Gino Bartali was born in Firenze in 1914. He was a road bicycle racing champion and won the Giro d'Italia race three times (in 1936, 1937 and 1946), and the Tour de France twice (in 1938 and 1948). Due to his achievements, Bartali became a national hero.
After the German occupation of Italy in 1943, Bartali, who was a courier for the Italian underground, served a critical role in saving Jews as part of the underground network established by Rabbi Nathan Cassuto, in collaboration with members of the church led by Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa. As part of his training, Bartali would ride long distances, which allowed him to pass forged documents between locations. The documents where created by the "Assisi Undergound", another rescue network established by members of the church in the city. Other than passing documents, he also hid a Jewish family in his house).
Bartali died on May 5, 2000 and in 2013 he was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. In 2018, just before the race that became associated with Bartali more than any other athlete - the Giro d'Italia – came to Israel, KKL-JNF established a special cycling single in his memory at the Haruvit forest. Now, with Yom HaShoah approaching, KKL-JNF has produced a special video in his memory. The video connects the commemoration of the holocaust, cycling, and the importance of doing good for the benefit of everyone.
Aaron Bar, Head of the KKL-JNF Pedagogy, Guidance and Operation Division: "We do our best to commemorate the Righteous Among the Nations, who went above and beyond to act for the Jewish People. Bartali's deeds, especially considering the fact that he was a world-renowned sportsman, are amazing and we are proud to have a cycling single named after him in Israel. We shall remember and never forget those who came to help many Jews survive at the time of its greatest calamity.
A memorial for Gino Bartali at the Haruvit Forest. Photograph: Chaim Versano, KKL-JNF Photo Archive
To watch the video, click here