Evidence of extreme vandalism was recently discovered in an obscure Jewish cemetery in a small village in northern Italy, the Turin newspaper La Stampa reported.
According to the report, a family visiting the tiny overgrown Jewish burial ground in Moncalvo discovered two unearthed coffins and the skeletal remains of the deceased, buried over 50 years ago, scattered on the ground.
Police said the crime had occurred at least two months earlier. There were no indications of anti-Semitic intent, but empty beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the enclosure.
“I personally discount anti-Semitism as the motive. Rather, I think it probably was thieves,” said Piero Norzi, the cemetery caretaker, who is the only Jew in Moncalvo, a village of 3,500.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
