My father rarely spoke about his family.I didn’t learn that he was Jewish until after he died, when at his funeral a stranger approached me with this news. In fact he descended from two prominent Italian Jewish families.

Among his paternal uncles was Gilberto Senigaglia (when he emigratedto the U.S. my father changed hisname to Selgin). Born in Trieste in 1872, Gilbertobecamea physician, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.

It was while studying English with him (either privately or at...