Amos Luzzatto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amoz Luzzatto
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| Born | 3 June 1928 Rome, Italy |
| Died | 9 September 2020 (aged 92) Venice, Italy |
| Occupation | Essayist, Physician |
| Period | 1990, 2000 |
| Genre | historical, literary, medical, political, Judaism |
| Literary movement | Bialik and Ahad Ha'am |
| Children | three |
| Relatives | Samuel David Luzzatto-Shadal |
Amos Luzzatto (born June 3, 1928, died September 9, 2020) was an Italian-Jewish writer and thinker. He came from a very old and respected family. His grandfather, Dante Lattes, was a key figure in Italian Jewish culture. His great-great-grandfather, Samuel David Luzzatto (Shadal), was a famous teacher at a Jewish college in Padua. He was part of a movement called "Wissenschaft des Judentums", which means "Science of Judaism". This movement focused on studying Jewish history and texts.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Life and Medical Career
As a teenager, Amos Luzzatto lived in Jerusalem until 1946. After that, he became a surgeon. For over 40 years, he worked in many Italian hospitals. He also taught at universities and was a Chief Physician. He studied how to use math in medical research.
Jewish Identity and Writings
Amos Luzzatto liked to be called a "doctor and expert in Jewish culture". He strongly believed in the importance of modern Jewish identity. He thought it added value to both national and religious identity. Following thinkers like Bialik and Ahad Ha'am, he felt that Jewish identity should grow from Jewish history and traditions. He encouraged people to study Hebrew, the Bible, and other Jewish texts.
He translated and wrote comments for the Book of Job (1991) and The Song of Songs (1997). He also wrote books like How to read Midrash (1999) and The place of the Jews (2003). He even wrote an interview-book about his life called Paths of my life in Judaism, science and politics (2003).
He also contributed essays to other books. These included Left Wing and Jewish question (1989) and Modern Jews (1989).
Teaching and Leadership
Amos Luzzatto took part in many international conferences about Jewish culture. He taught a course on Jewish Literature and the Midrash at the University of Venice. At the same university, he helped organize a European Master's program. This program focused on archaeology and writing, including Jewish aspects. He also taught at Roma Tre University, where he led a course on Midrash and a workshop on prejudice.
He was the editor-in-chief of a magazine called Rassegna Mensile d'Israel. From 1998 to 2006, he was the President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. This is an important role for Jewish communities in Italy.
Today, many events are held in his name to celebrate Holocaust Remembrance Days.
