THE FIRST SYNAGOGUES IN CASALE MONFERRATO. A HISTORICAL REASSESSMENT

A plaque posted above the entrance to the synagogue of Casale refers to the year 1595 as the year of the foundation of the synagogue. In 1842, Rabbi Gattinara published the inscriptions found on the walls of this synagogue, including the mentioned plaque. Historians of the synagogue of Casale refer to Gattinara’s publication, taking for granted 1595 as the correct date of the foundation of this synagogue. Archival records prove that the first lease between the kehillah and the owner of this building dated September 1599. This paper discusses the history of the first synagogues in Casale, both private and public. The history of these synagogues involves real estate issues the kehilla had to confront; the increase in Jewish immigration to Casale during the second half of 16th century; the suspension of the Condotta granted to the Jewish bankers at the beginning of the 17th century. This paper considers the mentioned plaque in its historical context and shows that the dissonance between the date 1595 and the archival documents might be associated to loss of historical memory and to the reinterpretation in time of the Hebrew meanings associated to the year mentioned on the plaque. This paper takes in account records from the Archive of the Jewish Community of Casale [ACIC], the minutes book of the Jewish community in Casale, Pinkas Petuha; records from the State Archive of Turin [AST], and notarial deeds found at the State Archive of Alessandria [ASA].