April 21, 2010 (New Orleans, LA) – On Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 7:00 pm, The National World War II Museum will host author Elizabeth Bettina and Holocaust survivor Ursula Korn-Selig who will speak about the Holocaust in Italy during World War II.
Bettina, a New York-based marketing executive, spent her childhood summers visiting her family in the Italian village of Campagna. Her book, It Happened in Italy, tells the amazing story of how her discovery of a single faded photo taken in 1940 led her on a quest that uncovered the little-known story of how thousands of Jews were saved throughout the Italian countryside during World War II. During her research, she met and befriended Jewish survivors of Italy and ultimately brought several of them back to Italy to reconnect and thank their Catholic neighbors and friends. This moving story ignites the soul, emphasizing that acts of kindness and humanity were possible amidst a time of great sadness and horror.
Ursula Korn-Selig is one of Bettina’s discovered survivors. She was a young German who fled to Italy at the beginning of World War II. When Germany invaded and occupied Italy in 1943, members of the Catholic clergy rescued Ursula and her family and helped them to escape and hide in a convent in the mountains of the Italian countryside. The Korn Family, along with over 30,000 other Jews, survived World War II with the help of many brave and compassionate Italian Catholics.
The public is invited. No charge to attend. Donations are gratefully accepted. Books will be available for purchase and signing by the author. Ms. Bettina will also present a small segment of the documentary Italy and the Holocaust: the Hidden Story. For more information on this free program, call 504-528-1944 x 225. Reception to follow co-sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, the American Italian Federation of the Southeast and the Italian American Marching Club.
The National World War II Museum tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world – why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National World War II Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit www.nationalww2museum.org.