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10* Personal recollections of Bruno

His collaboration with scholars of Judaeo-Arabic in Jerusalem first
began in 1991 when he and I corresponded and met together in Pavia. This
connection continued when Bruno was invited to join an initiative to bring
together a group of researchers at the Institute for Advanced Studies of the
Hebrew University in the academic year 1994–1995 in order to study the
works of Saadya Gaon. During his stay in Jerusalem, Bruno intensively
studied microfilms of Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts held by the Russian
National Library in St. Petersburg. He was successful in identifying a large
number of works by Saadya Gaon and by Karaite authors who were active
in Jerusalem during the early Muslim period. Bruno made many friends in
Jerusalem and frequently returned in the following fifteen years. From 2005–
2006 he joined another research group at the Institute for Advanced Studies
that dealt with the Mu’tazilite movement in medieval Islamic theological
thought.

Personal recollections of Bruno

David Sklare

For many people, not only is Bruno the profound scholar now missing –
erudite with broad horizons of knowledge – but especially lacking is Bruno
the colleague, the friend – warm and gracious, sensitive and encouraging.
I do not remember my first meeting with him (perhaps in 1994), but I
recall his visits to Jerusalem well. To visit him was always an interesting
and intriguing experience. When he came to Jerusalem, he tended to stay
at Catholic institutions, generally Franciscan, as he often came to examine
monks who were doctoral candidates. I therefore found myself visiting him
in places to which I would normally not have access. Thus, I found myself,
a researcher of Jewish history at the beginning of his career, lecturing with
Bruno’s encouragement at a conference on Christology held at the Armenian
monastery of St. James.

Bruno Chiesa related to me once how he as a boy, born and raised in