Rome commemorates Nazi raid on ghetto

On October 16, 1943, the Jews of Rome were jolted awake by Nazi soldiers pounding at their doors.

The Nazi raid targeting the ancient Jewish neighborhood of the Italian capital, as well as Jews living in the rest of the city, started at 5:15 a.m. It was Shabbat, and as was the case this year, it was the third day of Sukkot (dates on the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars cycle once every 19 years).

Over 1,000 Jews were arrested that day. Two days later, they were all deported to Auschwitz. Only 16 survived.

October 16 has become a day of mourning for the Italian Jewish community. Every year, the anniversary is marked by solemn commemorations, which in the past few years have consistently been attended by major representatives of the local and national authorities.

“We must respond to what happened with life,” Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni said during a march on Saturday night, as reported by the Italian Jewish newspaper Pagine Ebraiche. “This is the testimony we must bear.”

The event was organized by the Jewish community and by the lay Catholic association Sant’Egidio right before the beginning of Sukkot, a time when one is obligated to be happy and rejoice.

Several hundred participants walked through the very same streets where Jews were gathered to be sent to their death 76 years ago, and which today buzzes with Jewish life thanks to the Jewish school, kosher restaurants and synagogues.

Among those speaking at the event were Ruth Dureghello, president of the Jewish Community of Rome; Marco Impagliazzo, president of Sant’Egidio; Virginia Raggi, mayor of Rome; Nicola Zingaretti, president of the Lazio Region of Italy, where Rome is located; Dror Eydar, Israeli ambassador to Italy; and Bishop Ambrogio Spreafico.

On Sunday morning, another silent march ended in the Great Synagogue of Rome, where all the names of the victims were read out loud, and Holocaust survivor Sami Modiano addressed the participants.

“Our youngsters are our great hope and our future,” he said, according to Pagine Ebraiche. “When we are not here anymore, they will carry on remembering” what happened.

In 1943, about 40,000 Jews were living in the Italian peninsula, according to the Milan-based research institute CDEC. About 7,000 of them were killed in the Holocaust.

Today, the Jewish Community of Rome has about 13,000 official members, while the Jewish population of Italy is estimated to be around 25,000.