This two-part series will focus on a history of the Italian Jews. There have been Jews living in that region continuously since at least the time of the Maccabbean revolt in the Holy Land, and probably earlier. Their history is quite different and generally more benign that that of the Jews from central and eastern Europe.

Part 1 will focus on the long period from early Roman times through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Rather than bogging down in minute details, we will read a series of stories that illustrate the evolving position of the Jews, how they were viewed over time and the roles that they played.

Tickets for Part 2 are available here.

George Sacerdote is a first generation American of Italian Jewish descent., Branches of his family have lived in Italy since Roman times, while others arrived in the 1400s, mostly from Spain. After careers in academia and management consulting, George has set about documenting his family’s history and the broader history of the Italian Jews. It is a history that differs markedly from that of the majority of American Jews, most of whom trace the ancestry back to Eastern Europe. He has written three books on the subject and given lectures at synagogues and other Jewish Institutions.