A Pre-WWII Mussolini Biography – In Hebrew

Throughout history, Rabbinical community leaders were often faced with situations where they had to choose between appeasing a local ruler or politician or fighting for their rights and Jewish values. A fascinating publication I recently acquired reflects one such scenario, being a Hebrew biography of Arnaldo Mussolini by his brother Benito Mussolini, translated to Hebrew by Rav Gustavo Menachem Calò, a Rabbi in Mantua, Italy. More than just a biography, the book is interwoven with Italian politics and propaganda from the dictators perspective.

Benito Mussolini was the fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. Mussolini had a brother, Arnaldo, who became one of the most important developers of the original fascist Idea. Arnaldo Mussolini (1885 – 1931) was an Italian journalist and politician who used his newspaper and journalistic skills in promoting fascism and his brother's career.
At the time of this publication Benito Mussolini was considered benevolent towards the Jews but once his partnership with the Nazis was confirmed in 1939, he adopted the racial policies that eventually caused persecution of the Jews. When Germany occupied Italy during the war, Italy's Jews were deported to concentration camps.