Discourse on the Jews of Venice

70cm x 100cm acrylic paint on fiberboard
text: fragments of the work of Rabbi Simone Luzzatto (1583-1663): Discorso circa il stato degli Hebrei et in particolar dimoranti nell'inclita città di Venetia, Venice 1638 [Discourse on the state of the Jews and in particular those living in the famous city of Venetia]
Hebrew translation: Dan Lats דן לאטס Maamar al Yehudei Venetzya, Bialik Institute, Jerusalem 1950

Italian original with English translation:
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/7303d462-96cf-46c2-ad82-2e9f6d83e682/1006590.pdf

The Jewish Nation feels comfortable with this most pleasant government of the Most Serene Republic.
The regularity of trade, […] and the abundance of all things pertaining to sustenance entirely benefits them.
[In every place] where Jews have resided, trade and business have flourished.
Since celibacy is not permitted, [Jewish] families are large.
There are around six thousand Jews [in Venetia].
They live by means of [their] extraordinary [diligence].
Tax was levied on a quarter of the amount of the rents, which had a very strong impact on the Jews, since the houses in the ghetto are assessed according to the closeness of their dwellings confined in the narrow enclosure of the ghetto.
At times when the maritime fleet went to battle, the Jews would participate with other artisans and supply the public needs of the treasury […] the Jews contributed to the naval campaign with their persons or with their money.
The Jewish Nation […] placed, one may say, in the centre of the city, it is independent, diligent, and industrious in observing and responding with great scrupulousness when it comes to the rights and payments that it owes to the state.
Thus,] among other excellent provisions of kindness and exemplary piety employed towards the needy, the Republic has ordered and instructed the Jews to open three loan-banks. [These loan-banks] respond to the needs and solicitations of the poor with an interest rate of only five per cent per year […] This arrangement is unique to the city of Venice.

Simone Luzzatto Discourse on the State of the Jews edited, translated, and commented by
Giuseppe Veltri and Anna Lissa 2019