Chalkis / Larissa
Travelling north, within a short driving distance from Athens, is the city of Chalkis on
the island of Euboea.
The Jews in this city belong to the Romaniote community that is believed to have been a
part of the oldest Jewish Community in Europe, established about 2,500 years ago. The
historic synagogue at 35, Kotsou Str., was built after the 1846 fire that destroyed the
old structure and its extensive library. A few of the priceless manuscripts are in the
Chalkis Museum and in private hands.
Driving further north in Central Greece, there are other sites of importance to the Jewish
historian - such as Volos, Trikala and Larissa.
Of special importance is Larissa, the capital city of Thessaly. Here thrived an ancient
Jewish community dating back to the 2nd century B.C.E.
Seven synagogues and a yeshivot existed in Larissa soon after the end of the Turkish
occupation in 1881. The well-known piyyutim (poems) were written here and took their place
among the rare gems of the Jewish muse.
An interesting characteristic of this Jewish community is that all the homes were built
connected to each other and near the river Penios. Thus, Jews were always ready to escape
Turkish raids, cross the river and take the road to the mountains. Even the richest in the
community lived in low, modest homes for fear of attracting attention.
Of the 2,800 Jews who lived in Larissa in 1882, only a handful and one synagogue survive
today. The city has designated the Square of Jewish Martyrs and a monument to commemorate
those who perished in the Holocaust.
Veria
Veria is another city in the north of Greece where a Jewish community flourished until war
and migration left only
stone - and - brick witnesses to a once thriving neighborhood.
A fortress - like gate off Veria's central square leads to a delightful neighborhood of
descending streets, quaint buildings and backyards covered by vines and wild fig trees.
Between this gate and the stream downhill are the haunting reminders of Jewish life that
reach back to the 1st century; Old buildings with delicate drawings and signs in Hebrew
declaring, 'May I lose My Right Hand if I Forget You, Oh Jerusalem".
There were close ties between the Jewish communities of Veria and Thessaloniki and when
the Apostle Paul (49 B.C.E.) was expelled from Thessaloniki, he came to Veria's synagogue
to deliver his message. The upheavals in Western Europe also resulted in the spread of the
Sephardic culture in Veria's Jewish community.
Through the centuries, Veria developed its own religious and secular institutions of
learning, and the remains of a synagogue and cemetery are sites for today's visitors. In
the 1920s and '30s, communal life and festivities were faithfully observed and the sukkoth
could be seen in the terraces and the balconies of the neighborhood.
Ioannina
The Jewish Community of Ioannina, the capital city of the region of Epirus, was founded
around the 8th century A.D.
The Ioannina Community is the largest and most representative Romaniote Greek Jewish
Community, whose members are descendants of the Greek Jews living in the Byzantine Empire.
The Jews of Ioannina reigned over the now extinct Jewish communities in Arta, Preveza,
Parga and Agrinion.
The Jewish quarter is located within the walls of the old city. It includes the area to
the right of Yossef Eliya street. It was also named "Megali Rouga", which means
"Big Road", and only remainings can be traced today.
The old synagogue near the fortress of the town, in 16 loustinianou str., is preserved by
loanniote Jews from around the world.
In the beginning of the 29th century, the Jewish population of 4.000 Jews declined to
2.000, after the Balkan War of 1913, while in 1940, before German occupation, 1.950 Jews
lived in Ioannina.
In 24-25 March 1944, the Jews of Ioannina were arrested by the Nazis and their properties
were confiscated and given to public institutions, orphanages etc.
The city has also produced many Jewish intellectuals, among which the renowed poet Yossef
Eliya (1901-1931). In the "Poets' Park" the visitor can see a marble bust of
Yossef Eliya.
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