The Jewish Community of Milan is celebrating this week the 85th. birthday of the Chief Rabbi of Milan, Rabbi Alessandro da Fano, the President of the Board of Rabbis in Italy. Numerous telegrams of congratulation have been received from Jewish and non-Jewish personages.
Rabbi da Fano is a personal friend of the present Pope Pius XI., whom he taught Hebrew when the Pope was Director of the Catholic Ambrosiana Library in Milan. When Rabbi da Fano was recently in Rome attending the Conference held in connection with the new Jewish Communities Law, he was received by the Pope at the Vatican and was engaged by him in a long conversation on old times in Milan. Rabbi da Fano holds a number of high Government decorations, among them that of a Grand Officer of the Order of the Italian Crown.
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