Papers by Gianmarco Sinisi
Among the abundant documentary heritage drawn up by the Jews in Lugo di Romagna in the three
cent... more Among the abundant documentary heritage drawn up by the Jews in Lugo di Romagna in the three
centuries ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth, one finds the unpublished manuscript Cod.
Parm. 3480 from the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. It contains a copy of the Hanok la-Na‘ar by Rabbi
Yiṣhaq Berekyah da Fano (II) (1582-1651), son-in-law and disciple of the cabbalist Menahem ‘Azaryah
da Fano (1548-1620). A preliminary paleographic investigation showed a similarity between its script
and the one in which were compiled the very first pages of the Pinqas ha-Niftarim or Book of the Dead
of the Jewish community of Lugo, written between the years 1658-1825 (Ms. New York, JTS 3960), containing
in those front pages the statutes of the Mercy Society.
Moreover, the transcription of the Hebrew text and the Italian translation of the introduction (ff.
1r-16r) composed by the son Yehudah Arié, further shed light on the cultural background and interests
in the Jewish community of Lugo during the seventeenth century.
The great handwritten production drawn up by the Jews in Lugo, mainly from 17th to 19th Centuries... more The great handwritten production drawn up by the Jews in Lugo, mainly from 17th to 19th Centuries, kept in the libraries of Europe, United States and Israel, is very important for the identification and reconstruction of the main protagonists and aspects of the local Jewish community’s everyday life. Among this abundant documentation, the unpublished manuscript 4101 from the Jewish Theological Seminary library in New York City contains a copy of an anthology of Jewish prayers composed by Rabbi Yiṣḥaq Berekyah Da Fano (III) (1676-1750) for various circumstances and festivals, produced in 1759. The transcription of the Hebrew text and the Italian translation by the author allow us to preserve the memory of this specific liturgical prayers, together with the memory of everyday events of inspiration and therefore worthy of commemoration. Moreover, this material contributes to enrich not only the cultural profile of the author and his illustrious family, but also the results of the studies carried out so far on Lugo’s internal sources that make the local Jewish community a very interesting case-study.
The purpose of this work is to publish the eulogy (or hesped) delivered in praise of Italian Rabb... more The purpose of this work is to publish the eulogy (or hesped) delivered in praise of Italian Rabbi and Kabbalist Menahem Azaria da Fano (Lugo, 1548 - Mantua, 1620) contained in the seventeenthcentury manuscript Neubauer 988 from the Bodleian Library of Oxford, ff. 309r-315r. Composed by his pupil Samuele Portaleone from Mantua on the occasion of his death, this eulogy gives us important biographical and literary information and allows us to learn more about the customs and the traditions that deal with the perception and the experience of death in the Italian Jewish community of seventeenth century, as well as its culture. This eulogy has become the key element in ensuring the survival of Menahem Azaria da Fano’s memory and making his righteous life an example for those living in anticipation of the Messianic redemption. KEYWORDS: Hesped; Menahem Azaria da Fano; Account and perception of death.
Talks by Gianmarco Sinisi
3 maggio 2018: Ricostruire la memoria. Esperimenti e testimonianze di rielaborazione del passato,... more 3 maggio 2018: Ricostruire la memoria. Esperimenti e testimonianze di rielaborazione del passato, seminario dei Dottorandi del XXXII ciclo in Studi sul Patrimonio Culturale, Dipartimento di Beni Culturali - Università di Bologna, campus di Ravenna.
19 settembre 2017: Diaspora: identità e dialogo, in occasione della Giornata Europea della Cultur... more 19 settembre 2017: Diaspora: identità e dialogo, in occasione della Giornata Europea della Cultura Ebraica, Lugo (RA).
4-6 settembre 2017: Nuovi studi sull’ebraismo, XXXI Convegno Internazionale dell’Associazione Ita... more 4-6 settembre 2017: Nuovi studi sull’ebraismo, XXXI Convegno Internazionale dell’Associazione Italiana per lo Studio del Giudaismo (AISG), Ravenna.
18-22 giugno 2017: European Academy of Religion, EX Nihilo: A “Zero Conference” on Research in th... more 18-22 giugno 2017: European Academy of Religion, EX Nihilo: A “Zero Conference” on Research in the Religious Fields, Bologna. Intervento: Componimenti per varie occasioni: uno sguardo interno alla Lugo ebraica dei da Fano, all’interno del panel: Fonti per la storia e la cultura ebraica.
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Papers by Gianmarco Sinisi
centuries ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth, one finds the unpublished manuscript Cod.
Parm. 3480 from the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. It contains a copy of the Hanok la-Na‘ar by Rabbi
Yiṣhaq Berekyah da Fano (II) (1582-1651), son-in-law and disciple of the cabbalist Menahem ‘Azaryah
da Fano (1548-1620). A preliminary paleographic investigation showed a similarity between its script
and the one in which were compiled the very first pages of the Pinqas ha-Niftarim or Book of the Dead
of the Jewish community of Lugo, written between the years 1658-1825 (Ms. New York, JTS 3960), containing
in those front pages the statutes of the Mercy Society.
Moreover, the transcription of the Hebrew text and the Italian translation of the introduction (ff.
1r-16r) composed by the son Yehudah Arié, further shed light on the cultural background and interests
in the Jewish community of Lugo during the seventeenth century.
Talks by Gianmarco Sinisi
centuries ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth, one finds the unpublished manuscript Cod.
Parm. 3480 from the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. It contains a copy of the Hanok la-Na‘ar by Rabbi
Yiṣhaq Berekyah da Fano (II) (1582-1651), son-in-law and disciple of the cabbalist Menahem ‘Azaryah
da Fano (1548-1620). A preliminary paleographic investigation showed a similarity between its script
and the one in which were compiled the very first pages of the Pinqas ha-Niftarim or Book of the Dead
of the Jewish community of Lugo, written between the years 1658-1825 (Ms. New York, JTS 3960), containing
in those front pages the statutes of the Mercy Society.
Moreover, the transcription of the Hebrew text and the Italian translation of the introduction (ff.
1r-16r) composed by the son Yehudah Arié, further shed light on the cultural background and interests
in the Jewish community of Lugo during the seventeenth century.