Barbara Aiello
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Barbara Aiello was the first Rabbi
of Synagogue Lev Chadash in Milan
, Italy
. Aiello is the first female Rabbi in Italy and has served as the head of Italy's first Reform
synagogue.
, was born in the United States
as a first-generation Italian-American whose origins lie in the Calabria
n village of Serrastretta
(where her father worked with the Partigiani during World War II
). Aiello is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania
, and received her Masters Degree from George Washington University
.
, in New York City
. In 2004, she was named the first Rabbi of Synagogue Lev Chadash, the first Reform synagogue
in Italy, and in 2005, she conducted the first Passover Seder
in Sicily
(in Palermo
) since the 1493 expulsion of the Jews from Sicily
. She currently heads the Jewish Culture and Hebrew Language Institute, a body dedicated to the study of Jewish history in Calabria. In 2007, with the help of Rabbi Aiello, Calabria consecrated the opening of its first synagogue in 500 years. The Ner Tamid del Sud Synagogue in the town of Serrastretta
serves the regional Jewish community.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of Synagogue Lev Chadash in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Aiello is the first female Rabbi in Italy and has served as the head of Italy's first Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
synagogue.
Early life
Rabbi Barbara Aiello, whose family descends from Spanish/Italian AnusimAnusim
Anusim is a legal category of Jews in halakha who were forced or coerced to abandon Judaism against their will, typically while forcibly converted to another religion...
, was born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a first-generation Italian-American whose origins lie in the Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
n village of Serrastretta
Serrastretta
Serrastretta is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The town is bordered by Amato, Decollatura, Feroleto Antico, Lamezia Terme, Miglierina, Pianopoli, Platania and San Pietro Apostolo....
(where her father worked with the Partigiani during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). Aiello is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
, and received her Masters Degree from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
Career as a Rabbi
She was ordained as a Rabbi by the Rabbinical Seminary InternationalRabbinical Seminary International
The Rabbinical Seminary International is a rabbinical seminary located in New York City. RSI was founded in 1955 by the Hungarian Hasidic Rabbi and Kabbalist Dr. Joseph H. Gelberman, a graduate of City University of New York and Yeshiva University, who is also known as a pioneer in...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 2004, she was named the first Rabbi of Synagogue Lev Chadash, the first Reform synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Italy, and in 2005, she conducted the first Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
) since the 1493 expulsion of the Jews from Sicily
Expulsion of the Jews from Sicily
The expulsion of the Jews from Sicily began in 1493 when the Spanish Inquisition reached the island of Sicily and its Jewish population of more than 30,000 Jews.-History of the Sicilian Jews:...
. She currently heads the Jewish Culture and Hebrew Language Institute, a body dedicated to the study of Jewish history in Calabria. In 2007, with the help of Rabbi Aiello, Calabria consecrated the opening of its first synagogue in 500 years. The Ner Tamid del Sud Synagogue in the town of Serrastretta
Serrastretta
Serrastretta is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The town is bordered by Amato, Decollatura, Feroleto Antico, Lamezia Terme, Miglierina, Pianopoli, Platania and San Pietro Apostolo....
serves the regional Jewish community.