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NEWS
Jewish Museum Opens in Florence
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
After years of planning the new museum of the Jewish
community of Florence (Firenza), the capital of Tuscany,
opened in a building adjacent to the local beis
knesses, a splendid Moorish shul built from 1874-82.
Jews first settled in Florence in the Middle Ages, but the
first documentation of a significant number of Jews is from
1437, when a wealthy, thriving community formed. In 1571 they
were confined to the ghetto, which was destroyed only in 1848
when Florence became the temporary capital of Italy and the
area underwent renovation and renewal work. Today only 1,000
Jews live in the city.
The 250-square-meter museum building was planned by architect
Renzo Funaro at a cost of 360,000 euro ($490,000). On display
are tashmishei kedushoh preserved in the community for
generations along with sifrei kodesh and manuscripts.
The exhibits also feature a plastic reconstruction of the
ghetto and a photo archive recalling the history of the
kehilloh.
The Memory Room focuses on the World War II era, during which
Italy was part of the Axis countries, from the time of the
legislation of anti-Jewish laws in 1938 to the deportation to
concentration camps in 1943-44. The room provides visitors
audio and video material on the Holocaust.
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