Established in 1516, Venice’s walled-off Jewish quarter would give its name to, and provide a model for, scores of similar zones in cities throughout Italy and Germany that decided Jews simply couldn’t be allowed to live among Christians. The 500th anniversary of its founding has occasioned celebrations and commemorations in the city, including an elaborate exhibit that will be on display in the summer and fall. David Laskin writes:

March 15 marks the beginning of this year’s Israel Apartheid Week, during which campus groups around the world hold rallies and events for the purpose of defaming the Jewish state and mustering support for the movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction it (BDS). Richard Kemp comments: