David Cassuto: "How the Oldest Torah Ark in the World Was Brought to Israel"

It was the year 1952. A group of Jews who immigrated from Italy resided in the land and used to pray in a small synagogue in a kindergarten classroom on HaNaviim Street, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Then, one day, the community learned that the Rabbi of Venice, Rabbi Elia Toaff, achieved the unimaginable - the synagogue from the Italian town of Conigliano would be moved to Jerusalem and rebuilt there. This meant the wooden walls of the structure, its Torah ark, and all the furniture and other items would become an active synagogue within the walls of the 'Maalé' school (formerly the German 'Schmidt College') in the city center.

David Cassuto was also there when the news broke. He was then about fourteen, having immigrated from Italy a few years earlier. Even today, decades after that event, when we speak with him, the excitement still resonates in his voice.

"It was a true experience," he recounts, "Suddenly we had the privilege to pray in a synagogue that came from the country of our birth, with original and beautiful furniture. We really saw how it was built and set up, layer after layer, and how the ancient Torah ark was carefully constructed and placed here—in the Land of Israel."

Italy Comes to Israel

We meet David Cassuto at the Italian Synagogue in Jerusalem, now celebrating 64 years since its establishment. Cassuto is considered one of the oldest Italians in Israel and one of the first worshippers at the synagogue.

"I was born in 1937 in the city of Florence, Italy," he shares. "Immediately after World War II, I immigrated to the country with other refugees. From the late 1930s, one of Italy's esteemed Jews—a precious man named Dr. Shlomo Umberto Nahon—resided in Israel. Dr. Nahon concluded that many synagogues abandoned by Jews remained empty in Italy after emancipation. The authorities did not view them as artistic assets, so he realized these entire synagogues could be moved to Israel or limited to Torah arks, sacred furniture, and Judaica items. He arranged with the Ministry of Religions that he would bring these items as 'old furniture', thus saving time, money, and much bureaucracy."

Cassuto notes that the most interesting aspect was when Dr. Nahon consulted with Italian cities about donating their synagogues; authorities were surprisingly receptive because it cleared coveted central urban spaces. In Italy, synagogues typically sat in city centers due to their age, occupying prime land. Instead of authorities blocking the transfer of these ancient items, which they did not value as artistic works, they supported it, thus bringing priceless treasures to Israel.

The Italian synagogue from Conigliano serves as a typical example of this. "The entire synagogue, including the furniture, was brought to Israel and reestablished," Cassuto explains. "This revived the Jewish community of Conigliano, located north of Venice, which dates back to the 17th century. The crown jewel brought to the country is the Torah ark, adorned with gold-plated wooden carvings, considered one of the oldest arks in the world."

Over the years, Cassuto notes an absurdity occurred: "In various communities in Israel, there was a lack of appreciation for the antique furniture that came their way. Communities concluded they could afford a nice, modern Torah ark from formica, so they would simply dispose of the 'old' ark, which was invaluable, and erect a new one. Community members took pride in having a 'magnificent' ark, but through this, priceless Torah arks of very important Italian communities vanished from existence."

Cassuto himself worked relentlessly to reclaim these treasures and transfer them to new locations where they would be appreciated. Communities were required to invest heavily in the restoration of these unique items and to commit not to dispose of them without the notice of the Italian Jewish Society.

The Italian Museum

As a youth, David Cassuto was deeply connected to the synagogue, serving as a reader and cantor. When Dr. Nahon passed away in 1973, it was natural for Cassuto to become the chairman of the Italian synagogue.

"What do you know about Italian Jewry?" he suddenly asks, unsurprised by our response of very little. "The Italian community in the country is not large," he explains. "Currently, members of the community number no more than 10,000, including men, women, and children. In recent years, there has been additional immigration, but even now, it only involves about 60 to 70 Jews annually."

However, due to the fact that Italian Judaism is not well-known in the country, he considers it his mission to guide us through the impressive Italian synagogue. Currently, as can be seen, the synagogue is surrounded by five spacious rooms housing ancient Torah arks and many items related to Jewish life in Italy from the Renaissance to the present day.

"Dr. Nahon used the vacant rooms in the building to store the additional Torah arks he brought from Italy," Cassuto explains. "They were placed there until he assigned them to different communities across the country. Subsequently, they simply remained, along with other items and sacred objects. Thus, our museum was founded—the Italian Museum, showcasing items imported over the last several decades."

Today, the museum is vibrant, attracting visitors from all over the country who enjoy viewing the Judaica objects filled with beauty, elegance, attention, and meticulousness. On the other hand, the Italian synagogue, located at the museum's center, is very active. It is open to visitors throughout the week, and on Friday nights, Shabbat, and holidays, public prayers are held.

"We are Italians; our prayer style is neither Sephardic nor Ashkenazi but rather according to the rituals of Roman Jews," Cassuto explains the synagogue's prayer style, adding that the venue can host events like Bar Mitzvahs, Brit Milahs, and even weddings, all in coordination with the synagogue's management.