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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funded two proposals submitted by Dr. Maria
Lombardo, then the Education Director of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). The first
grant was for a plenary session to be held at Boston University that documented the sources and
motives for Italian humanitarianism during the Holocaust, which made Italy a unique shelter for
foreign Jews during the Nazi occupation from 1933 -1945. This international conference titled
“Italians and Jews: Rescue and Aid during the Holocaust” brought together historical experts
including Professors Meir Michaelis and Manachem Shelah from Israel, Dr. Carlo Spartaco
Capogrego, Fr. Robert Graham from Italy and Prof. Klaus Voigt from Germany. Papers presented
at the conference were turned into a book "The Italian Refuge" edited by Ivo Herzer.
The second grant from NEH funded a series of
national conferences titled “The Holocaust in
Southern Europe” held in Miami, New Orleans,
Washington D.C., West Bloomfield, New York City,
Chicago, Beverly Hills Philadelphia and Cleveland.
Additional funding from Italian and Jewish
organizations led to more presentations including
San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Those who attended the conferences called it an
invaluable educational experience. One audience
member commented: “It helped update and
factually substantiate political, historical and
ideological events from 1938 to 1945.”
The conferences received extensive media
coverage from the Washington Post, The New York
Times, Fra Noi, VIA Jewish Exponent, La
Repubblica, the Sun Times, The Los Angeles Times,
L’Italo Americano and La Tribuna del Popolo,
Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation,
as well as many local newspapers.
The success of the conferences can be attributed
to the close collaboration between many
organizations and institutions, including Facing
History and Ourselves, the Anti-Defamation
League, the American Jewish Committee, the
American Jewish Congress, the Casa Italiana
Zerilli-Marimo, the Jewish Italian Civic Association
and the Italian Embassy.
The Holocaust conference in Miami also premiered a documentary film, “A Debt to Honor,” narrated by
Alan Alda and produced by Documentaries International. The film addressed the efforts of Italians saving
Jews in Italy during World War II, and presents the testimonies of rescuers living in Italy.
The Raoul Wallenberg Award, bestowed on non-Jews for their support of the Jewish community, was
presented to Dr. Maria Lombardo for her work creating and coordinating “The Holocaust in Southern
Europe” program.
Dr. Lombardo, second from right, and the Calabrese Delegation
visiting the Ferramonti Internment camp in Calabria, Italy.
Poster for “Remember the Holocaust” conference
sponsored by 18 Federal agencies held at Lincoln
Theater in Washington, DC.
More about Dr. Lombardo
National Italian American Consulting Services
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