The Milanese Jewish community is unique in the panorama of Italian Judaism. Its history begins at the beginning of the 800th century with the arrival of the Napoleonic armies and the new libertarian ideas, after the Jews had been forbidden to reside in the city for fifteen centuries. Over time, in the tolerant and economically attractive climate of Milan, a particularly educated, wealthy, secular Jewish community was formed that participated in national events, yet extremely heterogeneous from a geographical and cultural point of view. A plural physiognomy reconfirmed by the migratory flows from Europe and the various Arab countries during the 900s.
All of this is brilliantly told in “Jews in Milan”, the new book by Rony Hamaui, a fine intellectual and financier (he is general manager of Mediocredito Italiano and professor of economics at the Catholic University of Milan). The book, published by "Il Mulino", has a preface by Gad Lerner and illustrates this Italian and at the same time cosmopolitan story by interweaving historical data with the adventurous biographies of countless protagonists.
Previously, Rony Hamaui had also published «Islamic Economics and Finance» for “Il Mulino” (with M. Mauri, 2009).
The author will be present at the Jewish in The City #150 Festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Milanese community on Sunday 29 May at 12 at the Rotonda della Besana.
