Milan’s Chief Rabbi, Alfonso Arbib, stated that using the word “difficult” to describe the current moment is reductive. “We are not in a difficult time; we are in a moment that is, in some respects, hallucinating. We are living through what is happening very painfully,” he declared while speaking at the synagogue on Via Guastalla for the European Day of Jewish Culture.
Rabbi Arbib even expressed doubts about the appropriateness of holding the cultural day this year, noting, “because we are inundated with other problems.” He criticized the public discourse, adding, “We are faced with a superficial presentation of the situation. There is never an attempt to delve deeper, to see beyond appearances. This is a major problem.”
In contrast, Walker Meghnagi, President of the Jewish Community of Milan, emphasized the importance of the event, stating, “It is important to know each other, exchange ideas and opinions. It is important to hold conferences and debate what the problems are. Culture,” he said, “is the antidote to antisemitism.”