Serrastretta was founded by Jewish refugees fleeing the Inquisition[3] and was historically home to a notable Jewish community.[4] Several families of Ukrainian Jewishrefugees were invited into the town in 2022, in hope to help restore the remaining Jewish presence in Serrastretta.[5]
The Ner Tamid del Sud shul is the only operating synagogue in Calabria.[6]
Economy
Serrastretta is a center of production of furniture, kitchens, door-frames, casings and furnishings of every kind. Above all are the woven-straw chairs, for which Serrastretta is considered to be one of the main Calabrese producers. The chair makers continue to construct chairs as in the past - a frame made of wood, to which the women expertly apply the woven straw seats with a special bush "vuda", coming from the plants in the marshlands.
In the territory of Serrastretta also porcini mushrooms are found, particularly in areas where chestnut trees grow. There is also a museum devoted to the singer Dalida, whose parents originally came from Serrastretta.
