The building has been created by two Italian architects Osvaldo Armanni and Vincenzo Costa between 1899 and 1904. In the city full of Catholic churches and the omnipresent Vatican the synagogue needed to sharply accentuate its presence. A large cupola based on a square base is visibly different from the surrounding. What is more the large fence around makes the building even more unusual for the city where there is simply no place for any kind of railings. In the period when the synagogue has been erected the area was not getting good press. Vernon Lee, a British writer born in France and living for some time in Italy would describe that area as a perfect place to arrange a murder without being spotted by anyone... She would write about dark cul-de-sacs and isolated squares not visited by a soul.

 

Today, if not couple of obvious signs of Jewishness, such as Jewish Infopoint or kosher restaurants, the area could be any other neighbourhood. Romans do not advertise the area and it seems to be left for the community to promote it. However, if taking pictures is prohibited (especially if you have large lenses) and people seem to be afraid of anybody who is closely examining the area, it does not seem welcoming. I was accosted twice. “Why do you take so many pictures?” “No people in the pictures” “No close-ups”... After all it is a public place, but the memories of 1982 are still very present. Getting into the synagogue is burdened by scrupulous control and police is all over the place. Perhaps it creates a feeling of safety, not for me though.

 

The central square of the district, Piazza delle Cinque Scole, is usually full of people. The Jews feel that there is a part of Rome, where they can feel very much at home and that the diaspora has an focal point for meetings or initiatives. On Saturdays the place is practically dead. “Havdallah at 21:32” this is all what you can read at the doors of various restaurants serving kosher food. Romans are slowly walking around, older mammas are looking for any relief under the stone plates that commemorate the Jews that has been killed by the Nazis both in concentration camps and in Rome during the Ardeatine massacre, when 75 Jews and 260 Italians have been exterminated. Only after 9 on Saturday Cinque Scole and the neighbouring area is becoming vivid. The music becomes lauder and food is being served both inside and outside the restaurants. The tense atmosphere of the afternoon disappears and even though the police is always present, given the number of people visiting disappears. You do not hear much Hebrew. Almost everybody would speak Italian or English as tourists make up a large proportion of the visitors. Fast Kosher Yesh Sheni becomes full with people biting focaccias and the Ghetto Bar is full of friendly chatting. The traumas are once again forgotten and people live their splendid Jewish-Italian lives.  

 

Written by  Pavel Pustelnik

 

Source: Jewrnalism