The Port of La Spezia, which is located on the north-west coast of Italy just below Genoa, has a history of naval importance.
In 1861, the House of Savoy who governed during the Italian reunification commissioned a naval arsenal to be built.
It remained intact and in September 1943, following the capitulation of the Mussolini Government to the British army during WW2, it became the departure port for the Italian navy when it was ordered to steam into British hands at Malta.
The Nazis endeavoured to prevent the sailing, but arrived too late.
In 1946, the La Spezia Affair, the historic transportation of survivors of the Holocaust to Palestine by two Aliyah Bet vessels, the ‘Eliyahu Golomb’ and ‘Dov Hoz’ from Port La Spezia, became legendary in the history of modern Israel.
Although the La Spezia Affair has attracted worldwide publicity over time, little attention has been documented about the support of the citizens of La Spezia during those turbulent years.
The Gate to Zion
The ’Dov Hoz’ was already moored in the Port and much activity connected with the preparations and provisioning of the vessel gave rise to a wave of rumors among the local population, believing that a group of Italian fascists were trying to escape the country.
The local authorities swiftly intervened, being ex-partisans fighting the Mussolini regime, and the convoys of 38 trucks carrying 1014 survivors to the vessel were ambushed.
Once the police were informed about the plight of the survivors, they were given permission to board the vessel.
But more trouble broke out when the British authorities became aware of the event and a struggle broke out, both with those who had already boarded and others who were waiting to board the ’Dov Hoz’.
The story received a wide coverage in Italian and international press and a wave of sympathy swept the country.
The citizens of La Spezia declared the port ‘The Gate to Zion’ and in return for their outstanding support the survivors conducted a hunger strike which lasted 75 hours.
Although it was a very difficult period for the people of La Spezia, they showed remarkable support to the Jewish survivors.
During the heavy bombing from the Allied Forces towards the end of the war the city was in a terrible state.
Even though there was a scarcity of food, the people of La Spezia were willing to share the little they had with the survivors who were cramped at the wharf of the city, not knowing what the future held for them.
And when the British finally relented and allowed both vessels to leave the town, many of the city’s inhabitants, the town orchestra and the Fire Department, all gathered at the port wishing the survivors farewell, right until the boats disappeared from the horizon.
The boats sailed to Haifa where the survivors embarked and eventually transferred to kibbutz Ramot Menashe.
Something to Think About
This story has been handed down from generation to generation.
Thinking about it, there must have been many more stories how survivors from war-torn Europe made their escape with the assistance of ‘righteous gentiles’.
While the tragedy of the Holocaust has been the thrust of Israel’s public relations programme since 1945, little has been done publicly to highlight stories like ‘The La Spezia Affair’.
Righteous gentiles, wherever they live, should be acknowledged and remembered annually for their invaluable assistance to Jewish survivors.
In April 2012, a gala event was held at Ramot Menashe kibbutz in honor of the City of La Spezia to thank the Italian people and the population of that city for the identification and support shown by them in 1946.
A dutiful event for the State of Israel and a living example of how we ought to recognise the willingness and efforts of righteous gentiles.
