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Italian Crown Prince Attends Friday Night Service in Turin Synagogue: Almost Entire Jewish Populatio

October 26, 1931
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The Crown Prince Humbert, the heir to the Italian throne, was in Turin on Friday, and attended the Friday night service in the Synagogue. Almost the entire Jewish population of Turin, numbering about 5,000, were in the synagogue and gave their future king a tremendous reception.

The Crown Prince Humbert had a Jewish tutor, the late Professor Vittorio Pollacco, one of the most famous law authorities in Italy and a strictly observant orthodox Jew, who died in 1926. In 1928, the Crown Prince unveiled a memorial tablet placed in the court-yard of the Jewish school in Rome to the memory of his former tutor, who had been also the outstanding advocate of the rights of the Jewish schools in Italy, and spoke frequently in the Senate demanding the establishment of special Jewish schools, so that Jewish children should not have to take part in the Catholic teaching in the ordinary Government schools.

The Crown Prince was in Palestine a few years ago, travelling through the country and seeing both the ancient and the new sights of the Holy Land.

His father, King Victor Emanuel, is known as a great friend of the Jews, who has frequently expressed his friendship and shown his interest in Jewish affairs. He knew and admired Dr. Berzl, and has many times recalled his meetings with him.

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