Rome’s Jewish community prepares for Chanukah in the Eternal City

When you think of Rome, the pope and Vatican City often come to mind. But the Italian capital is also home to one of the most historic and vibrant Jewish quarters in Europe.

Although Catholicism has dominated the country, the history of the Jews in Rome stretches back long before Jesus’ era. Like many immigrants, the Jews came to Italy looking for a better life, while some were prisoners of war when the Romans invaded Judea.

For the most part, the Jewish community lived freely and peacefully until the Dark Ages, when they were forced into the Jewish ghetto and walled up until the late 1800s.

It is this very ghetto, in an area near Campo dei Fiori, that has become the lively Jewish quarter where locals’ welcome tourists to learn about their history and culture.

When Hanukkah begins this year on the evening of Dec. 25, the famous neighborhood will go all out by hosting several festivities.

The combination of great food and a chance to celebrate with a community which owes its origins to the Hanukkah story makes Rome the perfect place to celebrate. Excluding the ubiquitous Eastern European potato latkes there are other traditional Italian Chanukah foods throughout the holiday, too.

The first traditional Italian Chanukah dish is called gnocco fritto. These are savory fried dough rectangles that are cut with a pastry wheel. This dish is made all over Italy, with slight variations depending on the region.

Fried honey balls, or precipizi, are another classic Italian Chanukah recipe from Ancona, in central Italy similar to struffoli which is a Christmas dessert from Naples. This dessert is made of a dough that consists of egg, sugar, flour and rum or rum extract (or apple juice). The dough is rolled into a rope, cut into small pieces, fried, and then dipped in honey. The final products are dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Even if you weren’t trying to find a Hanukkah celebration, you can’t miss the one in Piazza Barberini. It is here that every year a giant 20-foot-tall menorah is lighted every night. The illuminated spectacle attracts huge crowds and has become a hot spot during the festive holiday. The ceremony take place around 6 p.m. each night or 4 p.m. on the Sabbath and at the end of Hanukkah, there’s usually a big party with food, dancing, and, of course, wine.

Both menorahs can be reached by Rome’s Metro.

If crowds aren’t your thing, you can head over to Piazza Bologna where a smaller menorah and lighting ceremony take place.