Ruth Ellen Gruber
By Ruth Ellen Gruber
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Fast Forward Furor as Israeli Lawmaker Claims Italy Earthquakes Are Divine Retribution
ROME – On the eve of a state visit to Israel by Italy’s president, a furor erupted over remarks by an Israeli lawmaker that suggested Wednesday’s pair of earthquakes in Italy was divine retribution for Italy’s abstention in the recent UNESCO vote denying Jewish ties to the Temple Mount. Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella flew to Israel Saturday…
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Fast Forward Judaica Damaged in Infamous 1966 Florence Flood Goes on Display
FLORENCE, ITALY – A major exhibition opening this week showcases hundreds of items of Jewish cultural heritage that were salvaged from the devastating 1966 Florence flood and restored to their original condition. The exhibit, “And the Waters Receded,” opens Thursday at Florence’s National Library. It displays hundreds of rare Jewish books, documents, archives and Judaica items, some…
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Fast Forward Italy Blasted for Abstaining on Controversial UNESCO Temple Mount Vote
ROME – Italian Jewish leaders slammed the controversial UNESCO resolution that makes no mention of Jewish ties to the Temple Mount and sharply criticized the Italian government for having abstained on the vote. In a statement widely publicized by the Italian media, Noemi Di Segni, the president of the umbrella Union of Italian Jewish Communities,…
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Fast Forward Italy Soccer Team Gets $30K Fine for Fascist Salutes at Israel Match
– The international soccer governing body FIFA slapped a more than $30,000 fine on Italy’s national soccer team for the anti-Semitic behavior of some of its fans at a match in Haifa. FIFA fined the Italian team 30,000 Swiss Francs, or about $31,000, for the “improper and discriminatory” behavior of team Italy fans who gave the fascist…
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Fast Forward Pope Francis Joins 450 Rabbis, Priests and Imams at Interfaith Conference
ROME (JTA) – Pope Francis participated in the concluding events of a three-day interreligious conference in Italy that drew more than 450 Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other religious leaders from around the world. The pope flew by helicopter to Assisi, in central Italy, on Tuesday for the final day of “Thirst for Peace: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue,”…
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Fast Forward Italian Jews Mourn Death of Ex-President Azeglio Ciampi
ROME – Italy’s Jews mourned the death of former President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who had a close relationship to the Italian Jewish community. Ciampi, who served as president from 1999 to 2006, died Friday at 95. In a statement, the president of the umbrella Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Noemi Di Segni, expressed “the deepest…
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Fast Forward Italian Soccer Commentator Suspended for Mussolini Tattoo
ROME – A former Italian soccer player known for his pro-fascist views has been suspended as a TV commentator after displaying a tattoo on air referring to Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The satellite channel Sky Sports Italia suspended Paolo Di Canio after he appeared on camera while reporting on a match Sunday wearing a short-sleeved…
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Fast Forward Mark Zuckerberg Talks Tech and Charity With Pope Francis
ROME – Pope Francis talked technology and charitable giving with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, during a private audience at the Vatican. “It was a meeting we’ll never forget,” Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, posted on his Facebook page following the audience Monday. “You can feel his warmth and kindness, and…
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