A native of Italy, Antonio holds a “laurea” in Hebrew and Semitic Philology from the University of Rome “La Sapienza,” where he wrote a thesis about Giuda Leone de’ Sommi and his Ṣaḥut bediḥuta de-Qiddušin, the first Hebrew theatrical piece, written in Renaissance Italy. He subsequently went on to pursue ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary of New York, where he also obtained an MA in Hebrew literature. Prior to his arrival in Israel Antonio has served as a congregational rabbi in New York and in Tokyo, and he is currently an MA student in the Arabic Language and Literature Department. He moonlights as a baker in a bakery in East Jerusalem.