A Jewish human rights organisation has slammed an Italian family who had two Hitler-themed birthday cakes made for a 15-year-old schoolboy, calling it “sickening”.
According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which combats global antisemitism, the cakes were made on January 27, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
According to reports by a local news site, Corriere di Bologna, the two cakes were adorned with antisemitic slogans in Italian, as well as an image of the Nazi leader.
The newspaper described it as “the trivialisation of evil”.
One read “Hello darling? Turn up the oven, I am coming home!”, while the other said “Let's go... Today, we’ll have an all-gas [full-throttle] evening!!!”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has called for the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), founded by participants of the Italian Resistance, to investigate the incident, which was apparently intended as a “prank”.
The schoolboy's classmates reportedly refused to eat the cake, which was unveiled at his birthday party, later reporting the matter to a teacher.
Dr Shimon Samuels, of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said: “We turn to ANPI to investigate and seek appropriate measures against the parents and the pastry cook, who indeed offended the anti-Nazi resistance and the victims of the Holocaust.
“ANPI is well-placed to engage in an educational initiative for schools, to sensitize parents through their children to the dangers of Holocaust abuse.
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center - Europe stands ready to assist in this campaign.”
