1
00:00:00,125 --> 00:00:00,250
People from Here
2
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Welcome to People from Here.
3
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
What we want to tell you today
is the story of two young people,
4
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of two young people with high hopes.
5
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There is Adelina,
a brilliant lawyer who works
6
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
at a prestigious legal firm in Milan.
7
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Then there is Hector,
an industrial chemist.
8
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The future can only smile
at Adelina and Hector.
9
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Actually,
their future will be more turbulent
10
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
than they could have ever imagined.
11
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The fact is,
in 1938 Hector and Adelina are Jewish.
12
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
On September 18th,
in the town of Trieste,
13
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Benito Mussolini announced Racial Laws
for the first time,
14
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for the defense of the race.
15
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The world of those two young people
suddenly collapses under their feet.
16
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We will tell this story
of Hector and Adelina
17
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and about the eve of the day.
18
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We will tell it with the son
of Hector and Adelina,
19
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Daniele Finzi, who in 2011, decided
to donate his parents letters
20
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and documents
to The Archives of Pieve Santo Stefano.
21
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Shortly we will also discuss why
this choice was made.
22
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I would like to start precisely
with September 1938,
23
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
with Mussolini's announcement
of the laws for the defense of the race.
24
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Hector and Adelina immediately started
to understand that there was no future
25
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
for them in that country.
26
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
To leave their country was
a difficult decision,
27
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
but one that will save their lives.
28
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Yes, my father Hector Finzi had
very deep historical knowledge.
29
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Also because he knew German very well.
30
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He had two aunts, aunt Genie
and aunt Lazagudita Gentiluomo,
31
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
who both lived in Vienna.
32
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He had followed all
the Nazi antisemitism up to March 1938.
33
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So when the race manifesto was published
in July 1938, he didn't expect it.
34
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He knew what our limits were
and he also hoped
35
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that Italy was perhaps
a little different from Germany.
36
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And my father, more than my mother,
made quick and immediate decisions.
37
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He was also very intuitive.
38
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He had known my mom only
a few month in 1938.
39
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It was love at first sight
and because of the race manifesto,
40
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
the Racial Laws,
they decided to get married.
41
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They were married in Milan
on December 1, 1938.
42
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
In 1938. We arrive in 1939.
- Yes.
43
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
A manifest date for many.
- Yes.
44
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Very unjust, but there is a turning point.
- There is a turning point.
45
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Hector and Adelina decide to leave.
Or rather, how do they depart?
46
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because, in a way,
they leave well informed.
47
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Yes and no.
The problem is immediate
48
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and that of money.
49
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Because the White Paper of the British,
a policy from maybe February
50
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
or March of 1939,
allowed a total of 75,000 Jews
51
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to enter Palestine for five years.
52
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But to qualify,
every person needed to have 1,000 stars.
53
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Like we had said, they had chosen.
The goal was Palestine.
54
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The choice was not a coincidence,
because my father had also thought
55
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
of Latin America.
56
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But the idea of going
to Palestine was because it was nearby.
57
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He also hoped his parents could join him.
58
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
In any case,
the issue of money was really
59
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
a huge problem
because they didn't have money.
60
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, thanks to the lawyer Gianni Morandi,
who was the owner of the firm
61
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
where my mom worked,
they went to Zurich for their honeymoon.
62
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Then they went to Lugano
to gather clients for the lawyer
63
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to put towards this large sum.
64
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I still remember two leather bags
with thousands of stars inside.
65
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They were gold stars.
66
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Okay, at this point, they reach Palestine.
The State of Israel still didn't exist.
67
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There wasn't any money to protect them.
Therefore, they had to start from scratch?
68
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Yes, and so, they started all over again
from January to April 1, 1939.
69
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They arrived in Jaffa on April 6, 1939.
70
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Yes, because by 1922
the British controlled Palestine.
71
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
There were Palestinian Arabs.
72
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Jewish Palestinians were organized
by the Yishuv, who were more concerned
73
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
with the kibbutz and wanted
to dedicate themselves
74
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
to agriculture, etc.
75
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But the harm, the political one,
was directed by the Arab agency.
76
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The Arab agency was, well,
I will give you an example.
77
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Those who arrived
in Tel Aviv on April 7th,
78
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
were in school learning modern Hebrew
twenty days after arriving,
79
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
because there were various Jews
in Tel Aviv from every part of Europe.
80
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And so, it was necessary
to learn this common language.
81
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Therefore, there was some organization,
but there were a lot of problems.
82
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
In any case, where I mentally find...
- Ah, yes.
83
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
...this small amount of protection.
However, they had to start...
84
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
They had to restart.
- ...from scratch.
85
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
On the other hand, however,
there were also a lot of comforts
86
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
that were left behind by the fact
of having to abandon...
87
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
- Yes.
...Italy.
88
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Having to leave Italy was strenuous.
- Yes.
89
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
In regard to this,
I would also read an excerpt
90
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
from the letters
that may have been donated to the archive,
91
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
diaries in which Hector specifies
what he was feeling shortly after the time
92
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
at which he abandoned Italy.
93
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
We will read from this excerpt:
94
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"When I left Italy four months ago,
feeling more disgusted by the burden
95
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"of having to leave the country
than for the imminent danger,
96
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"many of my colleagues
and friends were quick
97
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"to express to me their discontent
about what was happening.
98
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"Through their conversations,
I felt they knew what sympathy meant
99
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"and they only ended up withdrawing me.
100
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"They were whispered in room conversations
solely because they knew me
101
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"and thought highly of me.
102
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"For many, being an example against
the persecution of Jews not being born
103
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"in Italy, could also be considered fair
because it is understood that they came
104
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"to the country to make a fortune
by going behind other's backs.
105
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"They had some skilled political views.
106
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"The fascist government's right
to persecute people that it had let into
107
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
"the country was generally recognized."
108
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Okay, so Hector felt betrayed by Italy?
109
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Without a doubt.
110
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
As I was saying prior,
also because my father was from Trieste.
111
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
He had gotten from his father,
my grandfather, an irredentist
112
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
and nationalist education.
113
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Trieste...
- Of course.
114
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
...had always been divided
between people from Trieste
115
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
instead of irredentists,
those who love Italy, Italian culture,
116
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Italian language,
like my grandfather and Slovenians.