Italy -- Jewish Book Festival, Ferrara

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

I spent Sunday afternoon at the big Festival of the Jewish Book in Italy. A beautiful, sunny spring day, lots of books (all in Italian, issued by Italian publishers), lots of people....

Sign for the Jewish book festival outside the cathedral. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

most of the action, including talks, "debates", food-tasting and schmoozing,

Schmoozing at the festival. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

took place in a graceful cloister in the historic city center near the castle,

An event at the book festival. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

but I took in several linked exhibitions, including one that displayed all the 52 entries (including the winner by the Bologna-based Studio Arco-Architettura) for the building design of the National Museum of Italian Jewish and the Shoah (MEIS) now in development, which will occupy the building of an old prison in Ferrara.

Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber