Naples, famous for its volcanic enthusiasm, the colors and generosity of its cultural life, from its ancient monuments to the movies of Paolo Sorrentino. Here’s our interview with the Jewish community leaders of Naples.
Are you participating in the upcoming European Days of Jewish Culture?
Yes, as every year. These are the most important events for us. This year the theme is “the people of the book”. We played on this definition to show the public our library and its book heritage. We will have three conferences, two concerning books and one by our Rabbi Cesare Moscati about “the people of the book”. We will also have two tour guides of the Synagogue. And a show of books from our library.
Do you think such events help in the fight against the rise of antisemitism in Europe?
Absolutely yes, only with the knowledge can you fight antisemitism, and cultural events help people to know us better, and become familiar with our culture and traditions.
Which other cultural events will take place in 2025-6?
We don’t know yet, we always decide such events at the last minute. Usually we have conferences, book presentations and concerts.
For 2025-2026 we have a big project: to renew and restore the old Jewish cemetery in Naples. This cemetery was founded in 1865, it is no longer in use, but like the synagogue, the cemetery can tell the story of Jewish Neapolitan life. We began restoration in 2022, starting with the city walls, and are now seeking funding to restore the gravestones. The next step will be to open the site with guided tours, as we did for four days in May 2025 during the “May of Monuments” event.