Tues May 13 - Old Jewish Ghetto, some shopping

Went to the "Old Jewish Ghetto" which is up north on Cannaregio island.  We took a very zig zaggy route to get there, through some busy touristy areas with lots of shops and stalls lining the street and swarms of people.  

The "ghetto" area itself was very interesting.  The word "ghetto" comes from the Italian word "geto" which means foundry because it was originally an iron foundry.  

In 1516, the Republic of Venice enacted a decree that all the Jews had to be in one place and locked in at night (bridges guarded).  This eventually meant there were 5,000 Jewish people from all over the world in a small space.  To handle that, they had to add upper stories to the buildings (see photo).  During this time, all Jews had to wear a yellow hat or scarf, and only the physicians were allowed to be outside the ghetto at night and without the identifier. 

Later, in 1797, Napoleon decreed the end of the Jewish segregation.  Many Jews left and did not return to the neighborhood.  Today there are only a few families that live there.  The Jewish population of Venice was further decimated during World War II when Italy was occupied by the Nazis.  Today there are only about 500 Jews living in Venice.  

And here is an interesting fact that I did not know:  All the Jews in Italy are Orthodox - no Conservative or Reform.  (I think this is right - please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Spanish synagogue

We went on a tour which included three of the five synagogues.  The five are:  Spanish, Turkish, French, German and Italian.  The Spanish and Turkish synagogues are bigger and nicer because those groups had more money when they arrived.  Only two of the synagogues are still in use, the Spanish and the Turkish, and they alternate over the course of the year (one has A/C so they use that one in the summer).

Read more about the Synagogues, the Museum and the Ghetto

Read more about the history of Jews in Venice

Tony Green, artist

On the way to the tour, Marian & Harry noticed a gallery of an artist they'd seen when they were in New Orleans!  So we stopped to say hello.  His name is Tony Green.  He was born in Italy, raised in New Orleans, now lives most of the time in Venice.  An interesting character.  Also a musician.   Website.    Here's an interview from 2013.

Had lunch at a kosher restaurant nearby, Gam Gam, which was very delicious (humuus, vegies, salmon, falafel, cous cous , chicken shwarma, matza ball soup), and we all ate way too much.

Then we did some shopping there in the area.  Went to a little jewelry store, David's Shop, right near the museum, where we bought some pendants of Murano glass.

Poster: Synagogues of Europe

Then stopped at a gallery,  "The Studio in Venice", where Toby bought a print similar to the one in this photo and we chatted with the very nice proprietor Alon Baker whose wife Michal Meron does the paintings.  

 After that we split up.  I went to the Museum and then took the ACTV waterbus on the Grand Canal and listened to Rick Steves' audio tour.  It was OK but the boat was very crowded and it had gotten kind of cold.  I walked home from the other side of the Academia bus stop, window shopping, and did not get lost.  Marian, Harry & Toby had wandered and shopped.  Harry went to the Leonardo de Vinci museum which is on our square (San Barnabas).  Then we all came home and hung out until dinner time.

Dinner:  We had gotten reservations at a very popular restaurant just down the street from our apartment, known for their seafood.  Osteria ai 4 Feri, Calle Lunga S. Barnaba Dorsoduro 2754.  This is where Toby and Marian had the black spaghetti which is spaghetti with squid in an ink sauce.  They liked it but said it was maybe too much of one thing.  Harry and I had the safer choices:  fish (me) and spaghetti with clams (Harry).