Interview with Gabriel Venezia, Chief Editor of Hatikwa – Master Student History
Interviewer: Jonathan Reti – Master Student Economics
J: Hey Gab, thanks for doing this Interview with me. Maybe you can briefly introduce yourself, so our readers know who you are.
G: I am a history student at the University of Florence and the chief editor of HaTikwa, the newspaper of young Italian Jews. I have been active in the Jewish community since 2023.
J: You said you are a student at the University of Florence. How did the 7th of October affect your life on campus?
G: Campus life had already changed a couple of months before the 7th. I was very politically active at my university. I always had that mentality. Before that, I was a member of Hashomer Hatzair. So I joined different groups but already left in May 2023 because we did not agree on Israel-Palestine, but we remained friends until the 7th of October. Since then, they haven’t even greeted me. As a result, I stopped attending university and withdrew from campus social life. It was painful on a personal level.
J: Did that affect your education?
G: It did not affect my education in general, but seeing my friends waving Palestinian flags and wearing Kuffiyahs did distract me.
J: Would fear describe it best? Knowing that people knew your identity?
G: No, I was rather angry.
J: You said you are the chief editor of HaTikwa. I imagine that you have some insight into how Jewish students in Italy are coping with the current situation. Can you give us an idea of what the situation is like?
G: At Hatikwa, we have people from all over Italy, and it’s really interesting how different the situation is city by city. For example, in Rome and Milan, it’s easier to be part of the Jewish community and express Jewish identity. In smaller cities, such as Florence, the community is more anxious about the current situation. I mean, in Rome, the situation is similar, but they have a larger community to rely on. Outside of those large communities, it simply feels like survival mode.
J: How did that affect the sense of community?
G: Previously, Jewish communities were very isolated from one another, but the Unione Giovani Ebrei d’Italia did a great job of connecting them.
J: How would you describe Jewish students‘ outlook on their future in Italy?
Gab: There are basically two options. You can either move from smaller cities to places like Rome or Milan, or you can do Aliyah, which is already happening, because we don’t feel safe.
J: Do you think about doing Aliyah?
Gab: Sometimes I think about it, but to me it’s unacceptable. Italy is my country, and if I move to Israel, it’s because I want it and not somebody else.
by Jonathan Reti.
This article was first published in the 5th printed EDA-editon and posted online July 15th 2026.