Exploring Apartheid: Venice’s Jewish Ghetto and the West Bank

Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Today, two stories of what in the modern world we’ve come to call “apartheid”—the practice of segregating a subjugated population and imposing oppressive laws on it.

First, we talk with UK historian Harry Freedman about his history of the first Jewish ghetto—that of Venice, Italy. It’s called Shylock’s Venice: The Remarkable History of Venice’s Jews and the Ghetto.

Then, we revisit our conversation with novelist Rebecca Sacks about her powerful novel, City of Thousand Gates. Its depiction of Israeli apartheid against the citizens of the Occupied West Bank sparks comparisons with the apartheid experienced by Jews in Venice centuries earlier.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Key words: author interview, history, podcast, book podcast, Harry Freedman, Rebecca Sacks, Palestine, West Bank, Venice, ghetto, apartheid, fiction

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Shylock’s Venice with Harry Friedman

Francesca interviews UK historian Harry Freedman about his book Shylock’s Venice. It chronicles the history of the first Jewish ghetto, established in Venice in 1516, and how it shaped the lives and culture of the Jews confined within its walls.

Freedman discusses how the ghetto became a center of Jewish intellectual life despite its squalid conditions, the role of Jewish moneylenders, and the complex portrayal of Jews through Shakespeare’s character Shylock.

He also touches on the Jewish enlightenment that flourished within the ghetto, the interactions between Jews and Christians in Venice, and the broader implications for Jewish identity during the Renaissance.

Revisiting ‘City of a Thousand Gates’ with Rebecca Sachs

In the second part of the episode, Francesca revisits her 2021 conversation with novelist Rebecca Sacks about her novel City of a Thousand Gates.

Sacks’ book paints a vivid picture of life in the occupied West Bank, drawing parallels with the apartheid experienced by Jews in Venice centuries earlier. Through this lens, the discussion explores themes of segregation, oppression, and the resilience of marginalized communities.

Read the Interview Transcript