Jewish cultural heritage, the challenge of education
The following is a translation of a press release sent out by UCEI – Unione delle Comunità Ebraiche Italiane
The inaugural online meeting of the Mi Dor Le Dor Europe educational heritage program took place on Sunday, June 6 with 16 participants from across Italy, and an international team of coordinators and educators.
Modeled on Mi Dor Le Dor Poland, a successful initiative created by the Taube Center for Jewish Life & Learning Foundation (2012-2016), Mi Dor Le Dor Italy serves as a platform for in-depth study and conversations with experts and practitioners about national and local Jewish heritage and how to transmit them. Innovative ways of addressing and interpreting Italian Jewish heritage will be explored and adapted for the needs of the communities and their Jewish educational institutions. Best practices will be created, collected, documented, and shared with a range of institutions.
The opening session was led by the two Italian coordinators, Michelle Nahum Sembira and Valeria Milano, with introductory remarks by Noemi di Segni (President of the UCEI), Annie Sacerdoti (Board Member, AEPJ and FBCEI), Sira Fatucci (Head, Memoria della Shoah, dell’Antisemitismo e della Giornata Europea della Cultura Ebraica, UCEI), Victor Sorenssen (Director, AEPJ), and Helise Lieberman (Director, Taube Center for Jewish Life & Learning). Ruth Ellen Gruber, an accomplished author, journalist, and scholar, who manages the Jewish Heritage Europe website, gave introductory remarks about the concepts of heritage, which was followed by a lively discussion among the participants. The program closed with a Torah study session about the concept of kehilah, a Jewish community, led by Marta Eichelberger-Jankowska (MDLDItaly Educational Director).
The new program is made possible through international and inter-institutional cooperation among the Taube Center for Jewish Life & Learning in Poland, the UCEI (Union of Italian Jewish Communities) in Italy, and the AEPJ (European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage) headquartered in Spain.
Ora aspettiamo i prossimi incontri!
We cannot wait for the next sessions together!
