In 1942 many Jews fleeing the Nazis from parts of Yugoslavia arrived in our village of Fier. The Italian occupiers set up a camp for them, but many of the Jews were allowed to roam. The situation became more dangerous when the Italians surrended to the Allies in 1943 and the Nazis began to move in. There was fighting in Fier. Our entire village were partisans, fighting first the Italians and then the Nazis. Many Italian soldiers joined the resistance in fighting the Nazis, and many villagers sheltered our former Italian occupiers. To this day we exchange letters with Italian war veterans.

My brother and sister and I were partisans. My wife Ikballe was a partisan. My sister Lirie organized sixty-eight women who fought the Nazis in and around Berat. My brother Anasfias was killed in August 1943 and is remembered as the first Albanian hero of Fier. The Italians jailed me from April 1942 to January 1943.

My father had met the Jewish refugee Joseph Conforti. Both were tailors. They began to work together in our village, and Joseph Conforti lived in our home from May 1942 until January 1943. Then in 1943 the Italians jailed my father. All our neighbors knew of our befriending Joseph Conforti. Joseph joined the partisans and was killed in August 1943 near the town of Vlora. We secretly transferred his body to a burial home in Belgrade where he was a tailor before the war.

We know that Joseph has a brother Mordo Conforti living in Jerusalem.

Mimi Dema