From Homes to History: Shoah Museum Foundation in Rome Launches Memory Campaign

“Any document can restore a life.” This is the premise of the “Dalle case alla Storia” (From Homes to History) campaign, launched by the Shoah Foundation Museum in Rome. The goal is to collect documents about the persecution of Jews that have not been shared before. “History is built through documents and proof, so this is an important step in connecting history and memory,” said Mario Venezia, president of the Foundation, while presenting the campaign on Capitol Hill.

Photos, letters, certificates, and diaries donated by families to the Foundation will become “lived heritage, accessible and comprehensible.” The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, praised the initiative. “Memory is not abstract; it must be built through concrete evidence,” he said, wishing that “stories will not remain closed in drawers.” Milena Pavoncello, the Education representative for the Jewish Community of Rome, said, “Every photo and letter contains a voice that could help reconstruct a person’s life. Preserving and sharing them means transmitting truth.” Giorgio Segré, a councilor of the Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy (FBCEI), agreed. He noted that archives and libraries are “a cultural heritage for the entire Italian society.”

Over the years, many people have donated their family archives to the Shoah Foundation Shoah Memorial Museum. Among the donors is 94-year-old Emanuele Di Porto, also known as the “child of the tram.” On October 16, 1943, he escaped the roundup of the Roman ghetto and was saved by tram workers who risked their lives to protect him.

The From Homes to History campaign is part of a network of collaborations with institutions and research centers.

Adam Smulevich