We had the opportunity to visit the Jewish area of Rome. An Italian Jew, Sarah, was our tour guide for two synagogues: the Great Synagogue of Rome and a smaller synagogue sometimes used by the Italian Jewish community and sometimes used by the Libyan Jewish community. It is often shared by both.
Sarah explained that because of various cultural influences, you can find touches of different Jewish traditions throughout the synagogues. One example was not finding a mezuzah on their synagogue. She shared Roman Jewish tradition is to stringently believe the synagogue is holy and gives enough protection, thus not needing a holy object to touch as one enters and leaves. She explained that even if the synagogue is used for other functions, the tradition is no mezuzah for Roman Jewish synagogues.
I still found myself wanting to touch a mezuzah as I left the synagogue, especially as she explained how antisemitism continues to plague Italy. The security was evident and cars cannot drive down the visibly Jewish area. While in Rome, we also heard our own congregants’ stories; those in bomb shelters in Israel, seeking safety, and contemplating how they will get home. Their journeys have been arduous and filled with courage. Jews are also praying for Godly protection; protection for their families and the entire Jewish people. And through each story told, our congregants have ended their messages with “Am Yisrael Chai.”
Mezuzah or not, we are viscerally bound to each other. Our tour guide explained that her son’s bar mitzvah was mere days after October 7th. He trembled as he put on his tefillin, scared about what might happen next—perhaps, to him. But then Sarah explained that her son hasn’t stopped putting on tefillin since. Often, our faith is driven by fear. But her story is a reminder that we push past fear and instead, grasp tradition. We grasp life. We always have and we always will.
Just as we say when we touch the mezuzah and as we saw on the threshold of the Great Synagogue in Rome, “Blessed are you in your coming and blessed are you in your going.” Whether we are in Italy, Israel, or Los Angeles, connected to each other, may we continue to experience blessings of peace wherever we go. Fear is not our primary drive. Rather, may we be blessed to grasp life, over and over again.
Shabbat Shalom
In partnership with The Jewish Journal, you can also find Rabbi Guzik’s blog post HERE.
