Memorial / Memory Day

As Memorial Day approaches in the U.S. we are reminded of the immediacy of war and conflict for most Italians. This was especially true during Memory Day observances earlier this year – specifically referring to the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.  

The main entryway of the girls' school was decorated by the children with Il Giorno della Memoria artwork, poems and crafts, and these have remained in place for many months.  

It is a strange feeling to be confronted with these intense images every day, but also important in a time of rising antisemitism, racism and repression in so many parts of the world.  As written in Italian on the piece depicting the concentration camp uniform: 

Impossible to Comprehend; Necessary to Understand.