Moshe Ze'iri, a young Jewish carpenter who served in the British army, has been posthumously recognized with a Medal of Valor at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Annual Tribute dinner in the
United States.
Originally from Galicia, Poland, Ze'iri had emigrated to Palestine and lived on an agricultural kibbutz called Kvutzat Schiller. As a member of the British Army unit, Eretz Israel, stationed in northern Italy during World War II, he played a vital role in rescuing hundreds of young Jewish Holocaust survivors following the liberation of the country.
Between 1945 and 1948, Ze'iri transformed the "Sciesopoli" orphanage in the mountainous village of Selvino into a nurturing home for young refugees aged between 4 and 17. The orphanage, previously housing the children of officers under Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, was appropriated and adapted by Ze'iri, who was a lifelong Zionist.
These children, who had been hidden, lived in forests, monasteries, and survived concentration camps across Europe, found solace and support at the Selvino orphanage. Nearly 80 years later, Ze'iri's grandchildren, Yoav Amitai, Ilana Sarner, and Ben Sarner, traveled to Los Angeles to accept the Medal of Valor on behalf of their grandfather at a commemoration attended by Steven Spielberg.
During the event, Ben Sarner expressed his gratitude for the recognition and highlighted his grandfather's incredible work. He emphasized that Moshe Ze'iri had established the orphanage in Selvino, Italy, in the aftermath of World War II, rescuing, rehabilitating, and restoring humanity to over 800 children who had lost their families during the Holocaust and miraculously survived.
While the grandchildren were in the United States, Ze'iri's daughter, Nitza Sarner, traveled to Selvino, Italy, to attend the 75th-anniversary commemoration of the closing of the orphanage. Alongside 60 guests, Nitza Sarner, who had resided at the orphanage with her parents between 1946 and 1948, participated in the event organized by the Selvino Children's Association.
Under Ze'iri's guidance, Selvino was transformed into a kibbutz-style refuge, becoming a center for Jewish learning and engagement for the young survivors, preparing them for their eventual relocation to Israel. Ze'iri assigned Hebrew names to all the children, and they learned the language while observing Shabbat and other festivals.
Nitza Sarner, who was almost five years old at the time, joined her mother in traveling from their kibbutz home to Italy to reunite with her father and be a part of this remarkable community of hope and resilience. Photo by Mary-Grace Blaha Schexnayder, Wikimedia commons.