Italian Jews who left the Jewish religion after promulgation of Italy’s anti-Semitic legislation but who have not yet been accepted into the Catholic Church are now applying in large numbers to Jewish communities throughout the country to have their membership restored. An estimated 5,000 Jews abandoned Judaism since 1938, the majority of them joining the Catholic Church. Ninety per cent of the converts are people of means and their quitting the Jewish community has financially affected Jewish welfare and religious work.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.