The Thessaloniki Holocaust: A Journey Through a Once-Thriving Jewish Community
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
The article explores the history and destruction of Thessaloniki's once-thriving Jewish community, known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," during the Holocaust. It highlights the 1944 Auschwitz revolt by Greek Jewish prisoners and details the city's rich Jewish heritage, including historical sites and the tragic deportation of over 45,000 Jews to Auschwitz. The narrative also touches upon the controversial role of the community's chief rabbi during the Nazi occupation. A new Museum of the Holocaust of Greece is set to open in 2028, aiming to preserve the memory of the community and its fate, attracting growing numbers of Israeli visitors.
The story in 7 lines · by baba
- Thessaloniki's Jewish community, once the largest in Greece, was decimated by the Nazis, with over 45,000 deported to Auschwitz in 1943.
- A Jewish revolt occurred in Auschwitz on October 7, 1944, involving many Greek Jewish prisoners from Thessaloniki.
- Thessaloniki's Jewish history is visible in sites like the Jewish Hammam, Agora Modiano market, and Monastirlioton Synagogue.
- "Stumbling stones" in the port commemorate five Jewish port workers deported and murdered in Auschwitz.
- The role of Chief Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Koretz during the Nazi occupation remains a subject of historical debate.
- The Museum of the Holocaust of Greece, opening in 2028, will serve as a major memorial and educational center.
- Israeli visitors are increasingly drawn to Thessaloniki to explore its profound Jewish heritage.
The article recounts the tragic history of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki, Greece, once known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," which was decimated during the Holocaust. It draws a parallel between the "October 7th" date in Israel, referring to the Hamas attack, and October 7, 1944, the date of a revolt by Jewish prisoners, many from Greece, in Auschwitz-Birkenau. These prisoners, forced to work in gas chambers and crematoria, attacked SS guards and set fire to a crematorium, resulting in the deaths of approximately 450 prisoners during or after the revolt.
The narrative explores Thessaloniki's rich Jewish heritage, which spans over two millennia, significantly boosted by Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. They brought with them the Ladino language, diverse professions, and extensive trade networks, contributing to the city's status as a major Mediterranean commercial hub. At various times, Jews constituted the largest population group in the city's multicultural fabric alongside Muslims and Christians.
The article highlights tangible remnants of this past, including the "Jewish Hammam," a 16th-century Ottoman bathhouse, and the Agora Modiano market, designed by Jewish architect Eli Modiano. It also mentions the Monastirlioton Synagogue, completed in 1927, which survived the Nazi occupation by serving as a Red Cross warehouse. The presence of "stumbling stones" (stolpersteine) in the port, bearing the names of five Jewish port workers deported and murdered in Auschwitz, serves as a poignant reminder of individual lives lost.
Before the war, Thessaloniki was home to about 50,000 Jews. Between March and August 1943, the Germans deported over 45,000 of them to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most were murdered shortly after arrival. The role of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Koretz, the city's Chief Rabbi and head of the Jewish community administration under German rule, is presented as complex and controversial, with critics arguing his leadership facilitated the deportations, while historians debate his actions and limitations.
Future remembrance efforts include the upcoming Museum of the Holocaust of Greece, under construction near the old train station from which deportation trains departed. Scheduled to open in 2028, the museum aims to preserve the memory of Thessaloniki's Jewish community and other destroyed Jewish communities across Greece. The article notes the increasing number of Israeli visitors to Thessaloniki, particularly groups, drawn by growing flight accessibility and a desire to connect with the city's profound Jewish history.