“TRAME – Tracing Routes and Memories: Entangled Jewish Experiences across the Mediterranean” is a project organized by the CDEC Foundation that aims to shed light on the stories of Jews who migrated to Italy from North Africa and the Middle East between the 1940s and the 1980s. Although this was a relatively small and gradual migratory flow, it allows for the exploration of the history of their communities of origin, the complex ties between Italy and the countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, and the transformations that Italian Judaism underwent throughout the twentieth century.

TRAME is centered around a collection of audiovisual and photographic materials gathered by the CDEC Foundation between 2011 and 2019 as part of the “Edoth” oral history project. This Hebrew term refers to the diverse origins of the “communities” that make up Italian Judaism today. Drawing from interviews conducted with the first generation of Jewish immigrants from Egypt, Libya, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, and Iraq, TRAME reveals a lesser-known chapter of migration history that impacted Italy in contemporary times.

Before and shortly after World War II, Italy mainly served as a transit country for Jews from Central and Eastern Europe who were heading to other destinations. However, in the second half of the twentieth century, the country transformed into a destination for new waves of migration from North Africa and the Middle East. The decolonization process, the birth of new independent states, and the intensification of regional conflicts significantly altered the social and political dynamics in these countries, creating a growing sense of instability for local Jewish communities. Uncertainty about the future, concerns for safety, or hopes of better opportunities elsewhere prompted around 4,000 Jews to leave their home countries for Italy.

The TRAME project brings to light some of these stories, by drawing on the firsthand accounts of those who lived through these events, it provides insights into the original communities, uncovering the layers of Jewish migrations over the centuries, as well as the evolving relationships between these communities and local populations, along with those who crossed the Mediterranean during the colonial era. Additionally, by tracing the migration routes of the first generation of Jews from North Africa and the Middle East, TRAME highlights the multiple factors that drove migration to Italy and how the integration process in the new country contributed to forging a renewed sense of belonging and identity. Lastly, the TRAME project underscores the unique features of these migration paths, intertwining them with the history of the countries of origin, the evolution of the Middle Eastern conflict, and the events of Italian history—from the colonial experience to fascism, and up to the republican period, when Italy emerged as a country of immigration.