Everything about Ben Roma totally explained
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|rels=
Judaism
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Judeo-Italian languages,
Hebrew
|related=
Sephardi Jews,
Ashkenazi Jew
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Bené Roma (Hebrew בני רומא, "Children of Rome") are a community of
Jews who have resided in
Italy for over 2000 years; another name is
Italkim (
Hebrew for "Italians"; pl. of "italki", Middle Hebrew loanword from the Latin adjective "italicu(m)", meaning "Italic", "Latin", "Roman";
italkit is also used in Modern Hebrew as the language name "Italian"). They are regarded as separate from both
Sephardi and
Ashkenazi Jews, though there are also Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities living in Italy: see
Italian Jews.
The Italian Jewish community as a whole has numbered no more than 50,000 since it was fully emancipated in
1870. One of the most famous of Italy's Jews was
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (
1707-
1746) whose written religious and ethical works are still widely studied.
During the Second
Aliyah (between 1904 and 1914) many Italian Jews moved to
Israel, and there's an Italian synagogue and cultural centre in
Jerusalem. (There is also an Italian-rite synagogue in
Istanbul.)
The Bené Roma, as well as those from other communities with long histories of residing in Italy, have traditionally spoken a variety of
Judeo-Italian languages, sometimes collectively referred to in academic literature as
Italkian.
Religious traditions
The customs and religious rites of the
Bené Roma are in some ways a bridge between
Ashkenazi and
Sephardi Jews, showing similarities to both; they're closer still to the customs of the
Romaniotes (native Greek Jews).
In matters of religious law, Italian Jews generally follow the same rules as the Sephardim, in that they accept the authority of
Isaac Alfasi and the
Shulchan Aruch as opposed to the Ashkenazi customs codified by
Moses Isserles (the
Rema). However their liturgy is different from that of both these groups. One reason for this is that Italy was the main centre of early Jewish printing, enabling Italian Jews to preserve their own traditions when most other communities had to opt for a standard "Sephardi" or "Ashkenazi"
prayer-book.
It is often claimed that the Italian prayer-book contains the last remnants of the Judaean/Galilaean Jewish tradition, while both the
Sephardi and, to a lesser extent, the Ashkenazi rites reflect the Babylonian tradition. This claim is quite likely historically, though it's difficult to verify textually as little liturgical material from Eretz Yisrael survives. Additionally, some Italian traditions reflect the Babylonian rite in a more archaic form, in much the same way as the prayer-book of the
Yemenite Jews. Examples are the use of
keter yitenu lach in the
kedushah of all services and of
naḥamenu in
Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) on
Shabbat, all of which are found in the
Siddur of
Amram Gaon.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ben Roma'.
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