EXHIBITION The Liberation of Rome Displayed in Jerusalem

By Simone Somekh*

A temporary exhibition entitled “Roma Capta: The Contribution of the Jewish Soldiers in the Allied Armies during the Italian Campaign (1943-1945)” is being displayed at the Museum of Italian Art U. Nahon in Jerusalem, in the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Rome from the Nazis. The exhibition seeks to tell the history of the Jews who enlisted in the Allied Armies during WWII, especially of the Jewish Brigade, a military group formed in 1944 with the aim of fighting the Germans that were occupying Italy.

“We would like the public to learn about a page in history that was too often neglected” said Cecilia Nizza, one of the members of the Directorial Board of the exhibit, which was curated by Samuele Rocca, author of the book “La Brigata Ebraica, e le unità ebraiche nell’esercito britannico durante la seconda guerra mondiale” (Soldiership Publishing 2012, published both in Italian and English). “We hope that the display will reach the schools and the universities here in Israel, where there are many stories of those who fought, as well as in Italy, especially after the events that took place on the 25th of April against the Jewish Brigade”.

“Roma Capta” is divided in several parts and is composed of illustrative panels explaining the history behind the Jewish Brigade, photographs, and two screen projections; one of the insights focuses on the role of the women in the Brigade. The exhibition is set to continue until June 5th, a day after the actual anniversary of the Liberation, and is located in the complex of the Italian Synagogue in Rehov Hillel, Jerusalem.

*Simone Somekh is a student at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, and writes as a freelancer for the Jewish Italian press