The Jewish Youth Confraternity of Asti

The Jewish Youth Confraternity of Asti, in northwestern Italy, was founded in 1619 on Lag b’Omer, a day considered a special holiday for students. This confraternity, named Ḥavurat Zerizim (Confraternity of the Diligent) existed for fifteen years. It was established by young men with the involvement of adults, as was the case with non-Jewish Italian youth confraternities, and its purpose was to strengthen Torah learning and religious behavior.