He was born in a family of ancient tradition (his mother’s father, Dante Lattes, was one of the most important representatives of jewish italian culture in our century; his father’s great-great-grandfather, Samuel David Luzzatto -Shadal- was teaching at the Rabbinical College in Padova and was an Italian representative of the “Wissenschaft des Judentums”). During his adolescence, he lived in Jerusalem, until 1946. For more than forty years he worked as a surgeon in several Italian hospitals. He was university lecturer and Chief Physician, he devoted his studies especially to the applications of mathematical systems to the medical-clinical researches.

He likes to be defined “physician – expert in jewish culture”. He insists above all on modern jewish identity, which, according him, has increased the value and has brought to the affirmation of the category of national identity, together with the “religious” one. Following thinkers like Bialik and Achad HA-Am, he believes that this national identity should develop in continuity with jewish history and tradition and urges those who follow this path to master, through studying, not only Hebrew, but also Bible, Midrashic-Talmudic Literature and all its developments until our time.

He translated and commented the Book of Job (Univ. Ec. Feltrinelli, 1991) and The Song of Songs (Giuntina, 1997). He wrote “How to read Midrash” (Morcelliana, 1999), “The place of the Jews” (Einaudi, 2003) and a interview-book “Paths of my life in Judaism, science and politics” (Morcelliana, 2003).
He has contributed with personal essays in the books “Left Wing and Jewish question” (Editori riuniti, 1989), “Modern Jews” (Bollati-Boringheri, 1989), “Besides the Ghetto” (Morcelliana, 1992), “Annali Einaudi- Storia degli Ebrei d’Italia, vol. II” (Einaudi, 1997).

He took part with personal reports to several and international conferences on jewish culture subjects. He held a course on Jewish Literature of Midrash at the chair of Religions History, at Venice University. In the same University, he organized the “Socrates European Master archaeology and the writing dynamics”, regarding the jewish subject. At Roma Tre University, he holds a course on Midrash within Religions History and a Laboratory on the dynamic of prejudice.
He is editor-in-chief of the “Rassegna Mensile d’Israel”.
Since June 1998, he is the President of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities.