THE JEWS OF GREECE

By Lionel Manuel

Many thousands of pages have been written on the Holocaust, but it seems that little has been spoken of the utter devastation of the Greek community.

Before the Nazis invaded in 1941 about 78,000 Jews lived in Greece. After the invasion the country was divided in to three occupation zones: German, Italian and Bulgarian.

The largest community numbering some 50,000 was in Salonika– the German zone. Between March and September 1943 48,674 were deported to extermination camps, mainly Auschwitz. After the war about 1,950 returned to their homes.

Also in March 1943, Jews in east Macedonia and Thrace – in the Bulgarian zone were deported to the harbour of Lum on the Danube. Out of 4200 Jews living in these areas, only 200 survived.

In the Italian zone no racial laws were enforced until the Italians capitulated in September 1943. They were replaced by the German authorities and in March 1944 mass arrests and deportations commenced.

The Jews of Rhodes were the last to be deported in July 1943.

By the end of the war, some 65,000 souls had perished, 87% of the total Jewish population.

The community that suffered most grievously was living in Epirus. Numbering about 2,490 only 10% returned from the camps.

This group has an extraordinary history. A popular legend in Epirus tells that during the reign of Nero, around 70CE, a ship bound for Rome with Jewish slaves aboard ran aground in the area. They were then put to work building Corinth canal and became known as Romaniote. This small community was the first Jewish presence in Greece and possibly Europe. Their language was Judeo/Greek and they became Hellenised.

From the 14^th century, Jews from Central and Western Europe joined Romaniotes. At the end of the 15^th century, Sephardim arrived and introduced Ladino and their own customs and absorbed the Romaniote communities, except those in Epirus, Peloponnese and Crete.

The majority of Sephardim settled in Salonika where they played an important role in economic and social life, making the city one of the most important centres in the Diaspora at that time.

Of the 28 Jewish communities that existed in Greece before World War 2 only nine were re-established in 1945. Today about 5000 Jews live in Athens, Thessalonika, Larissa, Trikala, Volos, Chalkis, Ioannina, Corfu and Rhodes.

If you’re planning a visit to Greece here are some useful addresses:

Jewish Community of Athens – 8 Meldoni Street 10553 Athens.

Jewish Cultural Centre – 8 Vissariones e Sina Street 10672 Athens.

Beth Shalom Synagogue – 5 Melidoni Street 10553 Athens.

Romaniote Synagogue – 8 Melidoni Street 10553 Athens.

Jewish Museum – 39 Nikis Street 10558 Athens.