Gili Binyamin

 The 500-member Jewish community in historic Venice is served by SSC graduate Rabbi Gil Benyamin. Approximately 75,000 Jews per year visit the Venice ghetto, formed in the 14th century, as well as Jewish sites in the city. Tourists often come to have bar mitzvahs and weddings in one of the five magnificent synagogues in the ghetto. Rabbi Benyamin supervises kashrut at the three kosher restaurants and now at a small hotel.

Of Yemenite descent, Rabbi Gili Benyamin was born in Israel. He attended yeshiva, combining religious and secular studies and graduated with a major in economics. After completing three years of military service, he attended Shehebar Sephardic Center’s rabbinical school at Midrash Sephardi, receiving his rabbinical ordination from the Chief rabbinate in 2001.

For the next three years, Rabbi Benyamin continued his studies to be a dayan so he could serve on a Bet Din. He speaks Hebrew, English, Spanish, Italian, and French. From 2004 – 2007, Rabbi Benyamin was assistant to the Chief Rabbi of Milan, Italy.

From there he moved to Madrid, Spain for three years, working with SSC-Rabbi Moshe Bendayan as assistant to the Chief Rabbi in charge of Jewish education. While stationed in Madrid, he was also sent to assist the rabbis for short periods in Miami, New York and Shanghai.

Rabbi Benyamin became Chief Rabbi of Venice, Italy in February 2011, attesting to his success. The community consists of 480 people. Community children attend a Talmud Torah program twice a week. There are three kosher restaurants and two kosher bakeries.

“My main goal in Venice is to integrate the youth and attract them to attend religious activities. We need to strength their Jewish identity and save them from intermarriage,” said Rabbi Benyamin.

“Unfortunately, there are many youth in the community who stop coming to synagogue classes after their Bar Mitzvah. They have nearly forgotten their Jewish identity. So my greatest challenges is to bring them back to their “roots, source and origin,” so that they will be proud of their Judaism.”

Before Rabbi Benyamin arrived in Venice, there were no daily prayer services. Immediately he set to work, establishing daily prayers three times a day for shakrit, minha and arbit. He hopes to establish a yeshiva and kollel in the near future.

Rabbi Benyamin can be reached at chiefrabbi@venezia.ebraica.it.