taly’s ForeignM i n i s t e r ,

Franco Frat t in i ,concluded a three dayvisit to Israel on July9. Minister Frattiniheld discussions withPresident ShimonPeres, Prime MinisterEhud Olmert, ForeignMinister Tzipi Livni,Opposition LeaderBinyamin Netanyahu.Minister Frattini’s busyschedule also includeda tour of Israel’snorthern border withL e b a n o n ,a c c o m p a n i e d b yMinister Livni , ameeting with members of Israel’s Italiancommunity as well as with representatives from

the Palestinian-IsraeliPeace NGO Forumh e a d e d b y R o nPundak, Director ofthe Peres Peace Center.The Italian Ministeralso laid a wreath atYad Vashem’s Hall ofRemembrance.A common themeu n d e r l y i n g t h eMinister’s discussionswith his Israeli hostswas expressed by theprofound and warmties of friendship, trusta n d m u t u a lunderstanding thatexist between the twocountries, a situation

which has seen Italy evolve as Israel’s mostsympathetic and supportive European ally.

Underlining this theme Minister Frattinireminded his Israeli interlocutors of Italy’srole in upgrading Israel’s relations withthe EU.The Minister also recalled the upcomingState visit to Israel in the autumn ofPresident Giorgio Napolitano, who waswarmly cited by President Peres for hiscourageous stand in defense of Israel’sparticipation as the official guest at therecently held Turin International BookFair.Minister Frattini’s visit concluded withthe announcement of three importantbilateral plans of action, beginning withthe launching of a “strategic

1

NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 51 July 2008

Bolstering Italian-Israeli relationsI

ver 1200 guestattended Italy’s

R e p u b l i c D a yCelebrations, hosted atthe Italian residence byAmbassador and Mrs.Sandro De Bernardinon June 2.

T h i s y e a r ’ scelebrations were ofparticular significancein honoring two sixtiethanniversaries, that ofthe State of Israel as well as the 60th anniversarysince the establishment of diplomatic relations

between Israel and Italy.Guests at the event werea b l e t o v i e w a nexhibition of photosoutlining the depth andvariety of bilateralre la t ions ex is t ingb e t w e e n t h e t w ocountries since beforethe founding of theJewish State.Guests of honor at thecelebrations included

Isaac Herzog, Minister for the Diaspora andSocial Affairs (official spokesman (cont. p.2)

Republic Day Celebrations

Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin andhis wife Anna have completed their termof service and will soon return to Italy.

Dear Israeli friends and fellowcountrymen,

After four years of service my term asItaly’s Ambassador to Tel Aviv is drawingto a close. The period my wife and I havespent in Israel has been rich inexperience, commitment and satisfaction,much of which is due to the assistanceand understanding of our staff and tomany of you.No one can leave Israel in quite the sameway as when they first arrive in thecoun t ry, and Anna and I f ee lextraordinarily enriched from theexperiences we have had. More importantthan professional contacts were thosehuman ties we developed, especiallythrough the many meetings with so manydifferent people whose faces have becomedear to us over time.Many of my colleagues who worked herebefore my arrival warned me that youcan never really separate from Israel so,together with Anna, we say a warm“Lehitraot!”

O

(cont. p.5)

Farewell message fromAmbassador De Bernardin

The two Foreign Ministers signed a new agreement for cooperationin education and culture

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini with FM Tzipi Livni inJerusalem

Ambassador and Mrs. Sandro De Bernardin with Ministerand Mrs. Isaac Herzog

for the Government of Israel),Health Minister Yakov BenIzri and Housing Minister ZevBoim . Knesset memberspresent included MosheKahlon, President of theKnesset’s Italian-IsraeliParliamentary FriendshipCommittee, Likud ChairmanGideon Sa’ar and formerForeign Minister SilvanShalom. Others attending theevent included representativesfrom Christian institutions,mayors from towns and citiesthroughout the country as wellas business and cultural leaders and a largenumber of Italians resident in Israel.

Particularly warm words of appreciation wereexpressed to those present by Minister Herzog,who recalled that bilateral relations have beendeveloped and consolidated over a period of2000 years of intense exchange between the twocultures. Recalling the exhibition “Italia-Ebraica,2000 years of dialogue between Italian cultureand Judaism”, which he himself inauguratedlast December in Tel Aviv, the Minister expressedconfidence that present conditions are propitiousfor a further strengthening and renewal of tieswith Italy.In his remarks the Ambassador, after thankinghis Israeli guests for their warm words offriendship, confirmed the sentiments expressedby Minister Herzog and underlined Italy’scommitment to Israel’s right to live in peace andsecurity against all threats to its existence. TheAmbassador repeated these remarks later to alarger public during a radio interview on

international relations.Following a special ceremony, the Ambassadorawarded honorary decorations of the Ordine alMerito della Repubblica and the Ordine dellaStella della Solidarietà to Prof. Eshel Ben Jacobof Tel Aviv University, Prof. Amiram Porat ofthe Technion Institute of Haifa, Prof. SergioDella Pergola of the Hebrew University andMK Moshe Kahlon. <>

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

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Bolstering Italian Israeli RelationsRepublic Day CelebrationsFarewell message from the AmbassadorAmbassador De Bernardin salutes colleaguesand friendsCommemorating Italy’s fallen soldiersInternational conference on democracy andeducationThe challenges of terrorismThe best man for the jobPromoting tourism to PiedmontCommemorating a story of survivalItaly’s Jews under the microscopeItalian-Israeli homeland security workshopCdO-CoExport delegation in IsraelEdoardo Crisafulli bids farewellThe cry of the earthSecond Italian-Israeli Design ForumItalian summer campEvents in IsraelEvents at the Nahon MuseumEvents in ItalyItalian Trade Fair Calendar

Trade Tower, 25 HaMered Street, Tel Aviv 68125Te l : 0 3 - 5 1 6 . 1 7 4 4 F a x : 0 3 - 5 1 6 . 1 7 5 5www.ambtelaviv.esteri.it Sportellounico.telaviv@esteri.it

Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin salutes friends and colleaguesmbassador Sandro DeB e r n a r d i n , r e c e n t l y

appointed Vice Secretary Generaland Political Director at theForeign Ministry in Rome, hostedcolleagues and friends at a farewellmusical performance featuringvocalist Fatima Scialdone at theItalian Residence in Ramat Ganon July 2.

Present at the evening, togetherwith a large number of compatriotsand colleagues from the diplomaticcorps, were Housing Minister Ze’evBoim, Members of the Knesset, TelAviv Mayor Ron Huldai andForeign Ministry Director General AharonAbramovich.

The concert provided an ideal meeting place for

lovers of Italian music and poetry and afforded theAmbassador the chance to bid farewell to manyfriends and colleagues before his return to Italy. <>

(cont. from p. 1)

Republic Day Celebrations

Vocalist Fatima Scialdone performed atthe Italian Residence

Many members of the diplomatic corps were among the guests at the Ambassador's farewellcelebration

A

Honorary decorations were awarded to (from left) NuritTinari, MK Moshe Kahlon and Prof. Sergio Della Pergola,with Ambassador De Bernardin and Simonetta Della Seta

Over 1200 guests attended Italy's Republic Day celebrations held at theAmbassador's residence in Ramat Gan

h e 1 9 4 t hanniversary of

the founding of theC a r a b i n i e r i wa scelebrated in Israel onJune 5 by Italianm e m b e r s o f t h e“European UnionBorder AssistanceMission” and the“ T e m p o r a r yI n t e r n a t i o n a lPresence in Hebron”,the Embassy of Italyin Tel Aviv, the Officeof the Defense Attachéin Israel and theConsul General ofItaly in Jerusalem.

The ceremony washeld in the Rabin Forest, at the memorial shrinefor Italian soldiers killed during service in Iraq,erected by the Keren Kayemet in 2005 andinaugurated in the presence of former DefenseMinister Antonio Martino.

The fallen soldiers were commemorated witha blessing and prayerrecited by FranciscanF a t h e r R a f f a e l eC a p u t o a n d t h edeposition of a laurelwreath at the shrine byGen. Pietro Pistolese,a c c o m p a n i e d b yAmbassador. SandroDe Bernardin, ConsulGenera l LucianoPezzotti and MilitaryAttaché Gen. NicolaGelao.

A m o n g t h o s epresent at the ceremonywere Keren Kayemetrepresentatives in Israeland Italy Zeev Kedemand Ben Sassun, theheads of the TIPH

force in Hebron, Gen. Roy Grottheim, acontingent from the Carabinieri headed byDomenico Ianniello, EUCOPPS representativein Ramallah Gen. Colin Smith and Adv.Beniamino Lazar President of ComItEs. <>

reception held by President ShimonPeres and a dinner with Prime

Minister Ehud Olmert were the highlightsof the conference held on May 28-30 inJerusalem on the challenges posed byterrorism to western security organizations.

The event, anIsraeli initiative,was attended byMinisters fromt h e G 6o rg a n i z a t i o n( F r a n c e .Germany, Italy,Poland, the UKand Spain) aswell as from theUS and Canadaa n d w a sorganized on thei n i t i a t ive o fIsrael's Ministerfor Publ ic Secur i ty Avi Dichter .

Representing Italy was Minister of theInterior Roberto Maroni, on his first officialvisit to Israel, who also held bilateraldiscussions with his German oppositenumber, Wolfgang Schauble, as well as withUS Secretary of Homeland Security MichaelChertoff.

The two day conference was addressedby Israeli experts whose presentations servedas a starting point for comments andreflections by participants from abroad.

In special evidence were themes relatingto the connection between organized crimeand terrorist groups, cyber-terrorism, the useof the Internet as a vehicle of propagandaand recruitment for extremist groups, securityrequirements versus the maintenance ofdemocratic principles and the need to counternot only the operational capacity of terrorismbut also to uproot its motivating reasons. <>

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

TCommemorating Italy’s fallen soldiers

n international conference on democracyand education, part of the celebrations

honoring the 60th anniversary of the foundingof the State of Israel and the 75th anniversaryof Aliyat Hanoar, was held on May 27-28 atthe Einaudi Cultural Center, Goldstein Village,in Jerusalem.

In 2008 the themes of democracy andeducation also have strong symbolic significance,as the 60th anniversary of the election of LuigiEinaudi, Italy’s first democratically chosenPrime Minister after WW2.

Dr. Emmanuel Grupper, of Aliyat Hanoar,led the organizing committee with the assistanceof Pini Cohen, Director of the Goldstein Villageand the Einaudi Center in Jerusalem and EstherGhitis, Honorary President of the Committeeof Friends of Aliyat Hanoar and the EinaudiCenter.

Discussions centered on the importance ofadopting democratic values as a guiding principalin education. In this regard, Arch. RobertoEinaudi (grandson of Luigi and President ofthe Einaudi Foundation), dwelt on the

significance of freedom of expression, citing hisfather’s comments on the importance of openand s incere d ia logue as a bas is forcommunication in Italy and elsewhere.

In his remarks, First Minister Davide LaCecilia, representing the Embassy of Italy inIsrael, underlined the close ties of collaborationbetween the Einaudi Cultural Center and theEmbassy. The screening of a video ondemocracy, freedom and the life of Luigi Einaudiclosed the proceedings. <>

AInternational Conference on Democracy and Education

A

The challenges ofterrorism

Interior Minister RobertoMaroni

Memorial shrine in the Rabin Forest for Italian soldiers killed in Iraq

General Pietro Pistolese paid tribute to the Carabinieri and to Italian soldiers who fell inthe line of duty in Iraq

he Piedmont Region and the PiedmontAgency for Investments, Export and

Tourism in cooperation with the Israel ItalyChamber of Commerce and Industry,organized an incoming to Piedmont in thetourism sector on June 10-15.

The main purpose of the event was topromote the tourist attractions of the PiedmontRegion, especially villa accommodations andagro-tourism in the hills around Turin, and toincrease business partnerships betweencompanies in Piedmont and Israel.

In this framework, eight Israeli tour operators,three journalists and a producer from Arutz 2

(second Israeli channel), visited the mostattractive locations of the area. During the visit,an important workshop took place between theIsraeli tour operators and local companiesoperating in this field. <>

r. Ronni Benatoff, President of Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce, has been

appointed Representative of the Italian Bi-National Chambers of Commerce for theMediterranean Area.

The 10th edition of the annual meeting forthe Secretaries General of the Italian Bi-NationalChambers of Commerce took place in Rome onJuly 6-9.

The purpose of the meeting was to discussdifferent ways to promote assistance for Italiancompanies operating in international markets.

The election of a new representative of theItalian Bi-National Chambers of Commerce forthe Mediterranean area, which includesMorocco, Egypt, Malta, Israel and Tunisia, was

held on July 9. Delegatesfrom these countriesvoted unanimously forthe appointment to thepost of Ronni Benatoff,President of the Israel Italy Chamber ofCommerce and Industry.

The election of Mr. Benatoff could be anoutstanding opportunity for Israeli companieswishing to improve partnerships and do businessin other Mediterranean countries.

One-on-one meetings, organized incooperation with the Chamber of Commerce inRome and Unioncamere Lazio, took place atRome’s Chamber of Commerce, enablingdelegates to develop many new and usefulcontacts.

Discussions focused on the development ofinternal programs for the year 2009.<>

4

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

new Israeli Association (Assei) hasrecently been established to study,

research and disseminate information on thehistory of the Jews and Jewish culture in Italy,from the time of the first settlements in the2nd century BCE until the modern era.

The Association was introduced tointerested researchers and the public during aspecial presentation at the Hebrew Universityattended by Dr. Simonetta Della Seta, Directorof the Italian Institute of Culture, Vito Anav,President of the Association of Italian Jews inIsrael and Claudia Amati, Vice President ofComItEs, the Association of Italians LivingAbroad.

In her remarks Dr. Della Seta, welcomingthe birth of the new association, dwelt on thegrowing interest, not only in Italy and in Israelbut also around the world, for information onthe history and culture of Italy’s Jewishcommunity.

In their presentations Tel Aviv UniversityProfessor Shlomo Simonsohn, an expert inthe history of Italian Jews, examined the stateof current research on the subject in Israel andinternationally, while Dr. Andrea YaakovLattes, President of Assei, outlined the reasonsleading to the establishment of the associationand its desire to collaborate with other Israeliand Italian academic institutions. He wasfollowed by Vice President of Assei Dr. AsherSalah, who spoke about the aims of theassociation and its plans for the future, includingconferences and the establishment of studentgrants for research.

Anyone interested in the history of Italy’sJewish communities can join Assei.assei.bravehost.comassociazione.assei@gmail.com <>

A

Italy’s Jews under themicroscope

n July 15, at the invitation of the Mayorof Netanya, Ambassador Sandro De

Bernardin took part in the naming ceremonyof a new square in the city and the dedicationof a commemorative wall honoring over 500Jewish refugees who survived a tortuousjourney aboard the “Pentcho” before arrivingin Palestine in 1944.

The dedication ceremony, which includeda musical contribution by Briza directed byYossi Kirsch, was hosted by Netanya MayorMiriam Feierberg-Ikar at which the captainof the hapless ship, Yehoshua Halevi, was alsopresent.

In 1940 the Pentcho, a paddle steamer, leftthe port of Bratislava with 512 Jewish refugeesaboard fleeing the Nazi terror. For five tortuous

months the steamer sailed on the River Danubeand the Black Sea before arriving finally in theAegean Sea, where it sank near Crete.

Miraculously all the passengers survived byswimming to an uninhabited nearby island,where they tried in vain to attract the attentionof passing ships and aircraft. The refugees werefinally rescued after 10 days by a passing Italianship which transported the group to the islandof Rhodes, where they stayed for two years. Afurther Italian initiative subsequently allowedthe group to be transferred to Ferramonte, acamp in the south of Italy. This gesture provedto be the second time the group was saved fromcertain death by the Italians, as shortly afterleaving for Ferramonte the entire Jewishpopulation of Rhodes was sent to Auschwitz.The refugees finally left Ferramonte forPalestine, where they arrived in 1944.<>

OCommemorating a story of survival

MThe best man for the job

Promoting tourism to PiedmontT

Agrotourism centers in Piedmont offer visitors authenticItalian hospitality

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

5

n Italian-Israeliw o r k s h o p o n

“Innovative technologiesfor homeland security”organized within thef r a m e w o r k o f t h eAgreement on Scientificand Industrial Cooperation, was held on May21-23 in Tel Aviv. Subjects discussed at theworkshop included new defense technologiesand well as new rules of conduct regardingboth phyical defense of territory as well asinfrastructure.

The delegation from Italy was comprised ofrepresentatives from an entire industrial andtechnology district, SIIT (Sistemi IntelligentiIntegrati Tecnologie), from the province ofImperia. Participating companies at the eventincluded Alcatel-Lucent Italia, Ansaldo Energia,Elsag Datamat, Selex Communications, SelexSistemi Integrati, Oto Melara, AnsaldoSegnalamento Ferroviario as well as a delegationfrom the University of Genoa.

Participating companies on the Israeli sideincluded some of the country’s most notedsecurity and defence organizations (IsraeliAereospace Industries, Tamar Explosives,Defensoft, Videocells, Ness), important researchinstitutes (Center for Security Science andTechnology at the Technion, the HomelandSecurity R&D Center, Ariel University ofSamaria) and representatives from the ForeignMinistry, the police and the Institute of TerrorismResearch.

The first session of theworkshop i nc ludedpresentations by Dr.Giovanni Volpato andLuca Capra, respectivelyf r o m t h e L i g u r i aTechnology Park and the

Technology Incubator of the Trentino district,who described the activities of the two regionsknown in Italy for their innovations in theapplication of security related technologies.

Fifteen presentations were subsequentlygiven at the technical-scientific session whichfollowed, including by Prof. Giuseppe Casalino,Director of Liguria’s Technical-ScientificCommittee, and Prof. Abraham Marmur ofthe Technion who, together with Prof. YoramOfek and David Yankelevsky, outlinedopportunities for further research and innovationin a field that is now more than ever consideredas a national strategic priority.

The workshop concluded with B2B meetingsto cement direct contacts and encouragecol laborat ion between par t ic ipat ingorganizations. These were followed the next dayby a further series of meetings organized by theIsrael Export Institute that included participationby delegations from other countries.

A significant outcome of the event was theoutlining of an MOU between SITT andEuroIsrael, a local business developmententerprise, intended to develop further lines ofindustrial cooperation as defined during theworkshop. <>

AItalian-Israeli Homeland Security workshop

fter five and a half years of activity inthe north of Israel as head of the Italian

Institute of Culture in Haifa, EdoardoCrisafulli bid farewell to friends andpersonalities from the cultural world on 13June. Guests participating at the event onMount Carmel included intellectuals,academics and personalities from the Italiancommunity in Israel, together with leadingfigures from the most important culturalinstitutions and festivals in Haifa and thenorth of Israel with which the Institute hashad intensive and fruitful collaborative ties.

Among others present were the Rector ofHaifa University Yossi Ben Artzi, the LatinVice Patriarch, Mons. Giacinto Marcuzzo andthe celebrated Arab author Hanna Abu Hanna.

Thanking the Institute and Mr. Crisafullifor their contributions to cultural life in thenorth of Israel were Haifa Mayor Yona Yahavand Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin.

The final event organized by Crisafulli andthe Institute, in collaboration with theIntercultural Union (ICU), was the concert“Cantando Italia” at Haifa’s Krieger Theater,featuring the vocalist Fatima Scialdone(accompanied by Andrea Bianchi) performinga selection of popular Italian songs.

On both occasions Edoardo Crisafulliwarmly thanked the many Israeli friends whohave supported the Institute’s activitiesthroughout his five-year period of service.

“These have perhaps been the happiest yearsof my life,” affirmed Crisafulli, “and not onlyfrom the professional aspect. I will never forgetIsrael and especially Haifa and the Galilee,whose people so closely resemble us Italiansfor their warmth and lively intelligence, theirquick wittedness and rich cultural heritage, andof course for their passionate love of Italy andits culture. For a Cultural Attaché it is an honorand privilege to work in a country like Israeland to be able to collaborate with and learn somuch from its people, many of whom havebecome personal friends. These will furtherstrengthen the close ties that will always bindme to this unforgettable land.” <>

A

Edoardo Crisafullibids farewell

Edoardo Crisafulli (right) with Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav

will enable joint consultationsin areas of mutual interest.The second result of Minister Frattini’s visitwas the signing of a new agreement forcooperation in education and culture, whichwill strengthen bilateral ties in these sectors.Foreseen as part of this development is thepossibility of introducing Italian for the first

time as a subject of study for an Israeli schoolmatriculation certificate.A significant augmenting of funds available fordistribution within the Agreement onCooperation in Science and Technology (whichhas made Italy into Israel’s third largest partnerin these fields) was the third result of MinisterFrattini’s visit to Israel.<>

Bolstering Italian-Israeli relations(cont. from p. 1)

g r o u p o fenterprises from

the Lombardy Regionbelonging to the CdO -Compagnia delle Opere – network visitedIsrael for B2B meetings on June 10 - 12.

The visiting companies were selected byCoExport, a CdO subsidiary whose mission isto support Italian enterprises wishing to expandtheir markets outside Italy.

The delegation was made up of companiesfrom different sectors: mechanics, softwareand energy. During an intense two-dayprogram, 25 meetings were held with Israeli

companies looking for partnerships and newmarkets.

The B2B meetings were jointly organizedby CdO Jerusalem, the CdO branch in Israel,together with the Israel Italy Chamber ofCommerce. The delegation met the Embassy’sCommercial Attaché Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo,who provided the visiting companies withuseful advice on Israel’s commercial sectorand markets.

CdO is one of Italy's largest network ofSmall and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs),with over 34,000 associated companies. <>www.cdojerusalem.org www.italcham.org.il

ACdO – CoExport delegation in Israel

rganized by theItalian Institute of

Culture, the annualItalian summer camp forkids at Kibbutz Sasa, nowin its fourth year, endedsuccessfully on July 11.

Guiding the dozenparticipating children,aged 8-13, were AngelicaCalò Livne, director ofthe Arcobaleno Theater for Jewish, Christianand Muslim children and her husband YehudaLivne, an expert in youth education. The twowere joined in a pre-camp session by a groupof four young helpers, children of local Italianresidents, who assisted the two animators inpreparing the week long schedule and settingup tents in one of the most picturesque areasof Israel’s Upper Galilee region.

The aim of the camp is to provide a

congenial opportunity forIsraeli children of Italianorigin to meet, talk, playand sing together in Italian.The theme chosen for thisyear’s activities was ‘Italianmusic and dance’, whichprovided an occasion toint roduce the youngparticipants to the music ofPuccini and Verdi, to

traditional Italian dances such as the tarantellaand saltarello, as well as to popular entertainerssuch as Gianni Morandi, Alex Britti and ErosRamazzotti. Each child was given the nameof an Italian musician or composer and,employing stories, games and dramatizations,was thus introduced to different musical stylesincluding opera, folk and light music.

Most activity in the camp was conductedin Italian in order to improve the kids’ language

abilities while at the same time introducingthem to the plots and arias of Italy’s mostcelebrated operas, very often the vehicle forexpressing the elevated human values andfeelings that only music can impart.

By popular demand the kids will meet againat the Italian Institute of Culture to view a filmof their experiences during the summer and toprepare them for the next camp, as promisedby Director Simonetta Della Seta, originatorof this much appreciated tradition.<>

6

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

Tel.03-5161361

ItalianCulturalInstitute

Tel.03-5161361

ItalianCulturalInstitute

n extraordinaryI t a l i a n f i l m

made in 1947, on theefforts by Holocaustsurvivors to reach the Land of Israel, arousedconsiderable interest and public discussionamong filmgoers to the 25th JerusalemInternational Film Festival. The hithertounknown Italian film “Il grido della terra”(The Earth Cries Out) was discovered at theNational Film Archives in Rome and screenedto a full house at the Begin Center on July17.

P r e s e n t a t t h es c r e e n i n g w e r eAmbassador Sandro DeBernardin, SimonettaDella Seta, Director ofthe Italian Institute ofCulture, film critic DaniMuggia and Ms. Ya’alaZimmerman , whodiscovered the existenceof the film and explainedits historical significancein documenting the earlyrelations between Italyand Israel.

Screened originallyin New York in anEnglish translation and then forgotten, the film,which recounts with impeccable realism theclandestine immigration of the Jews fleeingthe concentration camps to Palestine from thecoasts of southern Italy, the help they receivedfrom sympathetic Italian citizens and thesubsequent armed Jewish struggle against theBritish Mandate.

The film was rediscovered by the familyof Leo Levi, an Italian zionist who wasresponsible for the film’s original soundtrack,and brought to Israel by Simonetta Della Seta,who organized screening rights for the FilmFestival in Jerusalem.

The screening of Il Grido della Terra wasthe most significant Italian contribution to theFestival, which also included presentations of

La sconosciuta by Giuseppe Tornatore, Il divoby Paolo Sorrentino and L’isola delle rose,tragedia in paradiso, by Rebecca Samonà.The film by Samonà, documenting thedirector’s visit to her country of origin and itsJewish community, was awarded the AvnerShalev prize by Yad Vashem. <>

A

OItalian summer camp

he Second Italian-Israeli design forum,promoted and organized by the Italian

Institute of Culture in Tel Aviv, took placeon June 19 at the prestigious ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design in RamatGan. The first Forum, two years ago,included the participation of ADI, Italy’sIndustrial Design Association.

The main themes at the forum werecentered on future tendencies and ethicalquestions concerning the jewelry anddiamonds industry. Discussions included anexamination of the problems connected withtechnologicalresearch and theextraction ofp r e c i o u sm a t e r i a l s ,especially forjewelry design,and how ethicalquestions in thisf i e l d c a ni n f l u e n c ei n d u s t r i a lproduction ingeneral.

Invited toparticipate in the forum were five Italianexperts in their fields, including lecturer injewelry design Alba Cappellieri, of Milan’sPolitecnico; artistic designer Alba PolenghiLisca; designer Giancarlo Montebello;Mario Maioli, a designer at FIAT; and CiroCacchione, founder of San Lorenzo ArgentiSpA, designer and manufacturer of objectsusing precious materials.

A large public including designprofessionals and students attended the event,which provoked lively discussion amongparticipants and included the projection ofslides of designer jewelry and the technquesemployed in their manufacture. <>

T

Second Italian-Israelidesign forum

The cry of the earth

Simonetta Della Seta addressingthe Italian-Israeli design forum

The original English language poster for 'Il grido della terra"

27, Hillel st., Jerusalem Tel: 02-6241610 Fax: 02-6253480 www.jija.org jija@netvision.net.il

Summer at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art August - September 2008

Tel.03-5161361

ItalianCulturalInstitute

7

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

Events in Israel Book Presentation

September 10, Tel AvivPresentation of three books Dedizione by LeaReubeni, Xenia Pamphilov by Yaakov Viterboand Yeled Chuz e altri racconti by CorradoIsraelDe Benedetti published by Le Chateau di Aosta.Participants include the authors as well as DaniViterbo, son of recently deceased author YaakovViterbo, and Nicola Alessi, publisher of theseand other Jewish Italian authors.

Buio nell’isola del soleSeptember 15, Tel AvivThe author of Gli ebrei a Rodi Ester FintzMenascé will present her second book on theJewish community of Rodi.

Puccini celebration at the IsraeliOperaSeptember 17, Tel Aviv

Musical celebrationin honor of the 150th

anniversary of thebirth of GiacomoP u c c i n i a n dconferral of theInternational Prizeo f t h e P u c c i n iFoundation on theIsraeli Operain recognition of itsefforts to promotethe works of the

celebrated Italian composer in Israel. Theevening’s musical content will include famous

arias from Puccini’s operas sung by FulvioOlberto (tenor) Massimiliano Valleggi (baritone)with Larissa Tetnev and Ira Bertman (sopranos).

Saloniki 43’ - An Italian storySeptember 23, Tel AvivDramatization and concert recounting the storyof Guelfo Zamboni, an heroic Italian diplomatserving in Saloniki, which before the war washome to a Jewish community of approximately55,000, who acted to save the lives of over 500Jews, many of them of Italian origin, from thehands of the Nazis. From this story, firstdocumented by the late Prof. Daniel Carpi ofTel Aviv University, an international project tookshape, initiated by former Ambassador GianPaolo Cavarai and Corrieredella Sera correspondentAntonio Ferrari and underthe pa t ronage of thePresident of the Republic,to present the show in Israel,Italy and Greece.The evening is divided intotwo parts: the first is adramatization of documentsfrom the Italian consulate inSaloniki, adapted anddirected by FerdinandoCeriani with musicalaccompaniment by EvelinaMeghnagi, recounting thestory of the disappearanceo f t he c i t y ’s J ewi shresidents , with audio

playbacks of testimony by survivors. The secondpart is L’oro delle ceneri, a rhapsodic poememploying 16th century Sefardic music adaptedand arranged by Dov Seltzer. <>

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NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2008

Italian Trade Fair Calendar Sept. – Oct. 2008

Events in Italy

MACEF – BIJOUX5 - 8 Sept., MilanHouseware, gifts, silverware,goldwww.fmi.it

VICENZAORO AUTUMN6 - 10 Sept.. VicenzaGold silver and jewelleryvicenzaoroautumn.org

ANTEPRIMA11 – 12 Sept., MilanLeather, synthetics, footwearwww.trendselection.com

FLORMART MIFLOR11 - 13 Sept., PaduaGardening products andequipmentwww.padovafiere.it

SANA11 - 14 Sept., BolognaHealth and environmentwww.sana.it

AUTUMN FAIR12 - 14 Sept., Bolzanowww.fierabolzano.it

PROMOSEDIA13 - 16 Sept., Torreano diMartignacco

Int’l Chair Expowww.promosedia.it

FIERA DEL LEVANTE13 - 21 Sept., BariInternational trade fairwww.fieradellevante.it

MONDO NATURA13 - 21 Sept., RiminiCaravan, camping andoutdoorwww.mondonatura.it

MILANO UNICA16 - 19 Sept., MilanItalian textile showwww.milanounica.it

MICAM SHOEVENT17 - 20 Sept., MilanFootwear expowww.micamonline.com

MIPEL18 - 21 Sept., Rho-PeroLeather goods expowww.mipel.com

ABITARE IL TEMPO18 - 22 Sept., VeronaHome design and furnishingswww.abitareiltempo.com

AUTUMN FAIR19 - 21 Sept., Bolzanowww.fierabolzano.it

MILANO MODA DONNA20 – 27 Sept., MilanLadies' wearwww.cameramoda.it

SIGEP USA21 - 23 Sept., RiminiIce cream, confectionery,bakingwww.sigep.it

MILANOVENDEMODA25 – 28 Sept., MilanFashionwww.milanovendemoda.it

SIFUC26 – 28 Sept., NaplesHardware, tools and dyeswww.sifuc.net

CERSAIE30/9 - 4/10, BolognaBuilding ceramics,bathroomswww.cersaie.com

TECNARGILLA30/9 - 4/10 RiminiCeramics and masonrywww.cersaie.com <>

Feast of the SeaAug 15, CivitavecchiaCivitavecchia celebratesthe anniversary of thecity's founding with animpressive historicalprocession, a boat race and huge quantities offree seafood, where visitors can sample thegigantic Padellone, a massive dish of fried fishthat is distributed to celebrate the anniversary.www.civitavecchia.com

Gran Ballo di FerragostoAug 15, Rome

During the evening of 15August - The Feast of theAssumption - varioussquares throughoutRome, from the centre tot h e s u b u r b s , a r ee n l i v e n e d b y t h ep e r f o r m a n c e s o fprofessional dancers,who invite the audienceto join in. There's a

different dance in each square, from tango torock, hip-hop, ballroom dancing and more.There's also a huge concert in the ParcoArcheologico of Teatro Marcello.www.romaturismo.it

Roccella Jazz FestivalAug. 13 – 23, Roccella Ionica

Roccella Ionica, a smallvillage between ReggioCalabria and Crotone, hostsa sophisticated internationaljazz "happening" everyAugust. Along with jazzconcerts, an interestingseries of seminars is heldthroughout the weekincluding music therapy,

music and dance, photography and musiclessons given by the performing artists.www.roccellajazz.net

Summer JamboreeAug 16 – 24, SenigalliaSenigallia revisits 1950sAmerica during theS u m m e r J a m b o r e efestival on Piazza delDuca square. More than30 free concerts and 100 artists, dance classesand a huge Hawaiian-style party on the beachattract a lively crowd every year.www.summerjamboree.com

Marghera Summer VillageEnds Aug 24, Marghera

The Marghera SummerVillage has become atraditional fixture on thesummer calendar in the

Veneto region. The town organises parties,concerts, world music, art exhibitions and more.www.villagestate.it

World Fireworks ChampionshipAug 2008, Lake Orta

More than 100,000 peopleare expected to make theirway to Lake Orta innorthern Italy for the WorldFireworks Championship.T h e w o r l d ' s f i n e s tpyrotechnicians paint thenight sky with momentary

works of art. Lake Orta is an obvious choicefor this amazing event, creating a perfect naturalm i r r o r f o r t h e f i r ewo r k d i s p l a y s .www.fioridifuoco.it

Dragon Boat CompetitionAug 2008, Lake CaldonazzoEvery year the Valsugana boroughs competeagainst each other in the Palio dei Draghi, acolourful dragon boat race. It is held on LakeCaldonazzo, the biggest lake in Trentino-AltoAdige, 15km from Trento city centre.www.ilpaliodeidraghi.it

Grape and Wine Festival27 Aug 2008, annualEvery year the people of Cerveteri celebratetheir pride in the region's two most importantagricultural products: the local grapes and thedelicious wine that is made from them.The highlights of this grape and wine festivalare costumed processions of historical floatsand various equestrian competitions, whichinclude races and acrobatic displays.The programme includes a range of music,dancing, games and general merriment, allagainst the backdrop of free wine tastings.www.caere.it

Verona Opera FestivalUntil Aug 31, Verona

The Romanamphitheatrein Verona isfamous for itso p e n - a i ropera festival:the highlightof the city's

summer calendar and one of the most famousItalian cultural must-sees. This year's festivalfeatures six operas, with a total of 50performances. Performances really come alivein this fantastic venue, even if wild cats can beseen, on occasion, walking across the stage areaduring performances!www.verona.com/arena

Venice BiennaleAug. 27 - Sept. 6, Venice Lido

The 65th VeniceInternational FilmFestival will openthis year with BurnAf te r Read ing ,written and directed

by Academy Award winners Joel and EthanCoen.www.labiennale.org/en/cinema <>