Jerusalem Post publishes a journey to Jewish Greece

Α Decrease font Enlarge font
Jerusalem Post publishes a journey to Jewish GreeceA journey from Jerusalem to Thessaloniki, Veroia, Ioannina and the island of Aegina

Jerusalem Pot published the following article by Elias Messinas who notes that the last time he took a similar trip, in 1993, he was a young architect in search of my Jewish roots:

As you set out for your journey to Ithaca, hope that the road is long, full of adventure, full of discovery,” wrote C.P. Cavafy in his poem “Ithaca.” This is how we felt this summer in our journey to Greece, where the context and the content were close to our heart, personal history and memory.

Our journey took us from Jerusalem to Thessaloniki, Veroia, Ioannina and the island of Aegina. We visited synagogues and reconnected to the family memory, to lost communities.

Last time I took a similar trip, in 1993, I was a young architect in search of my Jewish roots. Along that journey, I visited, recorded and surveyed surviving synagogues throughout Greece. The work of that journey later became the core of my PhD thesis at the National Technical University of Athens, and was published in two books – The Synagogues of Salonika and Veroia and The Synagogues of Greece.

This time the trip was different. I was joined by my wife, Yvette; our three daughters Maya, Noa and Eden; my in-laws, Iakovos and Elda; my nieces Iris and Melissa; and my sisterin- law Annie, with her son Noe.

The journey started in Thessaloniki, where our first stop was the Yad Lezikaron synagogue. Yad Lezikaron is presently being renovated by myself and the team of KARD Architects, with whom we also restored the Monastiriotes synagogue last year.

The centerpiece of the Yad Lezikaron synagogue is the heichal (the Sefardi term for the Torah ark). It belonged to the Sarfati synagogue, dating from 1923. It was moved to the Burla synagogue after WWII when Sarfati synagogue was demolished, and in 1984 moved to Yad Lezikaron after Burla synagogue was demolished. The renovation included the removal of all later additions to the heichal to bring it back to its past beauty, while respecting the scars in the cracked marble, to remind us of its painful history.

Our second stop was the Jewish camp in Litochoro, where our daughters spend the first part of the summer every year. The tents in the natural grove by the sea are a very familiar sight, as both myself and Yvette spent our summers as children there.

The Jewish summer camp is a successful tradition supported by the Thessaloniki Jewish Community, where Jewish and Israeli children forge friendships and relationships that last for a lifetime. The closing ceremony is very emotional. This time the older teammates danced on the stage, copied by the younger campers, who repeated their movements at the back of the outdoor room. It was a powerful moment of “togetherness,” where the future of Greek Jewry declared its commitment to continuing this historic but dwindling community.

For Greek Jewry, which lost 87% of its Jews in the Holocaust (Thessaloniki lost 96%), the summer camp is a moment of optimism and pride, despite the bleak reality of decreasing statistics, increasing mixed marriages and financial crisis-triggered emigration.

Joined by our daughters and nieces, our rented van made its way to our third stop: Veroia, a small historic town in northern Greece. Veroia, about a one-hour drive from Thessaloniki, is a special site for both Jews and Christians. According to the New Testament (Acts, 17, 10 and 20, 1-3), Veroia was the site where St. Paul of Tarsus taught at the local synagogue in the first century CE.

The community at the time was Romaniote, similar to the Jewish communities in Aegina, Arta, Corinth, Halkis, Ioannina, Patras, Preveza, Thebes, Thessaloniki and Volos. Romaniote were Greek-speaking Jews with distinctive cultural features and traditions, who have lived in Greece for more than 2,000 years. Romaniote communities were moved from Greek cities to Istanbul in the mid-15th century to strengthen the commerce of the new Ottoman capital.

Sephardi Jews arrived to these cities after 1492, following edicts of expulsion. They strengthened the Jewish presence anew.

Jews lived in Veroia in their own quarter Barbouta, a unique example of Middle Ages Jewish settlement. The houses were densely built on the perimeter of an open courtyard, forming a protected quarter, similar to Serres and Komotini, but only surviving in Veroia. The compound gates closed at night. At one end is the synagogue, dating from before 1850, a fine example of traditional architecture.

The synagogue of Veroia is the oldest surviving synagogue in northern Greece – following the demolition of the equally historic Beth El synagogue in Komotini in 1993. The synagogue is an excellent example of the “Ottoman type,” which developed in Greece and Turkey. The floor plan comprises a rectangular hall, with four columns in the center. The heichal is oriented toward Jerusalem and a movable bimah (podium) is placed opposite. On one side a raised wooden balcony with trellises served as the ezrat nashim (women’s section), replacing an earlier structure which existed on the opposite wall, whose trellised openings are still visible.

Eva Meska and Nikos Dimoliaras greeted us at the synagogue. They are both Christian, but dedicated to explaining the history of the quarter and the synagogue to both Jews and Christians. They regard them as historic monuments to their city’s rich history. Although the exact site where St. Paul preached is not known, the surviving synagogue – of much later date and perhaps different location – is well accepted as a sacred site for both Jewish and Christian pilgrims.

“People come to the site and cry. It is a very charged place for everyone. If we managed to turn the ruined house across the synagogue into a visitors’ center, we could serve tourists in the area better, with more accessibility and needed services, like bathrooms,” Meska explained. Inside the synagogue 680 Jews were arrested by the Nazis in May 1943, before being transported. A handful escaped to the mountains or were hidden by neighbors.

We had lunch near the Jewish quarter by the Tripotamos River. The running fresh water had a soothing, refreshing and nurturing feel to it that we all needed toward our next stop: the former site of the Jewish cemetery. Once located outside the city walls, it was surrounded by the city as it expanded after WWII. Richly decorated tombstones are still scattered along the edges of the site, now a municipal outdoor basketball field. The Hebrew tombstones make a powerful statement in a city emptied of any living Jewish presence other than its guests.

Next stop was the city of Ioannina. Our in-laws had arrived from Athens earlier and expected us. Yvette’s father, Iakovos Nahmias, was born and grew up in Ioannina. Not far from his house was the house of Elias Negrin, my grandfather, where my mother Sylvia (Simcha) was born. Both families, the Nahmias and Negrin, left Ioannina together to hide in Athens in WWII. This is how these two nuclear families survived – but my grandfather Elias was given in by a traitor in Athens and transported to Auschwitz, where he found his death.

Read more here.

Read full article here.

RELATED TOPICS: GreeceGreek tourism newsTourism in GreeceGreek islandsHotels in GreeceTravel to GreeceGreek destinations Greek travel marketGreek tourism statisticsGreek tourism report

Source: jpost.com

 

 

Tornos
  1. 26/03 23:51

    St. Thomas Hellenic School honors 1821 and the Feast of the Annunciation in NJ

  2. 26/03 21:59

    PM at Economic Club of Canada: Greece is an attractive investment destination

  3. 26/03 17:56

    Greek State budget primary balance reaches a surplus of 3,378 million euros

  4. 26/03 11:45

    Ancient Messene to get upgraded visitors' facilities after approval by Council

  5. 23/03 17:43

    New requirements for 'Golden Visa' program to kick in on March 31

  6. 23/03 16:49

    Athenians continue to head out of the Greek Capital for March 25 long weekend

  7. 23/03 16:47

    Greek Parliament lights to be turned off for Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 pm

  8. 22/03 21:54

    US President on Greek Independence Day: Alliance with Greece stronger than ever

  9. 22/03 19:51

    High diplomacy and geopolitics at Delphi Economic Forum IX in Greece

  10. 22/03 19:32

    Tax authorities enable payments with foreign bank cards in Greece

  11. 22/03 14:19

    Greece to take part in Earth Hour on Saturday

  12. 22/03 00:24

    Greece ranks first on list of countries with fastest business environment progress

  13. 22/03 00:02

    Hellenic Police acquires first electric VAN-type highway patrol vehicle

  14. 21/03 22:41

    Greek Finance Ministry tightens Golden Visa rules

  15. 21/03 15:33

    Unseen Museum presents "The stele of the twin babies" exhibition in Athens

  16. 20/03 22:48

    Health Minister: 95% of Greek hospitals to perform afternoon surgeries

  17. 20/03 21:52

    Greek Deputy Minister of Justice meets delegation from US Embassy in Athens

  18. 20/03 21:44

    Greek Interior Minister to visit United States and Canada on postal vote

  19. 20/03 20:55

    Philadelphia Icarians mark 85th Anniversary and organize Apokriatiko Dance

  20. 20/03 18:01

    Development Minister: We continue the battle against high prices in Greece

  21. 19/03 22:28

    President of the Hellenic Republic meets her Ethiopian counterpart in Athens

  22. 19/03 20:57

    Greek Tourism Minιster meets Hellenic Chamber of Hotels

  23. 19/03 20:25

    FinMIn: Moody’s analysis records significant progress in the Greek economy

  24. 19/03 11:15

    Sector chiefs report: Good news for Greek tourism in 2024 at ITB Berlin

  25. 18/03 22:20

    American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association honors Past Supreme President

  26. 16/03 13:01

    Greek Deputy Foreign Μinister meets her Slovenian counterpart in Athens

  27. 16/03 12:56

    Greek-Canadian Diaspora to welcome Greek Prime Minister to Toronto

  28. 16/03 11:28

    Greek Migration Minister visits refugee hosting facilities in Kavala, Drama and Serres

  29. 15/03 21:50

    Greek Minister announces conference on defence ecosystem in Athens from Lithuania

  30. 15/03 13:45

    PM: More than 80 hospitals and 156 health centres being upgraded in Greece

  31. 15/03 12:55

    Piraeus Port and Genoa Chambers of Commerce ink memorandum of cooperation

  32. 14/03 23:43

    President of Hellenic Republic meets Prime Minister of Slovakia in Bratislava

  33. 14/03 22:58

    American Express report highlights Global Travel Trends during 2024

  34. 14/03 22:52

    Four hospitals in Attica Region already organizing afternoon surgical procedures

  35. 14/03 22:49

    US Ambassador to Athens: More flights from the United States to Greece and Thessaloniki

  36. 14/03 22:43

    Greek archaeologists discover ten ancient shipwrecks off Aegean island of Kasos

  37. 14/03 19:32

    No new intubations for Covid-19 recorded in Greece for the first time

  38. 14/03 18:36

    Extra road safety measures adopted for Greek pre-lent carnival and Clean Monday

  39. 14/03 14:48

    HRADF eyes bidders for Lavrio Port majority share

  40. 14/03 12:54

    Electric buses to be deployed on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by May

  41. 13/03 22:23

    Chairman: 2023 was an exceptional one for AEGEAN Airlines

  42. 13/03 20:11

    Prices of basic lenten products either lower or equal to last year's in Greece

  43. 13/03 19:15

    US Ambassador to Athens: Greece secures NATO readiness via Alexandroupolis

  44. 13/03 17:19

    Greece shines at 1st European Cruise Exhibition

  45. 13/03 12:26

    Greece shows new costumes for revamped Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony

  46. 12/03 22:46

    Epirotes Society of Philadelphia ‘Omonia’ organized 16th Annual ‘Tsipourovradia’

  47. 12/03 21:38

    The President of the Hellenic Republic to visit Slovakia on March 13-15

  48. 12/03 20:29

    First afternoon surgeries in Greece kick off at Papageorgiou Hospital in Thessaloniki

  49. 11/03 23:58

    Greek Foreign Minister: We stand behind Montenegro's European perspective

  50. 11/03 23:47

    Visa Express for Turkish citizens to commence on five Greek islands in March

  51. 11/03 19:40

    Amadeus acquires travel payments expert Voxel

  52. 11/03 18:49

    Microsoft Data Center construction kicks off in Spata next to Athens Airport

  53. 11/03 17:53

    Dodecanese Federation marked 76th Anniversary of Unification with Greece

  54. 09/03 22:23

    The future of travel planning is multimodal and interactive

  55. 08/03 14:27

    Prime Minister: Radical change in Greek education and a brave reform for growth

  56. 08/03 14:24

    Traffic restrictions expected in Athens mid-morning to evening on Friday due to protests

  57. 08/03 14:24

    Applications to out-of-court settlement more than doubled in Greece in February

  58. 08/03 13:18

    Metro station 'Maniatika' near Piraeus Port to be closed on Saturday and Sunday

  59. 07/03 14:12

    Athens wins World Travel Award 2024 as the top city-break destination in Europe

  60. 06/03 22:51

    WTTC data show Greece and Portugal lead league for growth in tourist arrivals

  61. 06/03 20:28

    Greek Tourism Minister at ITB: 2024 will be another excellent year for sector

  62. 06/03 19:47

    Greek Foreign Minister to meet UAE Minister of Industry and Technology on Friday

  63. 06/03 18:43

    European Union actions of 274m euros to support cultural heritage in Greece

  64. 06/03 16:37

    'Odontotos' rack railway temporarily stopped until landslides issue is resolved

  65. 06/03 14:40

    Minister: Bringing about the return of Greeks abroad 'a moral duty'

  66. 05/03 14:28

    Archdiocese of America Eparchial Synod to meet on March 14-17 in Florida

  67. 05/03 14:21

    The 'Lent Basket' to be launched in Greece on March 13

  68. 05/03 14:11

    ITB BERLIN 2024 opens with excellent bookings after global rise in travel in 2023

  69. 05/03 12:24

    Greek PM at Athens supermarket: Consumers 'can already see lower prices on the shelf'

  70. 04/03 22:02

    Greek Health Minister: Afternoon surgeries at state hospitals to begin shortly

  71. 04/03 21:47

    Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Whitestone Community marks 49th Anniversary

  72. 04/03 20:27

    Labor chief: Greece to train 500,000 workers in digital, green skills by 2025

  73. 04/03 19:44

    Foreign Ministry to organize event on 'Women, Peace, and Security' on Friday

  74. 04/03 15:12

    Athens Riviera | The summer experience with Athens as a background

  75. 29/02 22:54

    Consumers to see price cuts up to 18.1% in 3,000 Greek supermarket products as of Friday

  76. 29/02 21:44

    Greece and Germany set up Working Group on shipping cooperation

  77. 29/02 21:30

    Wyndham Rewards’ Member Month offers 5 weeks of deals, discounts, and bonus points

  78. 29/02 21:03

    Temple of Poseidon at Sounion near Athens to get new lighting system

  79. 29/02 21:02

    Greek Tourism Minister meets with Ambassador of Qatar

  80. 29/02 20:47

    Greece is represented by 60 firms at GULFOOD 2024 exhibition

  81. 29/02 19:58

    Greek government gives 1+1 month extension for cash register-integrated POS terminals

  82. 29/02 19:49

    Archangel Michael Church Dance Program shines at Folk Dance Festival in SF

  83. 29/02 15:39

    'Renovate-rent' programme to be launched, Minister tells Greek Parliament

  84. 29/02 12:39

    Rio-Antirrio ferry line in central Greece closed due to strong winds

  85. 28/02 21:34

    Weather with heavy rain and storms in Greece as of Sunday night

  86. 28/02 17:31

    CEO: The goal is for PPC to become a leading player in Southeast Europe

  87. 28/02 17:04

    New Wyndham Hotels Market Managing Director of Central and Eastern Europe

  88. 28/02 12:21

    Minister: Transactions with the Greek State will be further simplified in 2024

  89. 28/02 11:57

    24-hour strikes halt trains and ferries in Greece

  90. 27/02 17:25

    UN Tourism hails Saudi Arabia's historic milestone of 100 million tourists

  91. 27/02 15:00

    Greek Prime Minister: Relations with Armenia can become even more productive

  92. 27/02 14:26

    Wyndham: New growth cycle in Greece for the largest hotel chain franchise in the world

  93. 27/02 13:15

    Price cuts of up to 15% in important product categories in Greece after March 1

  94. 27/02 12:46

    Athens taxi drivers' protest rally in progress from Athinon avenue to Messogion

  95. 26/02 18:30

    Annual Summit of Women Political Leaders (WPL) to be held in Athens in April

  96. 26/02 18:27

    Culture Ministry: Schwartz Mansion in Ampelakia near Larisa to get new lighting

  97. 26/02 17:25

    Greek president organizes reception for diplomats at Presidential Mansion

  98. 26/02 16:33

    Trapped rack-railway passengers returned safely to Diakopto in Peloponnese

  99. 26/02 16:21

    Public transport, ferry and taxi strikes in Athens on Wednesday

  100. 25/02 12:30

    Greek island of Ikaria among the Blue Zones for Health Eating and Longevity