Crossing the ocean on a ten-hour flight back to Los Angeles, my mind is still transfixed by a wonderfully unexpected moment that happened in Florence.  Though it happened days ago, I feel forever changed for the better, and I want to share this with you because there is likely an inspiration for all of us to take away from the experience.

I wish that it had been possible to create a vlog [video blog] about this amazing experience right on the spot at The Great Synagogue in Florence, but, due to security issues, telling my story on video on site simply wasn’t possible.

Foreground of the Duomo | Background of The Great Synagogue of Florence

Many wonderful tall monuments, especially religious ones, dot Florence’s city center.  Climb to the high point in the Boboli Gardens above the Palazzo Pitti and you will see nearly all of them from that vantage point.  From an in-town location, and the vantage point of a hotel rooftop garden near the Stazione di Firenze Santa Maria Novella, you are certain to take in a different perspective – even one that does not obfuscate an old, but still newer section of the city center.

Especially from this vantage point I saw a building that says a lot about my Jewish heritage.  But it also serves us all as a lesson in perseverance and in making a proud visual statement.

Florence is home to a singular meeting place for its now small, but well chronicled, Jewish community.  Simply known as The Great Synagogue, its Moorish design, marble-clad façade, green copper-topped domes, and significant elevation provide strong testimony to the Florentine community, and to its Jewish community within, that the Jewish people are present, that they are not in hiding, and that they stand tall in the community.

The Great Synagogue of Florence

This building, when I saw it up close and personal, inside and out, brought tears of joy to my eyes.  I literally said out loud, “This building fills me with so much pride to be Jewish.”

Florence was highly regarded as a financial and cultural center during the Renaissance period, especially during the time the Medici family led its commercial and cultural influence.  Jews led fairly autonomous lives then, though they were forbidden to own property, and had to wear yellow circles on their clothing unless they were moneylenders.  During this time period, popes ruled not only as spiritual leaders of the Catholic Church but also as the absolute ruler of the papal states within Italy.  In 1555, Pope Paul IV issued a papal law, Cum Nimis Absurdum, and Jews in cities throughout Europe – including Florence – were forced to live in a newly created Ghetto.  These rules of the pope had lasting effects on the Jewish community of Florence for more than 300 years.

Interior Splendor of The Great Synagogue

Once the Jews were emancipated and were held as equals in the community, by law, the designing and building of The Great Synagogue was established.  In 1872 it was designed, and its construction was completed ten years later.  That’s a long time to wait to be free and to express it!  While this beautiful building lies outside the cluster of Florence’s well-known churches, it in fact rivals the size of the city’s famous Duomo.

I absolutely love this story, this building and the rich history it holds.  It reminds me to be proud of who I am.  You don’t have to be Jewish, or to visit Florence, or to visit The Great Synagogue to even get the point of my message.

If you’ve ever been made to feel like you’re unequal to those around you, or that you’re socially lower than others, then treat your body like The Great Synagogue.  Your body is a temple after all, isn’t it?  Adorn yourself in the right vestments that convey your own high standards and principles.  Stand tall.  And I can promise you that you will have a powerful and positive presence among all your neighbors, just like The Great Synagogue gracefully stands out among its other neighboring beautiful edifices.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps high-profile individuals revitalize, manage, and be secure in their personal visual brand. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

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