81: Rome Raid

81 Years ago today (October 15, 1943) the Germans raided the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, Italy.

(Settimia Spizzichino)

Jews had lived in Rome since 66 AD.

In 1555, Pope Paul IV ordered the imprisonment of all the Jews of Rome in an area of the Sant'Angelo District, between the ancient Portico d'Ottavia and the bank of the Tiber.  The place, enclosed by walls, was equipped with doors that were closed from dusk to dawn and was soon called a "Ghetto"

 In 1825, Pope Leo XII enlarged the Jewish Ghetto with an additional block of the current Via della Reginella.

In 1848, Pope Pius IX demolished the walls of the Ghetto and liberalized the residence of Jews in Rome.

 The District, however, continued to be inhabited, for the most part, by Citizens of the Jewish Religion and still referred locally as the Jewish Ghetto.

The Italian Racial Laws (Italian: Leggi Razziali) were created by Mussolini in 1938 and modelled after Nazi Germany’s.

Additional Laws stripped Jews of their assets, restricted travel, and finally provided for their confinement in Ghettos throughout Italy.

The Deportation of Italian Jews outside of Rome began with the German Occupation of Italy in September 1943.

The Deportation of Rome’s Jews started on October 15, 1943.

The Italian Police in Rome, unlike in many other parts of German-Occupied Italy, did not participate in the arrests of Jews, and the General Public objected and resisted such arrests.

For these reasons, a sizeable proportion of the Jews in Rome avoided arrest and survived the Holocaust, often hiding in the Vatican or other Catholic Institutions.

Pope Pius XII's role in the Holocaust is mired in controversy with some saying he did nothing including not speaking out about Hitler or the Jews of Europe to others saying he secretly helped the Jews (especially those in Rome.)

Settimia Spizzichino was the only Woman to survive both the Rome Ghetto Round-Up and the Auschwitz Death Camp.

The 5th of 6 children, Settimia Spizzichino was born into a Family in the Jewish Ghetto of Rome on April 15, 1921.

Her father, Mosè Mario Spizzichino, was a Book Dealer. Her Mother, Grazia Di Segni, was a Teacher at the Jewish School.

On October 16, 1943 she was Rounded-Up and Deported to Auschwitz, along with her Mother, 2 Sisters and Neice.

They arrived at Auschwitz 6 days later where the Germans held their infamous Selection.

Settimia’s Mother, Sister (Ada) and her Child were immediately gassed to death.

Settimia and her Sister, Judith, were selected to work moving stones.

When the Soviets were close to liberating Auschwitz in January 1945 Settimia became one of the 58,000 Inmates forced on a Death March by the Germans. She was sent to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany where she was liberated by the British on April 15, 1945 – her 24th Birthday.

Out of the 689 Women deported to Auschwitz with her, 47 Women were chosen to work and of those 47 Women Settimia was the only Woman to survive the War.

She returned to Rome where she often spoke to Educational Groups about her experiences.

Settimia Spizzichino died on July 3, 2000 at the age of 79.