NJ Italian Heritage Commission

06/12/2026

Congratulations to NJIHC's Washington D.C. Liaison Dr. Mary Ann Re for being elected to the Italian American Museum of Washington DC as Vice Chair.

Vice Chair Mary Ann Re brings extensive experience in higher education, cultural programming, and Italian American studies. She served as the founding Director of the Joseph and Elda The Coccia Institute for the Italian Experience in America at Montclair State University and previously led New Jersey’s Italian Heritage Commission. Throughout her distinguished career, she has fostered educational and cultural partnerships among Italian American organizations across the United States. In 2012, she was named a Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica
Italiana in recognition of her contributions to promoting Italian language and culture. Congratulations Mary Ann! 🎉🎉🎉

06/11/2026

Delta Air Lines is currently looking to connect with individuals who speak Italian and may be exploring new career paths, especially those interested in becoming Delta Flight Attendants. This role offers the chance to travel, connect with people from around the world, and even work flights to our Italian-speaking destinations!

Please use this direct link to apply:
https://delta.avature.net/talentcommunities/Login?jobId=28033&tags=fa26lod

06/11/2026

📚 The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission will be exhibiting at this year’s upcoming NJEA Convention in Atlantic City! We look forward to connecting with educators across the State of New Jersey. 📚🍎

Save the date for the 2026 NJEA Convention: Nov. 5-6! We have some amazing professional development opportunities and keynote speakers lined up for you. Be sure to visit njeaconvention.njea.org for updates.

06/11/2026

📚 ⚖️🇮🇹🇺🇸The New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission was honored to see Dr. Gilda Rorro, participate in a distinguished panel discussion exploring the early academic influences and Italian American roots of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

Hosted in conjunction with author Peter Canellos and his book discussion, the event brought together individuals who knew Justice Alito during his formative years.

Dr. Rorro joined an accomplished panel that included educators, community leaders, and longtime acquaintances of Justice Alito, contributing her perspective as Honorary Vice Consul of Italy in Trenton and a respected advocate for education, culture, and civic engagement.

The NJIHC congratulates Dr. Rorro on her participation in this meaningful conversation and thanks all those involved in bringing this important story to the community.

06/10/2026

Attention Educators: While you're getting ready to wind the school year, perhaps Summer planning for the next school year could start with considering implementing the NJ Italian Heritage Curriculum.
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🇮🇹🇺🇸 Attention educators! Are you planning for the 2026/2027 school year? Consider introducing the Italian Heritage Curriculum.

By integrating the Universality of Italian Heritage lesson plans into your school’s curriculum, you will be a pioneer in preserving the worldwide cultural legacy of Italy.

This exciting and enriching resource was developed by the Curriculum Development Committee of the New Jersey Italian Heritage Committee (NJIHC).

It consists of a Curriculum Infusion Model whereby Italian and Italian American material is integrated into existing curricula K-12.

These consecutive lesson plans were developed in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) and meet all DOE Core Curriculum Content Standards. The lesson plans are carefully designed, inclusive, thoroughly tested, and, beyond question, relevant to all students. The K-12 Curriculum is available online.

To access the lesson plans visit: https://bit.ly/3vRcjHR
🌟 🇮🇹🇺🇸📧 If you would like NJ Italian Heritage Commission to come to your next Curriculum Committee meeting to present the latest on our Curriculum please send an email to: [email protected]

🇮🇹🇺🇸 Attention educators! Are you planning for the 2026/2027 school year? Consider introducing the Italian Heritage Curriculum.
By integrating the Universality of Italian Heritage lesson plans into your school’s curriculum, you will be a pioneer in preserving the worldwide cultural legacy of Italy.

This exciting and enriching resource was developed by the Curriculum Development Committee of the New Jersey Italian Heritage Committee (NJIHC).

It consists of a Curriculum Infusion Model whereby Italian and Italian American material is integrated into existing curricula K-12.
These consecutive lesson plans were developed in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) and meet all DOE Core Curriculum Content Standards. The lesson plans are carefully designed, inclusive, thoroughly tested, and, beyond question, relevant to all students. The K-12 Curriculum is available online.

To access the lesson plans visit: https://bit.ly/3vRcjHR

🌟 🇮🇹🇺🇸📧 If you would like NJ Italian Heritage Commission to come to your next Curriculum Committee meeting to present the latest on our Curriculum please send an email to: [email protected]

06/02/2026

Via The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)

Buona Festa della Repubblica! 🇮🇹

On this very day, in 1946, the Italian people went to the polls. For the first time after 20 years of Fascism, after World War II had largely destroyed the country, the Italian people had an important choice to make: “Monarchia” or “Repubblica”? Women were also allowed to vote, for the first time in Italian history, and so they did.

Credit is usually given to Alcide De Gasperi for the remarkably consequential decision to call the entire population to a vote on such a huge and controversial issue. The choice was “Repubblica” by a close margin, and King Umberto II went into exile.

It’s an Italian bank holiday (festa nazionale) and cities nationwide celebrate with parades, flying the “tricolore” and in Rome the “Frecce Tricolori” perform a flyover the city. Be sure to wish all your Italian family and friends, “Buona Festa della Repubblica!” 🇮🇹

Buona Festa della Repubblica! 🇮🇹

On this very day, in 1946, the Italian people went to the polls. For the first time after 20 years of Fascism, after World War II had largely destroyed the country, the Italian people had an important choice to make: “Monarchia” or “Repubblica”? Women were also allowed to vote, for the first time in Italian history, and so they did.

Credit is usually given to Alcide De Gasperi for the remarkably consequential decision to call the entire population to a vote on such a huge and controversial issue. The choice was “Repubblica” by a close margin, and King Umberto II went into exile.

It’s an Italian bank holiday (festa nazionale) and cities nationwide celebrate with parades, flying the “tricolore” and in Rome the “Frecce Tricolori” perform a flyover the city. Be sure to wish all your Italian family and friends, “Buona Festa della Repubblica!” 🇮🇹

06/02/2026

Congratulations to the honorable Dr. Gilda Rorro and her daughter Dr. Mary Rorro.

05/29/2026

Via Montclair State University’s Italian Professor Enza Antenos - The 19th edition of Teaching Italian, Lingue geniali: creare e collaborare, to be held at Montclair State on Friday, October 16, invites educators to move beyond isolated language programs and engage in meaningful collaboration with colleagues across world languages. The goal is to share techniques, activities, and models of practice that bring languages into dialogue with one another, strengthening teaching, learning, and world language programs.

Teaching Italian is seeking co-leaders for three (3) workshops. Each workshop will be 80 minutes and must be co-led by an Italian educator and an educator of another world language. Solo proposals will not be considered. The theme and content of each workshop are open to the co-presenters, but proposals should highlight a successful instructional model they have already used in their schools.

Deadline for proposals is May 31, 2026. Accepted proposals will be notified by June 9, 2026.

Questions? Contact me! Enza Antenos

https://www.montclair.edu/modern-languages-and-literatures/ti19-lingue-geniali/

05/28/2026

Via Italian American Museum of Washington DC - Our Washington DC Liasion Advisor & IAMDC Board Director Dr. Mary Ann Re participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the restoration of the Columbus Circle Statue and Fountain at Washington DC's Union Station. In attendance were Italian Ambassador Marco Peronaci and Spanish Ambassador Ángeles Moreno Bau, as well as numerous government officials and representatives from Italian American organizations.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission honors and remembers the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸