June 20th, 1939: The students from the Jewish secondary school of Padua meet for a group photograph

In September 1938, on becoming effective the Racial Laws, both the Jewish students and teachers were expelled from all kinds of schools. The Jewish Community of Padua, as many others, created a Jewish School to grant young students the possibility of continuing to study and teachers to continue working. The young Jews could choose either to continue studying and sit an exam as external students or to attend the Jewish School. In any case, they had to sit an exam at the State Schools to pass.

The Secondary School in Padua was originally located at 5, Via San Martino e Solferino, in the former Jewish ghetto of the town and then in a cottage in the Pontecorvo area. Augusto Levi, a Physics Professor at Padua University and teacher at the Liceo Tito Livio became the head teacher, assisted by Alberto Goldbacher, an engineer.

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