The June 20 Blog

This day was another adventure-filled day as I headed out again, ready to take on Rome for another day.

But first, pictures of trash in Napoli! Because I forgot to post those before.







I started walking and got a bit lost by the Colosseum, so I hung out on the street waiting for some touristy-looking people to come by with a map. I then got directions to Teatro di Marcello (also known as Tempio di Apollo). It has the remains of what used to be a temple for Apollo. And by remains, I mean REMAINS. There's like three columns left.



It was a theater, linked to an area that contained a lot of fish markets and was pretty cool. I then stumbled upon a church right next to it--St. Nichola in Carcere, or St. Nicholas in Prison. It was a nice church that had a back door going into a courtyard. They also had very modern Stations of the Cross hung in the church. I hopped the fence and found out that it led right to the entrance of the theater I couldn't get into--but it was locked. I rehopped the fence and continued walking. At one point, I accidentally walked into an office building.

I wandered around a little more before I ran into the Jewish Museum that I'd heard Ali and Katie had gone. I got in after having an interesting conversation with the guards:

First Guard: ItalianItalianItalian.
Me: Um...I'm trying to go to the museum? Um...museo?
First Guard: *points*
Me: Grazie.

I approached a second gate that looked very complicated.

Me: *pokes at gate*
Second Guard: Italian.
Me: Um...can I come in?
Second Guard: You want to come inside?
Me: Yes.
Second Guard: Okay. *presses button that open gate*
Me: *walks in*
Second Guard: Do you have a knife?
Me: No.
Second Guard: Okay. But I will check. *checks bag* Okay! You can go in. No photo. Grazie.
Me: Grazie.

The museum was amazing. They had all the fabrics that the Jews in Rome made in the ghetto when they were only allowed to work as textile workers. They took us into the Spanish Synagogue and the big synagogue, and security was tight, as someone had come in in the 80's and blown up the synagogue. A child had died and others were wounded. There was a lot of discrimination against the Jewish community. They showed a video of Pope John Paul II's acts of peace toward the Jewish community, and it was interesting. Because you hear about Catholic persecution and they persecuted Jews, and Jews were persecuted...

It was pretty cool, though, because last year, I went to a Jewish Friday service...I know what it's called but not how it's spelled. Anyway, so many of the Catholic mass parts come from that, and the two religions are really linked.

Here's my notes:

Quadriportivo is a four-sided porch. The Jews lived in the Ghetto of Rome. In the synagogue, the organ is only used for weddings. And there are a lot of symbols! The rooster represents the choice of good over evil. The palm represents a righteous person. The sun, waxing crescent, and stars represent divine law. Wheat symbolizes good and fruitful works. The tree of life represents life. The crown represents divine presence. The flowering branch represents the staff of Aaron, Moses's brother.

Rabbi David Prato contributed a lot to the Jewish community rerising in Rome. Also, there were ritual baths.