Seventy-five-year-old Florence Pauli had already come to terms that her family wound never be given the title of Righteous Among the Nations, although they saved Jews during the Holocaust from certain death, endangering their own lives.
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Fast forward to 2022, and their courageous act has been recognized by the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center this week and the family awarded certificates of honor by Israel's ambassador to Italy Dror Eydar.
The 80-year-long journey began during the Holocaust, when the Paulis hid the Israel family – mother Esther, daughter Lucia and son Samuele – for over a year in their attic in the town of Campi Bisenzio, in the Italian region Tuscany.
Florence never really sought recognition. Five years ago, she visited the magnificent Florence synagogue with her granddaughter to tell her about Judaism, the Jewish people, and her family's courageous acts during the war. She also spoke with members of the local Jewish community, who were the ones to propose seeking the recognition.
Given that the family members involved in the rescue efforts are no longer alive, the process was complicated. The recording of Samuele, who has also passed away, recalling the events was also not enough.
Three years ago, Israel Hayom reported on the events and the Yad Vashem museum's refusal to recognize the Pauli family as Righteous Among the Nations.
But the story finally came to a close this week, when the Pauli family was recognized for their bravery after an Italian historian who read the Israel Hayom article managed to find in the archives of the Italy's Interior Ministry Samuele's recorded testimony in front of a notary about how his family was saved by the Paulis.
"This is the end of a long journey, which began symbolically in this synagogue," Florence said. "We've made this town proud."
Eydar said, "the Pauli family were among the brave Italians who understood they couldn't hind behind orders and commands. They didn't do this to be awarded. Their prize is to see the Jewish family they saved after the catastrophe."
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