The book of the community of Casale, the main community in Monferrato in northern Italy, is published here for the first time. The books that survived are among the earliest that came to us from Europe, and some of them have already been published in excellent scientific editions. This booklet, which sheds light on the life of a vibrant Jewish community, opens a window to the history of the Jews and their relationship with the Christian world in Italy in the late Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern era.

Mahzor according to the Italian rite , Soncino –Casalmaggiore 5246 (1485-1486). Facsimile edition of the copy printed on parchment in the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem. Among all the mahzorim in the various rites published during the earliest years of Hebrew typography this Italian rite Mahzor was the first to be brought to print by the renowned printers of the Soncino family. The Mahzor was printed in two towns in northern Italy, Soncino and Casalmaggiore in 5246 (1485-1486) and it is considered to be one of the great achievements in the early stages of Hebrew typography. This first edition of the Mahzor is also invaluable for the study of the history of Jewish prayer. This large-size volume includes prayers and piyyutim (liturgical poems) for the entire year and ritual laws and also incorporates instructions for all the annual rituals in the synagogue and the Jewish home. The laws and customs are not strictly limited to the rituals but provide sustenance for all the household needs of the Roman community and the hundreds of communities following the Roman rite throughout central and northern Italy towards the end of the 15th century. The typography of the Mahzor is clear and easily legible and includes vowel-points (nikkud) and is adorned with large decorated initials made from woodcuts. The copy of the Mahzor from which this facsimile edition was printed, together with the companion volume of studies, is in outstanding condition. The copy is now preserved in the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem. It is a complete, superb copy printed on vellum that was donated to the synagogue of the Italian Jews in Jerusalem in 1960, by the "Sereni Committee" headed by Prof. B.Z. Dinur, as an eternal memento of the first Italian pioneer, Enzo Sereni (Rome 1905 – Dachau 1945) who fell to the enemy after parachuting into Italy during World War II. The Mahzor is printed for the first time in a facsimile edition. Studies on the Mahzor according to the Italian Rite edited by Mordechai Angelo Piattelli- Available in eBook form here This collection of studies by various Israeli scholars is dedicated to the study of the Italian (Roman) rite liturgy, prayers and piyyutim , their editions and the culture of the Jews in Italy during the second half of the 15th century, the period the first edition of the Mahzor was published (Robert Bonfil, Peter Lehnardt, Mordechai Angelo Piattelli, Yitzhak Akiva Satz). Also included are studies on the typography and contents of this first edition of the Mahzor (Yitzhak Yudlov, Michael Ryzhik and Peter Lehnardt, who compiled the index of piyyutim in the Mahzor). The prayer rite designated ‘rite of Rome’ – together with the related Romanian rite – is the most ancient rite practiced in Europe. This rite is an important link in the history of Jewish prayer, and it retains vestiges of the early Palestinian (Land of Israel) rite even though it absorbed many other religious practices, laws and Babylonian liturgies as did other rites. The original name was "the rite of the loazim" i.e., the custom of the Jews who spoke Latin or one of the other Romanite languages, or ‘the rite of Rome’. This rite was followed in the city of Rome and probably in other Jewish communities in Southern Italy until the final expulsion of the Jews from the South in 1541. The rite spread from Rome to other Jewish settlements in central and northern Italy and thus it was eventually designated the ‘Italian rite’, i.e., the custom shared by all the Jewish communities in Italy. Other communities as well adopted this rite including some in Safed during the 16th and early 17th centuries and some congregations in Constantinople and Salonica. Today this rite is followed in a few communities in Italy and in the Roman rite synagogue in Jerusalem.

Bibliophile edition of 200 enumerated copies with high quality color photographs, in a luxurious leather binding, together with a matching leather case. Mahzor according to the Roman rite, Soncino –Casalmaggiore 5246 (1485-1486). Facsimile edition of the copy printed on parchment in the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem. Among all the mahzorim in the various rites published during the earliest years of Hebrew typography this Italian rite Mahzor was the first to be brought to print by the renowned printers of the Soncino family. The Mahzor was printed in two towns in northern Italy, Soncino and Casalmaggiore in 5246 (1485-1486) and it is considered to be one of the great achievements in the early stages of Hebrew typography. This first edition of the Mahzor is also invaluable for the study of the history of Jewish prayer. This large-size volume includes prayers and piyyutim (liturgical poems) for the entire year and ritual laws and also incorporates instructions for all the annual rituals in the synagogue and the Jewish home. The laws and customs are not strictly limited to the rituals but provide sustenance for all the household needs of the Roman community and the hundreds of communities following the Roman rite throughout central and northern Italy towards the end of the 15th century. The typography of the Mahzor is clear and easily legible and includes vowel-points (nikkud) and is adorned with large decorated initials made from woodcuts. The copy of the Mahzor from which this facsimile edition was printed, together with the companion volume of studies, is in outstanding condition. The copy is now preserved in the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem. It is a complete, superb copy printed on vellum that was donated to the synagogue of the Italian Jews in Jerusalem in 1960, by the "Sereni Committee" headed by Prof. B.Z. Dinur, as an eternal memento of the first Italian pioneer, Enzo Sereni (Rome 1905 – Dachau 1945) who fell to the enemy after parachuting into Italy during World War II. The Mahzor is printed for the first time in a facsimile edition. Studies on the Mahzor according to the Italian Rite edited by Mordechai Angelo Piattelli - Available in eBook form here . This collection of studies by various Israeli scholars is dedicated to the study of the Italian (Roman) rite liturgy, prayers and piyyutim, their editions and the culture of the Jews in Italy during the second half of the 15th century, the period the first edition of the Mahzor was published (Robert Bonfil, Peter Lehnardt, Mordechai Angelo Piattelli, Yitzhak Akiva Satz). Also included are studies on the typography and contents of this first edition of the Mahzor (Yitzhak Yudlov, Michael Ryzhik and Peter Lehnardt, who compiled the index of piyyutim in the Mahzor). The prayer rite designated ‘rite of Rome’ – together with the related Romanian rite – is the most ancient rite practiced in Europe. This rite is an important link in the history of Jewish prayer, and it retains vestiges of the early Palestinian (Land of Israel) rite even though it absorbed many other religious practices, laws and Babylonian liturgies as did other rites. The original name was "the rite of the loazim" i.e., the custom of the Jews who spoke Latin or one of the other Romanite languages, or ‘the rite of Rome’. This rite was followed in the city of Rome and probably in other Jewish communities in Southern Italy until the final expulsion of the Jews from the South in 1541. The rite spread from Rome to other Jewish settlements in central and northern Italy and thus it was eventually designated the ‘Italian rite’, i.e., the custom shared by all the Jewish communities in Italy. Other communities as well adopted this rite including some in Safed during the 16th and early 17th centuries and some congregations in Constantinople and Salonica. Today this rite is followed in a few communities in Italy and in the Roman rite synagogue in Jerusalem.

Studies on the Mahzor according to the Italian Rite edited by Mordechai Angelo Piattelli This collection of studies by various Israeli scholars is dedicated to the study of the Italian (Roman) rite liturgy, prayers and piyyutim , their editions and the culture of the Jews in Italy during the second half of the 15th century, the period the first edition of the Mahzor was published (Robert Bonfil, Peter Lehnardt, Mordechai Angelo Piattelli, Yitzhak Akiva Satz). Also included are studies on the typography and contents of this first edition of the Mahzor (Yitzhak Yudlov, Michael Ryzhik and Peter Lehnardt, who compiled the index of piyyutim in the Mahzor). The prayer rite designated ‘rite of Rome’ – together with the related Romanian rite – is the most ancient rite practiced in Europe. This rite is an important link in the history of Jewish prayer, and it retains vestiges of the early Palestinian (Land of Israel) rite even though it absorbed many other religious practices, laws and Babylonian liturgies as did other rites. The original name was "the rite of the loazim" i.e., the custom of the Jews who spoke Latin or one of the other Romanite languages, or ‘the rite of Rome’. This rite was followed in the city of Rome and probably in other Jewish communities in Southern Italy until the final expulsion of the Jews from the South in 1541. The rite spread from Rome to other Jewish settlements in central and northern Italy and thus it was eventually designated the ‘Italian rite’, i.e., the custom shared by all the Jewish communities in Italy. Other communities as well adopted this rite including some in Safed during the 16th and early 17th centuries and some congregations in Constantinople and Salonica. Today this rite is followed in a few communities in Italy and in the Roman rite synagogue in Jerusalem.

The present monograph is based on the eighteen volumes of my The Jews in Sicily , Leiden-New York-Köln-Boston 1997-2010. It covers the thousand-odd years of Jewish presence in Sicily under pagans, Christians and Moslems. I collected the documents, over 40,000 of them, among the millions in the archives of Sicily and Spain, increasing manifold those published by my predecessors, chiefly the brothers Lagumina. Even so, nearly a lifetime of archival research and the aid of modern tools were insufficient to allow me the completion of the job. While I estimate that I covered the vast majority of records from among the documents originating in governmental and municipal sources, I had to make do without a large number of legal, chiefly notarial, records. They should serve further research, although I do not think that they are going to produce material changes into the historiography of the Jews in Sicily. A fundamental defect mars this monograph, inherent in the chronological distribution of the documentary material. While the first volume of the The Jews in Sicily covers all (or most of) the surviving records of the first thousand years or so of Judaeo-Sicilian history, the other 17 volumes deal with the remaining two hundred and ten years. Furthermore, the first one hundred years of Aragonese rule furnished documentary material for two volumes, while the last century did the same for fifteen volumes. On the other hand, whereas there are great lacunae in the pre-Aragonese period, sometimes extending over an entire century and more, continuity during the Aragonese period is uninterrupted. That has to be borne in mind! The book is divided into two parts. The first part consists of chapters one to seven, and the second of chapters eight to 20. This is due mainly to practical reasons. Part one is the briefer of the two and the poorer in documentation, but covers a longer period. Part two is considerably longer and richer in documentation, but covers a much shorter period. The history of the Jews in Sicily is essentially a material one. In that, it differs from those of many other mediaeval Jewish communities of similar dimensions. Towards the end, the Jews of the island numbered some 25,000, more than half of all Italian Jewry. The internal documentation of its communities has been lost, and little of its cultural and spiritual heritage (such as it was) has survived. It also lacks much of what has been described as the lachrymose history of the Jewish people (except for the short period before its extinction) and of scholars and men of letters, the pride of many another community. The few that there were, for the most part flourished outside Sicily, or were foreigners who spent some time on the island. Next to nothing is known of Jewish Sicilians in music or dancing, the arts and most sciences. The few exceptions in the arts, such as goldsmiths and perhaps a scribe or two, only prove the rule. In the sciences, the exceptions were mainly physicians, more numerous than in most other Jewish communities. Many of the doctors were scholars, rabbis and judges, leaders of their communities, and representatives in negotiations with the Crown. There were also a few astronomers and mathematicians. Most Sicilian Jews were artisans and craftsmen, merchants and labourers, including agricultural ones. In that they resembled and at times (probably) exceeded many Jewish communities in Mediterranean countries. Only relatively few were well-off or even rich, while most were poor. Hence this history is mainly an account of the life of ordinary people. The nature of the historical records available and their abundance chiefly for the Aragonese-Spanish period enabled me to describe, sometimes in great detail, the daily life and affairs of Sicilian Jewry during the period under review. This is largely due to my extensive exploitation of the notarial archives. Objections have been raised as to their value on the grounds that they were not truly representative of Sicilian life for one reason or another. Be that as it may, their usefulness far outweighs these doubts. In many ways, then, this is a departure from most existing histories of mediaeval Jewry.

A collection of papers originally presented at a conference held in May 2002 on the 50th anniversary of the death of Umberto (Moshe David) Cassuto (Florence 1882-Jerusalem 1952), to critically explore the relevance of the work of this memorable scholar to contemporary and future research in Judaic studies. The volume contains 8 papers in Hebrew and 2 in Italian.

This book examines the impact of Catholic censorship on the publication and dissemination of Hebrew literature in the early modern period. Hebrew literature made the transition to print in Italian print houses, most of which were owned by Christians. These became lively meeting places for Christian scholars, rabbis, and the many converts from Judaism who were employed as editors and censors. Raz-Krakotzkin argues that the regulation of Hebrew print provided an avenue for the integration of Hebrew literature into the Christian corpus.

Samuel David Luzzatto (Italy, 1800-1865) stood at the head of the Rabbinical College of Padua for many years. He was a poet and researcher of literature, Bible commentator and philosopher, essayist and critic. In addition he corresponded with the major Jewish thinkers of his day on the Enlightenment, Reform movements, and nationalism. In all these areas he distinguished himself through his originality and honesty. These papers were delivered at a conference marking his bicentennial, where scholars from Israel, Italy, and France presented his contributions in the above fields. Anyone interested in Jewish studies, Italian Jewry, or intellectual currents of the nineteenth century will benefit from this collection.

This is the first scholarly volume devoted exclusively to analysis of the life and work of Leon Modena (1571-1648), the brilliant and colorful rabbi of Venice and one of the most important figures in early modern Jewish history. The eighteen essays in the collection, in English and Hebrew by world-renowned experts, address a broad range of intellectual and social activity, assessing Modena's relationship to art, music and literature, as well as the riddle of his orthodoxy. They illuminate obscure elements of Modena's biography, and offer the first analyses of some of his printed writings. Additionally, the volume provides a wide-angle snapshot of the social and cultural life of the Venetian Jews in the 17th century. Contributors to this volume include Benjamin Ravid, Avriel Bar-Levav, Marina Arbib, Joanna Weinberg, Talya Fishman, Don Haran, Shlomo Simonsohn, Dorit Raines, Jeffrey Woolf, Alessandro Guetta, Howard Adelman, Abraham Melamed, Ariel Rathaus, David Cassuto, Shalom Sabar and Guest Editor: David Malkiel. ITALIA: Periodical for research in the history, culture and literature of the Jews of Italy. Institute of Jewish Studies, Faculty of Humanities, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. and The Ben-Zvi Institute, Jerusalem.

A Separate Republic portrays the mechanics and dynamics of Venetian Jewish self-government. The relations between the Jewish community and the Venetian republic, the balance of power among the community's ethnic groups, and the connection between the wealthy elite and the reins of communal authority, and the relationship of the lay and rabbinic leadership are the major themes of the book. The study is largely based on the Venetian community's sole surviving record book, the Libro Grande. The complete edited and annotated edition of the Libro Grande is included in this volume.