I must express my satisfaction with this
refined exhibition, an important sign
of cooperation between the Jewish
Community of Ferrara and the Fondazione
Meis - National Museum of Italian Judaism
and the Shoah, made possible also with
the help of the City of Ferrara and its mayor
Tiziano Tagliani.
In recent years, little by little, MEIS has
become a characteristic feature of Ferrara
and this will be increasingly so in the future
as it contributes to not only the cultural, but
also the economic, development of the city.
I do hope that the glorious past will be
associated with a fruitful future.
The exhibition presented here includes
furnishings and religious objects from
the collection of the Jewish Community
of Ferrara, drawn mostly from the former
synagogue of Cento which no longer
exists. These sacred objects bear witness
to the history of the uninterrupted Jewish
presence in Ferrara since the 1200s.
Riccardo Calimani
President of Fondazione Meis –
National Museum of
Italian Judaism and the Shoah
Michele Sacerdoti
President of the Jewish
Community of Ferrara
The exhibition,
Torah, source of life
is a
further step forward along the path to
returning the extraordinary artistic and
monumental heritage of our territory to our
citizens and tourists alike after the 2012
earthquake; it is a unique opportunity
to gain more in-depth knowledge of the
various aspects of the culture and rituals of
the Jewish Community whose history has,
for centuries, been entwined with that of
Ferrara.
This exhibition springs from a desire to
bring to light the artistic and cultural
heritage of the Museum of the Jewish
Community of Ferrara and make it known
to all. This aim is shared by the Regional
Directorate for Cultural and Landscape
Heritage of Emilia-Romagna, which has
prompted the restoration of some of the
items on display, an example of how proper
conservation and protection offer a solid
basis for enhancement.
Tiziano Tagliani
Mayor of Ferrara
Carla Di Francesco
Regional Director for the
Cultural and Landscape
Heritage of Emilia-Romagna
