A resource for the area
The purpose of the Foundation is to bring the Jewish culture of Piedmont, and of Casale Monferrato in particular, closer to the outside world by preserving and transmitting the memory of the Jewish culture that developed in these places in the past through lectures, exhibitions, and publications, and by encouraging reflection and comparison on the present and visions for the future. The Foundation owns much of the material heritage preserved in the Jewish Museum, including the Museum of Lights, a unique collection in the world that brings together Chanukkiot woven by visual artists and designers, works of contemporary art that interpret the candelabra lit to celebrate the festival of Hanukkah. Collaborating with the Jewish Community of Casale Monferrato, it organizes multidisciplinary cultural initiatives. It runs the Museum of Jewish Art and Ancient History, also known as the Silver Museum, where works of ancient art and displays illustrating the main holidays and the Jewish circle of life are exhibited.
The Foundation is run entirely by volunteers, and the funds raised through donations from public and private bodies and individual supporters are used for the restoration, conservation, and promotion of objects related to the Museum, as well as for the promotion of cultural and educational activities in collaboration with the Jewish Community of Casale Monferrato and other bodies interested in social, historical, cultural and artistic research.
Each year the Foundation proposes a rich program of activities, including, for example:
• Organisation of conferences, exhibitions and concerts in the community premises
• Organisation of cultural projects
• Cultural and historical publications
• Celebration of the European Day of Jewish Culture
• Celebration of Remembrance Day (27 January)
• Management of the Chanukkah lamp collection
• Participation in the activities of AEJM – Association of European Jewish Museums
• Collaborations with Abbonamento Musei Piemonte Lombardia e Valle d’Aosta
• Collaboration with the Monferrato Musei network
