Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Subscribe for only $6/Year
  • Login
  • Register

Editor in Chief: Giampaolo Pioli

VNY La Voce di New York

The First Italian English Digital Daily in the US

English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro

  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY
  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY La Voce di New York
No Result
View All Result
in
People
January 29, 2018
in
People
January 29, 2018
0

Stella Levi: a Star that Shines in New York to Remember the Italian Jews of Rhodes

In the twenty years as director of NYU’s Casa Italiana, I have no doubt who is the most extraordinary celebrity that I’ve ever met: Stella Levi!

Stefano AlbertinibyStefano Albertini
La Stella che brilla a New York per la memoria degli ebrei italiani di Rodi

Stella Levi, il 4 maggio 2016, al Palazzo di Vetro delle Nazioni Unite durante il suo intervento alla conferenza dedicata a "Primo Levi and the Nexus of Science, Responsibility and Humanism" (Foto ONU/Manuel Elias)

Time: 3 mins read

For the past twenty years, I have been the director of New York University’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, and for the past twenty years I have hosted musicians, actors and poets, singers and politicians, scholars and film directors, both Italian and American. I would have preferred not having met some of them and continued instead to know of them only through their work and their public image; while with others instead, I appreciated the traits of their character and personality that emerged from personal dialogue. Often times, friends who see me on social media with a gallery of “famous people” will ask me who is the most extraordinary celebrity that I’ve ever met, the one person that has moved me the most. And I always reply, without any hesitation:  “Stella Levi!”, and in front of surprised expressions I explain that she isn’t a “famous person”, but a woman of great elegance and still greater finesse within her soul and in her manners, that represents the best of humanity after having witnessed and experienced the worst of it.

Stella had been a happy child on her island of Rhodes where Turks, Greeks, and Jews – (mostly Sephardi that had escaped the persecution of the ‘Most Catholic Kings’ )– lived together for centuries, each one following its own traditions and customs. From 1912, the island was governed by Italians, and from 1923, it also became recognized as an Italian province in every sense, with its own license plate initials: RD. Stella grew up in this small cosmopolitan universe speaking Ladino (the Spanish spoken by Spanish Jews), French, and of course, Italian, the language that was taught to all of the Rhodian children, along with our literature, history and music. She was (and she felt to be) an Italian in every sense; everything that was Italian seemed beautiful, elegant, and refined to her.

German soldiers in Rhodes. 1944

In 1938, the infamy of the racial laws also hit the small Jewish community on the island and it is only thanks to a couple of anti-Fascist teachers that the Jewish kids of Rhodes were able to continue their education. But the worst came one hot July day in 1944, when the Nazis – who after the armistice had seized control of Rhodes – proceeded to sweep up and deport the island’s entire Jewish community, using the lists of Jewish citizens accurately prepared by the Italian authorities. The war was in its final stage, the defeat of the Axis powers was by then certain, but the order was nonetheless carried out, and Stella, along with her entire family and about 1,800 Rhodian Jews, was taken to Auschwitz.

Stella’s family was exterminated and only she and her siblings survive those endless, agonizing months. After the camp is liberated, the rescuers ask the survivors where they want to go. Stella knows that all of the homes of the Rhodian Jews have been seized and confiscated, and she asks to go to Italy. She is Italian in every sense, but she has never been to Italy. She arrives in Florence, and slowly comes back to life again in the capital of the Renaissance that she had studied from when she was a child.

At the end of the 1940s, she arrives in New York. There is a building where many Jews have been put up. They call it “the Vatican”. And it is right in New York where, many years after her arrival, I come to know Stella. She is a very active Board Member of the Centro Primo Levi, and together with her and her colleagues we organize many initiatives on Italian Judaism. Stella never ceases to fascinate me with her wisdom, her profound humanity, and her sense of humor. But above all, Stella remains for me an example for her profound and deliberate Italianness, an Italianness of culture and affection that was put to the test, but never dimmed, when Italy and the Italians betrayed their fellow Jewish citizens, actively participating in their segregation, deportation and extermination.  

Rhodes

Stella loves Dante and Verdi because she feels that they belong to her, because there is also a part of her in those verses, in that music. I will see her Monday outside the Consulate General of Italy in New York, where each year we read the names of all the Italian victims of the Shoah. We will all remain there for about 10 minutes or so, we’ll read the list of names that will be assigned to us and then we’ll leave. Stella will remain there the entire day, despite the suggestions and the reprimands of the many friends who love her and would like her to avoid the cold and take care of herself. The first thing I’ll do when I get there, I will look in the crowd for her reassuring smile.

 

Translated by Emmelina De Feo

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Stefano Albertini

Stefano Albertini

Sono nato a Bozzolo, in provincia di Mantova. Mi sono laureato in lettere a Parma per poi passare dall'altra parte dell'oceano dove ho conseguito un Master all'Università della Virginia e un Ph.D. a Stanford. Dal 1994 insegno alla New York University e dal 1998 dirigo la Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò dello stesso ateneo. Alla Casa io e la mia squadra organizziamo un centinaio di eventi all'anno tra mostre, conferenze, concerti e spettacoli teatrali. La mia passione (di famiglia) rimane però l'insegnamento: ho creato un corso sulla rappresentazione cinematografica della storia italiana e uno, molto seguito, su Machiavelli. D'estate dirigo il programma di NYU a Firenze, ma continuo ad avere un rapporto stretto e viscerale col mio paese di origine e l'anno scorso ho fondato l'Accademia del dialetto bozzolese proprio per contribuire a conservarne e trasmettere la cultura. I was born in Bozzolo (litterally 'cocoon') in the Northern Italian province of Mantova. I obtained my degree from the University of Parma, after which I moved to the other side of the ocean and obtained my Master’s from the University of Virginia and my Ph.D from Stanford. I have been teaching at New York University (NYU) since 1994, and I have been running the Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò of NYU, since 1998. At the Casa, we organize more than one hundred events annually, including exhibitions, conferences, concerts and theatrical performances. My personal passion, however, continues to be teaching: I created a course on the cinematographic portrayal of Italian history, and one on Machiavelli in its historical context. I also run the NYU program in Florence every summer. I continue to have a close and visceral relationship with my town of origin, and 2 years ago, I founded the Academy of the Bozzolese Dialect to conserve and promote the local culture.

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Stella Levi: 100 anni di Storia e la più alta onorificenza della Repubblica

Stella Levi: 100 anni di Storia e la più alta onorificenza della Repubblica

byStefano Albertini
Quella volta che sudai tanto intervistando Franco Battiato alla New York University

Quella volta che sudai tanto intervistando Franco Battiato alla New York University

byStefano Albertini

A PROPOSITO DI...

Tags: Centro Primo LeviFascismHolocaustmemoryPrimo Levi CenterRhodesshoahStella Levi
Previous Post

A New York con la memoria della Shoah: le emozioni degli studenti Learn Italy

Next Post

Stato-Mafia, Borsellino: “Allucinante che nessuno parli del Processo di Palermo”

Discussion about this post

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Econ-comiche: Trump, Biden e il passaggio della torcia alla Casa Bianca

Discorso agli italiani sul crimine di Trump nel tempio sacro della democrazia USA

byStefano Albertini
L’arte musicale che annulla spazio e tempo per unire contro la discriminazione razziale

The Musical Art that Erases Time and Space to Unite Against Racism

byStefano Albertini

Latest News

Rupy C. Tut’s Work at Jessica Silverman, Explores Maternal Landscapes

Rupy C. Tut’s Work at Jessica Silverman, Explores Maternal Landscapes

byLa Voce di New York
Archeologists Discover Unknown Ancient Indo-European Language

Archeologists Discover Unknown Ancient Indo-European Language

byLucas Jackson

New York

A New York cinque linee del bus saranno gratuite: una per ogni distretto

New York, da oggi si viaggia gratis sugli autobus cittadini: ecco dove

byLa Voce di New York
Presentato Knightscope K5, il nuovo robot poliziotto della metro di Times Square

Presentato Knightscope K5, il nuovo robot poliziotto della metro di Times Square

byEmanuele La Prova

Italiany

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

Mamma Mia! There’s a Microchip in My Parmigiano!

bySunny Day
La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

La cucina italiana inizia il suo percorso verso l’UNESCO: obiettivo 2025

byAugusto Laspina
Next Post
Stato-Mafia, Borsellino: “Allucinante che nessuno parli del Processo di Palermo”

Stato-Mafia, Borsellino: "Allucinante che nessuno parli del Processo di Palermo"

La Voce di New York

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli   |   English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro   |   Founded by Stefano Vaccara

Editor in Chief:  Giampaolo Pioli
—
English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro
—
Founded by Stefano Vaccara

  • New York
    • Eventi
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Voto Estero
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • People
    • Nuovo Mondo
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
    • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • Mediterraneo
  • English
  • Search/Archive
  • About us
    • Editorial Staff
    • President
    • Administration
    • Advertising

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023 — La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017
Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 / 2023
La testata fruisce dei contributi diretti editoria d.lgs. 70/2017

Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • New York
  • Onu
  • News
    • Elezioni 2022
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • Arts
    • Speciale Venezia
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
    • Cucina Italiana
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • English
    • Arts
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Wine
    • Letters
    • Lifestyles
    • Mediterranean
    • New York
    • News
  • Subscribe for only $6/Year

© 2016/2022 VNY Media La Voce di New York

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In
By clicking on "Create my account" or by registering, you accept the Term of Service and the Privacy Policy.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
La Voce di New York
Gestisci Consenso Cookie
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Funzionale Always active
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono strettamente necessari al fine legittimo di consentire l'uso di un servizio specifico esplicitamente richiesto dall'abbonato o dall'utente, o al solo scopo di effettuare la trasmissione di una comunicazione su una rete di comunicazione elettronica.
Preferenze
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per lo scopo legittimo di memorizzare le preferenze che non sono richieste dall'abbonato o dall'utente.
Statistiche
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso che viene utilizzato esclusivamente per scopi statistici. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
L'archiviazione tecnica o l'accesso sono necessari per creare profili di utenti per inviare pubblicità, o per tracciare l'utente su un sito web o su diversi siti web per scopi di marketing simili.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Visualizza preferenze
{title} {title} {title}
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?