Assisi and the persecuted Jews, new stories of salvation

During the antisemitic persecutions, a particularly significant and touching story of salvation took place in the houses and convents of Assisi. A lot was written about those who provided help and the ones who benefited from it, but there is still much to discover. A new event, that recently came to light, leans precisely in that direction. It is a testimony from a parish in the municipality of Figline Valdarno, in Tuscany. In a hitherto unpublished document, there is a reference to the help offered to a Jewish couple (Moszkowicz being the husband’s surname, Bram’s the wife’s) and their little son. The family was there upon indication of Elia Dalla Costa, whose name has been on the list of the “Righteous Among the Nations” for some years now. He was the archbishop of Florence and one of the leading figures who fostered unregulated immigration.
The document states: “They came from Genoa, where Cardinal Siri had provided them with documents, forged ones, of course. I sent them to San Martino Altoreggi, but they stayed there for a short time, because the Germans were beginning to comb the area. They remained hidden in the convent of the Poor Daughters of the Holy Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi and were provided food by the Liberation Committee, and in particular by Pellari.
Then they were given money and recommendation letters issued by the parish and thanks to them they moved south. After various hardships they reached Assisi, where they were hosted by a nunnery”. This story has caught the attention of the Museum of Memory of Assisi, and in particular of Maria Rosati, its creator and curator, who reflected: “This story proves that memory, if nurtured, blooms”. “We therefore appeal to the Jewish Communities, to the various associations of survivors, to anyone who knows this family and especially any relatives who can tell of their stay in Assisi”.
For info you can contact: assisimuseodellamemoria@gmail.com

Above, a school group visiting the Museum of Memory of Assisi

Translation by Martina Bandini, revised by Annadora Zuanel, students at the Secondary School of Modern Languages for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, interns at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.