The idea of family symbols may seem to us a thing of the past - a slightly pretentious eccentric custom. However, we will surely be surprised to nd that it is still very much a thing. It is surprised to see how much meaning these symbols still hold for Jews living in Italy today, and for descendants of Italian Jew here in Israel. The last gallery is devoted to the stories of objects passed down through the generations, and to examples illustrating that family symbols belongs not only to distant centuries but also to the present day. Most of the treasures displayed here have been loaned to the museum for the benefit of the exhibition; They are not museum objects, but souvenirs and personal belongings of people for whom these symbols carry real meaning even today.
The objects, pictures and family trees displayed here modestly illustrate, the importance and centrality of the family, as an institution, a framework and as an identity. These objects also introduce us to the faces, names and stories of the real-life people for whom family symbols really did matter.
