A look into the struggles Italian Jews face in attempting to combine and reconcile their cultural and religious identities.
By Bethany McDaniel
‘Jews or Florence’ Multimedia Elements:
The ups and downs of being Jewish in Italy
Minority status has made Jews convenient scapegoats.
Re-living Italy’s fascist past
The Treves family story represents in microcosm Italy’s conflicted political and religious history. Hear the story first-hand from Fortunata Franchetti of Florence.
The Treves family: An uncommon story
A photo narrative highlighting the unique aspects of one Jewish-Italian family.
Children serve as legacy to Florentine Jewish
Jews discuss how difficult it can be to maintain their heritage in Florence.
Continue reading Children serve as legacy to Florentine Jewish
Florence Synagogue attracts tourists interested in Jewish experience
Jewish tourists from near and far visit more than just Renaissance art. Jewish historical sites like the synagogue and Jewish businesses cater to Jewish tourism in Florence, Italy.
Continue reading Florence Synagogue attracts tourists interested in Jewish experience
Jewish tourism in Florence a bigger business than many might think
Several sites of Jewish historical significance are preserved in Florence, sites that attract many Jewish visitors each year.
Continue reading Jewish tourism in Florence a bigger business than many might think
Florentine piazza hides a dark past
Few tourists realize that the popular Piazza delle Repubblica in Florence is the former location of a 16th-century Jewish ghetto, one of Europe’s largest. Florentine Jews say they wish there was more recognition in the piazza for the hardships once endured.
Keeping kosher in Florence: The city’s Jewish businesses look beyond
Because there are so few Jewish Florentines, the city’s kosher businesses have to reach out to the many Jewish tourists who come to the city.
Continue reading Keeping kosher in Florence: The city’s Jewish businesses look beyond
An Italian history: How one Jewish family survived Italy’s fascist persecution
86-year-old Fortunata Franchetti Treves looks back.
Continue reading An Italian history: How one Jewish family survived Italy’s fascist persecution
Florence’s storytellers
How Jewish Italians remember their history, pass on tradition and preserve their identity.
Fully Italian, fully Jewish
Florence’s Jews ‘fight’ to maintain distinct identity in a culture dominated by Catholicism.
Florence’s Jewish food business feeds off tourists, not local Jewish community
City’s small Jewish population not enough to sustain local merchants.
Continue reading Florence’s Jewish food business feeds off tourists, not local Jewish community
The Empty Cradles of Florence
City’s Jewish population continues to decline.
Jews of Florence
3rd place winner in the AEJMC national multimedia reporting competition in Washington, D.C.