Italian American Digest Winter Digest 2018 | Page 9

Italian American Digest
spot had his true motives been re-
vealed. The danger to him, his wife
Adriana, and their two young sons,
Andrea and Luigi, was quite real.
Bartali would also time his ar-
rival to a local train station along
his route with great care. He would
make a point of being seen getting
a cappuccino at the station cafe just
as the train from the north would
compete its trip. He knew that the
locals would flock to him, looking
for a handshake or an autograph.
This crush of fans shouting his
name and trying to get near him
would overwhelm the Nazi soldiers
patrolling the station. They would
leave their posts to see what was
causing the chaos. In the few pre-
cious minutes of confusion, those
who might be escaping from the
north would have a brief window of
time to sneak aboard the train about
to leave for the south. After about
ten minutes, when the southbound
train had uneventfully departed,
Bartali would wave to his fans and
cycle on. He repeated this stunt
countless times.
Eventually, Bartali was suspected
of playing some role in assisting
Jews, but the Nazi authorities were
not certain what it was. Bartali was
taken to a local prison, where he
was forced to watch others being
tortured for three days. Bartali only
broke his silence to say, “I am a
Catholic. I do what is right in my
heart.” With no conclusive proof,
the Nazis decided Bartali was too
popular a man to simply disappear,
and he was released. Very shortly
after, the Nazis were expelled from
Italy by the Allied forces.
Bartali was loathe to discuss his
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WINTER 2018
role in any of these wartime ac-
tivities. He shied away from any
recognition from them, preferring
to be known for his cycling. Con-
sequently, it is difficult to ascertain
how many Jewish refugees he
helped, especially since most of
those he did assist had no idea that
the world-famous cyclist was the
one delivering their travel docu-
ments. Only in his declining years,
when others who had taken part
revealed his role in this mission,
did Bartali admit his participation.
Even then, he preferred to say little
and shared mostly with his two
sons. Once he publicly admitted his
work as a secret courier,
Giacomo Goldenberg, a friend of
Bartali’s since childhood, felt free
to reveal another secret that Bartali
had asked him to keep: Bartali had
hidden the Goldenberg family in
the basement of his home during
the war until they were able to be
moved to safety.
It is now estimated that more than
800 Jews were spared deportation
to concentration camps as a direct
result of Bartali’s actions.
In recognition of his wartime
heroics, Gino Bartali was made a
Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Knight
Grand Cross) in the Order of Merit
of the Italian Republic. In October
2013, 13 years after Bartali’s death,
Israel named him Righteous Among
the Nations, an honor only be-
stowed upon non-Jews who risked
their lives during the Holocaust to
save Jews from extermination by
the Nazis.
For the first time ever, and in Bar-
tali’s honor, the 2018 Giro d’Italia
race was started in Jerusalem.
C o m m u n i t y
C a l e n d a r
Amici Christmas Party
Friday, December 7, 2018 at 6:30 PM – 9 PM
American Italian Cultural Center
537 S Peters St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Join us at the American Italian Cultural Center for a night of eat-
ing, drinking and Italian conversation! The event includes unlimit-
ed pizza, salad, and dessert. We will celebrate the holiday season
and learn about Italian Christmas traditions, music, and stories.
Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 for AICC members.
Italian Language Classes
Winter Classes begin Jan 7, 2019
American Italian Cultural Center
537 S Peters St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
The American Italian Cultural Center (AICC) Italian Language
Lessons are offered at four different levels carefully designed on
the basis of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Lan-
guage (ACTFL) national proficiency scale. All classes are taught
by a native Italian teacher and have a friendly and motivating
atmosphere. If you are unsure of your course level, please call the
AICC at 504-522-7294
Courses are held at the American Italian Cultural Center in
Downtown New Orleans and at the Italian American Bocce Club
of Greater New Orleans located at 2340 Severn Avenue, Metairie.
Each class will include a total of eight 1.5 hour sessions. Classes
start in early January and end in late February.
Visit our website to see the full class schedule: http://americani-
talianculturalcenter.com/classes/winter/
Poppy Tooker’s Pascal’s Manale Cookbook Signing
Thursday, January 10, 2019 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM
American Italian Cultural Center
537 S Peters St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Poppy Tooker, a native New Orleanian and Louisiana food icon,
has created yet another fascinating culinary history and cook-
book—this time on Pascal’s Manale, the second oldest continually
operating family-owned restaurant in New Orleans, second only to
Antoine’s. Join us for a book talk and signing with Poppy! She will
present the cookbook and we’ll learn about the history of Pascal’s
Manale.
Poppy Tooker’s Pascal Manale’s Cookbook: A Family Tradition
may be pre-ordered or purchased the night of the event.
Tickets are $10 general admission and FREE for AICC
members.
34th Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame Gala
Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 5 PM – 10 PM
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
2 Poydras St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
The Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame Induction
Gala honors and celebrates national and local Italian Americans
in the sports, entertainment, medical, and civic fields. Proceeds
benefit the American Italian Cultural Center and scholarships for
college-bound high school seniors excelling in academics and
athletics.
Cocktails and Silent Auction will begin at 5:00pm
The Dinner and Induction Ceremony will begin at 6:00pm.
Gold Tickets $250, Silver Tickets $200, AICC Member Tickets
$175