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Piazza Palatucci

Last weekend, on a gorgeously sunny afternoon in a remote (and extraordinarily picturesque) village high in the mountains of central Italy, I attended a ceremony that, in signature Italian style, was operatic in its mix of hyperbole and sincere commitment.

Italian Holocaust victims remembered

The names of 8,000 Italian Jewish victims of the Holocaust were read aloud on Jan. 25 as part of four area events in honor of Italy’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Gino Bartali, Italian cycling legend, saved Jews during WWII [VIDEO]

Gino Bartali is best known as a cycling legend who holds the record for the longest time span between victories at the Tour de France – ten years – a feat made all the more impressive by the Tour’s status as one of most grueling endurance competitions in the world and the fact that Bartali was an old man (by cycling standards) when he made his comeback in 1948. Looking beyond the marvel of his athletic stamina, Bartali’s life provides a powerful lesson in how moral endurance can empower from within.

Italian leaders decry list of ‘influential’ Italian Jews

Italian leaders expressed anger and solidarity with the Jewish community after a neo-Nazi Internet forum published a list of \”influential\” Italian Jews on its website. The Italian media Wednesday called the list on the American white supremacist website Stormfront \”a blacklist of hate.\” The list included journalists, businesspeople, politicians, artists and others. Politicians denounced the Stormfront posting and called for action against online hatred. The list \”reminds us of the most shameful page in our history when, based on similar lists, thousands of Italians were expelled from schools, universities and workplaces and were deprived of citizenship and persecuted,\” Nicola Zingaretti, president of the Province of Rome, said in a statement.

Italy’s Berlusconi narrowly survives no-confidence votes

Italy\’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi fended off challenges from the left and the right to narrowly survive two no-confidence votes in Parliament. Protests broke out Tuesday in the streets of Rome following the vote, and the country\’s political future remained unclear. With the revolt by former ally Gianfranco Fini, Berlusconi does not hold a clear enough majority in Parliament to govern effectively, and some analysts predicted that the embattled prime minister might resign and call early elections.

Jewish officials meet with Italian leaders, pope

World Jewish Congress officials met with Pope Benedict XVI and separately with senior Italian officials, praising Italy for its support of Israel. WJC President Ronald Lauder told Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in their meeting Friday that the Jewish world \”deeply appreciates\” its \”important and well-established friendship with the Italian government\” and also appreciates \”Italian attention to the safety of the people of Israel.\” Italy, Lauder later said, \”has a key role in advancing the peace process in the Middle East.\”\n

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Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.