Ghetto Definition

A ghetto is defined as a small, confined space, with poor health conditions, with a specific demographic concentration. “Ghet” is Hebrew for a divorce contract. Essentially the meaning is “divorcing Jews from society”. In Italy, Jewish “ghettos” originated in Venice, in 1516, as a welcoming settlement. It wasn’t until 1555 that the pope created the “Cum nimis absurdum”, and the negative connotation of a Jewish ghetto was formed in Rome at that time. The “Cum nimis absurdum”, states that Jewish integration onto society is absurd, and it is their fault for living in a diaspora, suffering and being seen as a lower group. A decision that the pope made was to have Jews live in a separate place than Christians, using the logic of eliminating the

Many of the sermons they were forced to attend were located at the Santa Croce church. The sermons articulated the intentions of Christians and their beliefs. The Christians wanted Jews to convert and believed their religion was the most sacred. The advantages of using a sermon to entice people to convert was that the person delivering the sermon spoke within their point of view toward the issue. They also knew their audience and the attitude of the audience. Vitale Medici, was a Rabbi that converted to Christianity. In 1582, ten years after the ghetto open is when Vitale converted. His name was found on Paolo Medici’s Catalogue of Neophytes. Vitale changed his mind after hearing a forced sermon. He wanted to leave the poor treatment of people a Jewish person. His family was similar to most, because his wife did not convert with him. She wanted to stay in the ghetto. It was perceived that women found a sense of community with the other women in the ghetto and didn’t want to leave them. The comfort of the ghetto and familiar faces made them want to stay. His wife could not remarry, because Vitale didn’t file for a divorce. Their sons converted also, and became passionate about art. They eventually donated to churches and architecture within the community. Vitale Medici, formally Yechiel Da Pesaro, gave sermons to Jews still in the ghettos. He revealed to them who he really was, their old

Her approach was anti-lachrymose. Her belief was that, when the ghetto of Florence began, that is when the Jewish community started. Before the ghetto the Jews did not have an organization of community. The society came with support and services for one another. Because this urban organization developed, it therefore made the city prosper. Cosimo Medici was for the support of Jews, but was following the pressure of the Pope. The idea of Jews forced into one area wasn’t persecution according to Siegmund, but an opportunity to connect. The religion, social and cultural life flourished within the ghettos. There were two synagogues made in the ghettos for the different types of Jews that migrated to Italy. There was an Italian one and Spanish one. Inside the ghettos were also schools, butchers, bakeries, and organizations. The Jewish people had a special status in criminal law, only allowed to be tried by the supreme court of the republic. There were however restrictions on business, and they were barred from the sale of wool or silk and other precious