The 5th December 1943 is one of the darkest days in Venice's long history. On that day the first raid of the Jewish Ghetto takes place. More than a hundren Jews are deported, most of them die in Auschwitz.

In this episode Petra Reski and Christopher Weingart tell the stories of two Jewish families from Venice throughout Italian fascism and the Nazi occupation. For this they have met with Prof. Dario Calimani, chairman of the Jewish Community of Venice, and Prof. Shaul Bassi, son of Roberto Bassi, who wrote the book "Skirmishes on Lake Ladoga" on his experiences throughout that time. This episode will explore the myth of "Italiani Brava Gente" and follow the Bassis whilst they are navigating from 1938, when fascist Italy establishes the racial laws, to 1943, when the Germans occupy the northern half of the country, including Venice. How will the Jews of Venice react to that? Stay, go into hiding or flee?

With parts from "Skirmishes on Lake Ladoga" by Roberto Bassi

You can reach Petra Reski and Christopher Weingart here: https://www.petrareski.com/kontakt/ / christopher-weingart.de Twitter: @PetraReski @ch_weingart Instagram: @petrareski Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Petra-Reski-100057720685702/

You heard: Prof. Dario Calimani Prof. Shaul Bassi Anna Panknin Theo Hughes Petra Reski Christopher Weingart

Music: Ikh fur in Keltser kant – Yankele Hershkowitz (1910- 1972 )https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=AgOqrutBt1c Tense Sad Piano Music by Ashot Danielyan from Pixabay Dark Ambient Music by Yevhenii Kovalenko from Pixabay Bella ciao guitar Music by Yevhenii Kovalenko from Pixabay Extreme Sad Piano Music by Samuel F. Johanns from Pixabay Idan Kupferberg – The Lie We Live in Music by idan kupferberg from Pixabay