notizie italiane - ambtelaviv.esteri.it

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NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 52 November 2008

Dear Friends,

As I assume my period of service inIsrael I would like to send my warmestgreetings to readers of Notizie Italiane. Iconsider it a profound honor and uniqueopportunity to have been chosen to representItaly in this wonderful country.

This is a decisive and intense momentin my personal and professional journey,and I am humbled by the enormousresponsibilities that my mission will bring,in light of the deep and rich ties of friendshipand cooperation that characterize ItalianIsraeli relations.

I know that I can depend on the profoundties of friendship that unite our peoples andour countries, developed over many yearsof fruitful collaboration between us, whichhave been progressively strengthened andenriched by progress in the commonchallenges we face.

I am proud to offer my contribution tothe development of Italian Israeli relationsin many sectors, expressed and enrichedthrough daily contact and exchange betweenlarge numbers of enterprises from bothcountries. I also know that I can count onthe wellsprings of friendship, trust andsolidarity that unite our two countriesthrough the presence of various Italiancommunities and institutions which arepermanently or temporarily resident here.

Today we open a new chapter in ourrelations with our host country, which wewill write together with all residents of Israelwho maintain ties with the Embassy,including readers of Notizie Italiane, thusensuring a constant flow of information andexchange to which we will continue todevote our utmost care, attention andresources.

My keenest aspiration is to witness anincrease in the frequency and intensity ofdialogue between our two countries andwith each one of you, whom I hope to meetpersonally, in order to fulfil and successfullycomplete my mission.

Luigi Mattiolo

he President ofI t a l y, G i o r g i o

Napolitano, will pay aState Visit to Israel onNovember 25 - 27.The President will beaccompanied on his threeday visit by ForeignMinister Franco Frattini.<>

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President Napolitano on State Visit to Israel

President Giorgio Napolitano withIsraeli President Shimon Peres atPalazzo Quirinale in Rome onSeptember 5, 2007

mbassador Luigi Mattiolo,just two weeks after his

arrival in Israel, presented hisletter of credentials to PresidentShimon Peres. The ceremony,which included the participationof Embassy officials, was heldin a very cordial and friendlyatmosphere, the solemnity of theoccasion notwithstanding.

In his heartfelt words ofwelcome President ShimonPeres paid warm tribute to Italyand its people, reminding hisguests of the Italian Head ofState’s courageous stand againstthe attempted boycott of Israel at this year’sTurin International Book Fair, and expressed hiskeen anticipation for the forthcoming state visitto Israel by President Giorgio Napolitano.

Israel’s President also called to mind the deepand historic cultural ties that unite Israel and

Italy through centuries of friendship as well asthe intense nature of current economic bilateralrelations, which culminated in his traditionalparticipation at the recent Ambrosetti Forum inCernobbio.

President Peres also had warm words ofappreciation for Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi and ForeignMinister Franco Frattini stressinghow, under their guidance, bilateralr e l a t i ons have r eached anextraordinary level of developmentand agreement never beforeachieved.

Thanking President Peres for hiswarm words of appreciationAmbassador Mattiolo conveyedPresident Napolitano’s greetings andkeen interest in his forthcoming statevisit to Israel at the end of November.<>

Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo presents credentialsA

President Shimon Peres and Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo drink a toast in Jerusalem

Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo presents President Shimon Peres with his letterof credentials

c o n f e r e n c e o n t h econsequences for Jewish

education of the racial laws, seventyyears after their promulgation in Italyby the Fascist regime, was held inJerusalem on October 26-28.

One of the results of the racial laws, theestablishment of a Hebrew school network forItalian Jews expelled from the public schoolsystem, constitutes not only a challenge todiscrimination but also a constructive, andperhaps the only, inheritance that has survivedthe ruins of that war and persecution.

The opening session of the conference,timed deliberately to coincide with the annualcommemoration of the deportation of the Jewsof Rome on October 16, 1943, was addressedby Prof. Avner Shalev, Director of Yad Vashem,followed by Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo, whostressed the shocking and disturbing nature ofthe racial laws, “fruit of a repugnant choice

accompanied by a vast propagandacampaign that prevented any expressionof the expected reaction of horror ordissent .” “And yet”, added theAmbassador, “this was a choicediametrically opposed to the basic values

of human society, even suicidal, inasmuch asit was destined to impoverish and separate ournation from its lifeblood.”

Presen t a t the confe rence wererepresentatives from Israel’s Italian communityand officials from the Embassy and the ItalianInstitute of Culture. Among speakers at theconference were Michele Sarfatti, Director ofMilan’s Jewish Documentation Center, LilianaPicciotto, an expert on the Shoah, MarioToscano, lecturer at Rome’s La SapienzaUniversity, Ambassador Sergio Minerbi andthe historian Carlo Ghisalberti. Organizingthe heavily attended three day conference weremembers of Jerusalem’s Italian community,

particularly its cultural advisor Mrs. CeciliaNizza, Prof. Sergio della Pergola of theHebrew University, representatives of the Unionof Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), theIsrael Foreign Ministry, Unesco and the LazioRegion.

An important part in the organization of theevent was played by the Italian Institute ofCulture and its Director Simonetta Della Setawho, aside from assisting the scientificcommittee, also moderated one of the sessions.<>

NOTIZIE ITALIANE November 2008

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Edited by:The Embassy of Italy in Israel(Economic and Commercial Office)

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Message from the AmbassadorAmbassador Mattiolo presents credentialsPresident Napolitano on State Visit to IsraelRacial Laws and Jewish education in ItalyPilgrimage to the Holy LandFather Piccirillo, 1944 - 2008Italian business mission to IsraelSicily examines Israeli water technologiesCampania region strengthens ties with IsraelIsraelis visit Italian trade fairsDesign tour in TurinNew Defense Attaché joins EmbassyItalian creativity day in JaffaIsrael-Saloniki: a wartime rescue operation8th Italian Language Week in the WorldStalker Theater performs in IsraelPuccini Prize to Israeli OperaReturn to San RemoTeatro Due: ‘The Investigation’Events 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 [email protected]

Seventy years since the racial laws in ItalyA

Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo addressing the conference atYad Vashem

group of over 180 members of theItalian parliament and their families

concluded a six day private visit to the HolyLand on September 9.

The group was headed by President of theSenate Renato Schifani, Vice President of theChamber Maurizio Lupi, Justice MinisterAngelino Alfano, Undersecretary for FamilyAffairs Carlo Giovanardi, and the Mayors ofRome and Palermo Gianni Alemanno andDiego Cammarata. The pilgrimage was ledby Mons. Rino Fisichella President ofPontificia Accademia della Vita. <>

APilgrimage to the Holy Land

Members of the Italian parliamentary delegation renderhomage at Yad Vashem

h e d e a t h w a sa n n o u n c e d o n

November 19 of FatherPiccirillo, archeologist andfriend of Israeli and Arabministers and officials.

Born in 1944 in Carinola,near Cosenza, Father Piccirillolived in Jerusalem but traveledfrequently between Tel Aviv,Damascus and Amman as parto f h i s a c t iv i t y a s a narcheologist. In over 40 yearsof activity he discoveredcountless numbers of Christianchurches erected between the 5th and 8th

centuries throughout Syria, Lebanon, Jordan

and Israel, while his discovery ofmosaics includes hundreds ofsquare meters of invaluable worksof art. Father Piccirillo was afriend of ministers and governors,cultivated a deep friendship withthe Jordanian royal family andwas friends to many eminentIsraeli politicians.

When Pope John Paul IIvisited the Holy Land, FatherPiccirillo guided the Pontiff ona climb to Mt. Nebo in Jordan,which is reputed to be the placewhere Moses was allowed to see

the Promised Land before his death. Now it isFather Piccirillo’s turn to rest in peace. <>

TFather Piccirillo, 1944-2008

espite the international financial crisisrelations between Italy and Israel are

strengthening. Over a hundred entrepreneursand leading government officials from Italywill arrive in Israel at the end of Novemberfor a two day visit aimed at strengtheningcommercial and business ties between thetwo countries. The delegation, led by Ministerof Economic Development Claudio Scajola,will include Emma Marcegaglia, Presidentof Confindustria and Umberto Vattani,President of ICE (Italian Foreign TradeInstitute).

T h e d e l eg a t i o n w i l lconcentrate on specific areas ofinterest, such as high tech,m e d i c a l t e c h n o l o g i e s ,i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n dagriculture.The initiative woulddevelop and strengthen sinergiesin scientific, industrial andcommercial fields between Italyand Israel.

Bilateral industrial ties andcooperation between Italy andI s r a e l h a v e i n c r e a s e dsignificantly over the last fewyears. Italy, thanks to it’sgeographic and cul turalproximity, its propensity forinnovation, its large base ofsmall and medium enterprisesand the flexibility which derives

from these factors, is Israel’s ideal port of entryinto European markets.

These conditions create an importanttechnological reservoir between the twocountries whose potential still remains to befully exploited. A further integration betweenItalian SMEs and Israeli entrepreneurship andresearch in highly innovative sectors as wellas in more traditional areas, through eitherdirect investments or joint ventures, wouldopen up many new opportunities forcollaboration. <>

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Italian Business Mission to IsraelD

he Industrial Councillor for the SicilyRegion, Giuseppe Gianni, paid a three

day visit to Israel in August to strengthenacademic, scientific and industrial ties withSicily in research and development ofinnovative technologies in water management.

Mr. Gianni paid an extended visit to theZuckerberg Institute for Water Research at theSde Boqer Campus of Ben Gurion University,where he held discussions with its director Prof.Eilon Adar on the establishment of a task forceof Israeli and Sicilian researchers to examinepossibilities for collaboration in themanagement of water resources, desalinization,recycling, waste control, remote satellite sensingand irrigation for agriculture.

The Sicilians also held talks at the Embassy’sItalian Business Desk with Michel Hivert,Director of MATIMOP, Israel’s Industry Centerfor R&D, to examine the Region’s interest instrengthening ties with Israeli enterprises ingeneral and for the establishment of a jointpartnership for the construction of adesalinization plant in Sicily in particular.

Mr. Gianni expressed his intention tointensify ties between Italian organizations suchas the Universities of Catania and Palermo,CNR, ENEA, INFN and Italy’s Space Agency,with Israeli universities and research centers.These could be included within the frameworkof the Bilateral Agreement on Scientific,Technological and Industrial Cooperation. <>

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Sicilian industryexamines Israeli watertechnologies

visit to Israel by adelegation from

Campania, led by theDeputy President of ther e g i o n a l c o u n c i lAntonio Valiante, washosted in Tel Aviv onSeptember 23-27 .

The purpose of thevisit was to inauguratea partnership programbetween the Campania Region and Israel withthe establishment of a local AntenneCampaniamed office. The meetings took placeat the offices of the Israel-Italy Chamber ofCommerce (IICC), part of the Embassy’s ItalianBusiness Desk.

The delegation was composed of Dr. SergioBetti, President of CeRICT, Centro regionalecompetenza ICT; Dr. Ludovico Barone,President of MARSEC, Mediterranean Agencyfor Remote Sensing and Environmental Control;Prof. Carla Pepe of “Suor Orsola Benincasa”University of Naples; Prof. Francesco deSimone of Salerno University; Dr. Rosanna

Palumbo, Director, CampaniaRegion; Dr. Giuseppe Donatiello,Vice President Benevento Chamberof Commerce; Dr. CosimoRummo, President ConfindustriaBenevento, also representingConfindustria Campania; Dr.A n t o n i o C a m p e s e o fConfartigianato Campania andUnioncamere; and Dr. LorenzoGuarnaccia.

The Campania Region has developed apartnership program which offers specialisedservices to enterprises in Mediterranean countrieswhich are interested in launching tradepartnerships with Campanian-based companies.For Israel, in particular, the creation of an“Antenna informativa” will develop cooperationin such sectors as agro-industry, food andInformation & Communication Technology(ICT).

The presentation of the project was attendedby Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo, the presidentof the Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce andIndustry, Ronni Benatoff, the director of the

Italian Institute of Culture in Tel Aviv, SimonettaDella Seta, as well as by economy and industrydelegations from Campania and Israel. At theend of the works Deputy President Valiante metthe management of Matimop, the Israeli ExportInstitute, the federation of Israeli chambers ofcommerce and the industrial association of Israel.

Antenna informativa will be based in theoffices of the IICC in Tel Aviv. <>

Campania Region strengthens ties with IsraelA

Members of the delegation from Campania held discussionsat the Embassy's Italian Business Desk

Deputy President of the Campania RegionalCouncil Antonio Valiante

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n September 21-24 theIsrael Italy Chamber of

Commerce, in cooperationwith the Inter iors andBuilding Department of theP i e d m o n t A g e n c y f o rInvestments, Export and Tourism (CEIP),organized a tour of Italy’s Turin-Piedmontregion for Israeli architects and designers ofresidential and commercial interiors. The visitwas organized on behalf of the Turin Chamberof Commerce.

The aim of the project was to promote theMade in Piedmont label, which boasts a strongtradition in the production of high qualitybuilding materials for interior design and ischaracterized by the presence of numerous,

highly specialized SME’s inthese sectors.

Earlier this year the city ofTurin was chosen as the WorldDesign Capital in recognitionof the special role it and the

Piedmont Region enjoys on an internationallevel. The Israeli delegation was composed of10 Israeli architects and designers specializingin the hospitality, residential and commercialinteriors sectors, including the Editor-in-Chiefof the magazine Binyan Vediur.

During the visit, the Israeli delegates metlocal representatives of institutions and visitedItalian companies from the Piedmont Region.www.italia-israel.org <>

Design Tour in TurinO

In cooperation with the Fiera Del Levante,the Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerceorganized a visit of an Israeli delegation tothe 72nd edition of the Annual InternationalTrade Fair, which took place on September13-21 in Bari (Puglia Region).

Fiera Del Levante is a unique platform forinternational producers looking to enter themarket in southern Italy, as well as providingaccess to other markets in the Balkan andMediterranean Regions.

The aim of the visit was to introduce theItalian Trade Fair to the Israeli market and todevelop relations between Italian companiesand their Israeli counterparts in the food andfurniture sectors. The Israel Italy Chamber ofCommerce was in charge of assisting theIsraeli operators in the organization of business

meetings during the fair.The Israeli delegation, composed of 5

buyers, was lead by Ms. Roberta Anati, VicePresident of the IICC. In this framework, FieraDel Levante offered the IICC an Israeli booth.During the fair, information about the ItalianBusiness Desk was handed out to the visitorsand the Israeli delegates met manyrepresentatives from various Italian companiesand institutions.www.fieradellevante.it <>

In cooperation with Fiera Milano andPadova Fiere, the Italy-IsraelChamber of Commerce organized thevisit of an Israeli delegation to theFlormart Exhibition, which tookplace in Padua on September 11-13.The aim of the project was to promotecollaboration between Flormart – aninternational horticultural exhibition, andIsraeli operators in this field.

Flormart-Miflor is the only European eventtaking place in September, an ideal time ofyear for the successful planning of horticulturalproduction designed to meet the expectationsof the general public. This is the reason why,

now in its 18th year, Flormart/Miflorattracts over 1200 exhibitors and26,000 trade visitors travelling toPadua from all over the world.

The Israeli delegation includedbuyers and visitors specializing in

nurseries and gardening, including the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Gan ve Nof the onlylandscape and gardening magazine in Israel.

In the framework of the exhibition, theIsraeli participants met representatives frommany horticultural companies, establishingnew business connections and consolidatingalready existing relations.www.padovafiere.it <>

Flormart Exhibition

The Israel-Italy Chamber of Commerce (IICC) recently organized visits byIsraeli delegations to two important Italian trade events

Israelis visit Italian trade fairs

Fiera Del Levante

n October 19 an Italian Creativity Day,sponsored by the Embassy, was held at

Beit Wizo Italia in Jaffa.The idea of the event was to accent Italian

art by building a Succah decorated in the mannerof the 18th century, which was enthusiasticallyhand painted by groups of children who alsoproduced paintings inspired by the works ofCarrà, De Chirico and Morandi. The youngstersalso created magnificent ‘jewelry’ made of goldand silver colored pasta, which was thencombined with a splendid tomato sauce andconsumed heartily by all.

The event, organized by the dedicated teamof Mirella Nissim and Sandra Montefiore,attracted a large number of children and wasattended by Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo andhis wife Stefania. <>

O

Italian Creativity Dayat Beit Wizo Italia

n September 8 Colonel Nunzio Tarantellitook up the post of Military Attaché at

the Embassy. Col Tarantelli is an officer ofthe Signal Corps who has extensive nationaland international experience.

In Italy Colonel Tarantelli attended theprincipal military training colleges and servedwith distinction as an officer in various branchesof the Signal Corps.

Internationally, Col. Tarantelli has seenservice with the UN in the Middle East, withNATO in the Balkans and with US troops aspart of ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ in Iraq.In addition he attended various courses at theNATO school in Oberammergau, Germany, andat Israel’s National Defense College in 2007-8. Colonel Tarantelli has a Masters degree inStrategic Science from Turin University as wellas a degree in National Security from thepolitical science department of Haifa University.Colonel Tarantelli is married to Antonietta andhas three children Emanuela, Riccardo andStefano. On November 4 Colonel Tarantelligreeted the Israeli Defence Community on the90th Anniversary of Italy's victory inWorld War I. <>

OColonel Nunzio Tarantelli

New Defense Attachéjoins Embassy

he Eighth ItalianLanguage Week in the

World, held on October 20-26, hosted the first visit toIsrael of the Stalker Theaterof Turin.

The Italian companyp e r f o r m e d t w i c e , i nBeersheva and Haifa. Thefirst workshop ‘Incontri’(‘Meetings’) tooke place inthe municipal library ofBeersheva wi th in thef r a m ewo r k o f a d a ydedicated to Italy organized by the CulturalInstitute, the local Italian community and the

municipality. A photographic exhibition of citiesand scenes from the Piedmont Region, still open

to the public, was inaugurated in the entranceof the library in the presence of the CulturalCounsellor of Beersheva Municipality Ori Enonand our Honorary Consul Ms. Blima Storchyan.The ‘Teatro Stalker’, composed of 9 actors,director Gabriele Beccaccini and ManagerLuca Zanotti, has for years worked ondeveloping interactive theater, engaging itspublic through staged meetings betweendifferent people. Their show

fascinating eveningcomemorating the

activities of the ItalianConsulate in Saloniki inorder to help that city’sbeleagured Jewish citizensduring the darkest days of World War II washeld in the presence of a large and variedpublic at Tel Aviv University on September23.

Over a thousandguests attended the event,including Israel’s fifthPresident Itzhak Navon;Mrs. Yael Huldai, wifeof the Mayor of Tel Aviv;f o r m e r I t a l i a nAmbassador to Israel andGreece Gian PaoloCavara i ; Te l Av ivUniversity President ZviG a l i l ; H o l o c a u s tsurvivors from Salonikias well as representativesof Israel’s Italian community. The gatheringwas opened by Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo,who outlined some of the heroic actions takenat that time (1943) by not a few Italian officialsof Saloniki, who put their own lives at risk inorder to help save fellow Italians and otherswho risked persecution and death merely forhaving being born Jewish.

The evening, made possible by the workof several people including Ambassador GianPaolo Cavarai and Antonio Ferrari of Italy’sCorriere della Sera newspaper, was held intwo parts, a staged presentation and a concert,and was inspired by the work of the late TelAviv University Professor Daniel Carpi, whopublished the original documents. Salonicco43, una storia italiana, tells the story of someItalian diplomats of Saloniki, once known asthe Jerusalem of the Balkans, who took timely

action to save the lives of the city’s persecutedJewish citizens. The project, receiving its worldpremiere in Israel, was coordinated by theItalian Institute of Culture under its DirectorSimonetta Della Seta, and made possiblethrough the generosity of several organizationsand individuals including Bank Hapoalim’sYahel Foundation in memory of Leon Recanati.The show was repeated in Saloniki on

September 27 and inVenice on November 22as part of the BiennaleInternational TheaterWorkshop.

The stage productionwas written and directedby Ferdinando Cerianiwith contributions byAntonio Ferrari, Prof.Alessandra Coppola andthe Greek journalistYanis Crisafis . TheIsraeli premiere includeda simultaneous translation

into Hebrew.The second part of the evening featured a

performance of Gold of the Ashes, a symphonicpoem by Israeli composer Dov Seltzer writtenin commemoration of the expulsion of SpanishJewry, which was performed by theSymphonette of Raanana and the EfroniChildren’s Choir directed by Maya Shavit.

Also participating at the event were exmembers of Saloniki’s Jewish community someof whom, like Dario Sevi, survived Auschwitz.Sevi, who spoke in Italian, recalled vividly theunceasing efforts of Italian Consul GuelfoZamboni to award temporary citizenshipcertificates, a life saving document not onlyfor Italian Jewish citizens but also to all thosewho, in one way or another, could prove oreven invent some relationship to Italy duringthose dark hours and days. <>


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AIsrael-Saloniki: an Italian wartime rescue operation

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(cont. p.6)

he Eighth Italian Language Week in theWorld, held on October 20-26, served as

a significant and thoroughgoing immersioninto Italian culture all over Israel.

The inauguration was held in the entrancehall of the Trade Tower in Tel Aviv, home to anumber of Italian institutions, where anexhibition of photographs of piazza’s in Italyfrom the Alinari Archive was on displaythroughout the week.

Italian was also heard at the Jewish Eye FilmFestival in Ashkelon, at which director CarloLizzani, who was the guest of honor, receivedrecognition for career achievement bythe jury. Opening the proceedings was Lizzani’sfilm Hotel Maina, recounting the story of thefirst massacre of Italian Jews by Nazi troopsin 1943, which subsequently won the festival’sBest Film award. Other films by Lizzaniscreened at the festival included Achtung!Banditi! (1951), Celluloide (1996), Mussoliniultimo atto (1974) and L'Oro di Roma (1961).

Beersheva also hosted a number of Italianevents, including the exhibition ‘Piazze delPiemonte’ and a performance by Turin’s TeatroStalker, which actively engages its public in theaction on stage (see article). <>

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8th Italian LanguageWeek in the World

Stalker Theater performs in Israel

A scene from the staged dramatization of“Salonicco 43”

Audience participation is a key element in productions by the Stalker Theater

Attending the Stalker Theatre's performance (from right)Mrs. Stefania Mattiolo and Simonetta Della Seta

was received enthusiastically bythe audience which participated willingly withthe actors in developing the on-stage action onthemes and songs taken from the Bible, withparticular reference to peaceful cohabitationbetween peoples. The public in Beersheva

reacted warmly and enthusiastically. The intiativeforms part of a long term plan to introduce Italianlanguage studies in Beersheva, which areexpected to be held in the municipal library.On October 24 ‘Incontri’ was presented inHaifa’s Al Maidan theater, coordinated by the

noted actor and director Selim Daw. The show,attended by a large crowd, was preceded by aperiod of preparation which included theparticipation of young Israeli Arab actors andseveral members of the Donna Maris culturalassociation led by Symaya Abboud. <>

s p a r t o f t h e c e l e b r a t i o n scommemorating the 150th anniversary

of the birth of the composer, the PucciniFoundation and the Puccini Festival have thisyear conferred the International PucciniAward to the Israeli Opera.

The award was presented in Tel Aviv at agala concert of celebrated arias by Pucciniorganized by the Italian Institute of Culture onSeptember 17 that included the participationof three Italian soloists (tenors Fulvio Obertoand Massimo Terranova and the baritoneMassimiliano Valleggi) and two leading Israelisopranos (Larisa Tetuev and Ira Bertman).

Attending the concert were Tel Aviv MayorRon Huldai and Luigi Mattiolo, recentlyappointed as Italy’s new Ambassador to Israeland who, only hours before the concert, hadpresented his credentials to President ShimonPeres. “Puccini is an artist totally rooted inItalian tradition yet at the same time open toother cultures including, symbolically, as anexpression of the unshakeable cultural ties thatunite Italy and Israel,” affirmed the Ambassador.

Massimiliano Simone, President of thePuccini Festival, presented the prestigiousaward to Hanna Munitz, General Director ofthe Israeli Opera "in recognition of its deep

commitment to emphasizing the importanceof the operas of the Italian composer andpromoting them to the Israeli public, includingto young audiences."

Also present at the award ceremony, whichincluded the screening of an historic film aboutPuccini made during the composer’s lifetime,were Franco Moretti, Director of the PucciniFestival Foundation, Simonetta Della Seta,Director of the Italian Institute of Culture andMichael Ajzenstadt, Artistic Director of theIsrael Opera. <>

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Tel.03-5161361

ItalianCulturalInstitute

Tel.03-5161361


APuccini Prize awarded to Israeli Opera

Return to San Remo’, an hour longtelevision show on the famous Italian

popular music festival, was the most viewedtelevision program during the recent Jewishholiday season, with peak ratings achievedby Israel TV’s first channel transmission of‘Ritorno a Sanremo’, a nostalgic look at someof Italy’s most popular song festival.

Chief proponent of the initiative wascelebrated TV personality Yigal Ravid, incollaboration with the Italian Institute ofCulture, following a visit to Israel last Marchby members of RAI, Italy’s state broadcaster,to promote Italian films on Jewish subjects.The transmission was made possible thanksto the availability of rights obtained by theRAI to broadcast clips from all previousinstallments of the Festival.

The Israeli public, which for years hasfollowed the live transmission from San Remo,harbors a special affection for programs ofItalian light music and song which arebroadcast twice daily on the radio, in daytimeand nightly transmissions.

‘Return to San Remo’, alternating betweenhistorical clips and interviews with localenthusiasts of the Festival, emphasized theinfluence and importance which Italian cultureand music holds for Israelis from all sectorsof society. The show was transmitted threetimes on television as well as on the Internet.<>

Return to San Remo

ne of the mosti m p o r t a n t

examples of a moderndocudrama, Peter Weiss’‘The Investigation’, waspresented to the Israelipublic for the first timein Italian by Parma’sTeatro Due Foundation,w h i ch h a s p e r fo r m e d t h e d r a m auninterruptedly in Italy for the last 25 years.

Invited to Israel by the Habimah NationalTheater ‘The Investigation’, directed by GigiDall’Aglio, played to packed houses onSeptember 16-17 at Tel Aviv’s Arison Theater.The presence in the audience of a number ofimportant Israeli literary and cultural figures,such as author A. B. Yehoshua, assured theevent considerable media coverage. Alsopresent at the presentation was the Director ofthe Italian Institute of Culture Simonetta Della

Seta and Ms. NuritTinari Head of CulturalDepartment, ForeignMinistry, who assisted inthe realization of theproject.

‘The Investigation’ isa ruthless documentarydrama of the FrankfurtAuschwitz trials, whichthe author attended in1963-5. Using the actualtestimony of survivorsfrom Auschwitz, testifying as witnesses againstthose who exploited them and others, Weisscreates a riveting drama in eleven cantos whichends without resolution, its silent verdictserving as an open-ended warning for thefuture. The collaboration between Habimahand Teatro Due continued in Parma with thepresentation by the National Theater of two

examples from the best of Israelicontemporary drama, ‘War’ and‘Pshuta: Denuded’, which werestaged in October during theParma Theater Fes t iva l .

Together with Berlin’sSchaubühne Theater, Habimahwas also involved in the ParmaFestival’s presentation of ‘ThirdGeneration’, a drama thatattempts to untie the gordian knotof memories that unite Germans,Israelis and Palestinians.

Habimah’s tour of Italy and Teatro Due’svisit to Israel were made possible thanks tosupport by Italy’s Ministry of Culture, theProvince of Parma, the Embassy of Italy in TelAviv, the Israel at 60 Association and theReggio Parma Festival, under the patronage ofthe Emilia-Romagna Region. <>

O

(cont. from p. 5)

Stalker Theater performs in Israel

A scene from Teatro Due's representationof The Investigation

Teatro Due brings ‘The Investigation’ to Israel

Peter Weiss

(from left) Hanna Muntz, Director of the Israel Opera,shows the Puccini Festival award, with Ambassador andMrs. Mattiolo and Simonetta Della Seta

Conference on Italian ConstitutionDec. 8, Jerusalem, Dec. 9, HaifaThe conference, which compares Constitutionaldisciplines regulating ties between the state andreligion in Italy and Israel, is organized by theIIC of Tel Aviv in collaboration with theFaculties of Jurisprudence at the Hebrew andHaifa Universities and the Universities of Milanand Trento. The event is part of the programcelebrating the 60th anniversary of the ItalianConstitution and of Italian-Israeli bilateralrelations.

Visit to MassadaDec. 12Guided visit to the archeological site of Massada.For more information please call the ItalianInstitute of Culture, Tel Aviv, tel. 03-5162151

Literary CaféDec. 16, Tel AvivPresentation of Prof. Sergio Della Pergola’s

latest book ‘Israel and Palestine:the force of numbers.’ Theauthor holds the Shlomo Argovchair of Israel-DiasporaRelations at the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem.

Concert for Life andPeaceDec. 21, JerusalemThe annual Concert for Life and Peace, held atthe Henry Crown auditorium of the JerusalemTheater, features the choir of the Pietà deiTurchini of Naples directed by Maestro AntonioFlorio. The concert, promoted by theAssociazione per la Vita e per la Pace incooperation with Conférence permanente desVilles Historiques de la Méditerranée and underthe patronage of the Italian Presidency, will betransmitted in Italy by state broadcaster RAI onChristmas Day. <>

Gilding workshopNov. 25Learn the ancientVenetian technique ofgold leaf gilding asused by Italian artistssince the Renaissanceperiod at a workshop led by professionallytrained gilding and restoration artists. Theworkshop will include 6 two-hour courses oncea week on Tuesdays.

C h a n u k a hmenorahs f romItalyDec. 7 – Jan. 1The Museum will hosta selection of ancientI t a l i an Chanukahmenorahs in a variety

of shapes, textures and styles: one shaped likea Renaissance castle, another made from asoldier’s helmet, a third adorned with a clock,and many other beautiful menorahs and theexciting stories behind them.

Nights of Italian operaDec. 4, 11, 18Three concerts ofoperatic ariasperformed byI ta l i an operasinger ValeriaFubini and pianistSonya Mazar and a magical nocturnal visit tothe museum, which will stay open until 1am,featuring works by Verdi, Puccini, Mascagniand others.Admission is free. Seats are limited. Pleasereserve in advance.

Italian Jewish Musical HeritageDec. 2008An enchantinge v e n i n g o fm u s i cdocumentingt h e I t a l i a nJewish musicalheritage fromthe historicalL e o L e v ycollection ofrare recordings.<>

27, Hillel st., Jerusalem Tel: 02-6241610 Fax: 02-6253480 www.jija.org [email protected]

Winter at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art November - December 2008

Tel.03-5161361


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Events in Israel

Sergio DellaPergola

The Italian Institute ofCulture pays homage to thegreat Italian director with aretrospective of his filmshosted by the three maincinematheques of Tel Aviv,Jerusa lem and Haifa .The director Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti RetrospectiveDec. 1-31, Tel Aviv

FilmMorte a VeneziaLa caduta degli deiRocco e i suoi fratelliSensoLudwigIl GattopardoL’innocenteGruppo di famiglia in un internoIl lavoro

Tel Aviv1/122/123/12

14/1219/1220/1211/1228/12

6/12

Haifa6/12

22/127/12

18/1210/1212/1225/1224/1217/12

Jerusalem23/1212/1211/12

9/1228/1221/1224/1227/1220/12

Literature and CommitmentNov. 25 – 27, JerusalemOn the occasion of the State Visit to Israelby President of the Republic GiorgioNapolitano, a three day conference entitled‘Literature and Commitment: Italian - Israelidialogues’ will be held on November 25 –27 at the Van Leer Institute and the HebrewUniversity in Jerusalem. The three day event,a project realized by the Italian Institute ofCulture in collaboration with the Institutefor the Translation of Hebrew Literature,has received support from, among others,Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the Italian andIsraeli Ministr ies of Culture, theMunicipality and the Jewish Community ofRome, the Hebrew University and the VanLeer Institute. A large number of well knownliterary and academic figures from bothcountries will participate in the conference.

MOTOR SHOW5 – 14 Dec., BolognaInternational car exhibitionwww.motorshow.it

IDEANEVE5 – 14 Dec., GenoaHandicrafts, winter tourismwww.fiera.ge.it

MINERAL SHOW5 – 7 Dec., VeronaPrecious stones, fossils, giftswww.veronafiere.it

ROMA SPOSA9 – 18 Jan., RomeWedding wear, accessorieswww.romasposa.it

LA VETRINA DELTEMPO10 – 18, Jan., PordenoneAntiques Fairwww.fierapordenone.it

BIKE EXPO16 - 18 Jan., PaduaBicycles and accessorieswww.padovafiere.it

COLLEZIOSA17 - 18 Jan., ModenaSmall-scale models, hobbieswww.modenafiere.it

FELINA10 – 11 Jan., PaduaInt’l Cat Showwww.padovafiere.it

ESPOSIZIONE CANINA10 – 11 Jan., MilanMilan Dog Showwww.fieramilano.com

OROMACHINE10 – 18, Jan., VicenzaJewelry manufacturingwww.vicenzafiera.it

VICENZA ORO10 – 18, Jan., VicenzaGold, silverware, gemswww.vicenzafiera.it

PITTI IMMAGINEUOMO13 – 16 Jan., FlorenceMen's Fashionwww.pittimmagine.com

MARCA15 – 16 Jan., BolognaPrivate label expowww.bolognafiere.it

LINK.IT15 – 18 Jan., BolognaFashion trade showwww.bolognafiere.it

SO FRESH15 – 16 Jan., BolognaFresh food expowww.bolognafiere.it <>

George Seurat, Paul Signac and theNeoimpressionistsPalazzo Reale, MilanTill Jan. 25, 2009The exhibition, curate by French academicMarina Ferretti Bocquillon, focuses on thefigures of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac,presenting a selection of their outstandingworks, from some of the most importantmuseums in the world (including the Muséed'Orsay in Paris, and the Metropolitan andGuggenheim Museums in New York). It is anopportunity for the public to discover these twoartists, the roles they played respectively, andthe fundamental contribution they made to thebirth and development of Neo-Impressionism,which spread rapidly above all in France andBelgium, from the end of 19th century to 1910.www.ineoimpressionisti.it

Oh Bej! Oh Bej!5 - 7 Dec., MilanE ve r y y e a rM i l a norganises ana n c i e n tC h r i s t m a smarket full ofswee t s andtypical products. The "Oh Bej! Oh Bej!" fair,held in the area surrounding the Sforza Castle,is one of the main annual folkloric events inthe city. Stalls sell local food products,doughnuts, sweet pancakes, chestnuts and spunsugar. Local children used to go around themarket exclaiming "che belli! che belli!" ("sobeautiful! so beautiful!"), which in the localMilanese dialect ends up sounding more or lesslike "Oh Bej! Oh Bej!" The fair is held aroundthe day of St Ambrose, Milan's patron saint,

which also coincides with the opening of thenew season at La Scala.Castello Sforzesco, Milan

Christmas in TrentoUntil 24 Dec., Piazza Fiera

With a wonderful setting inside the old citywalls, surrounded by snow-white peaks, theAlpine town of Trento organises Christmas inTrento, a month of festivities, with a market inPiazza Fiera marking the focal point of thecelebrations. Dozens of wooden huts displaytraditional crafts, food and mulled winecomplemented by concerts, exhibitions andcompetitions at local churches, theatres andmuseums.www.mercatinodinatale.tn.it

New Year's Eve in the PiazzaDec. 31, RomeR o m e ' straditional NewYe a r ' s E v ecelebrations arecen te red inP i a z z a d e lPopolo. Thep r o g r a m m eincludes fireworks, rock and classical musicconcerts lasting well into the night. When thegrown-ups go to bed on 1 January, a children'scelebration with papier-mâché masks,performers on stilts, clowns, acrobats, fire-eatersand all sorts of other attractions takes place onthe emptied Piazza for the day.

Umbria Jazz Winter30 Dec. - 4 Jan., OrvietoUmbria JazzWinter is thesister event ofthe summerjazz festivalh e l d i nPerugia, and continues the successful formulaof fine live music in historic venues. The festivaltakes place throughout the city in the form ofafternoon and evening concerts, jazz lunches,dinners and other cultural events. Some of theindoor concerts have an entrance fee, but thereare several at the Palazzo dei Sette which arefree.www.umbriajazz.com

Venice Carnival 200913 - 24 Feb., VeniceWith a two-week series ofprocessions,masquerades,t rad i t iona lceremonies,music and all-r o u n df e s t iv i t i e samong thec a n a l s ,squares andpalaces of thisancient city,the Venice Carnival is the highlight of the city'syear. Every year the event is inspired by a newtheme, which in 2009 is "Sensation", invitingvisitors to discover, see, feel, touch, smell andtaste the city and its six districts.www.carnivalofvenice.com <>

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Italian Trade Fair Calendar Dec. 08 - Jan. 09

Events in Italy

Access MBA TourJanuary 28, Milan

The Access MBAOne-to-One eventoffers quality,

personalised services for MBAcandidates. Much more than a fair,the Access MBA Tour providesqual i fied profess ionals theopportunity to meet admissions'directors of prestigious andaccredited international businessschools individually or in smallgroups.www.accessmba.com

notizie italiane - ambtelaviv.esteri.it

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