Italkim
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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") is the modern Hebrew term for Jews who have historically resided in Italy. They traditionally call themselves Bené Roma. Despite a continuous presence for over 2000 years, the Italian Jewish community, known as Italkim, 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.
Italkim were very much a part of the Second Aliyah and many of them moved to Israel between 1904 and 1914.
The Italkim have traditionally spoken a variety of Judeo-Italian languages, sometimes collectively referred to as Italkian.
[edit] Religious traditions
The customs and religious rites of Italkim are in some ways a bridge between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, showing similarities to both. Recent genetic tests have shown that Italkim are more closely related to Ashkenazi Jews.[citation needed]
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. However their liturgy is different from that of both the main groups. One reason for this was 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 sometimes claimed that the Italian prayer-book contains the last remnants of the Palestinian Jewish tradition, while both the Sephardi and, to a lesser extent, the Ashkenazi rites reflect the Babylonian tradition. In fact many 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 nahamenu in Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) on Shabbat.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Siddùr Benè Romì (in Italian)
