Among the terrible stories of the Nazi raid in the Gueto of Rome of October 16, 1943 is that of Settimio Calò and his family. This man left home early to buy tobacco and when he returned there was no one: he lost his wife and 10 children. They were deported to Auschwitz and none returned. His wife, Clelia Frascati, and his children: Bellina, 22; Ester, 20; Rosa, 18; Ines, 16; David, 13; Elena, 11; Angelo, 8; Nella, 6; Raimondo, 4; Samuele, six months. More his nephew Settimio, 12 years old, who had stayed to sleep.
I have remembered this week with the history of Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, who lives in Gaza, another ghetto. On May 23, 2025 they bombed their house as Jan Yunis while working in a hospital, and their children’s bodies arrived. Nine out of ten died: Yahya, 12 years old; Rakan, 10; Eve, 9; Jobran, 8; Raslan, 5; Rival, 4; Sadin, 3; Loqman, 2; and Sidra, six months. Only one was saved, Adam, 11, and her husband, Hamdi, who are still very serious.
