Page 17 - Italian-American Herald - December 2024

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
DECEMBER 2024 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 17
NEWS FROM ITALY
Rome’s Jewish community prepares for Chanukah in the Eternal City
Italian-American Herald
When you think of Rome, the pope and
Vatican City often come to mind. But the
Italian capital is also home to one of the most
historic and vibrant Jewish quarters in Europe.
Although Catholicism has dominated
the country, the history of the Jews in Rome
stretches back long before Jesus’ era. Like many
immigrants, the Jews came to Italy looking
for a better life, while some were prisoners of
war when the Romans invaded Judea.
For the most part, the Jewish community
lived freely and peacefully until the Dark
Ages, when they were forced into the Jewish
ghetto and walled up until the late 1800s.
It is this very ghetto, in an area near
Campo dei Fiori, that has become the lively
Jewish quarter where locals’ welcome tourists
to learn about their history and culture.
When Hanukkah begins this year on the
evening of Dec. 25, the famous neighborhood
will go all out by hosting several festivities.
The combination of great food and a chance
to celebrate with a community which owes its
origins to the Hanukkah story makes Rome
the perfect place to celebrate. Excluding the
ubiquitous Eastern European potato latkes
there are other traditional Italian Chanukah
foods throughout the holiday, too.
The first traditional Italian Chanukah dish
is called gnocco fritto. These are savory fried
dough rectangles that are cut with a pastry
wheel. This dish is made all over Italy, with
slight variations depending on the region.
Fried honey balls, or precipizi, are another
classic Italian Chanukah recipe from Ancona,
in central Italy similar to struffoli which is a
Christmas dessert from Naples. This dessert
is made of a dough that consists of egg, sugar,
flour and rum or rum extract (or apple juice).
The dough is rolled into a rope, cut into small
pieces, fried, and then dipped in honey. The
final products are dusted with confectioners’
sugar.
Even if you weren’t trying to find a
Hanukkah celebration, you can’t miss the one
in Piazza Barberini. It is here that every year
a giant 20-foot-tall menorah is lighted every
night. The illuminated spectacle attracts huge
crowds and has become a hot spot during
the festive holiday. The ceremony take place
around 6 p.m. each night or 4 p.m. on the
Sabbath and at the end of Hanukkah, there’s
usually a big party with food, dancing, and,
of course, wine.
Both menorahs can be reached by Rome’s
Metro.
If crowds aren’t your thing, you can head
over to Piazza Bologna where a smaller
menorah and lighting ceremony take place. IAH