Jewish communal leaders here expressed surprise and indignation today over the awarding by Rome’s Mayor Urbano Cioccetti of a gold medal for professional merit to Dr. Sabato Visco. Dr. Visco is one of the five university professors who, in 1939, signed the notorious “Manifesto of the Race,” the document which paved the way for Italian racial laws and anti-Semitic activities.
Criticism was also leveled at the Confederation of Artists and Professionals for recommending Dr. Visco’s name for the award, and to the other recipients of the medal for their failure to object to the award to the Fascist.
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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.