The Shoah Museum Foundation in Rome and Yad Vashem Sign a Cooperation Agreement
On March 24, the day marking the commemoration of the Ardeatine Caves massacre during WWII on Rome’s southern outskirts, the Shoah Museum Foundation in Rome and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing and preserving Roman and Italian remembrance narratives. Their respective presidents, Mario Venezia and Dani Dayan, signed the agreement. From now on, every archival document donated to the Foundation in Rome will become part of the Israeli Memorial’s archive. The first acquisition will consist of materials collected through the recent campaign, “From Homes to History,” which was launched to recover documents, letters, diaries, and photographs related to the persecution.
The signing took place at the Foundation’s headquarters in Casina dei Vallati and was preceded by a discussion about educational and research activities, as well as a visit to the exhibition “The End of the Nazi Lagers,” curated by Marcello Pezzetti and on display since January 2025. Ophir Eden, Counselor for Public Affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Italy, was among those present. Accompanying President Venezia were historian Manuele Gianfrancesco and Marco Caviglia, the Foundation’s head of education.
“This initiative with Yad Vashem further strengthens the value and impact of donations,” Venezia stated. He emphasized that making this extraordinary historical and emotional heritage accessible to a global audience gives the families of donors the recognition they deserve and makes their contribution more visible. According to Dayan, “Each object tells a personal story while also being part of the broader history of the Holocaust. Through this collaboration, these stories will now be accessible worldwide and to future generations.”
Dayan, Venezia, and the Foundation’s staff also addressed the challenge of fostering conscious, informed memory at a time of significant pressures and the gradual loss of direct witnesses to the persecution. Some reflections focused on the potential and limitations of technological advances. “We strongly believe in authenticity and therefore remain cautious for the time being. If we have doubts, we prefer to stop. On this issue, we position ourselves on the more conservative side of the spectrum,” Dayan clarified. “This may change in the future. Perhaps in a few years, we will adopt a different approach. Yad Vashem already offers theatrical performances, which would have been unimaginable in the past.”
On March 23, Dayan met with Pope Leo XIV together with the Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman. The meeting, which took place in the Vatican, was described by the embassy as an “important and meaningful opportunity” to discuss preserving memory and countering antisemitism.
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Translated by Elizabeth El Khoury and revised by Caterina Mansani, students at the Advanced School for
Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainees in the newsroom of the Union of the
Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.