Discovering European Jewish Cultures and Traditions. First stop: Facebook!

On  Facebook, the 10^th annual European Day of Jewish Culture has been publicized as an event through the Centro Primo Levi Foundation, a cultural center in New York dedicated to the studying of Italian Jewish culture.  The theme this year is “Jewish Festivals and Traditions,” and it should be emphasized that it is geared not solely towards Jewish peoples, but to anyone with an interest in Judaism to enlighten them about its rich cultural heritage and traditions. As moked.it proclaims, it is meant as a day for those who wish to familiarize themselves with the “culture, life, and values” that Judaism promulgates. 

The festivities start on September 6^th in 28 European nations, from Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, among many others.  Galata, Turkey, is one city with great historical significance for Judaism, since in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries it housed a local Jewish population. Many synagogues and other cultural centers will be open to the public here, such as the Neve Shalom Synagogue, Scheidertempel, the Italian Synagogue, and the Ashkenazi Synagogue.  Many activities and other exciting events relating to the Jewish culture are scheduled at these venues, including a more important symbolic feast where two cultures, Jewish and Islamic, will be linked together at this meal, since September 6^th falls within the holy month of Ramadan. Anyone who is interested is welcome to participate.

In Italy specifically, the celebration will commence in Trani, Puglia, where the first ever Festival of Jewish Culture will take place, and will be followed by 59 other Italian cities. Lectures, roundtable discussions, concerts, plays, book discussions, and films will promote the rich history of 22 centuries of Jewish life in Italy, the oldest minority in the country.  Puglia is a region where a Jewish population today remains virtually absent, though in the past was traditionally rich with a profound Jewish culture. Trani is an integral part in the history of Italy’s Jewish people, where the southern portion of Italy witnessed the disappearance of numerous Jewish communities over five hundred years ago. 


This Festival hopes to bring a surge in interest in Judaism, its heritage, traditions, and people to the Italian people. As the  Primo Levi Foundation states, there exists the desire to familiarize oneself, while also make others aware of the Jewish contribution to the southern region of Italy. And this is precisely the goal this day is aiming for worldwide: the act of spreading knowledge and cultural exchange.