Pisa

On Friday, we took the train to Pisa, about an hour train ride down the Arno to Pisa, once a major port on the sea. It was a beautiful city that had a rich Jewish heritage. We went to the Synagogue and learned about Pisa’s relationship with the Jewish community in Livorno. Livorno, which is very close to Pisa, took many people into the city because it always had problems with Malaria and other diseases. Since the death rate was high, the city just needed people to fill the labor force. This came as a great opportunity for the Jews because they were able to live freely and equally as a valued member of the society (mainly because everyone that survived was a valued member of society). We learned about the differences between Pisa and Livornese Jews. At first people thought the Jews were bad people in Pisa and the Livornese Jews left to start a classier community. However, it was actually the other way around. The Livornese Jews were kicked out of Pisa because they were not good people.

After this, we moved on to the Jewish cemetery outside the walls. This is when we walked by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, an amazing structure that is even more incredible when you are there (even though we saw another leaning tower in Bologna a few days earlier). I tried to do the picture where I was holding it up but it didn’t work so well. I also did not go up the bell tower because we had to rush out of there to catch our flight to Amsterdam. I guess the Leaning Tower of Pisa will join the Uffitzi as something else I have to put on my “To Do” list in Europe. Anyways, we got to see the cemetery, which was very different to the Jewish cemeteries in the United States. Since much of Italy was Sfardic, they were more accepting of elaborate gravestones (sometimes with animals and sometimes with paintings of the person). However, the Ashkenazi Jews are against anything that is decorative anywhere, including gravestones. So, here in Pisa we see a clash between these two sections of Jews, as some of the Jewish inhabitants in Pisa were Ashkenazim.

After we were finished in the cemetery, we rushed to the train station to get to our flight in Milan, a very long trip. On we go to Amsterdam!!!