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Raymond
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Rome's Jewish vendors of souvenirs protest against their expulsion
from Vatican
OY VEY !
By Daniel Mosseri Updated: 18/Jan/2008 15:00
Until December 2007, the Jewish sellers were allowed to work on the
entire territory of Rome, and part of them directly on St Peter's
Square.
ROME (EJP)---Eleven Jewish souvenir sellers staged a small
demonstration on the border between Rome and the Vatican State last
Saturday in protest against their expulsion from St Peter's Square
after many centuries.
Waving an Israeli flag and some small banners, the street vendors
asked to be again allowed to sell their momentos within the territory
of the Holy See.
After negotiations with the Italian and the Vatican police, three of
the vendors decided to picket the entrance to St Peter's Square for a
few hours.
The Vatican prefect pledged to meet with his Rome colleague in order
to tackle the vendors' requests.
Of the existing 113 licenses that allow souvenir selling in Rome, 112
belong to Jewish vendors.
The profession dates back dates to the pontificate of Paul IV
(1555-1559).
While confining the Jews to the Rome ghetto, the pontiff allowed them
to exercise minor street trades.
When Italy unified in 1870 at the expenses of the Pope's temporal
power on Rome, Jews turned into souvenir sellers after obtaining ad
hoc licenses from the Italian civil authorities, while some were
granted such right directly from the Vatican authorities.
The "urtisti" - literally those who bump into the tourists -, deal in
small plaster statues, crucifixes, rosaries and pictures of saints and
Popes still nowadays.
Until December 2007, the Jewish sellers were allowed to work on the
entire territory of Rome, and part of them directly on St Peter's
Square.
A week ago however, the Vatican City governor, Cardinal Giovanni
Lajolo, banned all traders from the Baroque Bernini columnade,
upsetting the Jewish sellers who claim to have been licensed by a Pope
many hundreds of years before.
Lello Zarfatti, chairman of the 'urtisti' association told the the
Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera: "Shalom aleichem. I have been
selling my souvenirs in St. Peter's Square in the last 50 years thanks
to an oral permission then granted by a Vatican prefect. On December
8, 2007, they told us we can no longer sell within the square, but we
are only asking to keep working honestly."
Riccardo Pacifici, Rome's Jewish community spokesperson, took a public
stand in favour of the souvenir sellers explaining that "of the 9,000
Jewish families living in Rome, at least 400 hundred engage in street
selling activities."
He added: "Therefore, any restrictive measure taken against this kind
of trade may become a great tragedy for our community. A klog iz mir!
- Woe is me! "
The city's chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, is reportedly also backing
the "urtisti".
Around 15,000 Jews live in Rome.
Alaichem sholom
from Vatican
OY VEY !
By Daniel Mosseri Updated: 18/Jan/2008 15:00
Until December 2007, the Jewish sellers were allowed to work on the
entire territory of Rome, and part of them directly on St Peter's
Square.
ROME (EJP)---Eleven Jewish souvenir sellers staged a small
demonstration on the border between Rome and the Vatican State last
Saturday in protest against their expulsion from St Peter's Square
after many centuries.
Waving an Israeli flag and some small banners, the street vendors
asked to be again allowed to sell their momentos within the territory
of the Holy See.
After negotiations with the Italian and the Vatican police, three of
the vendors decided to picket the entrance to St Peter's Square for a
few hours.
The Vatican prefect pledged to meet with his Rome colleague in order
to tackle the vendors' requests.
Of the existing 113 licenses that allow souvenir selling in Rome, 112
belong to Jewish vendors.
The profession dates back dates to the pontificate of Paul IV
(1555-1559).
While confining the Jews to the Rome ghetto, the pontiff allowed them
to exercise minor street trades.
When Italy unified in 1870 at the expenses of the Pope's temporal
power on Rome, Jews turned into souvenir sellers after obtaining ad
hoc licenses from the Italian civil authorities, while some were
granted such right directly from the Vatican authorities.
The "urtisti" - literally those who bump into the tourists -, deal in
small plaster statues, crucifixes, rosaries and pictures of saints and
Popes still nowadays.
Until December 2007, the Jewish sellers were allowed to work on the
entire territory of Rome, and part of them directly on St Peter's
Square.
A week ago however, the Vatican City governor, Cardinal Giovanni
Lajolo, banned all traders from the Baroque Bernini columnade,
upsetting the Jewish sellers who claim to have been licensed by a Pope
many hundreds of years before.
Lello Zarfatti, chairman of the 'urtisti' association told the the
Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera: "Shalom aleichem. I have been
selling my souvenirs in St. Peter's Square in the last 50 years thanks
to an oral permission then granted by a Vatican prefect. On December
8, 2007, they told us we can no longer sell within the square, but we
are only asking to keep working honestly."
Riccardo Pacifici, Rome's Jewish community spokesperson, took a public
stand in favour of the souvenir sellers explaining that "of the 9,000
Jewish families living in Rome, at least 400 hundred engage in street
selling activities."
He added: "Therefore, any restrictive measure taken against this kind
of trade may become a great tragedy for our community. A klog iz mir!
- Woe is me! "
The city's chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, is reportedly also backing
the "urtisti".
Around 15,000 Jews live in Rome.
Alaichem sholom