Elio Toaff facts for kids
Elio Toaff (born April 30, 1915 – died April 19, 2015) was a very important Jewish leader in Italy. He served as the Chief Rabbi of Rome for over 50 years, from 1951 to 2002. Before that, he was a rabbi in Venice starting in 1947.
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Early Life and Education
Elio Toaff was born in Livorno, Italy, in 1915. His father, Alfredo Sabato Toaff, was also a rabbi in the city. Elio was one of four children.
He began his religious studies at Livorno's Rabbinical College, guided by his father. At the same time, he studied law at the University of Pisa. This was a difficult time because the Fascist government in Italy had passed Italian Racial Laws that were against Jewish people. These laws made it hard for Jews to study at universities.
Despite these challenges, Elio Toaff found a professor who helped him finish his law degree in 1938. In 1939, he also completed his theological degree, becoming a rabbi. Soon after, he became the chief rabbi of Ancona, a position he held until 1943. One of his first actions there was to convince a Jewish family not to convert to Christianity, telling them it was "cowardly, useless and undignified."
During World War II
During World War II, life became very dangerous for Jewish people in Italy. When Germany invaded Italy in 1943, Elio Toaff and his family had to go into hiding. He closed the synagogue in Ancona and, with the help of local people, hid the Jewish community members in homes and churches. Young people and children were sent by boat to areas controlled by the Allied forces.
The Nazis and their allies began deporting people to concentration camps. Elio Toaff was warned about a plan to harm him. He, his father, his wife Lia Luperini, and their son Ariel Toaff found safety in Versilia, thanks to a local priest. Toaff felt he could not leave Italy, remembering his father's words: "A rabbi does not have the same freedom of choice others have; he can never abandon his community." He later said that every Jewish person in Ancona survived the war because their Catholic neighbors helped them.
Toaff was once captured by the Waffen-SS. He was saved from execution when an Austrian soldier, with whom he had spoken a little French, ordered his release. Catholic families continued to help them as they fled, leading them to another safe place in Città di Castello.
Elio Toaff also joined the Italian Resistance in the mountains. He worked to keep other Jewish people safe. His group was among the first to enter a village after the terrible Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre, where many villagers were killed.
From his experiences, Toaff believed that Italians were not anti-Semitic. He felt that Jewish people survived the war because other Italians helped them, and that Jews were well-accepted in their communities.
After the War
After World War II ended, Elio Toaff became the chief rabbi of Venice. He stayed there until 1951, when he became the Chief Rabbi of Rome. While in Venice, he also taught Hebrew language and literature at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. He wrote his autobiography, Perfidi giudei, fratelli maggiori (Perfidious Jews, Elder Brothers), in 1987.
Elio Toaff retired as chief rabbi in 2001, at the age of 86. He was succeeded by Riccardo Di Segni. Toaff passed away on April 19, 2015, just 11 days before his 100th birthday.
Pope Francis sent a message to Riccardo Di Segni after Toaff's death.
Elio Toaff and his wife had four children: three sons (Ariel, Daniel, and Godiel) and a daughter (Miriam).
Jewish-Catholic Relations
Elio Toaff played a very important role in improving relations between Jewish and Catholic communities.
When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, Toaff spoke highly of him. He said that Jewish people would always remember what the Catholic Church did for them during World War II under the Pope's orders. He noted that Pius XII often spoke out against false race theories.
Later, Pope John XXIII made a special gesture. He stopped his car outside the Great Synagogue of Rome to bless Jewish worshippers as they left. This was the first papal blessing of its kind in 2,000 years and deeply moved the community.
A historic moment happened on April 13, 1986, when Pope John Paul II visited the Great Synagogue of Rome. This was the first time a Pope had ever visited a Jewish house of worship. Instead of a formal handshake, Toaff embraced the Pope. They remained friends until the Pope's death.
In his last will, Pope John Paul II specifically mentioned Rabbi Toaff, showing the deep respect he had for him.
See also
In Spanish: Elio Toaff para niños
