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European Jewish Museums representatives gather at MEIS in Ferrara

Over 150 representatives of Jewish Museums from all over Europe have gathered at the Museum of the Italian Judaism and the Shoah in Ferrara for the annual conference of the Association for the European Jewish Museums, between November 18 and 20. Following is the address to the conference by scholar Giulio Busi, one of the curators of the exhibition on the Renaissance from a Jewish perspective. 

Holding this lecture today is an honor for me and I thank the Association of European Jewish Museums (AEJM) and the MEIS, the Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah, for giving me this opportunity. Exposing the meaning of two thousand years of Jewish presence in Italy is also quite a difficult task. Of course, I will not be able to summarize everything that has happened, from a Jewish point of view, during such a long-time span. However, I will try to draw up some guidelines.
As we are guests of a city like Ferrara, which is also a jewel of Renaissance culture, I will try to draw, in the Renaissance spirit, a perspective of the longue durée of Italian Judaism. There is no doubt that the focal point of such a perspective is Rome. This is in fact the place where Jews have always been present, from ancient to contemporary times. While elsewhere their presence has experienced long periods of interruption, or at least is not attested by the sources for even considerable periods, Rome has never ceased to host a Jewish community. In some phases, it was a rather substantial nucleus, while in other periods it was a few dozen individuals. As if it were the ner tamid of Italian Judaism, the Jewish light of Rome has always remained alive and vital.

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NEWS

Milan, a rally for Liliana Segre  

By Daniel Reichel*

Despite the pelting rain, hundreds of people crowded around the Holocaust Memorial last week to show their solidarity with senator for life Liliana Segre. According to the event organizers, about 5,000 showed up under umbrellas, to show that “Milan does not hate”, just as the initiative supported by Bella ciao, Milano!, ANPI and ANED was called.
“Milan has proved it still has antibodies against hatred. My mother is not giving up on her work,” said Luciano Belli Paci, Senator Segre’s son, who attended the event with his siblings Federica and Alberto. Support came from various participants in the rally, including some political representatives.

Translated by Claudia Azzalini and revised by Mattia Stefani, both students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of Trieste University and interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities.

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Italian Interior Minister denounces violent language as she visits synagogue in Rome

By Pagine Ebraiche staff

“Violent language may result in violent behavior.” Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said on a visit to the Jewish community in Rome last week. Lamorgese was welcomed by President Ruth Dureghello, Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni and UCEI President Noemi Di Segni. The visit, which had been previously scheduled, was an occasion to talk about complex issues which have emerged forcefully over the last days and weeks.
“Violent language has gained gradual acceptance, as if it were normal to speak like that. Confrontation must be civilised, not a clash,” underlined Samorgese on a press conference held at the Great Synagogue of Rome after a meeting with representatives of the community and UCEI President.
Through her speech, she seized the opportunity to express her closeness and friendship with senator for life Liliana Segre. “The time has come for decisions and stability. It is time for everyone to take their responsibilities, we must not underestimate the hatred problem.”

Translated by Mattia Stefani and revised by Claudia Azzalini, both students at the Advanced School of Modern Languages for Interpreting and Translation of Trieste University and interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities.

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bechol lashon - Français  

Réactivons la mémoire 

Anna Foa*

Je crois que, ces derniers jours, nous sommes allés trop loin – et nous n’étions jamais allés aussi loin. Pas tant les menaces à l’encontre de la sénatrice Segre que les voix et l’image des députés de centre-droite (mais peut-on encore l’appeler ainsi ?) qui restent de marbre et n’applaudissent pas quand elle parle au Sénat. Je ne crois pas que les avances de Meloni et de Salvini à Liliana Segre puissent faire oublier ces faits.

*Anna Foa, historienne. Traduit par Sara Facelli, étudiante de l’École Supérieure pour Traducteurs et Interprètes de l’Université de Trieste et stagiaire au journal de l’Union des communautés juives italiennes.

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pilpul

Remembrance

By David Bidussa*

"Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it" (George Santayana).
On November 16, 1940, 79 years ago, the gates to the Warsaw Ghetto were definitely closed, and a wall was erected around it. No one wrote about it. What if Santayana was right?

*David Bidussa is a historian of social ideas.





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ITALICS

Make Your Own Sophisticated Tuna Spread, Italian Style

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