VERCELLI – The Jewish community mourns Mario Pollarolo, 100

Mario Pollarolo Sacerdote, historical memory of the Jewish Community of Vercelli in the Piedmont region, died at the age of 100. On his birthday, in February, the community organized a party to honor him and celebrate his contribution. “Over the years, with his help, we have collected happy memories of the past and testimonies related to the fascist and wartime period,” said the President of the Jewish Community, Rossella Bottini Treves. His contribution was important until the end. It was thanks to him, for example, that between 2023 and 2024, the exact location was determined for the laying of the Stumbling Stones in memory of the Jews murdered by the Nazi Fascists. As for Pollarolo, he sought refuge from persecution in the province of Cuneo.

“The worst hour in Vercelli came in 1944, when the synagogue, the kindergarten and Jewish properties were confiscated,” he recalled. On his 100th birthday, he was honored with a certificate from the Claims Conference in recognition of his extraordinary life of heroism and resilience after the Shoah.