Riccardo Pacifici
Encyclopedia
Riccardo Reuven Pacifici (18 February 1904 in Florence
, Italy
— 11 December 1943 in Auschwitz) was a rabbi
from an Italian
Jewish family of ancient Sephardic origins, with roots in the Jewish Spanish
and rabbi
nical traditions.
origin and of rabbi
nical tradition settled in Tuscany
(first in Leghorn, then in Florence) in the 16th century.
After the "Liceo Classico
" (Classical Studies High School) he attended the University of Florence
where he graduated summa cum laude in Classics
(Lettere Classiche) in 1926, and in 1927 he was awarded by the Rabbinical College of Florence—where he had studied under important scholars such as Elia Samuele Artom, Umberto Cassuto
, Shemuel Zvi Margulies—the title of Chachàm ha shalèm (Senior Rabbi).
Vicerabbi of Venice
from 1928 to 1930, director of the Rabbinical College of Rodi from 1930, Great Rabbi of Rodi until 1936, Chief Rabbi
of the Genoa
Jewish Community (Comunità Israelitica di Genova) from 1936 until deported by the Nazis
in 1943.
Even during the difficult war years, he never stopped his spiritual and teaching activity. He continued his rabinical duties between 1942 and 1943 with the Jewish refugees of the Ferramonti di Tarsia
internment camp, located in Cosenza
in the region of Calabria
.
Unwilling to leave his Genoa
Community and thus abandon his remaining members, Rav Pacifici was captured by deceit in 1943 by the Nazis
and sent to Auschwitz, where he was killed with his wife Wanda Abenaim and many other members of the Pacifici family.
The "Largo Riccardo Pacifici" square in the heart of Genoa
was named after him in 1966. He was the grandfather of the present Rome Jewish Community President Riccardo Pacifici.
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
— 11 December 1943 in Auschwitz) was a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
from an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Jewish family of ancient Sephardic origins, with roots in the Jewish Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nical traditions.
Life
Son of Mario Mordechai Pacifici and Gilda Borghi, descending from an ancient Sephardic and religious Jewish family of SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
origin and of rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nical tradition settled in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
(first in Leghorn, then in Florence) in the 16th century.
After the "Liceo Classico
Liceo classico
Liceo classico is a secondary school type in Italy. The educational curriculum lasts five years, and students are generally about 14 to 19 years of age....
" (Classical Studies High School) he attended the University of Florence
University of Florence
The University of Florence is a higher study institute in Florence, central Italy. One of the largest and oldest universities in the country, it consists of 12 faculties...
where he graduated summa cum laude in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
(Lettere Classiche) in 1926, and in 1927 he was awarded by the Rabbinical College of Florence—where he had studied under important scholars such as Elia Samuele Artom, Umberto Cassuto
Umberto Cassuto
Umberto Cassuto, also known as Moshe David Cassuto, , was a rabbi and Biblical scholar born in Florence, Italy. -Early life and career:...
, Shemuel Zvi Margulies—the title of Chachàm ha shalèm (Senior Rabbi).
Vicerabbi of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
from 1928 to 1930, director of the Rabbinical College of Rodi from 1930, Great Rabbi of Rodi until 1936, Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of the Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
Jewish Community (Comunità Israelitica di Genova) from 1936 until deported by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in 1943.
Even during the difficult war years, he never stopped his spiritual and teaching activity. He continued his rabinical duties between 1942 and 1943 with the Jewish refugees of the Ferramonti di Tarsia
Ferramonti di Tarsia
Ferramonti di Tarsia, located near Cosenza in Southern Italy, was an internment camp for Jews and foreigners. It was the largest of the fifteen internment camps established by Benito Mussolini between June and September 1940...
internment camp, located in Cosenza
Cosenza
Cosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants...
in the region of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
.
Unwilling to leave his Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
Community and thus abandon his remaining members, Rav Pacifici was captured by deceit in 1943 by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and sent to Auschwitz, where he was killed with his wife Wanda Abenaim and many other members of the Pacifici family.
The "Largo Riccardo Pacifici" square in the heart of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
was named after him in 1966. He was the grandfather of the present Rome Jewish Community President Riccardo Pacifici.