His father’s gaze met his own. “Son, are you sure?”
“Yes.” Sandro hadn’t known that he felt this way until this very moment. “We’re Ghetto Jews. This is where we belong, with our Community.”
His father held out his hand, palm up. “Then let us pray.”
CHAPTER NINETY
Sandro
30 September 1943
Sandro, his father, and President Foà stood in the sanctuary while carpenters fixed the lockboxes, seamstresses repaired the curtain, and cleaners mopped the floor. The Nazis had done significant damage, and Sandro had spent the morning trying to find whatever ledgers still existed, then figuring out how the Community would pay for the restoration, given that the Nazis had also stolen their money.
Sandro startled at the sudden sound of cars, driving up to the synagogue on the piazza. He, his father, and Foà turned to the open doors, and the workers stopped abruptly. Everyone stiffened to see Nazis pulling up in a line of Kubelwagens.
Foà shook his head. “What do they want now?”
Sandro’s father answered, “My guess is, anything of value. The libraries, the argenterie.”
Sandro turned to his father. “Can’t we stop them, Papa?”
“We can try.” His father led the way, and they hurried down the aisle, meeting two Nazi captains entering the synagogue, ahead of armed soldiers. The captains were both bespectacled, reedy, and unarmed, and though they wore Wehrmacht uniforms, they didn’t appear to be fighting men. Sandro detected in them a scholarly air, like the professors he had met at La Sapienza.
His father met them, but did not extend a hand. “Gentlemen, I am Massimo Simone, and this is President Foà and my son, Sandro. What is the reason for your visit today?”
The taller Nazi captain pursed thin lips. “We’re from the ERR, the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, a Wehrmacht division responsible for cultural artifacts and rare books. We are Orientalists, and I myself am a professor of Hebrew language studies at the Hohe Schule in Berlin. We understand you have two very important libraries here, the Biblioteca della Comunità and the Biblioteca del Collegio Rabbinico Italiano. We wish to browse the collections.”
“For what reason?”
“For our academic interest.”
His father shook his head. “That’s not possible. The libraries are private and secure—”
“Show us the libraries.” The Nazi captain gestured to the soldiers behind him. “Force is possible, should you refuse.”
“If you insist,” Sandro’s father said pointedly.
Foà added, “You must follow proper procedures in handling these artifacts.”
The Nazi captain sniffed as if insulted. “We are familiar with procedures for handling such items. We brought cloth gloves.”
Foà, Massimo, and Sandro led the Nazi captains and soldiers upstairs two flights, and they reached the third floor, where Sandro had never been before, as it was off-limits. The stairwell emptied into a small conference room containing a round mahogany table and chairs. Beyond that was a large room with a wall that had glass on its upper half, so that Sandro could see inside. It was more akin to a rare book room than a library, lined with full bookshelves and document cabinets, with greenish shades over the windows to filter out sunlight.
Foà headed to the library. “As I say, you must be careful handling—”
“Let me confirm the salient facts,” the taller Nazi interrupted, as they walked. “In terms of value, it is our understanding that the Biblioteca della Comunità is one of the most important collections in Europe. It is said to contain rare texts, illustrated scrolls and manuscripts from the days of the Caesars, and original drawings from the earliest Popes. Is that true?”
“Yes,” Foà admitted reluctantly, as they reached the library.
“Is it also true that, taken together, the collections represent artifacts and history of early Judaism and early Christianity?”
“Yes.” Foà sighed, taking a keyring from his pocket.
“Where are the catalogs of these treasures?”
Foà pointed through the glass. “On the bookshelf at the left, though we haven’t catalogued everything yet.”
“We’ll be confiscating the catalogs.”
“What?” Foà recoiled.
Sandro’s father interjected, “But you said you wished only to browse. You may not confiscate any of the collection.”
“The catalogs are not part of the collection per se. They are essentially indices made by you. We wish to enter the library now. You stay here.” The two Nazis entered the library, then closed the door behind them.