CPL together with Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò, and the Departments of Italian and History at New York University present semiannual seminars intended to develop academic resources in English for the study of Italian Jewish history and culture.

The history of Italian Jews is generally absent from the curricula of Italian studies in the US and is only marginally featured in the Jewish Studies programs.

Italian Jews, the oldest minority in Europe, have lived in the peninsula since Roman times. A full appreciation of their impact both locally and as liaisons to other cultures is strictly linked to that of Italian history and requires access to an extraordinary trove of primary sources and secondary literature that are often unavailable in English.

Italian departments and their collaboration with Judaic studies programs can therefore provide an indispensable context for teaching Italian Jewish history and culture.
Seminars in Italian Jewish History are also available at UCLA – Center for Judaic Studies through the Viterbi Family Program in Mediterranean Jewish Studies – www.cjs.ucla.edu