On Wednesday February 8th, as part of the events in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the ceremonial planting of a Pomegranate tree was held at the General Command of Carabinieri, a branch of the Italian armed forces, in memory of the more than 2,000 Carabinieri deported from Rome on the 7th October 1943. The tree was donated by KKL Italy, one of the oldest environmental organizations in the world.
Since July 25th 1943, after the session of the Grand Council of Fascism, the Carabinieri Corp had made it clear to the Nazis and the members of the Italian Social Republic that they would never the loyalty oath, and even less would they be spectators of barbarous acts against the population. The Nazis, who in accordance with orders from Berlin, were preparing a sweep of the Jewish ghetto of Rome to deport the inhabitants. They needed a free hand to carry out the operation without major impediments. In order to achieve this, as confirmed by authoritative historical studies, the commander of the Roman Gestapo, Herbert Kappler, wanted to neutralize the Carabinieri force, which was still armed and, in Rome, still in the position to ensure public safety.
“We have planted this pomegranate tree," said KKL Italy Vice President Daniel Hayun, "to remember the victims of Nazi brutality, the more than 2,000 Carabinieri deported from Rome on October 7th 1943, and to celebrate the new-found unity and equality among our peoples. According to the Jewish tradition, the fruit contains 613 seeds, the number of precepts that a Jew must observe to live a righteous life, with respect for God and one's neighbor. The tree is the witness that we leave to future generations; the pomegranate is a symbol of good deeds. The deeds of these men show us a different face of Italy at that time, and the strong sense of morality and ethics of those who rebelled against the injustice of Nazism and Fascism. If it is true, as it says on the plaque", concluded Hayun, "that small actions can change the world and every single person can help save the whole of humanity, this ceremony today symbolizes our common commitment to the past and to the right values”.
“Planting a pomegranate tree is an important act because it will remain over time, for many years", said Commanding General Del Sette. "It will commemorate the present day and the particular closeness of the Carabinieri to the Italian Jewish communities, the Roman Jewish community and to everything they represent. The episode that was evoked today is extremely important... those 2000 policemen had no other responsibility than to do their job, what they continue to do today, every day. That this initiative is born from KKL-JNF, the oldest environmental organization in the world," added the Commanding General, "is important to us, now that we have the responsibility of the biggest environmental police force of Europe”.
At the foot of the pomegranate tree stands a plaque that reads: "This Pomegranate tree, a gift of KKL Italia Onlus, was planted on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day at the General Command of the Carabinieri, in order that our good deeds will multiply like the seeds of a pomegranate. Just as the pomegranate achieves its beauty thanks to every single seed, small actions can change the world and every single person can help save all of humanity".
The simple but significant ceremony took place in the presence of representatives of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, the Jewish Community of Rome, KKL Italia Onlus, the Carabinieri Corp, the Carabinieri National Association, the National Forestry Association and the National Opera Assistance for Carabinieri Force Military Orphans.