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Venetian Ghetto
Main article: History of the Jews in Venice

The Venetian Ghetto was the area of Venice in which Jews were forced to live by the government of the Venetian Republic. The English word ghetto is derived from the Jewish ghetto in Venice. The Venetian Ghetto was instituted on 29 March 1516 by decree of Doge Leonardo Loredan and the Venetian Senate. It was not the first time that Jews in Venice were compelled to live in a segregated area of the city. In 1555, Venice had 160,208 inhabitants, including 923 Jews, who were mainly merchants.

Between 1541 and 1633, the Ghetto Vecchio and Ghetto Nuovo were made to accommodate the increase in Jewish immigration, but the total number of Jews in Italy did not exceed 25,000. The Jewish community in Venice didn't exceed 5,000 until the early seventeenth century.

In 1797, the French Army of Italy, commanded by the 28-year-old General Napoleon Bonaparte, occupied Venice, forced the Venetian Republic to dissolve itself on 12 May 1797, and ended the ghetto's separation from the city on the 11th of July of the same year. In the 19th century, the ghetto was renamed the Contrada dell'unione.

Etymology
The origins of the name ghetto (ghèto in the Venetian language) are disputed. Among the theories are:


 * ghetto comes from "giotto" or "geto", meaning "foundry", since the first Jewish quarter was near a foundry that once made cannons; ghetto, from Italian getto, which is the act of, or the resulting object from, pouring molted metal into a mold, as old state foundries existed in this city quarter
 * ghetto formerly meant "street" (like German Gasse, Swedish gata, and Gothic gatwo)
 * ghetto comes from borghetto, diminutive of borgo, meaning "little town"
 * ghetto is related to the Hebrew word get, meaning a divorce document.
 * ghetto is a play on ghet which was slang for waste, furthering the second class location and status of Jews in Venice.

The Oxford University Press etymologist Anatoly Liberman 2009 reviewed many theories and concluded that all were speculative.

Donatella Calabi, faculty member of IUAV University Venice, Architecture, Construction and Conservation, argued in the documentary Venice and the Ghetto (2017, Klaus T. Steindl) that ghetto comes from the Italian word gettare [dʒet·ˈta:·re] which means "throw away", because the area was before then a waste dump for foundries. The first Jewish arrivals were German and they pronounced the word [ˈɡɛto] - the spelling followed ("h" after "g" changes [dʒ] to [ˈɡ]). The same opinion was published in her book ''Venezia e il ghetto. Cinquecento anni del "recinto deli ebrei"''. Marcella Ansaldi, director of the Jewish Museum of Venice, endorses this theory in a history video.

The author of Ghetto: The History of a Word, Daniel B. Schwartz, endorses the theories that the term ghetto did not emerge as a result of Jewish resident segregation, but rather, that the word is a relic of a history that preceded the arrival of the Jewish residents. Schwartz states that the strongest argument in support of this is how the original area to which Jews were restricted was called the Ghetto Nuovo, and not the Ghetto Vecchio. "Were it otherwise, one would expect that the first site of the Jewish enclosure would have been known as the 'Old Ghetto' and the subsequent addition as the 'New Ghetto.'"

Historical Context
Before the establishment of the Ghetto Jews and Christians lived alongside each other throughout Venice. The War of the League of Cambrai created unprecedented conditions that allowed Jews and Christians to coexist next to each other. It was a tolerated coexistence but not a welcomed one by the Christians.

Many Jews came to Venice in 1509, fleeing Mestre and Padua in hopes of finding refuge. Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France, and Ferdinand from Spain were allies against Venice. At the time a Jewish settlement did not exist in Venice. However, Jews living in areas such as Mestre and Padua were caught in the fray of battle, and their homes became battlefields. Many Jews living in these areas were successful moneylenders so they came to Venice in hopes of protection. Soon a large influx of Jews arrived in Venice, creating a strain on its resources with the looming danger of plague.

In 1511 Jews living in Venice were forced to wear yellow barettas in order to identify themselves as Jews. A Baretta is a yellow head covering which is highly visible. Any Jew who was found not wearing a Baretta would be forced to pay a fine of fifty ducats and one month in jail.

The purpose of the barettas was to degrade Jews. The color yellow was an intentional choice, as it was also used to easily identify prostitutes, pimps, and was even associated with Judas. Sex workers and Jews were identified with the same color because they had the same social status in Venetian society. They were both seen as “untouchables” and second-class citizens. The barettas helped further other and dehumanize both groups from greater Venetian society. Judas is often depicted and illustrated wearing yellow garb. This is because the connotation of the color yellow is its association with traitors. Both Judas and Jews were seen as traitors in Venetian Christian society. Judas is even depicted with stereotypical Jewish characteristics including: “a long, hooked nose, sunken cheeks, elongated eyes, and pointed beard.”

Some Jews attempted to get away with not wearing Baretta by claiming they were wearing yellow circles of spun fiber. This forced the government to change the defining parameters “in the future in addition to being the size of a bread costing four denarii, was also to yellow braided rope a finger in width i.e., thickness” (Ravid).

As Jews continued to become vital parts of Venetian society and economy, without them they could not function properly. “[Venetian leaders were faced with an] uncomfortable truth: Venetians needed the Jews, as money-lenders to the poor, as an important source of tax money and forced loans, and as pawnbrokers holding considerable Venetian property in pledge. In short, Venetians wanted to be rid of the Jews, yet could not do without them” (Finlay). This quote perfectly encapsulates the dynamic between Jews and Christians in Venice. Venetians did not want Jews living among them but they had become such an integral part of life that it was almost impossible to remove them.

The intention behind the ghetto was not to persecute the Jews, it was to cast them away and attempt to remove them from society as much as possible. Venetians did not want to kill or exterminate Jews. Despite seeing them as threats to Christianity Venetians just wanted Jews to leave, out of sight out of mind.

Timeline

 * November 25th 1385: Senate issued a Condotta which allowed Jews to be involved with finance in Venice.
 * August 27th 1394: Senate announces that after the expiration of the 10 year charter (from 1385) Jews are not allowed to lend money in Venice anymore.
 * Jews were also not allowed to stay in Venice for more than 15 days at a time.
 * Any Jews who entered Venice had to affix a yellow circle to their clothing on top of their chest.
 * 1409: The Great Council reiterates the requirement to wear a yellow circle.
 * December 10th, 1508 - 1510: The War of the League of Cambrai
 * 1511: Reaffirmed legislation that forced Jews to wear yellow berettas in order to identify themselves.
 * 1513: Jewish Moneylenders and dealers in second-hand goods (strazzaria) were officially allowed to reside in the city.
 * Officially cleared Jews to conduct business in the city.
 * April 23rd, 1515: Government proposes that Jews be moved to Zueca (modern day Giudecca). However, after much protest it was pushed back.
 * March 26th 1516: Zacharia Dolfin spread Anti-Semetic rumors claiming that the Jewish community was committing illegal acts of worship. He suggested that the Jews should be sent to Ghetto Nuovo.
 * The Doge and counselors responded positively to this proposal.
 * Many Jews objected to no avail, introducing the proposal to the senate.
 * March 29th, 1516: Legislation was placed in front of the Senate where it was passed.
 * It established that Jews could only live in Venice for 15 days out of the year.
 * It forced the Jews to vacate Venice and move to the Ghetto.
 * Jews were also forced to pay a 30% increase in rent.
 * July 1541: The Ghetto Vecchio is established.
 * It is established because the Ghetto Nuovo could not house the sudden increase of Levantine Jews migrating.
 * August 3rd, 1560: Jews are required to block their canal-side view on the Ghetto Vecchio buildings.
 * The Cinque Savi alla Mercanzia (Board of Trade) forced Jews to wall up windows, balconies, and doors.
 * These measures were implemented in order to prevent visual contact between Jews and Christians.
 * January 15th 1629: Senate passed legislation that reestablished the ban on Jewish access to the Rive.
 * “Rives are the private embankments used to transfer merchandise from the canals to the city’s buildings (Katz).”
 * 2016: 500th Year anniversary of the Ghetto.

Location and Geography
The Ghetto is an area of the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice, divided into the Ghetto Nuovo ("New Ghetto"), and the adjacent Ghetto Vecchio ("Old Ghetto"). These names of the ghetto sections are misleading, as they refer to an older and newer site at the time of their use by the foundries: in terms of Jewish residence, the Ghetto Nuovo is actually older than the Ghetto Vecchio. The ghetto was connected to the rest of the city by two bridges that were only open during the day. Gates were opened in the morning at the ringing of the marangona, the largest bell in St. Mark's "Campanile" (belfry), and locked in the evening. Permanent, round-the-clock surveillance of the gates occurred at the Jewish residents' expense. Strict penalties were to be imposed on any Jewish resident caught outside after curfew. Areas of Ghetto Nuovo that were open to the canal were to be sealed off with walls, while outward facing quays were to be bricked over in order to make it impossible for unauthorized entry or exit. The area that was considered to be Ghetto Vecchio later on, was once an area where Christians lived and once the Christians relocated, the area became available for non-Venetian Jewish merchants to stay while working in the city temporarily.

The Ghetto not only physically separated Jews from Venice it also cast Jews out culturally. "It not only instituted a discriminatory regime of forced residency for Jews but also created a Jewish space in the city. That Jewish space would soon take on characteristic architectural features, becoming a highly visible and easily recognizable neighborhood in the Venetian cityscape." Jews were outcasts in the Ghetto, the style of architecture used further alienated the Jewish community from Venetian life.

Role of Architecture
In addition to the Ghetto's remote location, it also isolated and separated the Jews from Venice through its architecture. Visibly the Ghetto stuck out, it looked nothing like the surrounding buildings. The Ghettos stood almost three stories taller than any of the other buildings in Venice. The Ghettos were constructed to house Jews after the decree passed on March 29th, 1516.

The windows of the Ghetto served as both a physical and social separation. Windows served as a device to peer into the “others” in this case the Jews. There was a clear divide between who was on the other side of the glass. Windows were used to “protect” the citizens of Venice from the horrors that lay on the other side, in this case, the Jews. Not only were the Jews separated from greater Venetian life, their way of life was restricted. Jews living in the Ghetto Vecchio were barred from establishing banks and shops despite the Ghetto Nuovo having them. Jews in the Ghetto were forced to be locked in when the sun set.

Those living in the Ghetto Vecchio were forced to board up their windows, balconies, and doors. This was enforced to prevent potentially “inconveniencing” neighboring Christians and disturb their “serenity.” The windows help perpetuate this narrative of “us” and “them” between Christians and Jews in Venice. Limiting the ability to look outside your window meant that views became a privilege, not a right.

Windows allowed authorities to monitor and suppress religious rituals. Jews living in the ghetto were accused of committing acts against Jesus in their basements, which was seen as a threat to Christianity by officials. The Ghetto helps mitigate and reduce the exposure to Judaism, thus reducing the risk of deviant behavior. Boarding up and blocking the windows was also seen as a physical manifestation of the rejection of Christianity but more specifically, Christ.

In Venice in the 15th century, the typical height of a building was three or four floors. The ghettos shattered that norm, standing up to nine stories tall. This was due to overcrowding and overpopulation. This visual divide between Jews and Christians added to the religious differences creating a clear physical demarcation between their place of residence. The irony of the ghetto is that despite the separation of Jews they had a panoramic view of the city and Venetians. Something that no one else had.

The ghetto was surrounded by a gate which was opened at dawn and closed at sundown. There was a Christian guard that patrolled 24/7, which was funded by the Jews inside the ghetto. The guard vigilantly watched the Jews. The authorities of Venice wanted to continue to control what the Jews had visual access to. This was in hopes of attempting to define the intangible, the borders of the city.

The authorities of Venice wanted to continue to control what the Jews had visual access to. This was in hopes of attempting to define the intangible, the borders of the city. The close quarters of those living in the ghetto were threatening their ability to survive in the ghetto. It threatened the health of the inhabitants while undermining its structural integrity.

The establishment of the ghetto cemented the dehumanization of the Jewish people living in Venice. The ghetto served as a space for Jews to be observed like objects on a shelf. Constantly surveilling and watching their next move. Soon the role Jews played in Venetian society changed from participants to observers. They had become so physically and socially removed from daily life.

Culture Within the Ghetto
Though it was home to a large number of Jews, the population living in the Venetian Ghetto never assimilated to form a distinct, "Venetian Jewish" ethnicity. Four of the five synagogues were clearly divided according to ethnic identity: separate synagogues existed for the German (the Scuola Grande Tedesca), Italian (the Scuola Italiana), Spanish and Portuguese (the Scuola Spagnola), and Levantine Sephardi communities (the Scuola Levantina). The fifth, the Scuola Canton, was possibly built as a private synagogue and also served the Venetian Ashkenazi community. Today, there are also other populations of Ashkenazic Jews in Venice, mainly Lubavitchers who operate a kosher food store, a yeshiva, and a Chabad synagogue. Despite the different ethnic identities Venetian society still saw all the different cultures as nothing more than Jews. They were all ostracized from greater Venetian society. Despite the different ethnic identities Venetian society still saw all the different cultures as nothing more than Jews. Regardless, they were all ostracized from greater Venetian society.

Languages historically spoken in the confines of the Ghetto include Venetian, Italian, Judeo-Spanish, French, and German.[citation needed] In addition, Hebrew was traditionally (and still is) used on signage, inscriptions, and for official purposes such as wedding contracts (as well as, of course, in religious services). Today, English is widely used in the shops and the Museum because of the large number of English-speaking tourists.

A large portion of the culture of the Venetian Ghetto was the struggle that existed for Jews to travel outside of the ghetto, especially for employment purposes. Life in the Venetian Ghetto was very restricted, and movement of Jews outside of the ghetto was difficult. Inspired by lives of Jewish merchants outside of Venice, Rodriga, a prominent Jewish Spanish merchant, took on the role of advocating for Venetian Jews to have rights similar to others in different locations. Rodriga cited that Jews played a part in the Italian economy which could not be ignored. In return for the changing of Jewish restrictions, Rodriga promised that the Venetian economy and commerce would increase.

The Ghetto Today
Today, the Ghetto is still a center of Jewish life in the city. The Jewish community of Venice, that counts about 450 people, is culturally active, although only a few members live in the Ghetto because the area has become expensive.

Every year, there is an international conference on Hebrew Studies, with particular reference to the history and culture of the Veneto. Other conferences, exhibitions and seminars are held throughout the course of the year.

The temples not only serve as places of worship but also provide lessons on the sacred texts and the Talmud for both children and adults, along with courses in Modern Hebrew, while other social facilities include a kindergarten, an old people's home, the kosher guest house Rimon Place, the kosher restaurant Ba Ghetto Venezia, and the bakery Volpe. Along with its architectural and artistic monuments, the community also boasts a Museum of Jewish Art, the Renato Maestro Library and Archive and the new Info Point inside the Midrash Leon da Modena.

In the Ghetto area there is also a yeshiva, several Judaica shops, and a Chabad synagogue run by Chabad of Venice. Although only few of the roughly 500 Venetian Jews still live in the Ghetto, many return there during the day for religious services in the two synagogues which are still used for worship (the other three are only used for guided tours, offered by the Jewish Community Museum).

Chabad of Venice also runs a pastry shop and a restaurant named "Gam Gam" in the Ghetto. Sabbath meals are served at the restaurant's outdoor tables along the Cannaregio Canal with views of the Guglie Bridge near the Grand Canal. In the novel Much Ado About Jesse Kaplan the restaurant is the site of a historical mystery. Every year for the festival of Sukkot a sukkah is built on a canal boat that tours the city, a large menorah tours the city on a canal boat during Hanukkah.

In 2016, the ghetto received international media coverage as it reached its 500 year anniversary. Major publications released pieces celebrating 500 years of Jewish community in Venice, and noting the historical contributions the ghetto had made to the city. The ghetto helped to shape the architectural development of the city of Venice, receiving credit for the city's first "skyscrapers."

Notable Residents
Notable residents of the Ghetto have included (but are not limited to):


 * 1) Leon of Modena, whose family originated in France
 * 2) Sara Copia Sullam, Leon’s disciple. She was an accomplished writer, debater (through letters), and even hosted her own salon.
 * 3) Meir Magino, the famous glassmaker.
 * 4) Ansel (Anselmo) Asher Levi DelBanco a prominent Jewish, objected to the placement of Jews into the Ghetto Nuovo.

Notable Residents in Literature

 * 1) Amitav Ghosh 2019 novel Gun Island links the Sundarbans to Venice and the Ghetto.
 * 2) Geraldine Brooks' 2008 novel People of the Book which traces the history of the Sarajevo Haggadah has a chapter with action taking place in 1609 in the Venetian Ghetto.
 * 3) Sarah Dunant's novel In the Company of the Courtesan, written in 2006, has some scenes which take place in a Jewish pawnshop in the Ghetto
 * 4) Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell features a scene in the Ghetto.
 * 5) Hugo Pratt's Fable of Venice. Corto Maltese, Book 8. Graphic Novel. IDW Publishing. ISBN 978-1631409264
 * 6) Roberta Rich: "The Midwife of Venice". Ebury Publishing, UK 2011. ISBN 97800944902.
 * 7) Rainer Maria Rilke: Eine Szene aus dem Ghetto. in: Rilke: Geschichten von lieben Gott. Insel, Leipzig 1931, Argon, Berlin 2006. (div. weitere Ausg.) ISBN 3-86610-045-0
 * 8) William Shakespeare's Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, including in adaptations and related work such as Arnold Wesker's play The Merchant (1978) and Mirjam Pressler's novel Shylocks Tochter.
 * 9) The trilogy by Israel Zangwill:
 * 10) * Kinder des Ghetto. 1897. Cronbach, Berlin 1897, 1913 (German)
 * 11) * Träumer des Ghetto. 1898. Cronbach, Berlin 1908, 1922 (German)
 * 12) * Komödien des Ghetto. 1907. Cronbach, Berlin 1910 (German)
 * 13) Daniel Silva: A Death in Vienna. 2004. Novel (features scenes in Cannaregio). ISBN 0399151435
 * 14) Noah Gordon: The Jerusalem Diamond (1979) includes several chapters based in the ghetto of the 1500s.