Rabbi Barbara Aiello is Italy’s first woman rabbi. She serves Sinagoga Ner Tamid del Sud, an “anusim” congregation in the ‘“toe” of the Italian “boot.” She has lived and worked in Italy for 13 years and is not offended by the Italian nativity scenes that are featured prominently each December in the tiny mountain villages that she serves. Contact here at [email protected]
After having been caught one too many times talking to boys and smoking cigarettes behind Feltzer’s Pharmacy, my father corralled his fifteen year old daughter (me) and explained that even though we were Jewish, I was on my way to Catholic school. “Uniforms and nuns will straighten you out,” Dad said. Suffice it to say…
The year was 1955 and I was eight years old. Back then Christmas was a magical time, even for us Jews. I recall that nearly every school held a Christmas pageant that featured stories, carols and the grand finale — a living Nativity scene with boys and girls dressed as the kings and angels, wise…
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