Yes... Well before I post my Venice trip blog I feel like I should post a certain picture that I took. The symbol represented in this photo was not seen only once during the trip...
It actually makes me wonder how anti-Semitic people in Italy are and why/how this could happy. It baffles me, not that doing so helps.
:-(

Trip to Pisa

The trip to Pisa was very pleasant. Although there was little to do in Pisa other than look at the nice tower that will one day fall I have some tips for those that wish to go to Pisa one day.

1. Go to the Jewish cemetary and do some rubbings... You might do an old one that looks dreadfully daunting
2. do the touristy snapshop of pushing or holding up the tower... It's a nifty memory
3. eat food in Pisa... cheapest place in all of Italy (that I found).
4. leave... after you have done those four... that's it!

Supposedly Livorno, which is right next door to Pisa, is fun and full of Discos. So if you are looking to have fun, go to Pisa by day, and Livorna at night!

ominous looking eh?

Trip to Rome (part 3)

This post is a mix of Saturday June 8Th and Sunday June 9th.

Okay, I will no longer go backwards as I have fixed the order of the photos after much labor on the University of Maryland's Wam Lab computer.

Saturday: Well... Saturday was indeed interesting. On Saturday morning we woke up, went to the Great Synagogue for about 10 minutes of the Torah reading and then left to find the Pope! We were in Rome and already we wanted to convert (it was the money wealth calling us). We get to the Vatican and unfortunately we have to wait because President Bush is coming to visit Paul Benedict XVI (I think that is his name...). Yes, well after an hour or so extra we finally arrive and go on a tour of the palace and the basilica. It was pleasant enough, the Church clearly has a lot of money, and I'm jealous of those Swiss guards and all the attention that they receive.
Well after the uneventful tour we all decide to eat lunch at the coliseum... our mistake for we end up walking into an anti Bush and Prodi parade! Pictures are below, but based on circumstances in our country at the present I do not feel safe commenting on my blog right now :-).

Sunday:
Sunday we were supposed to meet Randall at the Colosseum. After arriving late, I buy a ticket from a guide to get past the ticket line. The Colosseum was simply amazing, for about 4-5 minutes. We enter and see where the gladiators fought, the underground tunnels, and the view surrounding the Colosseum. I take a bunch of pictures inside and out. At the same time, because Professor Cooperman told us to, I begin to imagine what life was like back during the time of the Romans....

"Argh, today I am a Jewish Gladiator...."
"So my name is Shimon ben Lakish and I am also known as Resh Lakaysh. Just the other day I met with Rabbi Jochanan and am considering to get away from this occupation. I mean it does feel good to go around and beat people up... but yeah... maybe I will become someone great in the study of Torah!"

Woah!?! Where was I... okay, now that I am back to reality I remembered that after the Coliseum we visited the Roman gardens. I saw the Arch of Titus (which I might have walked under by accident) and thought that was very interesting to see some proof of a nice menorah back from the olden days. We then traveled to the well known Pantheon and then the Triveri fountain. I of course threw a coin in hoping to come back to Rome one day. After speaking with my Grandmother recently though, who had also gone to Rome and thrown the coin in, she said that she had never gone back.... :-(



SATURDAY:

SUNDAY:

Trip to Rome (part 2)

The next day: Saturday June 08 2007

We came. We saw. We Conquered. At least that's how we felt after attending the Great Synagogue for about five minutes. After all, we did need to make our group tour of the Vatican and get there before Bush.

I must remark now how in class we could only imagine how powerful and rich the church was during the 14-17th centuries. After going to the Vatican I can see how much wealth they had. I don't understand why at times they needed to control the masses with their lies at times. During its height the church would denounce the blood libels. Then when the church lost their power due to the Enlightenment they used the blood libels to try and stay in power. For those that don't know a blood libel is the accusation (when specifically referred to Jews) that Jews re-enact the killing of Jesus and use the blood to make Matzot (unleavened cracker(cardboard)-like bread). The victim is always a young, innocent, male.

One case we perused was the story of Simon of Trent. We learned specifically that blood libels occur in border towns or places where one's identity is at question. However, what is equally interesting is that the church had the authority to, "grant a full and free faculty to Christian believers, whether they be secular or ecclesiastical persons, with the remedies or ecclesiastical and other laws, ... [to] compel witnesses to testify concerning the above."

If I had that power I think I would enjoy ruling the world for about a day. It's scary having so much power. No wonder people fought to become the next pope. And come to think about it, if I had that much power I wouldn't imagine that people went against their nature to kill little boys for bread.

Trip to Rome (part 1)

Less and less light illuminated the path. The sun was setting as we hurried past the ancient ruins of what once was one of the strongest empires. We passed the ruins that reminded me of the end of our second temple. With swiftness we raced the sun to reach the synagogue on isola tiberina.

In Rome it would appear that there are four active synagogues! The Jewish community in Rome is ~ 6-10 thousand members. As always a Chabad is present in the town (everywhere you go there is one). We called them up asking for food and were directed in the way of a nice American religious lady whose daughter was not very Italian looking. After services we had a wonderful home cooked meal and began our 45 minute trek back home. Walking along the river we thought it was very pretty; little did we know that the trip back would force us to take a pretty dreadful turn.

We eventually come across several cop cars. We eventually pass walls littered with graffiti. We eventually come to a gypsy trailer park camp and a gang of gypsies. I decided to go to the river and use the restroom when I suddenly fall down a cliff at the river's edge.

BOOM! I land. BOOM! A gun goes off and I lay there on my back with ripped pants and shirt.

"Okay, here's the end," I began to brood, "they will come running and shoot me along the path now..."

Well another shot comes and I hear people yelling. As such I start climbing and get back up to the street. Hurriedly, I call the people I was with and call friends to call them. I make it back and find a taxi with them. We thankfully make it back safely.

Amen! What an interesting shabbos night that was.

Michelangelo

Today we went to the accademia. Yesterday we went to the pini palace. The art was nice. The sculpting was superb. David with his slingshot was nude. Today we don't think much about seeing David nude. We imagined that during the Rennaiscance period people were shocked at his nudity. I wonder how shocked people actually were and when the transition from shock to acceptance came about. I am assuming that as more and more nude statues emerged they were less sensitive to these images... However, in today's day and age we have become accustomed to seeing these images and accept them as art. A rebirth of the ways of old.

Anyway, I'm sure people would like to see some of the photos of the famous David and other statues so here are some that I have enjoyed taking pictures of:


(interesting side note: for the people of Florence, the David was their symbol. For the Medici, Hercules was their symbol.... a means to scare David?? NEVER!)
(these were taken in front of the uffizi)

Trip to Siena

Walking around Florence one comes across a plethora of beautiful sights and art. And then every once in a while we take a tour to another beautiful city. This time we traveled to Siena to see the Jewish ghetto and the old shul. The shul was small, unadorned and on a second level for safety I assume. Unfortunately, the community in Siena is tiny now and even the tour guide's son is worried about having a minyan (quorem) for his bar mitzvah. Imagine being in a developing town that just developed with only 70 persons for moneylending... How the shuls must have developed and the cooperation (if any) that went down...

































After viewing a bit of the ghetto and the shul we then had the oppurtunity to eat with Prof. Coop at a wonderful social rehabilitation center (those of us that didn't abandon ship early).

Some pictures of the city, me leading the way, and the place follow:



We we also decided to play with some of the animals that we met there. Some of them decided that it was their lunch time too!






























And a picture of me (as it is my blog) *a nice view of the ponte vecchio*