L'Italo-Americano

L EST WE FORGET, the message echoing around the San Fran- cisco City Hall was clear: nobody should ever forget the Holocaust and the pain and suffer it caused to the Jewish community and to the world. The project, by German-Italian photographer Luigi Toscano, is a testament to all survivors, their families and stories. It represents the voice of six millions victims of the systematic, bureaucratic, state- sponsored persecution by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The word "Holocaust" is of Greek ori- gin and is made of the Greek words "holos" (whole) and "kaustos" (burned), historically used to de- scribe a sacrificial offering burned on an altar. Since 1945, the word stands for racism, persecution, and mass killing. Toscano's exhibit was brought to the United States in 2018, first in New York City, at the United Nations Headquarters, followed by Washington, DC where more than 120 portraits were placed along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It was then moved to Boston and eventually to San Francisco, before touring other cities worldwide, from Seattle, Chicago, Pittsburgh, to Vienna and Mainz. On May 2nd, at noon, the South SERENA PERFETTO discrimination, and Toscano's ex- hibit is powerful for both San Francisco and the world. In addition, the Italian Consul General, Lorenzo Ortona, was part of the program representing the European Union: "Not only is this project beautiful, but it also reminds that we are lucky to have survivors who can share their sto- ries with us. We should never for- get the six millions victims' names and identities. It's crucial that we raise awareness and act together against any form of violence." The last part of the program was all about Annemarie's story, the survivor who was born in Ger- many but found a new life in San Francisco. Annemarie recalled how her family had a comfortable life until November 9th, 1938 when their dinner was interrupted by the SS Generals, who dragged her dad away, before taking him to the police station first and a prison in East Germany later. That was the beginning of a new life: when her father was released, they traveled away from their home- town to reach the safe border of Belgium. There was then another stop in England, before the family got reunited with other relatives in the Bay Area through a long journey via New York, Chicago, and Oakland. Annemarie has been telling her story around the US since the 1990s, sharing with stu- dents and families a special mes- sage: "We must never forget, but we have to forgive." Light Court of the San Francisco City Hall was home to a moment of remembrance of the Yom Hashoah, with a program featur- ing, among others, violinist Re- becca Jackson and Annemarie, a local survivor portrayed in the ex- hibit. The story behind LEST WE FORGET is the one of a man who decided to show the faces of 300 Holocaust survivors from the United States, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Austria, and the Netherlands. Luigi Toscano told the behind-the-scene of his project in an emotional speech shared with survivors, lo- cals, and students. "Four years ago, nobody could believe in me and in this project. I was told this would be a big failure. It was tough to believe in myself at that point, and I was ready to give up my courage and my passion. When I tried to reach out to outlets and in- stitutions, I did not get any answer. However, one day, I received a call from one survivor, who said he was interested in being part of the project. I am the only one left in the family, he told me. I changed my mind and decided to give it a try. One of the most beautiful sto- ries I can share is the one of this man, the one who gave me the strength to kick off the project. In Berlin, his photo was placed next to another survivor's: accidentally the two, who had known each other for a long time, were reunited again 60 years later thanks to this exhibit. That man passed away two months after the Berlin exhibition, that's why I want to dedicate this project to him, because he believed in me and pushed me forward." There are 15 portraits displayed at the Civic Centre in San Fran- cisco (until May 15th), alongside events and panels at the Goethe Institut San Francisco. Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, opened the program with a spot- light on Toscano's courage and his fight against all the movements that promote racism and anti-semi- tism. Luigi was named an "agent of change," for being able to stand up against the silence that some- times covers the stories of both the victims and the survivors. San Francisco is today a sanc- tuary city and stands for every- body's rights, and there is no place here for any form of anti-semitism or racism in general. For those who don't know, inspired by the 1995 UN Fourth World Confer- ence on Women in Beijing, the women of San Francisco orga- nized a successful effort to adopt a local ordinance reflecting the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. In 1998, San Francisco became the first municipality in the world to pass such a measure. It is not a surprise that also Mayor London Breed took a mo- ment to express the gratefulness of all people in San Francisco, who can witness Toscano's im- pactful and powerful exhibition and can learn the stories of those who lived that tragedy. The Mayor's words also underlined the importance of raising awareness at this moment in history when new episodes of anti-semitism, like the shootings in Pittsburgh and San Diego, are taking place: "The Jewish people are supported and celebrated, and diversity is a good thing for the city and for the nation. However, we must remain diligent so that these horrific things do not happen again," Mayor Breed concluded. Hans-Ulrich Südbeck, Ger- many's Consul General, walked the audience through a moment of historical memories: it wasn't easy for Germans to face what hap- pened under the Nazi regime, however it shaped Germany as the peaceful country we know today. The Consul also stressed how na- tionalism and anti-tolerance are on the rise everywhere, therefore we all need to be prompt with new responses while showing how much suffering these things can cause to the world altogether. Toscano's project is impressive to the extent that its message will be heard by generations to come for a long time. On the same note, the Director of the Goethe-Institute suggested that we can learn from our past and we all have a big re- sponsibility and a duty, because no place is free of risk: we should all fight against polarization and From far left, Consul General of Israel, Consul General of Germany, Luigi Toscano, and Consul General of Italy. Photo credits to Barak Shrama SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Lest We Forget: a homage to the memory of Holocaust by photographer Luigi Toscano THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano

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