World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder on Tuesday praised what he called "Jewish resilience" in the face of adversity and anti-Semitism.
In an address commemorating the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Venetian Jewish Ghetto, Lauder declared: “The creation of this ghetto was a terrible act; it was the first time that an entire community was separated because of their religion. […] And yet, in spite of this decree, the Jewish community still flourished within the walls.”
The WJC president told the congregation gathered at Venice’s La Fenice opera house, which included US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a number of Italian dignitaries: “I always find it fascinating: When Jews are singled out and placed in intolerable situations, what are the first things they do? They build synagogues. They study. They write books. They compose music and plays, and create art.”
Lauder went on to say: “Then, as now, the prime motivation of Jews was education and charity, not bitterness. Because of who they were, Jews were not defeated by the Venice ghetto, in spite of the effort to isolate them. And even though this was done to separate the two faiths, Jews and Christians continued to work together.
“Because Jews were not allowed to publish books within the ghetto, they worked with Christian printers on the outside. Jewish physicians, musicians and artists found ways to collaborate with the world outside. Jews and Christians developed commercial and architectural projects together. Life continued in spite of the ghetto."
"Just like in the Venice Ghetto, Jews show the same resilience today. For 5,000 years, we haven’t disappeared, and that’s a very good thing, not just for us, but for the entire world.
"We must be honest. Yes, there was anti-Semitism here in Italy, and at times, it was very brutal. Jews were isolated by severe decrees. The darkest hours occurred within my lifetime, when Italy was allied with Nazi Germany. But today, in Italy, where there was once anti-Semitism, the Italian government, the heads of parties, and the institutions, all actively fight anti-Semitism. And we appreciate this very much,” Lauder said.
The WJC president ended his speech by thanking Italy for organizing the commemorative event and for fighting against anti-Semitism. He said: “On behalf of the World Jewish Congress, I want to thank you, the Italian people, for remembering this part of your past and looking squarely at your past. Because when you face the past with complete honesty, you actually create a much better future - for your children, for your country, and for all people."
Background
The Venetian Ghetto describes the area where Jews in the Republic of Venice were forced to live for almost two centuries, from 1516 to 1797. On 29 March 1516, the authorities in Venice assigned the polluted site of a disused foundry (‘geto’ in Italian), in the northern part of the city, to the Jews, in order to segregate them from the Christian population. Wooden gates were erected, all exits locked, and doors and windows walled up. Gates had to be closed from midnight to dawn, and any Jew found outside the ghetto risked imprisonment, or a hefty fine.
It was the first attempt to physically separate a community solely on religious grounds. The Jewish ghetto was small in space and comprised just one of the 118 tiny islands that make up the city of Venice. Despite the segregation and the persecution it faced, the Jewish community of Venice flourished. During the first century after the establishment of the ghetto, five synagogues (‘scholae’) were constructed there, representing the different origins of Jewish communities
