Rome – Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Monday hosted World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder for a meeting at the Quirinal Palace. Lauder was accompanied by WJC CEO for Diplomacy Maram Stern and the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Noemi Di Segni.
Lauder was in Rome for the opening of the exhibition Menorah: Worship, History, Legend, a first joint effort of its kind between Rome's Jewish community and the Vatican. The exhibition will be presented simultaneously at the Braccio di Carlo Magno Museum in the Vatican and at Rome’s Jewish Museum.
"The World Jewish Congress is thrilled to see the Vatican and the Jewish community of Rome working together to produce this important exhibit of ancient artifacts," Lauder said. "We see this as a continuing manifestation of our deep friendship with the Catholic Church, and look forward to future projects and joint efforts."
The exhibition of 130 artifacts focuses entirely on the Menorah, an ancient symbol of Jewish culture and religion. A seven-lamp candelabrum was made from pure gold and was used by Moses in the desert. According to the Torah, God asked Moses to put it into the Temple in Jerusalem to mark it as a sacred space.
The golden Menorah is believed to have been looted during the Roman sacking of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and the ancient historian Josephus writes that it was brought to Rome, where it was kept in Vespasian’s Temple of Peace. According to scholars, the Menorah was lost forever when either the Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 CE, or the Vandals in 455 CE.
Until this day, the Menorah is depicted in many synagogues, and a nine-lamp version is lit during the celebration of the holiday of Hanukkah. The candelabrum is also used in Christian artwork, particularly paintings depicting scenes from the life of Jesus.
The exhibit will run through 23 July 2017.
