questions Efficacy
of International Holocaust Day

By Rossella Tercatin*

Every year, the Italian Ministry of Education sends a delegation of over 100 students on a trip to Nazi death camps called “Viaggio della Memoria” (Journey of Memory). Guided by historians, Holocaust survivors and Jewish leaders, several high-profile representatives of the Italian government also regularly join the annual trip.
Earlier this month, Italian Education Minister Stefania Giannini and the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), Renzo Gattegna, signed a document to strengthen Holocaust studies in Italian schools. The January 19 signing took place at the historic Tempel synagogue in Krakov, as the two joined this year’s delegation of students.
The ministry trip to Poland is only one of the dozens organized by Italian schools. Every year, thousands of initiatives, conferences, concerts, and performances are held all over the country, while the Italian embassy in Israel organizes a large ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

*The article was published in The Times of Israel on January 29, 2016.

culture

The Ability to Overcome the Ghetto Characterizes Jewish History

By Rossella Tercatin

“The ability to overcome the Ghetto characterizes Jewish history: even in the darkest hours, subjected to the most terrible tests, Jews did not give up and did not lose hope, turning tragic moments into occasions to renew themselves and to find new answers to the challenges they have to face,” said Venice Chief Rabbi Scialom Bahbout, in a message written ahead of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Ghetto in the city.
The Ghetto of Venice was the first in history, established in 1516. The events for the anniversary will officially open on March 29 with an official ceremony followed by a concert.
Rav Bahbout chose to link the concept of the establishment of the Ghetto with Psalm 30, the one for the dedication of the home.

PILPUL Narrated Stories, Empathy and a Unified Identity By Yaakov Mascetti The revelation of God to the People of Israel, and the ensuing giving of the Torah, are preceded by an encounter between Moses and his father-in-law, Yitro. (Ex. 18:1-9) Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said: ‘I have been a stranger in a strange land’; and the name of the other was Eliezer: ‘for the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.’ And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God; and he said unto Moses: ‘I thy father-in-law Jethro am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.’ And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him. *Yaakov Mascetti holds a Ph.D. and teaches at the Department of Comparative Literature, Bar Ilan University. Read more	BECHOL LASHON - ייִדיש אויף וואַקאַציע אין אַ שטעטל לעבן פּאַדוע פֿון גענאַדי עסטרײַך* מײַן ווײַב און איך האָבן אַ וואַרעמע באַציִונג צו איטאַליע. פֿאַר וואָס? קיין ראַציאָנעלע סיבה איז מיר ניט באַוווּסט. דערצו קענען מיר ניט די איטאַליענישע שפּראַך, אַ חוץ, אייניקע ווערטער, וואָס העלפֿן אונדז אַרויס, בפֿרט נאָך, אַז די איטאַליענער רעדן ניט, בדרך־כּלל, די שפּראַכן, וואָס מיר רעדן. אַפֿילו ווען זיי זאָגן, אַז מע קען, אַ שטייגער, ענגליש, מיינט עס אָפֿט מאָל, אַז דאָס גאַנצע קענטעניש זייערס איז באַגרענעצט מיט געציילטע ווערטער, וועלכע העלפֿן לחלוטין ניט אויסצוקלאָרן די ברענענדיקע פֿראַגעס, וואָס מע שטעלט זיי. אָבער ס׳רובֿ איטאַליענער וועלן דיך ניט איבערלאָזן אויף הפֿקר אָנעם פּרוּוון דיר אַזוי אָדער אַנדערש צו העלפֿן. זיי וועלן מאָביליזירן אַנדערע לײַט, אַפֿילו אויב יענע קענען אויך נישט קיין איין לשון, אַ חוץ דעם „וווּלגאַרן לאַטײַן‟; אָדער זיי וועלן ווײַזן דעם ענטפֿער מיט די הענט. מיט יאָרן צוריק האָבן מיר פֿאַרבראַכט עפּעס אַ צײַט אין סיציליע, אויף אַ גרויסער ווילע. געצאָלט האָבן מיר דווקא פֿאַר אַ דירה, וועלכע מיר האָבן געהאַט באַשטעלט, אָבער אין דער געגנט פֿון דער דירה האָט זיך פּלוצעם אָנגעהויבן עפּעס אַ ריזיקע בויונג, אַזוי אַז מיר האָבן באַקומען די ווילע ווי אַ קאָמפּענסאַציע *This article was published in The Yiddish Daily Forward on January 12, 2016. Read more

IT happened tomorrow Die Wirklichkeit ist komplex By Guido Vitale "Da muss man zwischen Realität und medialer Wirklichkeit unterscheiden. Unsere Wahrnehmung ist stark durch das geprägt, was in den Medien gezeigt wird. Dass sich die Stimmung im Land gedreht hat, ist doch unübersehbar. Dagegen hilft, auf die Fakten zu schauen. Mehr als eine Million Flüchtlinge sind gekommen, aber es leben mehr als 80 Millionen Menschen in Deutschland. Eine Gruppe begeht in Köln furchtbare Taten, aber fast alle Flüchtlinge finden dies abscheulich. Oder: Es gibt einen stabilen Anteil von 20 bis 25 Prozent der Menschen in Deutschland, die antisemitisch eingestellt sind. Aber die meisten denken anders. Die Wirklichkeit ist komplex". (Salomon Korn - Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland) Read more	ITALICS Feckless Secularism By Daniela Gross “Nearly a quarter of century ago, Yale's Harold Bloom famously described America as a ‘dangerously religion-soaked, even religion-mad, society.’ When Europeans gaze upon America's shores, this is pretty much what they see. […]. At a moment when Europol is reporting that Islamic State is planning more Paris-style terror attacks, that's unfortunate. It's unfortunate because America's overt religiosity blinds Europe's elites to the one part of the American experiment most relevant to their needs today: America's secularism.” Read more

moked è il portale dell'ebraismo italiano

This newsletter is published under difficult conditions. The editors of this newsletter are Italian journalists whose native language is Italian. They are willing to offer their energy and their skills to give international readers the opportunity of learning more about the Italian Jewish world, its values, its culture and its traditions.
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© UCEI - All rights reserved - The articles may only be reproduced after obtaining the written permission of the editor-in-chief. Pagine Ebraiche - Reg Rome Court 199/2009 – Editor in Chief: Guido Vitale - Managing Editor: Daniela Gross.
Special thanks to: Francesco Moises Bassano, Susanna Barki, Amanda Benjamin, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Dori Fleekop, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Jonathan Misrachi, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Sabina Muccigrosso, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Jazmine Pignatello, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Colby Robbins, Danielle Rockman, Lindsay Shedlin, Michael Sierra, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves, Lauren Waldman, Sahar Zivan.

Questo notiziario è realizzato in condizioni di particolare difficoltà. I redattori di questo notiziario sono giornalisti italiani di madrelingua italiana. Mettono a disposizione le loro energie e le loro competenze per raccontare in lingua inglese l'ebraismo italiano, i suoi valori, la sua cultura e i suoi valori. Nonostante il nostro impegno il lettore potrebbe trovare errori e imperfezioni nell'utilizzo del linguaggio che faremo del nostro meglio per evitare. Contiamo sulla vostra comprensione e soprattutto sul vostro aiuto e sul vostro consiglio per correggere gli errori e migliorare.

Pagine Ebraiche International Edition è una pubblicazione edita dall'Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane. L'UCEI sviluppa mezzi di comunicazione che incoraggiano la conoscenza e il confronto delle realtà ebraiche. Gli articoli e i commenti pubblicati, a meno che non sia espressamente indicato il contrario, non possono essere intesi come una presa di posizione ufficiale, ma solo come la autonoma espressione delle persone che li firmano e che si sono rese gratuitamente disponibili. Gli utenti che fossero interessati a offrire un proprio contributo possono rivolgersi all'indirizzo desk@ucei.it

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© UCEI - Tutti i diritti riservati - I testi possono essere riprodotti solo dopo aver ottenuto l'autorizzazione scritta della Direzione. Pagine Ebraiche International Edition - notiziario dell'ebraismo italiano - Reg. Tribunale di Roma 199/2009 - direttore responsabile: Guido Vitale - Coordinamento: Daniela Gross.
Realizzato con il contributo di: Francesco Moises Bassano, Susanna Barki, Amanda Benjamin, Monica Bizzio, Angelica Edna Calò Livne, Eliezer Di Martino, Alain Elkann, Dori Fleekop, Daniela Fubini, Benedetta Guetta, Sarah Kaminski, Daniel Leisawitz, Annette Leckart, Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, Yaakov Mascetti, Francesca Matalon, Jonathan Misrachi, Anna Momigliano, Giovanni Montenero, Elèna Mortara, Sabina Muccigrosso, Lisa Palmieri Billig, Jazmine Pignatello, Shirley Piperno, Giandomenico Pozzi, Daniel Reichel, Colby Robbins, Danielle Rockman, Lindsay Shedlin, Michael Sierra, Rachel Silvera, Adam Smulevich, Simone Somekh, Rossella Tercatin, Ada Treves, Lauren Waldman, Sahar Zivan.