On November 6-7, 2023, ECCAR and CEJI organized the last training session on antisemitism for local governments as part of ECCAR’s 2023 thematic focus on antisemitism. (See here for a report on the previous training in Brussels and Nice and here for the project of collecting good practices in local work against antisemitism)
Ten participants were present during both training days, but others visited only some parts of the training program. Participants were from different departments of the Bologna Municipality, including educators and anti-discrimination office employees, members of the Jewish community, and the City’s partner associations.
The Jewish community in Bologna is small, consisting of around 400-500 people. However, the community’s direct involvement was fundamental both for the definition of the training with CEJI and for its contributions during the training. This represented an added value, as it contributed to the topic of the local history and context, including a very concrete and actual representation of the increased prejudices the Jewish people in Bologna face. The participants were also able to form mutual relationships and had the opportunity to establish future collaborations, which contributed to the sustainability of the training’s outcomes.
The participants were highly eager to meet representatives from the local Jewish communities, as this was the first time for some. ECCAR evaluates such encounters as necessary for forming sustainable relationships between the communities and the city administration for a more seamless work tackling antisemitism in its specific local context. These encounters are essential for finding solutions to the issues the participants raised during the training, such as creating more inclusive spaces for Jewish people where they can be represented and welcomed. ECCAR always encourages its member cities to facilitate a bottom-up process in designing and implementing policy measures in their anti-racist work. Giving the Jewish community the space to raise their voice regarding their representation is thus crucial in this regard.
Together with CEJI’s professional trainers Melissa Sonnino and Daniel Heller, the participants delved into the most common manifestations of antisemitism in Italy, the importance of the recognition and appreciation of Jewish presence and life as a cultural contribution in Italy and the city of Bologna, as well as the significance of prejudice deconstruction in the anti-discrimination work. The latter was necessary regarding the participants’ concerns about the challenge of walking in other people's shoes and the challenge of recognizing their anti-Jewish prejudice, both conscious and unconscious. Further concerns were addressed regarding the management of appropriate policy measures within the City’s working agenda and how to fill in the gap in knowledge about European and national legal standards in fighting antisemitism.
Given the international situation, the training program also addressed the limits and the differences between antisemitism and critical opinions on Israeli policies. The informal training approach by CEJI allowed a vivid exchange of views. Particularly relevant for the discussion were the contributions coming from two participants of the local Jewish community: their different perceptions of the distinction between antisemitism and political critics, in some specific cases, further confirmed the complexity of the topic and the necessity to address as part of the city’s policy measures in tackling antisemitism.
The two training days showed that there is still a need for more training on antisemitism in Bologna with other stakeholders and employees of the municipality. In the future, engaging school teachers and enhancing cooperation with local Jewish communities to organize events during the European Day of Jewish Culture would be essential.
