First of its kind seminar for Marranos in Siciliy
Seminar in Syracuse, Italy
In the late 14th century, there were more than 37,000 Jews spread across the Italian region of Sicily, living in some 52 different Jewish communities. But by the end of 1492, following the Edict of Expulsion, there were nearly none. The few who remained were forced to convert to Catholicism by the Inquisition and kept their Judaism a closely guarded secret.
Today, however, the descendents of those Jews are reclaiming their birthright. In early September, Shavei Israel organized a first-of-its-kind seminar to help Marranos (referred to in Hebrew as Bnei Anousim) in Sicily begin the process of returning to their roots.
Dozens of Marranos from Sicily, as well as with the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Calabria, joined the seminar, which took place in the picturesque town of Syracuse which, prior to the Expulsion, was the second largest Jewish community in Sicily and where a reported one third of the population was Jewish.
Entitled “The New Frontier of Italian Judaism,” the Shavei-sponsored seminar included lectures and classes on a range of Jewish cultural and religious subjects, as well as a walking tour of Jewish historical sites in the Giudecca (old Jewish quarter). Of particular interest was an ancient mikveh (ritual bath), which is said to be the oldest ever discovered in Europe.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with the Union of Italian Jewish Committees (UCEI), the Jewish community of Naples, and the Sicilian Sephardic Center. Participants included Rabbi Roberto Della Rocca, director of the Education and Culture Department for the UCEI; Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum, Chief Rabbi of Turin and rabbi of Shavei Israel; Rabbi Shalom Bahbout, Chief Rabbi of Naples; Dr. Gadi Piperno, UCEI project manager; and Michael Freund, founder and chairman of Shavei Israel.
Jews have lived in Sicily since the days of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, more than 2,000 years ago. Despite enduring various periods of legal restrictions and persecutions, the Jews of Sicily flourished and produced many great scholars and rabbis. “We have come here today to declare that the Inquisition did not succeed in its efforts to eradicate Judaism,” Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund said at the seminar. “A growing number of Italian Marranos as well as others of Jewish descent throughout southern Italy and Sicily have begun the return to their roots.”
With your continued support, Shavei Israel will be there every step of the way to facilitate their successful integration into the Jewish people. Please visit the Support Us page of our website.
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