Reviews

 

 

 

 

 

Jannuary 2009

European Jewish Congress  by Daniel Mosseri

Observant Jews, entrepreneurs in search for Jewish contacts in Italy, and tourists wishing to visit the Jewish side of, say, Naples, can now count on a comprehensive directory of everything Jewish in the Bel Paese.

The Italy Jewish Guide - now in its second edition - was compiled by Meyer Piha, who scanned the country from north to south and listed every Jewish service available, from shops to restaurants and hotels, including synagogues and cemeteries in over 50 cities. 

Italy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe , and its small but active Jewish Orthodox community is able to offer a large variety of products and services to guarantee a kosher stay for every observant Jew.

The book also briefly lists a number of important ancient Jewish sites that usually fall outside of the most beaten tourist paths, including the Jewish catacombs of Trani, a small town in Puglia where the revival of Jewish traditions recently brought to the rebirth of a community that had been dormant for many centuries.

The tourism pages of the book also provide brief introductions to the different historic sites.

The book is highly appreciated around the world as an invaluable source of information for businessmen, as it provides a list of Jewish contacts for anyone wishing to expand his  business to the Italian Jewish market.

Concerning food, the Italy Jewish Guide provides a list of every single kosher restaurant and shop with a tehuda kasherut (kosher certification) in the country, as well as a list of what kosher products can be found in Italian supermarkets, explaining which additives are or are not considered kosher.

Back home, tourists will be able to repeat their Italian culinary experience by trying out the Sephardi and Ashkenazi recipes that made it into the Italian Jewish cooking tradition, contained one of the sections.

Wine lovers can consult the guidebook for a list of all Italian kosher wines, and sweethearts can plan their Jewish wedding in the hills of Tuscany or in front of the Colosseum, with the help of a number of catering services, ketubbah writers, Jewish bands, and a selection of Rabbis.

***

Italy’s kosher guide for everybody also gives touristic tips

by Daniel Mosseri

Observant Jews, entrepreneurs in search for Jewish contacts in Italy, and tourists wishing to visit the Jewish side of, say, Naples, can now count on a comprehensive directory of everything Jewish in the Bel Paese.

The Italy Jewish Guide - now in its second edition - was compiled by Meyer Piha, who scanned the country from north to south and listed every Jewish service available, from shops to restaurants and hotels, including synagogues and cemeteries in over 50 cities. 

Italy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe , and its small but active Jewish Orthodox community is able to offer a large variety of products and services to guarantee a kosher stay for every observant Jew.

The book also briefly lists a number of important ancient Jewish sites that usually fall outside of the most beaten tourist paths, including the Jewish catacombs of Trani, a small town in Puglia where the revival of Jewish traditions recently brought to the rebirth of a community that had been dormant for many centuries.

The tourism pages of the book also provide brief introductions to the different historic sites.

The book is highly appreciated around the world as an invaluable source of information for businessmen, as it provides a list of Jewish contacts for anyone wishing to expand his  business to the Italian Jewish market.

Concerning food, the Italy Jewish Guide provides a list of every single kosher restaurant and shop with a tehuda kasherut (kosher certification) in the country, as well as a list of what kosher products can be found in Italian supermarkets, explaining which additives are or are not considered kosher.

Back home, tourists will be able to repeat their Italian culinary experience by trying out the Sephardi and Ashkenazi recipes that made it into the Italian Jewish cooking tradition, contained one of the sections.

Wine lovers can consult the guidebook for a list of all Italian kosher wines, and sweethearts can plan their Jewish wedding in the hills of Tuscany or in front of the Colosseum, with the help of a number of catering services, ketubbah writers, Jewish bands, and a selection of Rabbis.

***

 

 

 

Letter of Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger

 

Dear R.Meyer Piha Tel Aviv, 27 Cheshvan 5768  Shalom, I had the pleasure to receive the "Italy Jewish Guide" which collects names and addresses of numerous services.  It will certainly be helpful to any Jew - resident or visitor - that finds himself in Italy at any moment of the year, as he will find in the Guide all the useful information concerning jewish life in Italy.  The Guide expresses at best the glorious past, present and future of Italian Judaism. Blessings to the editor R. Meyer Piha for the valuable initiative of publishing this high level and quality guide, really "a beautiful tool crafted in a marvellous recipient".  I pray the Lord for He has this work in his hands, a valid help to strengthen the walls of Kasherut and Judaism in your country.  With sure blessing,  Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger
Guida all'Italia Ebraica di Giulio Disegni Una guida che non è soltanto una guida, ma uno strumento utile, e si direbbe necessario, che va a scandagliare ogni angolo del composito mondo ebraico italiano. Basti pensare ai titoli delle rubriche di cui The complete Italy Jewish Guide si compone e che merita qui riportare: alimenti e bevande; ristoranti e catering; negozi; turismo ebraico; sinagoghe; istituzioni ebraiche; centri ebraici e Chabad; libri, judaica e arte; tutto per le feste; salute e medicine; regioni ebraiche, l'Italia in Israele; calendario- agenda; e molto altro. Nasce a Milano a cura di HBD Communications, di cui è fondatore ed editore l'infaticabile Meyer Piha, il bel volumetto in formato di guida quasi tascabile, molto illustrato e colorato, che nell'intento dei curatori, che pare pienamente raggiunto, intende rappresentare un panorama di tutto quanto vi è di ebraico in Italia, sia per i turisti, sia per gli ebrei italiani o per chi comunque vuole comprare, visitare, cercare e comunque sapere, anche da un punto di vista organizzativo, come funzionano il mondo ebraico italiano e le sue istituzioni. Particolarmente ricca di notizie e informazioni è la parte dedicata agli alimenti kasher, ai catering e ristoranti sparsi per l'Italia ed in generale ai vini e ai cibi prodotti o di importazione. La guida spiega in modo chiaro e sintetico quanto c'è e soprattutto quanto manca ancora da fare, come sottolinea Riccardo Di Segni nella presentazione del volume. Sul piano della cultura, sono indicate tutte le sinagoghe e i centri ebraici e le modalità per poterle visitare ed apprezzare. La guida, pubblicata con il contributo della Provincia di Roma, può essere ordinata direttamente per fax (02/99985615) o all'indirizzo mail hbd@katamail.com.
Kosher Guide to Italy Published (Milan) A new guide on Jewish interest sites and kosher shops in Italy, The Complete Italy Jewish Guide, was recently published, according to the European Jewish Press. Written in Italian and English, the book targets both the Italian Jewish market and Jews around the world. Only 30,000 Jews live in Italy, but the community is dynamic and offers many kosher products and services and therefore boasts one of the most popular destinations for kosher tourists. The Guide is written by the Milan-based editor of the Jewish magazine "Jewish life" Meyer Piha. It is supported by the Tourism Office of the Lombardia Region and printed with the contribution of several private donors. The Complete Italy Jewish Guide will be updated on a yearly basis.
A kosher Roman holiday by Daniel Mosseri ROME (EJP)--- A new Jewish guidebook to Italy lists all the Jewish interest sites from Milan to Naples, including kosher shops, restaurants, hotels and even pharmacies. Written in Italian and English, the book targets both the home market and Jews around the world. Italy is one of the most popular countries in Europe for tourists and despite the relatively small number of Italian Jews – less than 30,000 live in Italy over a general population of 57 million – the community is quite active and able to offer a large variety of products and services to guarantee a kosher stay for the observant Jew. To simplify the sometimes demanding task of finding Jewish resources in country with only 21 small communities, Milan-based editor of the Jewish magazine "Jewish life" Meyer Piha wrote the “Italy Jewish Guide”, a comprehensive and complete directory to "everything Jewish" in Italy. Supported by the Tourism Office of the Lombardia Region and printed with the contribution of several private donors, the book is intended for Italians and foreigners alike, as it is written in both Italian and English Detailed listings This remarkable guidebook -the first one of its kind in Italy - is a city –by-city directory of every Italian location of Jewish interest. Starting with a detailed list of the Italian kosher products by brand, the directory lists all kosher restaurants, ice cream bars and hotels from Lago Maggiore southwards, including Livorno, Naples and Paestum. Obviously, the book doesn’t only list food products, kosher wine vendors and gourmet, but also museums, synagogues, communities and mikvaoth, ancient Jewish areas and current get-togethers, Jewish walking tours, Judaica shops, pharmacies and even matchmakers. The introduction bears the names of very important personalities of Italian Judaism, namely Rome’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, Rav Alberto Somek from Turin and Rav Elia Richetti from Venice. As stated by Milan’s Chief Rabbi Alfonso Arbib: "Each one of us is charged with the capital task of sanctifying his everyday life. I therefore consider the publishing of this guide, which intends to facilitate this task, and important accomplishment.” Kosher holidays “Italy’s Jewish communities are always busy with a series of different issues, and they never deployed ad hoc resources for this kind of job, nor do they have a commercial interest in the guide.” As a matter of fact, the book first sparked the attention of non-Italian Jews who wish to have a kosher stay in the Bel Paese. “But I hope that even local Jews, and I am not only referring to those who work in tourism, willl soon appreciate the usefulness of the guide, which I hope will become a common tool in every Jewish household,” Piha commented. For the time being, Piha is receiving many online orders “from New York and Los Angeles, but even from Ohio”. The guide is also for sale at “Jerusalem the Golden”, one of the biggest Judaica shops in London. “After Golders Green,” said Meyer “ we are planning to find ourselves retailers wherever there’s a Jewish community, from Paris to South Africa and – needless to say – in Israel, so that every Jew will soon be able to organise a kosher Italian vacation”. A new “Italy Jewish Guide” will be updated on a yearly basis. The book also contains a Jewish calendar with each city’s Shabbat times. Original article: www.ejpress.org/article/8763
A kosher Italian holiday New guidebook to Italy sheds light on Jewish interest sites, including kosher shops, in one of the most popular countries in Europe for tourists Daniel Mosseri, EJP A new Jewish guidebook to Italy lists all the Jewish interest sites from Milan to Naples , including kosher shops, restaurants, hotels and even pharmacies. Written in Italian and English, the book targets both the home market and Jews around the world. Italy is one of the most popular countries in Europe for tourists and despite the relatively small number of Italian Jews - less than 30,000 live in Italy over a general population of 57 million - the community is quite active and able to offer a large variety of products and services to guarantee a kosher stay for the observant Jew. To simplify the sometimes demanding task of finding Jewish resources in country with only 21 small communities, Milan-based editor of th e Jewish magazine "Jewish life" Meyer wrote the "Italy Jewish Guide,” a comprehensive and complete directory to "everything Jewish" in Italy. Supported by the Tourism Office of Lombardia Region and printed with the contribution of several private donors, the book is intended for Italians and foreigners alike. Detailed listings This remarkable guidebook - first of its kind in Italy - is a city-by-city directory of every Italian location of Jewish interest. Starting with a detailed list of the Italian kosher products by brand, the directory lists all kosher restaurants, ice cream bars and hotels from Lago Maggiore southwards, including Livorno, Naples and Paestum . Obviously, the book does not only list food products, kosher wine vendors and gourmet, but also museums, synagogues, communities and mikvaoth, ancient Jewish areas and current get-togethers, Jewish walking tours, Judaica shops, pharmacies and even matchmakers. The introduction bears the names of very important personalities of Italian Judaism, namely Rome’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, Rav Alberto Somek from Turin and Rav Elia Richetti from Trieste. A new "Italy Jewish Guide” will be updated on a yearly basis. The book also contains a Jewish calendar with each city’s Shabbat times. Reprinted with permission of EJP