Two landmark anniversaries coincide in 2016: the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death and the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Jewish Ghetto of Venice, a place that would give its name to such segregated areas worldwide and serve as the historical backdrop for Shakespeare’s most controversial play, The Merchant of Venice. Shaul Bassi, associate professor of English Literature at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, reflects on the legacy of the Ghetto and the international effort now underway to stage The Merchant of Venice in Venice for the very first time in July, 2016. Series: "Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30593]