Centro Primo Levi

07/13/2026

Highlighting a new edition to our 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞:

𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙨: 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙊𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨
By Helen Pfeifer, Princeton University Press, 2022

https://primolevicenter.org/empire-of-salons-conquest-and-community-in-early-modern-ottoman-lands/

“Historians have typically linked Ottoman imperial cohesion in the sixteenth century to the bureaucracy or the sultan’s court. In Empire of Salons, Helen Pfeifer points instead to a critical but overlooked factor: gentlemanly salons. Pfeifer demonstrates that salons—exclusive assemblies in which elite men displayed their knowledge and status—contributed as much as any formal institution to the empire’s political stability. These key laboratories of Ottoman culture, society, and politics helped men to build relationships and exchange ideas across the far-flung Ottoman lands. Pfeifer shows that salons played a central role in Syria and Egypt’s integration into the empire after the conquest of 1516–17.

Pfeifer anchors her narrative in the life and network of the star scholar of sixteenth-century Damascus, Badr al-Din al-Ghazzi (d. 1577), and she reveals that Arab elites were more influential within the empire than previously recognized. Their local knowledge and scholarly expertise competed with, and occasionally even outshone, that of the most powerful officials from Istanbul. Ultimately, Ottoman culture of the era was forged collaboratively, by Arab and Turkophone actors alike.

Drawing on a range of Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, Empire of Salons illustrates the extent to which magnificent gatherings of Ottoman gentlemen contributed to the culture and governance of empire.”

Visit the Bookhouse to explore this title and our growing collection of works on Ottoman history and culture.
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Be sure to 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
to stay up to date with new articles, updates on CPL programs and academic initiatives, and curated reading recommendations:

https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

07/09/2026

Highlighting a new edition to our 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞:

𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨: 𝙇𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙊𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨
By Hakan T. Karateke, H. Erdem Çıpa and Helga Anetshofer, Academic Studies Press, 2018

https://primolevicenter.org/disliking-others-loathing-hostility-and-distrust-in-premodern-ottoman-lands/

“Recent historical studies on the Ottoman Empire have taken for granted that subjects of the Ottoman polity flourished under a so-called “Pax Ottomanica.” This edited volume probes the rosy narrative of Ottoman tolerance that has long dominated the discussions. The articles carefully strive to contextualize the many issues that sound like ethnic slurs, racial stereotyping, religious discrimination, misogyny and elitism to modern ears.

The goal of the volume is not to prove that Ottoman society was a persecuting one, or that dislike or distrust was its defining characteristic, but to investigate the axes of tension, blemishes, and fractures in the everyday practice of coexistence in a dynamic, multi-religious, multi-confessional and multi-ethnic empire in which difference was the norm rather than the exception.”

Visit the Bookhouse to explore this title and our growing collection of works on Ottoman history and culture.
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Be sure to 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 to stay up to date with new articles, updates on CPL programs and academic initiatives, and curated reading recommendations:

https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

07/06/2026

Highlighting 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, Centro Primo Levi’s online magazine dedicated to the work of Primo Levi, Italian Jewish History, culture, and current affairs:

https://primolevicenter.org/printed-matter/

Featuring original essays, book reviews, archival research, and reflections, Printed Matter brings together the subjects that define CPL’s intellectual life. Published monthly, the magazine offers readers an opportunity to engage with ideas that connect the past and present through careful research, critical inquiry, and thoughtful writing.
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Be sure to 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 to stay up to date with new articles, updates on CPL programs and academic initiatives, and curated reading recommendations:

https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

07/02/2026

This week, we're spotlighting Centro Primo Levi's own Faiz Azfar and his article, 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏: 𝑻𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑰𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕, featured in our monthly magazine, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫:

https://primolevicenter.org/printed-matter/here-comes-the-sun/

Drawing on Kalyan Kundu's Meeting with Mussolini: Tagore's Tours in Italy, Azfar explores Rabindranath Tagore's controversial visits to Italy in 1925 and 1926 at the invitation of Benito Mussolini. The piece examines the cultural, political, and historical complexities of these encounters and reflects on their relevance in today's world.
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Stay connected by 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 for thought-provoking articles, updates on CPL programs and academic initiatives, and curated reading recommendations:

https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

You can also explore our Ottoman Catalogue, a curated section of our Bookstore featuring English-language classics and new scholarship on Ottoman history and culture:

https://primolevicenter.org/the-ottoman-catalog/

07/01/2026

On this evening, the Bookhouse was filled with the many voices of love. Friends old and new gathered to share and listen to love poetry in English, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Bengali, and Urdu, creating a space where language became a bridge between cultures, traditions, and experiences. Accompanied by tea, sweets, and thoughtful conversation, the evening celebrated the enduring power of poetry to connect us across borders and generations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, read aloud, listened attentively, and helped make the event such a warm and memorable gathering.
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If you enjoyed the evening or hope to join us for future programs, stay connected by subscribing to Printed Matter, our monthly newsletter, to receive updates on upcoming events, new articles, exhibitions, readings, and other opportunities to engage with the work of Centro Primo Levi:

https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

We look forward to welcoming you back to the Bookhouse soon!

06/26/2026

Highlighting our newly launched Ottoman Catalogue, a curated section of our Bookstore featuring English-language classics and new scholarship on Ottoman history and culture. It explores the impact of nationalism on the Ottoman Empire, the consequences of its decline and dissolution for Europe, and the histories of peoples, lands, religions, and their books before the concept of “the Middle East” emerged as a political and geographical term.

At Centro Primo Levi, our work has long examined the rise of nationalism, Fascism, Na**sm, and Communism which has transformed the twentieth century. The Ottoman Catalogue looks further back, exploring the histories that preceded those ruptures and the cultures that were altered, displaced, or forgotten in their wake.

We invite you to browse, discover, and rethink the past through a collection devoted to one of history’s most influential and least understood empires.

https://primolevicenter.org/the-ottoman-catalog/
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Stay connected by subscribing to Printed Matter for thought-provoking articles, updates on CPL programs and academic initiatives, and curated reading recommendations:
https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001M6t4uPDAuUrIHLVoA8rUIYZiza3B-vdHimZuOgW5wpptA7nYlKpxi95aBK4536IfZR-i5v49PqRuvDvLy0A7Miv7rGnO9SSyWogP3hM5x8lOi2U67011NBgl2eVh5xuiejO3g1ledu94nbZzsR3_owAE5OxsbC3c3eZYvxJnTZk=

06/18/2026

Reminiscing on when historian Matteo D’Avanzo shared an often forgotten corner of history in his talk on 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬: 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

On this evening, we uncovered a moment in the 1930s and 1940s when European Jews, facing closed borders, looked to the independent African empire of Ethiopia as an unexpected beacon of hope and survival.

As Fascist Italy invaded and occupied the country, as British forces replaced it, and as Emperor Haile Selassie struggled to reclaim sovereignty, Ethiopia became a tense crossroads of empire, war, and survival. Refugees searched for exits. Colonial officials calculated advantages. Jewish activists spoke of solidarity and rescue—often without asking who they were speaking for.

At the same time, the local Beta Israel community found themselves suddenly caught in the complex, dangerous crosshairs of Fascist Italian colonial politics.

A conversation that left us thinking about the weight of choices made far from the people they affected, and how the echoes of the Holocaust reached well beyond the borders of Europe.

06/15/2026

Join us at the Bookhouse for an evening dedicated to the beauty of 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚.

Cozy up with a warm cup of tea, indulge in delicious sweets, and immerse yourself in verses spanning multiple languages, including English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, and Hebrew.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴 , 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝟲:𝟯𝟬-𝟴:𝟯𝟬𝗣𝗠
𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 | 𝗔𝗦𝗙 𝗦𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿, 𝟭𝟱 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁

𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 ([email protected] | include the program's title in the subject line), so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in poetry.

06/15/2026

Join us at Bookhouse on June 18 at 6:30 pm for an enchanting evening of Love Poetry, tea and sweets. Reservations are essential ([email protected]), so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in poetry.

https://conta.cc/4eHmToq

Email from Centro Primo Levi Layla, night, the most femminine of all things, is masculine in Hebrew, but it is also the name of a woman. Sun is masculine and sunset is feminine, the memory of the masc

06/11/2026

Taking a look back at the CPL workshop on 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 presented by Noam Sienna (visiting scholar at Rutgers University) and the Yiddish Printmakers Cooperative.

Using woodblocks, hand-set type, and manual printing presses, we replicated one of the printed texts from the press of the Ibn Nahmias family of early 16th century Constantinople.

Refugees from Spain after the Expulsion of 1492, the Ibn Nahmias family established a printing house that operated until 1530: the first printing house of any kind in the Ottoman Empire, and the first, the longest-lasting, and the most productive Sephardi printing house of the early modern Mediterranean.

Bringing together Dr. Sienna’s bibliographic research on the Ibn Nahmias press with embodied practice in traditional techniques of bookmaking, this workshop offered participants an experiential understanding of the development of print technology in the first century after its introduction, and the differences in its meaning in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic worlds.