The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, granted the Italian Knighthood to Gabriele Boccaccini, MES Professor of Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins.
The special ceremony was held at the Michigan League on Sunday Jan 27, 2019 in the presence of the Italian Consul Dr. Maria Manca, the Chair of the MES Department Dr. Gottfried Hagen and more than 100 colleagues, friends and students.
Prof. Boccaccini offered a lecture on the Italian Holocaust and then accepted the medal of "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia" (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy). The honor was given in recognition of Boccaccini's scholarly work, for having strengthened friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and the United States and for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of Italian culture.
