18 Synagogues, all Orthodox, is Unsettling

Visiting the Great Synagogue of Rome was unsettling.

It's a beautiful building with a fascinating history, which amazingly survived both Fascist Mussolini and Nazi occupation remaining intact for 120 years. The building's interior is unlike any other synagogue I've seen before, with its fantastic museum and centuries old collection of Judaica (including textiles) only contributing to its beauty and spiritual significance. There's also a small Sephardic Synagogue located in the basement, roped off, where only Jews are permitted access (according to another group's guide).

I was unsettled.

During the building tour our group was brought up to men's section of the main synagogue, where Maureen asked a wonderful question about tradition practiced in the synagogue and was told they were Orthodox, and neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic (even though there was a Sephardic Temple in the basement) but practice their own historic rite. A further question followed about other traditions practiced amongst Rome's Jews and the tour guide responded there are 18 synagogues in Rome, all Orthodox.

I was unsettled.

She went on to literally wave off any mention of other Jewish traditions practiced in Rome and said she had heard a more progressive Synagogue started but knew nothing of it. When I questioned her one-on-one about any Reformed synagogues in Rome she told me that was an American thing.

I was unsettled.

However, being unsettled isn't necessarily a negative thing and reflecting on our tour guides responses and my reactions, I can see I was being confronted by my own biases about Jewish religious practice. As we've discussed several times in class over the past weeks, dialogue demands an openness and willingness to listen and as I've learned through that encounter this includes engaging with members of your own tradition.

Immediately after my encounter with our tour guide, I questioned how much religious diversity there was in Rome when the city has 18 synagogues and all are Orthodox. I still ask this question, but recognise it's filtered through the lens of my Canadian-secular-Jewish experience.

I'm still unsettled, but understand I need to do more reading and more thinking to get underneath why I continue to feel this way. That's the nature of dialogue.

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