Jerusalem Italian Jewish Association: how to support

The Jerusalem Italian Jewish Association is a non-profit organization, whose main aim is to preserve in Israel the culture and treasures of ancient and modern Italian Jewry.

Contributions can be sent to:
"Italian Jews Association"
Bank Hapoalim, account no. 112940, Branch 690,
16 King George Street, Jerusalem

Joint funding is also possible for specific Support Projects or Activities.

Subject to donor’s approval, credit will be given.

Support Projects:

Old Torah Scrolls
Italian Jewish Art
Activities
JIJA Community Premises

Support Projects: Old Torah Scrolls

In the 1960s, when the items presently on display in the Museum were transferred to Israel, ancient Torah Scrolls were also brought.
Since these scrolls are all made of parchment, they were relatively well preserved, but now they need a thorough restoration and proofreading.
The restoration cost per scroll is approximately $ 2,500.

Back To The Top

Support Projects: Saving Italian Jewish Art

In the 1950s and 1960s, through a joint initiative of the Jewish communities in Italy and the Italian community in Israel, many Arks, lecterns, and other synagogue furnishings from as early as the 16th century were transferred from Italy to Israel in order to be saved from destruction. These rare treasures had been abandoned for a long time in deserted synagogues and many of them had been damaged by improper handling or even painting over; sometimes parts had been removed.
During the early stage of the rescue operation, Israel’s Ministry of Religious Affairs assisted in the difficult task of transporting and distributing the objects to synagogues throughout the country. Nevertheless almost forty years later many of them are still suffering under the threat of poor storage and handling and need a thorough restoration.

Restoration work is a lengthy and expensive process that requires extensive resources. The Conservation and Restoration Center has the tenacity and the know-how to pursue the project, but unfortunately it lacks the resources to save these precious items.
The conservation projects break down into two essential stages. In the first stage, attempts to halt the deterioration process and in the second stage, to restore the object to its original beauty and use.

Save these cultural assets, which are of great value both to the State of Israel and to those Diaspora communities that deprived themselves of these treasures in order to see their revival in the Land of Israel.

Restoration of the Ark, the Bimah, and decorative elements of the Senigallia synagogue.

Senigallia is an important commercial city in the Ancona area. A glorious Jewish community lived there in the past.

A synagogue was built in 1634, with elegant furniture which included a Torah Ark and a bimah designed in Italian Baroque style, both unique in their monumental dimensions. The Ark and the bimah were brought to Israel in the 1960s and are now part of the Museum collection.

Both items need a thorough restoration, which will be carried out under the responsability of the Museum’s Restoration Center.
The cost of the materials and restoration work -which includes lathing, carving, carpentry, gold-plating and reconstructing of metal parts- is estimated at around $ 160,000.
After restoration, JIJA plans to hand them over to a synagogue on permanent loan.

Old Textiles
The Museum has a collection of exquisitely embroidered old textiles from Jewish communities in Italy, dating from the Renassaince and Baroque periods, which includes mantles and gartles for the Torah Scrolls and parokhot (Ark’s curtains). Although the Museum’s Restoration Center performs a wonderful conservation work, it cannot afford to do all the work needed on all those important textiles.

An example is a rare, mid-18th century Parokhet (Ark’s curtain) from northern Italy. It was made in Baroque style out of different types of textiles such as velvet, silk brocade and silk damask. It is richly embroidered with different metal threads and decorated with polichrome silk appliques. Many embroidery techniques were used, such as embroidery over a layer of cardboard and using thick, almost three dimensional embroidered elements. It is a unique piece in the Museum because it contains so many different kind of decoration.
The restoration costs for such a precious item is estimated about $ 10,000.

Back To The Top

Support Projects: Activities

Blind children and adults Activities
During the past years, the Museum was adapted to hosting blind visitors, both schoolchildren and adults. Under the direction of professionals from the Center for the Blind obstacles were removed and changes were made, so that the Museum could host the blind and the visually impaired. Special plans were designed for guided tours for this unique population group. The tours include feeling centuries-old items from the Museum collection and listening to Jewish music from the Baroque period that is related to the Museum exhibits.

JIJA would like to invite the blind and the visually impaired to have this unique experience at the Museum for free, by preparing a pamphlet that will be distributed to all schools, clubs and centers for the blind all over the country. The donor’s name will be printed on the brochure itself, unless otherwise indicated. The cost of the brochure’s production and distribution, and of the free guided tours will be around $ 12,000.

New immigrants Activities

We offer new immigrants unique guided tours of the Museum and the Synagogue, with the aim of familiariasing them with Jewish tradition. For many of them, this is the first time they have visited a synagogue and seen Jewish works of art. The tours are guided either in the immigrant’s language (usually Russian) or in easy Hebrew.

JIJA would like to invite new immigrants to visit the Museum free of charge, and -as new immigrants have often some financial problems- it also would like to be able to conduct the guided tours without charge. The Absorption Departments would be contacted throughout the country by means of a pamphlet.
The cost for one year free guided tours, the pamphlet’s production and mailing, and marketing of the project will be around $ 8,600.

Golden Age Club
Every Tuesday, approximately thirty senior citizens get together at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art. The participants are served refreshments, and participate in different cultural activities such as concerts, lectures, films and so on. The Club members are very satisfied with the program and look forward to their weekly meeting. A monthly activity program is also sent out to participants.

The cost of running the Club for one year, including staff, refreshments, equipment, security and administration, amounts to $ 4,200.

Back To The Top

Support Projects: JIJA Community Premises

Renovations and furniture for three rooms to be received from the Jerusalem Municipality.

The building in which the Museum and the Synagogue are located and where all JIJA activities take place are currently owned by Amidar, a government company. JIJA pays a rent, which is quite an expensive burden, to the Municipality, which passes it on to Amidar. JIJA is now due to receive three rooms on the ground floor of the building, as per an agreement with the Municipality.

JIJA would like to find a donor to purchase the building from Amidar, so that the community can expand the museum display areas, build an auditorium, and add more space to the Restoration Institute. Other possibilities include opening a souvenir shop and an Italian-Jewish Restaurant which would introduce the patron to the culinary tradition of Italian Jewry: the unique food of Italian communities, the traditional Holiday table settings, an exhibit of kitchen utensils and so on.

In order to be able to use the three rooms that will be given at the end of this year, JIJA have to renovate and furnish them and install security measures. A room adjacent to the Restoration Center is destined to be used by the Center itself. A second room will be used as a workshop for creative projects by schoolchildren, while a third one will be turned into a storeroom for items from the Museum’s collection.
The total cost of these renovations will be around $ 24,000.

The Women’s Gallery of the Conegliano Veneto Synagogue
The women’s gallery of the Conegliano Veneto Synagogue was built about ten years ago. It was intended to look the way it did in Italy before the synagogue was transferred to Jerusalem.
Because of budgetary constraints, the renovation work focused on the facade of the women’s gallery that overlooks the men’s section and the interior of the gallery was not given the most painstaking treatment. Electrical wiring remained exposed, the air-conditioning units were left out in the open and are unattractive, the drainage from the air-conditioning units was done carelessly, and lighting is poor. Old seats were also used, which do not enhance the women’s gallery.
Care of all the above problems, as well as various painting works and insulation, have to be carried out, both for functional and aesthetic reasons. The cost is likely to reach about $ 30,000.

The Lecture Hall

The ground floor of the building in which the Museum is located (part of the former Schmidt Compound) houses a beautiful arched room exquisitely decorated with murals dating from 1887. This hall is utilised by JIJA for a wide range of cultural and educational activities, such as lectures, concerts, seminars, activities for the elderly, openings of new exhibitions and so on, being used on average six times a week.

The room needs restoration of the murals; renovation of windows, doors and the electrical system; heating installation; proper lighting and furniture. The cost for each intervention varies between $ 7,000 and $ 40,000 and the total cost will be around $ 130,000.

Back To The Top

Home -- About JIJA -- The Museum -- The Conegliano Synagogue -- Conservation and Restoration -- Educational Programs -- The Research Center -- Projects -- Events Program -- Support JIJA -- Publications and Shop -- Contact / Info -- Guestbook -- Links

Site Production: Icons Ltd.