It Happened in Italy
Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Nelson Books (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2011
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Publisher's Description
IMAGINE ELIZABETH BETTINA’S SURPRISE when she discovered that her grandmother’s village had a secret: over a half century ago, many of Campagna’s residents defied the Nazis and risked their lives to shelter and save hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. What followed her discovery became an adventure as she uncovered fascinating untold stories of Jews in Italy during World War II and the many Italians who risked everything to save them. “Finally, somebody made known the courage and the empathy of the majority of the Italian people toward us Jews at a time of great danger.” —Nino Asocoli
Endorsements (16)
“Thoughts from Survivors and Other Readers This is history that neither of us had ever heard, so we arranged to visit Campagna . . . The events described in Elizabeth’s book came alive for us. We felt as if we were somehow in the story.”
“When I read Elizabeth Bettina’s book, I read my life story (as it pertained to WW II). If not for the cooperation and help of many Italians, my parents and I would have ended up in Auschwitz.”
“My father always says that he owes his life to the many benevolent Italians of this time, and for this we thank them and Elizabeth for revealing some of the war’s more humane face.”
“Finally somebody made known the courage and the empathy of the majority of the Italian people toward us Jews at a time of great danger for us.”
“In the compelling and beautifully rendered narrative, It Happened in Italy, Elizabeth Bettina reminds us that there were two sides to human nature during this painfully bleak period in history.”
Dr. ROBERT S. WIDOM
“As a German Jewish refugee in Italy, I find this a book that needed to be written and which brings to life my own experiences with the Italian people. I survived because they helped me and my family.”
“After surviving Auschwitz, I learned how many Italians, at their own peril, helped most Jews in Italy avoid extradition to German concentration camps. This was in stark contrast with people of most other European nations who turned Jews over to the German Nazis for transportation to Auschwitz and other extermination camps.”
“It was surreal finding two photos of myself in the pages of Elizabeth Bettina’s book . . . Reading the stories told by other survivors, identifying with their experiences and emotions, and finding the photos, made this a read I’ll always treasure.”
CHARLOTTE FULLENBAUM HAUPTMAN(CAMPO DI CONCENTRAMENTO FERRAMONTI—CALABRIA
“time in history.”
URSULA EBSTEIN KERSH (CAMPO DI CONCENTRAMENTO FERRAMONTI—CALABRIA
“The Jewish Italian experience during the second world war stands as an eternal beacon of hope for humanity in the face of the unspeakable atrocities committed against Jews at the hand of the Germans and their willing helpers.”
ROLF GRAYSON. (HIS MOTHER AND SIX MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY SURVIVED IN COSENZA—CALABRIA)
“The stories of the good people of Italy during WWII should be out there in the forefront, and shared to show how they made a monumental difference in the lives of so many during this dark time in the history of humanity.”
“Elizabeth Bettina’s book . . . is a unique and personal journey of discovery that many students of the Holocaust have missed.”
“Thank you for validating my uncle’s experience in a concentration camp in Southern Italy which no one wants to talk about. Thank you for not letting us sweep this chapter of Italian history under the carpet. Thank you for not letting us forget.”
“The book was a book club selection at our JCC. We highly recommend the book and recommend Elizabeth for a speaking engagement.”
“Compelling and uplifting, the book portrays ordinary heroes who sheltered and saved families, friends and often strangers— risking their lives and the lives of their families to do good.”
“This historical record and account of the Jews in Italy who were saved by the Italian people during the Holocaust moved the people of New Canaan, a town that does not have a large Italian population or a large Jewish population. It Happened in Italy triggered an extraordinary summer of reading for a town of readers.”
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