Tuesday, January 27, marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, established by law on July 20, 2000, by the Italian Parliament, which supported the international proposal to declare January 27 a day of commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust during the Second World War. The Municipality of Pisa has organized, with the collaboration of the Prefecture of Pisa, the Province of Pisa, and the Jewish Community of Pisa, a significant program of initiatives to celebrate the anniversary.
The commemoration will be divided into several moments:
At 8:30 a.m., in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (in front of the Provincial Palace), the laying of a wreath at the monument “Mai più reticolati,” dedicated to interned soldiers, is scheduled. At 9:45 a.m., in the Raffaello Menasci green area, the commemorative ceremony will take place, with the performance of musical pieces by the choir of the Comprehensive Institute “Liana Strenta Tongiorgi.”
Those who will speak include Michele Conti, Mayor of Pisa; Maria Luisa D’Alessandro, Prefect of Pisa; Massimiliano Angori, President of the Province of Pisa; Andrea Gottfried, President of the Jewish Community of Pisa; Bruno Possenti, of the Provincial ANPI Committee of Pisa; Laura Geloni, President of ANED; Andrea Simonetti, Provincial School Superintendent; and Michel Auerbac, survivor of racial persecutions.
All citizens are invited to take part in the commemorative celebrations.
From January 26 to 31, it will also be possible to visit, with free admission, the exhibition set up in the atrium of Palazzo Gambacorti, “Whoever saves one life saves the entire world. An exhibition to celebrate the Righteous Among the Nations.” The exhibition is inspired by the recent change in the name of a city street, named in past years after the “Righteous Among the Nations,” to remember those who, though not Jewish, during the racial persecutions chose not to bow to unjust laws - often paying with the loss of their positions or even their lives - and helped those who were persecuted.
The initiative, which also includes the screening of an in-depth video, is designed specifically for schools and pays particular attention to historical figures connected to the Pisa area. The inauguration, which will precede Holocaust Remembrance Day, is scheduled for Monday, January 26 at 11:30 a.m.
The exhibition will remain open from Monday to Friday during the opening hours of the municipal building.
