Jewish Museum of Rome
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The Jewish Museum of Rome ( it, Museo Ebraico di Roma) is situated in the basement of the
Great Synagogue of Rome The Great Synagogue of Rome ( it, Tempio Maggiore di Roma) is the largest synagogue in Rome. History The Jewish community of Rome goes back to the 2nd century B.C when the Roman Republic had an alliance of sorts with Judea under the leadership ...
and offers both information on the Jewish presence in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
since the second century BCE and a large collection of works of art produced by the Jewish community. A visit to the museum includes a guided tour of the Great Synagogue and of the smaller Spanish Synagogue ( it, Tempio Spagnolo) in the same complex.


History of the Museum

Following the
unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century Political movement, political and social movement that resulted in the Merger (politics), consolidation of List of historic stat ...
in 1870, the Jews were granted citizenship of Italy. As a result of agreement between the Jewish Community and the city authorities the
Roman Ghetto The Roman Ghetto or Ghetto of Rome ( it, Ghetto di Roma) was a Jewish ghettos in Europe, Jewish ghetto established in 1555 in the Sant'Angelo (rione of Rome), Rione Sant'Angelo, in Rome, Italy, in the area surrounded by present-day Via del Portic ...
was demolished towards the end of the 19th century. The building that housed the Ghetto synagogue which, in fact, contained five synagogues representing different traditions, was torn down in 1908 but its fixed furnishings including holy arches and thrones were saved. Also, in 1875, the city embarked on an ambitious programme to build up embankments along the River Tiber to provide protection from flooding, including of the area formerly occupied by the Ghetto. The Great Synagogue was constructed in the former Ghetto area, close to the river, and was completed in 1904. The museum was established in 1960. It was initially set up in a room behind the
Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...
of the Great Synagogue. In 1980 the staircase leading to the museum was decorated with stained glass by the artist
Eva Fischer Eva Fischer (Daruvar, 19 November 1920 – Rome, 7 July 2015) was a Croatia-born Italian artist who worked in oils, watercolours, engraving and lithography. Life and work Eva Fischer was born in Daruvar (present-day Croatia) in 1920. Her fath ...
. To permit expansion the museum was moved to the basement of the Great Synagogue next to the Spanish Synagogue and officially opened on 22 November 2005. This meant replacing other facilities, such as a gym, a theatre and meeting rooms. In the early 2000s the museum was renamed “The Jewish Museum of Rome” in order to emphasise the close relationship between the Jewish Community and the city. A Foundation to support the museum was established and in 2009 this was renamed in honour of the former Chief Rabbi,
Elio Toaff Elio Toaff (30 April 1915 – 19 April 2015) was the Chief Rabbi of Rome from 1951 to 2002. He served as a rabbi in Venice from 1947, and in 1951 became the Chief Rabbi of Rome. Early life Toaff was born in Livorno in 1915, the son of the city's ...
. Support for the new museum and its collection was provided by the European Union, the Italian and
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
governments, and the city of Rome, as well as by private donations, including from
Alcatel Alcatel may refer to: * Alcatel, a former French telecommunications equipment company, which became Alcatel-Lucent and is now part of Nokia * Alcatel Mobile, a brand of mobile phones, tablets and wearables, formerly a joint venture between Alcatel ...
. The art collection in the museum has largely been donated by members of the Community. It reflects the long history of Jews in Rome and, in particular, the Ghetto period (1555–1870) when all Jews from Rome and surrounding areas were forced to live in a small area. The collection includes around 900 liturgical and ceremonial textiles, illuminated parchments, around 100 marble pieces and about 400 pieces of silverwork. Also displayed are some of the many documents held in the Community’s archives.


The exhibition


The Roman era

The museum traces the history of the Jews and, in particular, their relationship with Rome. This goes back to the time of
Judas Maccabeus Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabæus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, ''Yehudah HaMakabi'') was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleuci ...
who, in the mid-2nd century BCE, petitioned Rome for help in opposing the Hellenistic Kings to restore Jewish worship in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. According to tradition the two ambassadors sent to petition the
Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
were received by Jews already living in Rome. In 63 BCE,
Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous L ...
was conquered by
Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
and in 70 CE it was annexed to the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
by
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
and
Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
after the
First Jewish–Roman War The First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), sometimes called the Great Jewish Revolt ( he, המרד הגדול '), or The Jewish War, was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews against the Roman Empire, fought in Roman-controlled ...
. This resulted in many Jews coming to Rome, particularly as slaves. During the Imperial period there were said to have been as many as twelve synagogues in the city. Archaeological evidence comes from two Jewish
catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...
at Villa Torlonia and
Vigna Randanini The Vigna Randanini are Jewish Catacombs between the second and third miles of the Appian Way close to the Christian catacombs of Saint Sebastian, with which they were originally confused. The catacombs date between the 2nd and 5th-centuries CE, a ...
. The museum displays plaster casts of catacomb tombstones presently held in the
National Roman Museum The National Roman Museum (Italian: ''Museo Nazionale Romano'') is a museum, with several branches in separate buildings throughout the city of Rome, Italy. It shows exhibits from the pre- and early history of Rome, with a focus on archaeological ...
and other museums in Rome.


The Middle Ages

From the 4th century CE Jews spread throughout Europe and were often forced to leave areas in which they had settled. In 1492 all Jews were expelled from Spain. Others were expelled from southern Italy, and central and northern Europe. Many refugees made their way to Rome. There was therefore a diversity of Jewish traditions in the city and these are well represented in the museum’s collection of manuscripts and printed documents as Rome was a noted centre for the production of manuscripts.


The Ghetto

Despite implementing many restrictions, Rome is the only city in Europe never to expel Jews. However, by the early 16th century Jews represented about one-thirteenth of Rome’s population and efforts were made to convert them. As well, copies of the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
were burnt. This culminated in 1555 when a Papal Bull established the Ghetto, which continued in existence until 1870. The museum has considerable documentation and illustrations from this period. * Abolition of the Ghetto The museum provides interesting illustrations of changes after Italian Unification in 1870 to the area occupied by the Ghetto, and traces the steps taken to develop the Great Synagogue. Rome’s was the last European ghetto to be abolished.


Fascism and the German Occupation

In 1938,
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
and
King Victor Emmanuel III King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, under the influence of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, signed laws known as the “Defence of the Race”, which removed all civil rights from Jews in Italy and forced them to leave government posts. A number of newspapers and magazines of the time are exhibited. Subsequently the Jews experienced further persecution, with shops being raided and some people having to undergo forced labour. Following the overthrow of Mussolini and the Italian
armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
with the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in September 1943, the Germans occupied Rome. The Jewish Community was told that it would be left alone if it handed over 50 kg of gold. Examples of receipts given to those who contributed, including non-Jews, are on display, together with files held on Jews in the SS Headquarters. The “agreement” was not honoured, however, and on 16 October 1943 the Germans rounded up and deported around 2000 people to concentration camps, few of whom returned. The museum records this, as well as the
Ardeatine Massacre The Ardeatine massacre, or Fosse Ardeatine massacre ( it, Eccidio delle Fosse Ardeatine), was a mass killing of 335 civilians and political prisoners carried out in Rome on 24 March 1944 by German occupation troops during the Second World War ...
when Jews and others were murdered in retaliation for a resistance attack on German troops.


Daily life in the Ghetto

Exhibits in this section include coverage of the Jewish home, the kitchen, weddings and celebration of religious holidays.


The five synagogues

Many of the exhibits come from the building housing five synagogues (''Cinque Scole''), that was torn down in 1908. These include curtains, inlays, marble slabs and chandeliers. Other items were preserved in the Spanish Synagogue. Photos of the former synagogues are also displayed.


The gallery of ancient marble

This is a collection of marble carvings and engravings from between the 16th and 19th centuries, which contain important documentary evidence of the history of the Jewish Community in Rome. Some refer to legacies left by wealthy families, others record the purchase of cemetery plots. These marble slabs, were an important element in the decoration of the Cinque Scole.


The textiles

These were mainly taken from the five synagogues. They include
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
velvets and lace of the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
period. For the most part they were bought second-hand from Roman nobility and then adapted for use in the synagogues, with the application of embroidery and trimmings.


References


External links

* {{Authority control Tourist attractions in Rome Museums in Rome Rome R. XI Sant'Angelo Jewish museums in Italy
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
Museums established in 1960 1960 establishments in Italy