A Stirring Visit to the Jewish Quarter of Rome

Three things have lined up to increase our faith and testimony of God's prophecies and promises:   

1. A study of the teaching of Isaiah as part of our Book of Mormon study where we are learning how the Lord always guides, warns and loves His Covenant children.   

2. Daily time in the temple, the House of the Lord, where covenants are made, families are united for eternity, where all things center on Jesus Christ and where He is gathering His Covenant children.

3. And a visit to the Jewish Quarter in Rome for an up close look at the life, times and trials of a group of His Covenant children. Let us tell you about it and perhaps your understanding will increase like ours did!! 

The Great Synagogue ... 

...sits on the corner of Via del Tempio and is the heart of the community! On the exterior we could see tablets of the Ten Commandments, several menorah, large wooden doors, and grand columns.  We found the square cupola on top interesting. It distinguishes it from the round cupolas found on the Catholic and Christian churches in Rome. This large synagogue replaced five smaller ones that were demolished in the mid-1800. 

By appointment we were able to take a guided tour of the interior of the Synagogue which is beautiful! It was obvious right away that it is a well love, and well used place of worship. The women of the congregation are seated in the balconies just below the colorful glass windows. 

The men are seated on the main floor on original wooden benches each with a name plaque and locked compartments that hold their prayer books and other essential items for worship. 

The high ceiling is designed in rainbow colors as a reminder of the covenant God made in Noah's time, that the earth would never again be destroyed by flood. Blue areas on the ceiling are decorated with hundreds of stars as a reminder of God's promise that Abraham's posterity would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. The walls are painted with images of the Cedars of Lebanon which is a biblical reference to having strong roots, as well as other symbolism.

The central focus of the synagogue is the Aron Kodesh which shelters the Hebrew Torah or scrolls of scripture. They are solemnly removed three times a week and a portion is read aloud. 

The Hebrew Museum

The museum was fascinating!!! We spent over an hour getting a real education on the traditions, culture and practices of Jewish history, customs, challenges, and faith. Particularly interesting was the way that they treasure their scrolls of scripture called the Torah. 

The box holds numbered silver discs that are distributed among the men of the congregation and determine who does the reading from the Torah which is the heart of the synagogue. It is a parchment of perfectly handwritten columns of the first five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Christian Bible). Because human hands can never touch the paper of the scrolls, the pencil-type implements shown here are used to keep the reader's place.

The large (3 feet tall) scrolls are protected in special handmade wrappings and fabric coverings called mappah. 

The Torah/scrolls are housed in an ark called Aron Kodesh. They are wrapped in silk and adorned with a silver crown and rimmonim on the wooden handles of the scroll. 

The Torah is treated with great honor and respect. 

Museo dei Shoah -The Museum of the Catastrophe  

Located near the Synagogue, is a building that houses a museum that aims to keep alive the memory of the extermination of 6 million Jews including Italian Jews.

 

In 1943 the Nazis occupied Rome and set in motion the deportation of the Jewish population who were already confined to living in the Ghetto. 

On October 1943, over 1,000 men, women and children were taken from Rome and sent to Auschwitz. Just 16 survived. 

Walking through the Jewish Ghetto, if you are paying attention, you notice bronze plaques inlaid among the cobblestones. We stopped to read the ones in front of this doorway.... 

..."Here lived Anita Sermoneta. Born 1910. Arrested October 16, 1943 deported to Auschwitze. Died. In an unknown place. On an unknown date." 

 

A Very Brief Review of the Very LOOOOONG History of the Roman Jews

200 BC - Left Holy Land, settled in Rome, before the "scattering". 

500 AD - With the fall of the Roman Empire, their previous favored status fluctuated as Christianity enveloped Rome. For the most part they prospered but could not intermarry, proselyte or build new synagogues.  

1492 - Rome's Jews population doubles as Spain and other European countries expelled them.

1555 - The pope confined all Roman Jews into the 7-acres of mucky land along the Tiber River. They lived in cramped conditions, behind a wall, with a curfew for three centuries.

1870 - With Italian unification and a  new secular government, Italian Jews were granted full rights and the old Ghetto was demolished.

1920 - The rise of the facism brought many anti-Jewish laws. 

1943 - World War II brought the Nazi occupation of Rome. Of the 13,000 ghetto dwellers, about 2,000 were sent to concentration camps. Only a handful came back.  

1982 - After a special service to bless the children, PLO terrorist attacked with hand grenade and machine guns killing a 2-year-old and injury 37 others. Since that time security at Jewish institutions has been tight with armed guards at each entrance to the neighborhood.

2024 - There are around 15,000 Jews living in Rome today. The congregation is very large and active. They send their children to the community day school in the ghetto. The neighbor hood is charming and full of character with restaurants serving Roman-Jewish cuisine (artichokes are our favorite), Kosher bakery, and gelato shops. It is an amazing walk through time and a tribute to those who have created a new community amid the ruins of an old one. 

A Map of the Jewish Quarter - Yesterday and Today

This interesting map gave us a real appreciation for how the area once was and how it has been rebuilt to the charming neighborhood it is today. 

 

 

Blessed by our Temple Missionary Friends

 At least once a month the Temple Missionaries get together for dinner. 

This time the "excuse" was to welcome a new couple, the Andersens, from Gunnnison, Utah. Other locations represented were São Paulo, Brazil, Davenport, Iowa, Clifton, Idaho, and Provo, Logan, Plain City, and Randolph, Utah.

The event is always filled with lively conversation, storytelling, delicious food and lots of laughter. Part of the "entertainment" at this event came when this crazy friend requested butter to put on his Italian bread. 

This is something that is seldom done in Italy. 

We laughed at the amazed waiters who stopped what they were doing just to watch this rare occurrence!  

There is a great camaraderie among all the workers at the Rome Temple. In last October General Conference, Elder Gary E. Stevenson counseled us to not only be in holy places, but to be with holy people with whom the Spirit can easily dwell. The Savior said it this way: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20. Our temple co-workers are holy people. They inspire us! We are blessed to work and play with them.  

Visitors from Home

 It was soul satisfying to hug on five of our loved ones for several days last month on their visit to Rome. 

Granddaughter Mia and her husband Jafet and a view of Rome from the top of Castel Sant'Angelo.

Our son AJ and his sweetheart Cami in Florence.

Grandson Ty near the Coloseum.

All of us on the Temple Plaza.

Many memories were made. Lots of pictures were snapped. Multi-course meals were prepared daily by Grandpa Frank. Special time was spent in the temple. It was a wonderful visit from home!! 

What do you call a person with a strange fondness for cemeteries?

You call them a COIMETROPHILIAC and we qualify for that title!! 

We have always enjoyed visiting cemeteries and found the Verano Monumental Cemetery in Rome 

to be our MOST EXCITING discovery yet!!!

This massive cemetery is 20 centuries old and covers 205 acres of gardens. We could not begin to guess how many people are interred there, nor could we find any estimates online. It is fascinating to walk along  the paths, reading names and dates, and marveling at the unique artistic memorials.

 

There are literally hundreds of free-standing family mausoleums in every shape and design,...

...and hundreds of in-ground family graves. 

Some graves are cubicle in the wall stacked 10 shelves high!  

And the porcelain paintings are phenomenal!! This image of one-year-old Augusto Biondi ....

(The inscription is moving. In English is reads... "I fly to the sky to join my brother increasing the pain and desolation of the afflicted parents who painfully placed this memory so that one day they could unite with their deceased loved ones.")

...and these of the Petrangeli family are from the late 1800's. Wow!

The hundreds of sculptures adorning the monuments tell tender stories. Here a little boy peeks around the marble stone to see his little sister.

Here is a tender scene of a wife grieving for her departed husband watched over by her father. 

And this bust of "mom" is so life-like!! Since 1866 her stern look has probably kept her posterity in line!! 

Now it is your turn. Look closely at this monument and see if you can figure out the occupation of Donato di Veroli who died at age 21 in 1943. 

We took TONS of pictures and TRIED to choose just a few of our top favorites to share with you but, alas, our wander through this cemetery was so amazing and touching that it required a longer post to capture the wonder of it all! 

Three of Umbria's Lovely Hilltop Towns

A leisurely drive into the countryside took us to a few beautiful locations:

ARRONE

Arrone is an Italian village in the middle of a beautiful Umbrian valley surrounded by rocky mountains near the Marmore waterfall. It is a very popular area for hang gliding, biking, river rafting, hiking, etc.  As we drove up, up, up to Arrone we saw many people standing in the piazza near the town center.

The people had dogs on leashes, cats in crates, and even a cow on a leash. And they seemed to be waiting for something outside of church. Was it a wedding, a celebrity????

It was not until a parade of horses and riders passed by that we solved the mystery....they were all there to receive a blessing from the priest for their beloved pets and animals!! 

We chatted with a couple who had brought their beautiful Great Dane for the event and learned that it was the Feast of St. Anthony, the patron saint of animals. We had accidentally arrived at the exact day and time to witness this unique event!  

Next we wandered to neighboring CASTELDILAGO 

A Medieval hamlet on a hill with 1033 BC as its first recorded date. It requires walking through the town's narrow lanes, archways and stair-stepped passages all hewn out of rock. 

At the recommendation of the owners of the Great Dane, we had lunch at Osteria dalla Sportello. It turned into a dining experience to be remembered!!!  Delicious dishes made with local truffles, wild boar, lamb, asparagus, Roe deer, etc. It was remarkable! We wish we could share tastes but the best we can do is share pictures...... 

Our last stop of the day was MONTEFRANCO.  

Visiting these small, lesser-known hill towns gave us a real feel of stepping back in time. They all have a history of invasions, feudal and papal battles, and it is no wonder that they were built on high ground, where Umbrians could hope to find some protection.  

Every town has at least one church located in the center. It is the heart of the community and is another reminder that Italy (with over 100,000 churches) played a important role in preserving the Christian religion through the centuries. 

Friend Connections

Our son, Jared, came for a visit!! 

And while he was here we attended church in the Terni ward, about an hour north of Rome. He was able to connect with the friends of a friend of his at home who had served a mission in Terni 20 years ago.   

Making it even more special was that we had become friends with these same sweet people while working at the temple! As they say here in Italy "È un mondo picolo!". It's a small world!!

In-house Chef

 Being in Italy is amazing but being in Italy with Frank, my own "in-house chef" is fabuloso!!  Frank makes the most delicious dishes from the Italy's plethora of fresh ingredients....  

... like MUSSELS 

(before and after)

.....and OCTOPUS!!!

Quiet Beauty - #2

 Our very favorite find of the day! 

The Thursday after Christmas, while strolling near Piazza Navonna, we noticed a nondescript doorway with a deep courtyard beyond. We had tripped upon The Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza. 

It is strikingly different from most of the churches we have visited in Rome. It contains just one painting is over the altar. There are no statues. Most churches are very elaborate, full of colors, artwork, symbols, figures, and gold accoutrements. 

But, this church is different, it is ornate but not with things. Its ornateness comes from the concave and convex corners and edges and everything being white. It was built in the mid-1600s and is regarded as a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. It was the chapel for the University of Rome, thus the name Sapienza which means knowledge or wisdom. 

And the "steeple" is awesome!! 

It is a remarkable spiraling lantern that looks very much like a soft-serve ice cream cone!!

Now here is the fun part of this find!! This church is typically open ONLY on Sunday...but we "tripped" upon its open door on a Thursday! That is what we call splendid serendipity!!