Report of some meetings for the “Memorial Day 2019”.
These are key moments to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust and to make known the stories of salvation of the Children of Selvino who survived the extermination and the reconstruction of their lives.
They were also an opportunity to illustrate the museum dedicated to them in the Municipality of Selvino and to encourage the collection of funds necessary for its complete realization.
We met over three thousand students and numerous other citizens. Most of the meetings were characterized by the screening of the documentary by Enrico Grisanti, a video interview with Liliana Segre and the exhibition of the documentary exhibition on the Casa dei Bambini di Selvino.
The moment we are experiencing is difficult. Xenophobic, racist and anti-Semitic feelings are once again alive. This requires the utmost commitment to reaffirm the values of acceptance, respect for diversity and human dignity, which are witnessed by the victims of the concentration camps and Nazi-fascist persecutions and dictatorships, and all survivors, such as the Children of Selvino.
– SELVINO (BG) 29 November 2018 
Meeting with a group of students and some professors of the Mantegna Institute of Brescia in preparation for the Memorial Day.
The delegation of 52 students later met the other comrades of the institute to present the story of the Children of Selvino until emigration to Palestine, using images and key concepts, illustrated with power point “.
Still in preparation for Remembrance Day, some students from the same institute went to Jerusalem to bring back to school images and original reflections on the life and city of Jerusalem.
– BOZZOLO (MN) 14 December 2018
In the village of Don Primo Mazzolari, an initiative entitled “From the dark to the light”, with readings on the history of the Children’s House of Selvino.
– COVO (BG) 19 January – 27 January 2019
Exhibition open to the public and to schools, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti.
On 23 and 25 January 2019 several meetings were held with schools and a guide to the exhibition.
– SONCINO (CR) 19 January – 3 February 2019
Exhibition open to the public and to schools, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti and meeting with students and citizens.
– BOSISIO PARINI (Lecco) from 21 to 27 January 2019.
Exhibition set up at the Centro Studi ‘G. Parini ‘, and screening of the documentary by Enrico Grisanti with a presentation of the story of the Selvino Children by the boys of the “Italo Calvino” school who welcomed over 300 students. The boys wrote some beautiful poems about Sciesopoli, listened and watched several videos. The most important moment of the week was Friday, January 25, 2019 with an evening of reflection on the themes of memory and citizenship, with a touching representation curated by the boys.
See the page dedicated to the event >
To crown the initiatives, on February 12, 2019 there was an exciting meeting of the school with Sidney Zoltak (a child of Selvino who came to Italy from Canada). On this occasion the boys sang some songs of the Selvino Children together in Sidney.
– ONO S.Pietro (BS) 23 January 2019
Incontro in biblioteca sulle persecuzioni degli ebrei in Valle Camonica e la storia dei Bambini di Selvino.
Presentation of the book “What could I have done? Stories of Jews in Valle Camonica between flight and resistance ”, by Serena Furloni, Federico Mondini, Bernardino Pasinelli, with a preface by Mimmo Franzinelli and introduction by Michele Sarfatti.
Through archival sources, oral histories and bibliographies, a map of the Jewish presence in Valle Camonica is reconstructed. Thin threads are discovered that weave dramatic episodes inside and outside the Valle Camonica; figures of brave and cowardly men; experiences of heroes fighting to save a country, and of men who protect and save other men, fleeing the terrible tragedy.
A chapter is dedicated to the Children of Selvino who found refuge in the house of Sciesopoli.
– BRENO (BS) 24 January 2019
Morning of meetings with high school students.
– CHIARI (BS) 25 January 2019
Meeting with Chiari schools, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti.
– CASALECCHIO DI RENO (BO) 25 January 2019
By the House of Knowledge – Cesare Pavese Library the scienic representation with readings on “Sciesopoli. The colony that saved 800 Jewish children“.
An exciting reading of the “Legg’io” Group for the Memorial Day 2019, that reconstructed the story of the Children of Selvino, and raised awareness about the fundraising for the museum and the renovation of the Sciesopoli building.
– MAPPANO (TO) 25 January 2019
Giovanni BLOISI, the “CYCLIST OF MEMORY”, brought his history as a sportsman and in particular the story of Sciesopoli, to convey a message of hope in remembering one of the darkest pages in history.
In 2016, the then Intercommunal Consortium of Mappano had decided to celebrate Memorial Day in a somewhat different way, always talking about the drama of the Shoa, but transmitting a message of hope. Precisely for this reason it was decided to tell the very special story of Sciesopoli, a fascist colony that at the end of the war welcomed more than 800 Jewish orphans within its walls, bringing them back to life and reconnecting them to their origins.
Thanks to the association “Liberi Tutti” by Leinì, the history of Sciesopoli is back within the walls of the “Lea Garofalo” hall, at the town hall, built in collaboration with the ANPI Section Caselle-Mappano.
We talked about Sciesopoli and Giovanni Bloisi, “Ciclista della Memoria”. Riding his bicycle, Bloisi has faced more than one journey with the aim of creating attention and stimulating memory. A memory that must not only speak of the dead, but also of survivors, which is why one of his expeditions focused on the story of Sciesopoli, on a journey that had as its final objective the kibbutz of Zeelim, where they found a home the orphans passed by Sciesopoli. Bloisi, to reach Israel, has also touched several Italian locations, home to internment camps. A path traced to commemorate the persecution of the Jewish people, which was also implemented in Italy.
– ORZINUOVI (BS) 25 January 2019
Meeting with the high schools of the Cossali Institute, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti.
– SELVINO (BG) 27 January 2019
Press conference on the memorial museum of Sciesopoli the Children’s House of Selvino.
Placing the license plate to the Memory Tree.
Theatrical performance “Men or No. The duty of testimony and choice. Dante and Primo Levi” recounted by Gabriele Laterza.
– PANDINO (CR) 27 January 2019
The Municipality, the Municipal Library and the Culture Group of Pandino, on the occasion of the “MEMORIAL DAY” presented a theatrical show dedicated to Eugenia Cohen, a young Jewish girl who, after the Shoah, was an educator and the mother of the children of Selvino and emigrated to Israel.
The title of the representation is significant: “A star from Italy to Israel”, the story of a young Jewish girl who, as a result of anti-Semitic racial persecutions and bombings on Milan, hid in Pandino with her family.
Texts by Antonella Agnello and Patrizia Sacchelli, interpreters Antonella Agnello, Erica Zaneboni, Mara Federici, Consuelo Cassani, Patrizia Boerci, Paolo Gandini, Beatrice, Greta, Matilde, Michele, Rebecca, directed by Patrizia Sacchelli, audio and video technicians Graziano Berra , Massimo Bertazzoli.
– S. OMOBONO IMAGNA (BG) 28 January 2019
Meeting the middle schools, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti.
– DESIO (MI), 28 January 2019
Remembrance Day at the Scientific and Classical Lyceum of Desio.
Meeting in video with Yehudith Kleinman a Children of Selvino and presentation of her book “The child behind the eyes”, Ed. Panozzo, who was hidden in the convent of Desio and helped by some people of Desio still living witnesses, like Fiammetta’s family Cattaneo, who unfortunately lost his mother, was deported to the extermination camps and always lived in memory of his excruciating lack. A terrible story: the mother who saved her daughter by saying that she is not his daughter and leaving her in other people’s hands.
Matthias Durchfeld (from Istoreco of Reggio Emilia) presented the book of which he is a curator and translator.
Guided tour of the exhibition Points of light Continuation of the day by the Student Representatives.
In 2018 Yehudit visited the Sciesopoli colony of Selvino where she had been one of the “Children of Moshe” (from the title of the book by Sergio Luzzatto). The knowledge of adult Yehudit, editor of this moving story, is superimposed on the emotional perceptions of little Giuditta in the tragic times of separation from her parents and protection in the monastery. A story of early strength and courage for the young age of the protagonist, a story of generous humanity on the part of neighbors and nuns, a story of extraordinary trust and hope on the part of the men and women who became active, working to the limits of the possible, in organizations such as the Jewish Brigade, the Alià Bet, and the Delasem to bring those poor orphans to Erez Israel.
– VENICE, 31 January 2019
Organized by Ateneo Veneto, ADEI-WIZO Venice and the Figli della Shoah Association, a lecture on “Jewish Sciesopoli”: how 800 children, orphans, Jews, survivors, returned to life in Selvino, Marco Cavallarin, with an introduction by Manuela Fano, greetings from Marina Scarpa Campos and intervention by Lia Tagliacozzo.
– LALLIO (BG) 7 February 2019
Meeting the middle schools, documentary screening by Enrico Grisanti.
– TREVIOLO (BG) 8 February – 14 February 2019
Meeting the middle schools, documentary screening of Enrico Grisanti and exhibition on “Bambini di Selvino” in the modern municipal library.
– SELVINO, 8 February 2019
Presentation of the film on the Children’s House of Selvino, directed by Francesca Muci
– PONTE S. PIETRO (BG), 29 March 2019
Meeting with film projection and exhibition of the Selvino Children’s House. Some middle school classes have prepared billboards and readings to illustrate the Holocaust, anti-Semitic persecutions and the Children story of Selvino.
