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JEWISH Venice

Jewish city story of Venice

The Jewish Story of Venice, Italy

It’s a scene most of us picture when we think of Venice: rows of shiny black gondolas, gently bobbing on the water. Gondoliers in striped jerseys loll against weathered dock posts, drawing lazily on cigarettes as they wait for their next fare. Behind them, across the busy waterway, rises the unmistakable dome of Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Turn around and you’ll be facing the magnificent Doge’s Palace on the fringes of iconic St Mark’s Square. There are few places as beautiful in all of Italy.

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THE BEST OF Venice

Tours

Private Walking Tour: Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto

and 5 other Tours
Guides

Sabrina Scaglianti

and 5 other Guides
Hotels

Hotel Moresco

and 4 other Hotels
Restaurants

Ghimel Garden

and 3 other Restaurants

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אתרים מומלצים Sites to see

Sites

Arte Ebracio Shalom Judaica

This inviting Judaica shop is located in the Venician Jewish ghetto and sells a variety of Jewish decor made in Venice. Their store is filled with silver, Murano glass, crystal, mosaics, and bronze pieces from mezuzot and menorahs to Shabbat candles and Hebrew-emroidered cloth. Arte Ebracio Shalom also creates and sells a variety of unique pieces for shops, museums, and synagogues.
Sites

Ghetto Novissimo

In 1633 the Ghetto Novissimo was added to the existing two ghettos, mainly for the purpose of accommodating Ponentine Jews. Situated at the confluence between the San Girolamo and Ghetto Novo canals, it is the smallest of the three. The area was formed of three blocks of houses, with fine buildings (such as the Treves and Vivante palaces), but did not contain shops or scole. At the end of Calle del Portòn was the gate, which was kept closed.
Sites

New Ghetto (Ghetto Novo)

The Ghetto Novo is the area of the city to which, in 1516, the Jewish population of Venice was forced to move. The first ghetto in Europe, it stands on an island demarcated by the canals of San Girolamo, Ghetto Novo and Battello. It was originally only connected to the city by two gates. Initially, seven hundred Jews of Italian and Central European descent lived there. However, the population expanded rapidly following later waves of migration. The central square (“campo”) is where daily life was played out, with synagogues, workshops, pawnbrokers (note the sign of the Banco Rosso at number 2912) and wells for the water supply. As it could not expand beyond its borders, in order to increase its capacity for accommodation construction in the ghetto began first to become fragmented and then to take a vertical direction, so that some houses were extended up to as many as eight storeys (which was exceptional considering the instability of Venice’s sandy foundations). During the 19th century some buildings were demolished and rebuilt. This is the case of the current seat of the Rest Home, (n° 2874), where inside is preserved the aron of the Scola Mesullamim, which was demolished in the 19th century. On the wall of house number 2874 is the Holocaust Monument (1980). It consists of seven bronze bas-relief plaques depicting scenes from the Holocaust, by sculptor Arbit Blatas. Not far from here, another memorial by the same artist, from 1993, presents on planks of wood the names of the 246 Jews deported from Venice. Of them, only seven would return; a bronze panel depicts them boarding the train carriages. The main square of the Ghetto Novo leads to the first three synagogues and the Jewish museum. Visits: a guided tour of the area is available, visiting three of the five synagogues. This is run by the Jewish Museum of Venice.
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Tours of Venice

Tours

Private Walking Tour: Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto

The Cannaregio & Jewish Ghetto Walking tour takes you off the beaten path through the district of Cannaregio where not many tourists visit. You'll pass palaces, churches, beautiful canals, and bridges as you make your way to the heart of the Cannaregio district where the Jewish Ghetto lies. You will discover homes of famous Venetians and enjoy breathtaking views of the northern lagoon where you will learn about the role the lagoon played in the history of Venice. From the Cannaregio district, the second half of the tour will be exploring the famous Jewish Ghetto, a city within a city. You will learn about the Jewish community that lived here for several centuries and their role in the history of Venice. Entrances to the Jewish museum and synagogues are not included in the tour, but they can be visited after the tour because the tour finishes nearby in the Jewish Ghetto.
Tours

Jewish Ghetto Food Tour

The Jewish Ghetto Food Tour allows you to explore one of the most charming areas of Venice while visiting more than six local eateries. You will visit an old coffee roaster, the Rabbi's house, historic synagogues, and an old traditional bakery where you will be served specialty biscuits and cakes. You will visit several other restaurants where you will taste tradition Jewish-Venetian dishes like Artichoke Bottoms and Sarde al Saor with kosher wine, and specialty pasta dishes. This tour is a fun and tasty way to experience the history, art, and culture of Venice.
Tours

Venice Bites Food Tour — Off The Beaten Path

This tour takes you around the vibrant city of Venice while experiencing the local neighborhoods and local food. Most of the stops you make on this tour are to family-owned businesses as the tour guides try and bring you to best local eateries and not just the places you find in a travel book. Venice offers diverse and unique dining experiences, but if you stay in tourist populated areas, you will only experience the tourist food. The point of Venice Bites Food Tour- Off The Beaten Path, is to get you eating like a local, and it is an experience you won't regret.
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מסעדות בסגנון יהודי JEWISH STYLE RESTAURANTS

Restaurants

Ghimel Garden

Ghimel is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, but the same is true for the Ghetto di G and the gondola G, two elements that identify the Jews of Venice on the one hand and the symbols of the Serenissima on the other. The Ghimel Garden Palace, located at the Papafava palace, offers several rooms for all types of events, ideal for families, couples and organized events (weddings, birthday parties, catering, and Shabbat). For a dairy kosher dining experience head to the Ghimel Garden, sure to satisfy a wide array of cravings with its diverse menu, offering foods ranging from the traditional chickpea-based falafel, to the tomato-heavy stew of Shakshuka, creamy Italian pastas, veggie-rich salads and herb infused fish. Ghimel is vegan and gluten-free friendly. It's menu is infused with Mediterranean and traditional "Jewish cuisine" influences. The family-friendly space is open to business Sunday through Saturday, yet remains closed during Shabbat hours.
Restaurants

Gam Gam

Gam Gam has been serving both local and international customers in Venice for over fifteen years, and is the best-known kosher restaurant in the Jewish hub. The food-gem is renowned for its menu, cultivated from the finest ingredients by its renowned house chef, its laid-back atmosphere, and more-than-friendly staff. The spot retains in authenticity with a ‘resident Venetian’ – a staff member whose local blood runs deep, tracing back to the Venetian Jewish community of the 15th century. Nestled in the former Jewish ghetto with a canal-front view is Gam Gam, Venice’s first Kosher eatery and brainchild of Orthodox Jews originally from New York. The restaurant opens its doors to customers Sunday through Friday for lunch and dinner, drawing in crowds with their diverse menu offerings, ranging from Mediterranean Middle Eastern foods, to traditional Italian and Spanish dishes. What’s more, you can relax at one of our outdoor tables and enjoy the view of the Guglie Bridge on the beautiful Cannaregio Canal, which flows into the Grand Canal. Far beyond the amazing food and view, since its opening in 1996, GAM GAM has been dedicated to preserving an active Jewish life in the world’s first Ghetto, this important part of Venetian history. Every time you eat in GAM GAM, you are becoming a part of living history.
Restaurants

Panificio Volpe Giovanni

Nestled in the streets of the Jewish Ghetto is Bakery Volpe, a kosher bakery sure to evoke similarity to any traditional New York kosher eatery with its pastry and baked-goods offerings. Located in the Cannaregio sestieri district of Venice, the bakery is of high-quality and superb-taste. Its offerings include traditional Venetian pastries such as fruit-filled "Orecchiette di Amman," an s-shaped “Bisce,” and the donut shaped “Zuccherini,” and “Sweet Azime.” The bakery shuts its doors on Saturday’s – so make sure to head to the bakery any time on Monday through Friday to fulfill your sweet-tooth cravings.
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מדריכים בעיר CITY GUIDES

Guides

Sabrina Scaglianti

Sabrina was born and raised in Venice and has always been interested in the anthropology of traveling and tourism. She has worked in the tourism business since the early 90's, mainly working as a guide in Venice, but she also leads seminars and volunteers for A.F.S. and the European Federation for Intercultural Learning. Sabrina offers a variety of tours for groups with a variety of interests. 
Guides

Luisella Romeo

Luisella has worked as a registered tour guide in Venice since May 2000, when she was officially certified by the Regione Veneto. She is also a member of the Association of Registered Tourist Guides in Venice and the National Association of Tourist Guides in Italy. After graduating from the University in Venice Ca’ Foscari with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, she traveled abroad where she continued to study art and history. Luisella loves meeting people from around the world and hearing their different perspectives. She loves working as a tour guide and is looking forward to helping you discover Venice. 
Guides

Fiona Guisto

Fiona was born and raised in the beautiful city of Venice where she attended school and graduated with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature from Ca’ Foscari university. She started working as a professional guide in Spring 2000 after obtaining her licence from the Regione Veneto. Since then, she has worked with clients from around the world leading tours in art and Venetian palaces, by foot and on boats, and to both classical sights and hidden gems around the city. 
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קראו עוד בלוגים וספרים אלקטרוניים READ MORE BLOGS AND EBOOKS

World Jewish Travel Official August 31, 2022

The Jewish Story of Venice, Italy

The Jewish Story of Venice, Italy It’s a scene most of us picture when we think of Venice: rows of shiny black gondolas, gently bobbing on the water. Gondoliers in striped jerseys loll against weathered dock posts, drawing lazily on cigarettes as they wait for their next fare. Behind them, across the busy waterway, rises the unmistakable dome of Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Turn around and you’ll be facing the magnificent Doge’s Palace on the fringes of iconic St Mark’s Square. There are few places as beautiful in all of Italy.

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Summary
Venetian Heritage and the Jewish Community of Venice first started working together on the treasures of the Ghetto of Venice's restoration by Venetian Heritage and the exhibitions about them recently put on in New York, Houston, and Venice. This collaboration is ready to be revived in 2016 for the 500-year anniversary of Venice's Jewish Ghetto's foundation. A preliminary project is planned to reorganize the museum's architectural space and its functions.
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Summary
While Jews did not settle in Venice until the 13th century, many Jewish merchants and moneylenders visited and worked in the city beginning with the 10th century. Little by little, and despite alternating moments of “permission” and “prohibition”, the number and importance of Jews in Venice grew considerably, so much that on March 29, 1516, the Republic of Venice found it necessary to enact a decree to organize their presence.
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Summary
After the book signing (“It Happened in Italy”) an extraordinarily moving lecture by Elizabeth Bettina and that of one of the holocaust survivors, Ursula Korn-Selig, at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on May 6, I began to wonder why everyone seemed surprised that Italians had saved over 30,000 Jews during the holocaust.
World Jewish Travel Official October 7, 2022

Remembering the World's First Jewish Ghetto

Not a year goes by without a tourist walking into the Venice Ghetto asking where the concentration camps are or were. This question, unfortunately, reflects a lack of understanding as to why the Venice Ghetto was founded on March  29, 1516 and maintained for centuries–all of which had nothing to do with the Holocaust. That is not to say that the Venice Ghetto was not involved in the Holocaust. It was decimated by the Nazis in 1943 when most of its inhabitants perished in the Auschwitz concentration camp. It never recovered until this very day when only 20 Jews now live in the Ghetto itself. Two memorials, The Last Train and The Holocaust Memorial Wall, situated in the Ghetto Square bear witness to this tragedy.

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Hotels in Venice

Hotels

Hotel Moresco

Hotel Moresco has been designed to make your stay unforgettable. With an elegant garden and relaxing study, you'll find plenty of places to have a drink and unwind from a long day exploring the city or at work. In the study, you'll find a cozy leather armchair where you can sip on a glass of wine in front of a warm fireplace. By picking up one of the many books in the library, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating history of Venice. You could explore the hotel and hang out all day, but don't forget to check out the city as well, and Hotel Moresco will be waiting for you when you return.
Hotels

Ca Sagredo Hotel

The 15th-century palace, that is Ca Sagredo Hotel, was declared a national monument and functions today as a museum, luxury hotel, and noble residence. Inside you will find a magnificent ballroom and beautiful marble staircase, and outside you can view the wonderful canal and the historical Rialto Market. The hotel’s 42 Venetian styled rooms and suites are sights to behold in themselves, filled with and calming and inviting atmosphere. Don't forget to take time to dine in the waterside L'Alcova restaurant with terrace over the Grand Canal. The restaurant follows a "Back to Nature" approach, serving a tasty variety of Venetian dishes from fresh ingredients and local sources.
Hotels

Hotel Londra Palace

At Hotel Londra Palace, you get all of the luxury and character of a historic hotel with the highest quality amenities and top services. The hotel's 100 windows have been overlooking the San Marco Basin for over 140 years, and the hotel contains 53 unique rooms. Besides the Sam Marco Basin, there is also an outstanding view of the Venetian Lagoon and the historic city's bell towers and rooftops. Loris Indri is the artistic chef of Do Leoni, the hotel's traditional yet innovative restaurant that provides exceptional dining services. The hotel is also just moments away from Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Signs, but is easily accessible to the rest of the city by water buses and taxis which can be found opposite the hotel.
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