Remembrance Day: Mazzeo in Pisa to tell young people the stories of the 'Tuscan Righteous'

Remembrance Day: Mazzeo in Pisa to tell young people the stories of the 'Tuscan Righteous'

Remember the Righteous Among the Nations, silent heroes of humanity, who risked their lives to save the Jews from death and deportation in one of the darkest moments in history. This was the meaning of the meeting that took place this morning (Saturday 27 January) aimed at the students of the fifth classes of the Buonarroti high school in Pisa, on the occasion of the celebrations for Remembrance Day, in which the Prime Minister participated regional Antonio Mazzeo. With him the head teacher Alessio Salerni, head teacher of the high school, and Alfredo De Girolamo, author of the book “Who saves a life. In memory of the Tuscan Righteous” (Assembly Editions). He was moderated by Guglielmo Vezzosi, responsible for special initiatives at 'La Nazione'. The newspaper has created, in collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the Tuscany Region, a special 32-page insert to tell, through historical texts and cards written by De Girolamo himself, the stories and profiles of the Tuscans proclaimed Righteous among the Nations. That of the "Righteous" is an honor conferred by the official Israeli Memorial, Yad Vashem. There are 28 thousand in the world, 800 in Italy and 162 in Tuscany. Among them also the Pisan Giorgio Nissim and the cycling champion Gino Bartali, who hid false documents for the Jews in the barrel of his bicycle.

“This year we have decided to dedicate Remembrance Day to the Righteous Among the Nations, people who had the courage to put their lives on the line to save the lives of others – explained President Mazzeo – . The message I wanted to convey to girls and boys is to never be indifferent, to always choose to be on the right side of history, just like the Righteous did, because the freedom we have today is like a flower that must be watered day after day. day and they will have a fundamental role, that of leaving us a better world." “Today, unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer women and men who experienced the barbarism of Nazi-fascism – continued Mazzeo – and it is therefore necessary for there to be a passing of the baton. It is up to girls and boys to become memory amplifiers, to tell and make people understand that what happened has marked our time and made us all more fragile. We need to start from there and make sure it never happens again."

The meeting was held in Pisa also to commemorate the signing of the racial laws, which took place in San Rossore in 1938. The interventions of the students and students who participated in the initiative.

“For us today is not just a celebration, but a reflection on the present – said the school director Alessio Salerni -. Every day we witness acts that refer to regimes that were responsible for the Shoah. We must make students reflect and give them the tools so that they can have a political and civic conscience, which will guide them in the coming years. They are called to build the future by trying to maintain those ideals which, after the Second World War, led to the birth of a united Europe, in order to prevent new wars".

Alfredo De Girolamo spoke about the importance of the work of reconstructing the stories of the Righteous of the Nations. “There are fewer and fewer witnesses to those terrible years today – he explained – which is why we must rely on history. And to do this we need to collect these testimonies and make them an integral part of our heritage and that of our children."

“Our director Agnese Pini wanted to create this insert to tell the stories of the 162 Tuscans proclaimed Righteous Among the Nations – explained Guglielmo Vezzosi – . They are stories of courage, of solidarity, of those who did not hold back, did not look the other way out of fear or convenience."