21 Nicastro Jewish Quarter

This day began with a little bit of laundry followed by meeting Rabbi Barbara Aiello at the Hotel Savant for a tour of the old Jewish Quarter of Nicastro. Rabbi Aiello is the spirtual leader of Ner Tamud del Sud in the moutainside town of Serrastretta in Calabria. Rabbi Aiello, born in Pittsburgh, PA, became the first woman rabbi in Italy. In addition to her spirtual work she helps "...Italians whose ancestors were forced into conversion from Judaism discover and connect with their Jewish roots." She travels and lectures worldwide on these topics. Denise and I met Rabbi Aiello at a lecture she delivered at the Heinz Center in Pittsburgh in 2017, stayed in touch with her, and then spent an amazing day with her in Nicastro, and then in her home in Serrastretta.