Italy
Until you’ve eaten spaghetti in Italy, you simply haven’t really eaten spaghetti!
What: Come see this beautiful country and three of its main cities: Rome, Florence, and Venice. Today about 50,000 Jews make Italy their home and you will have a chance to meet some of them to hear about their lives as a small minority in a large Catholic country. Since the time of Judah Maccabee, Jews have had a presence in Italy and have left their mark on the country. On this trip, you will see, taste, and explore ancient and modern Italy through the lens of Israel and the Jewish world. In addition to visiting major tourist sites such as the Colosseum in Rome, the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s famous David statue in Florence, and the wonderful Tuscany region, you will also learn about the relationship between the Vatican and the State of Israel as well as the impact of World War II on the Italian Jewish Community.
Why: Italy is a country everyone wants to visit at some point in their lives. The people are friendly, the food is great, the sites are beautiful and rich in history, and again we should mention that the food is great. At first glance, Italy is not a controversial destination, but it’s important to recall that in Italy, like many places in Europe, the majority of Jews were killed. What is unique however is that the Italian police and Mussolini’s Fascist militia voluntarily assisted in the deportation of the Jews to the concentration camps. The concept of the ghetto was originally developed in Italy hundreds of years ago, only later to be adopted by Nazis as a first step in the annihilation of the Jews. Through visiting Italy, powerful lessons may be learned amidst the beauty of this European destination.
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