100th anniversary of Rome's central synagogue

(23 May 2004)
1. Exterior Great Synagogue
2. Interior synagogue
3. Rabbis talking
4. Menorah (Jewish candelabra)
5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Rene' Sirat, Rabbi of France and Vice-President of European Rabbis:
"First regarding the violence, which is happening all over Europe, and the whole world over, which in the end is a cause for great concern and and it was important to use this occasion of the centenary of the inauguration of the Great Synagogue in Rome to come here and say to our brothers that we stand with them and are bound to them for ever as their brothers as we were when they lived in difficulties, so it is a great joy and we wanted to take part along with all our friends in the Jewish community of Rome and Italy in this great event."
6. Wide shot interior, empty chairs
7. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Shaykh 'Abd al Wahid Pallavicini, President of Italian Islamic Religious Community:
"With this synagogue's 100th anniversary we hope that this year will be the first for us to inaugurate a new mosque in Milan built by Italian Muslims to show that Islam also is 'catholic' in the broadest sense of the word."
8. Centennial service
9. Pan across Jewish dignitaries and Catholic cardinals
10. Close up as the 'sefarim' are processed through the synagogue
11. Man filming service
12. Boy with sefarim
13. Wide shot taking sefarim up steps
14. Mid shot of procession through doors at back
15. Congregation
16. Various close ups of congregation
17. Audience of women (sitting separately)
18. SOUNDBITE: (Italian then Hebrew) Cardinal Camillo Ruini (reading message from the Pope):
"Shalom. Here is the goodness of all the brothers living together. With great inner joy I join the Jewish Roman community in celebrating 100 years of their great temple, symbol and reminder of the millenary presence in this city of the people of the Sinai alliance."
19. Congregation clapping
20. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) Yona Metzeger, Rabbi Chief of Israel:
"A few days after the Shavout celebration when the Tora' was given to Israel, we recollect the evening of the Seder when we sang 'Dayenu' (which means we would have had enough) we said: if he had got us closer to Mount Sinai but he hadn't given us the Tora', it would have been enough for us. Here then comes the question: what value would have had being at the feet of Mount Sinai without deserving to receive the Tora'? That is, how can we say: 'Dayenu'."
21. Congregation clapping
22. Close up order of service
23. Various shots of members of congregation

STORYLINE:

The Great Synagogue of Rome celebrated its 100th birthday this week with a number of events, culminating in a special service on Sunday in the synagogue itself, conducted under tight security.

The arrival of the seven 'Sefarim' marked the beginning of the ceremony attended by various important religious figures from the Catholic, Jewish and Islamic communities.

The 'sefarim' are ornate scrolls of Jewish law, kept inside crowned silver scrolls and wrapped in precious embroidered fabrics, dating back to the 1600s.

The synagogue was inaugurated on July 28, 1904 and it is an important symbol of the increasing freedom enjoyed by Roman Jews in the wake of the abolition of the ghetto in 1870, finally marking civil and cultural integration for the Jews into Italian society.

The Great Synagogue is located in the centre of the city by the River Tiber, and is home to many important archives of Jewish history, life and culture.

Pope John Paul II sent two top-ranking cardinals to the ceremony.











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