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In 1906, Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch (1881-1955)
visited Florence and persuaded the head of the
Jewish community, Rabbi Shmuel Zvi Margulies
(1858-1922), to establish the Pro-Falasha Committee.
In 1907, 43 Rabbis-Sefardi and Ashkenazi alike-
wrote a
responsum to a letter written by Beta Israel
priests brought by
Dr. Faitlovitch to Florence.
Rabbi Margulies wanted to set up a teacher’s seminar
for the Beta Israel in order to combat missionary
activity; the Florence Jewish community adopted
Taamrat Emmanuel and other pupils brought by Dr.
Faitlovitch. The SOSTEJE 2007 Florence international conference
to take
place October 7-10, 2007 will mark the 100th
anniversary since the publication of the letter to
the Beta Israel priests. The Institute of Semitic
Studies is co-sponsoring the meeting together with
the Vigevani Fund, the Faculty of Humanities, the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Papers are invited for the conference which will
take place in Florence on the following themes :
•Italian-Ethiopian Jewish relations
•Rabbi Margulies and his work for the Beta Israel
•Ethiopian Jews/Beta Israel and religion
•Dr. Faitlovich and the Pro-Falasha Committee
•Taamrat Emmanuel and Dr. Faitlovitch’s other pupils
•Rabbinic responsa on the Beta Israel
•Carlo Alberto Viterbo's 1936 visit to the Beta Israel
•The spiritual state of the Beta Israel- then and now
•Missionary activity among the Beta Israel
•Relations between Ethiopian Jews, Israel and the Diaspora
•The education of the Ethiopian Jews
With a view to a future publication around a common
theme, it is requested that lecturers relate as far
as possible in their introduction and conclusion to
the 1907 letter or the works of Dr. Faitlovitch and
Rabbi Margulies, even if they are presenting on
contemporary issues. The conference organizing
committee consists of Shalva Weil
(Chairperson), Lionella Viterbo (Coordinator),
Michael Corinaldi, Bat-Zion Eraqi-Klorman, Simha
Getahon, Shlomo Akale, Michael Glatzer, Gadi
Ben-Ezer and Anita Nudelman.
The Conference Honorary Board consists of Rabbi
Joseph Levi (Chairman), Lionella Viterbo
(Coordinator) and Maria Modena. The conference academic committee is composed of
Ephraim Isaac (Chairperson), Emanuela Trevisan Semi,
Michael Corinaldi, Ruby Newman, Bat-Zion
Eraqi-Klorman, Vittorio Morabito and Shalva Weil.
The academic student committee is composed of
Bat-Zion Eraqi-Klorman, Simha
Getahon and Anita Nudelman. |
