Synagogues the world over are filled with Hebrew inscriptions, on their walls, over the ark, on the bimah, over the doorway, as part of ritual objects… But many — if not most — people who visit synagogues may not know what these inscriptions mean.
The Jewish Museum in Venice is trying to rectify that, with a regular feature on its Facebook page that each week translates (into Italian) one of the many inscriptions found in the city’s historic synagogues.
The Museum was founded in 1953 by the Venice Jewish Community.
Located on the main square (or campo) of the historic Venice ghetto, it features an exhibition of precious ritual objects and other material, but a tour of the museum also includes a visit to some of the five jewel-like 16th century synagogues located on the upper floors of Ghetto buildings.
Since 1990, the Museum complex (with synagogues) has been managed by Coopculture, a cultural operator that also manages several other Jewish museums and heritage sites in Italy, including in Florence, Pisa, and Siena.
Each Wednesday the Venice Jewish Museum Facebook page posts a photo of an inscription from one of the synagogues, with its Italian translation. Most of the posts include explanatory notes that put the inscriptions in historical or ritual context.
These posts are meant to create a connection between the Museum and its users, to share the history and heritage of Jewish Venice, and to expand knowledge among people who have already visited these places but haven’t had the chance to examine the inscriptions in depth during their guided tour, Roberta Favia, Coopculture project supervisor in Venice, told JHE.
The posts also aim to shed light on the Hebrew language itself – something, she said, which has garnered positive feedback from users.
According to Ilia Rodov, head of the Jewish Art department at the Bar-Ilan University in Israel, Hebrew inscriptions in synagogues fulfill many roles.
“Hebrew terms, conventional phrases, or biblical passages designate the function, ritual hierarchy, and orientation of architectural spaces,” he wrote in an article on Hebrew inscriptions in Jewish art. In addition, he wrote, “Hebrew lettering– often in decorative settings – instructs observers regarding decorum in synagogues and due treatment of ritual objects” [and] “Hebrew liturgical and halakhic texts quoted on walls, ceilings, or floors refer to the synagogue building as a venue of religious service and collective prayer.”
The inscriptions themselves do not necessarily note the sources of the quoted passage.
The Museum’s Facebook series began on July 10, 2019, with the translation of the Biblical passage Deuteronomy 10:12, found inside and over the door of the Scola Canton synagogue, which was built in 1531-32 and has internal decorations dating back to the late baroque period that feature eight wooden panels with biblical episodes, and an ornate wooden Ark.
The passage reads in English: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Posts about the Great German Scola, built in 1528 and the oldest synagogue of the Ghetto, have focused on translations of the Ten Commandments found on the back of the doors of the Ark.
The Commandments are a feature in many synagogues, and the post introduces the translation with an explanatory note explaining that they are commonly listed using brief abbreviations of each one.
Other Hebrew inscriptions that have been translated include ones from both the interior and exterior of the biggest Venice synagogue, the Spanish Scola, built around 1555 and remodeled in 1635.
This synagogue is still in use by the local community; its Ark and the Bimah stand in front of each other at the two extremities of the rectangular sanctuary, with the pews facing each other from across the two sides and the women’s gallery above.
“If last week we discussed an inscription inside the Spanish Scola, today we go out and admire the exterior of this beautiful place,” wrote the post on December 4, 2019.
“Above the main entrance of this synagogue we read: אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה, “asher yoshvei veitekha ‘od yehallelukha sélah”. This phrase, taken from the fifth verse of Psalm 84, can be translated as follows: ‘Happy are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.’”
We look forward to future posts in this series — and hope that other museums and synagogues might follow suit!