Eli Haligua:Can you please explain what is memorial walk and what is your aim with this event?
Eleftheria Koukoura: The memorial walk is considered an act of peaceful protest as an attempt to honor our lost fellow citizens, considering nearly 50.000 Jews (20% of the city’s population) who were deported in the Nazi death camps during WWII. Specifically, the memory walk is an annual event aiming towards the restoration of the memory of the “black anniversary” . In a period of 6 months 19 deportations took place, taking with them 46.091 Jews from whom only 4% survived (about 1.950 Jews). The first deportation took place on early morning hours of March 15th 1943, carrying about 2.500 Jews from the Baron Hirsch ghetto (the closest to the Old Train Station) to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Also, the selection of the starting point from Eleftheria’s Square is a concrete statement against local ignorance. A seemingly innocent nowadays parking lot in the heart of the city holds one of the darkest pages of Thessaloniki’s history since on July 7th of 1943 (the Nazis selected on purpose the holy day of Shabbat for such action) all Jewish men between 18-45 were commanded to be present and therefore were sent to labor camps, inaugurating a circle of horrible events, considering the Nuremberg Laws which led to the Final Solution.
EK: This initiative, as part of a greater mobilization to honor the victims of the Nazi atrocities, started in 2013 by the Municipality of Thessaloniki in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki (JCT) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Since then, the annual memory walks have been enriched with various related events (indicatively this year, expect for the historical speeches by distinguished scientists, mrs. Rika Benveniste & mrs. Rena Molho, a “memory concert” was held with the participation of the choir of the JCT whilst a book exhibition was inaugurated within the Town Hall entitled “Testimonies and historical essays on Jewish genocide”, including books from the Shoah collection of the Central Library of AUTh) whilst the other two institutions of the city are also participating, namely University of Macedonia (UoM) and Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (ATEITh).
EH: Can you please give information about attenders and the places that you visit during the walk?
EK: Over the years it has been shown that attendees of the memory walk(s) do not come explicitly from the JCT or an affiliated academic environment. These are individuals and families of Thessalonians who are walking peacefully in the footsteps of their lost fellow citizens. The walk starts from the Holocaust memorial on Freedom square (Plateia Eleftherias), then a few minutes walking distance follows till the Old Train Station, where the deportations have started from, 74 years ago. Τhere, beside the official greetings and the moment of silence, a tribute is being held by the choir of the JCT and there is also a play and/or affiliated poems recitation (e.x. Todesfuge by Paul Celan ) http://www.poiein.gr/archives/29998/index.html ) by Greek students.
EH: How may jews are living in Thesselonike today?
EK: According to official sources only 1.200 Jews live in Thessaloniki for the moment while the city used to have the biggest Jewish community of Greece, as the city was also known as “Mother of Israel”(la madre de Israel).
EH: Knowing the past can be helpful to built a better future. What would you like to tell about the facedown of Greece and Jewish community?
EK: Taking into consideration Thessaloniki on its pre-war days with the multicultural and inter-religious mosaic it used to have, it’s obvious there’s still a lot of work to be done. For numerous reasons (mainly financial ones from Greek Orthodox against their Jewish fellow citizens and the waves of Greek immigration from Minor Asia which created a huge social imbalance) an atmosphere of envy was held upon the city and many citizens even cooperated with the Nazi administration in order to take advantage of another’s property.
Although both the Municipality and the JCT are even more outgoing, the most embarrassing thing to ascertain is the ignorance of the younger generation. The fact is that those concerned and interested in the past of the city and the restoration of the memory have access to archives, events, symposiums and steady increasing publications. But how can one be optimist in a country with such past where the Golden Dawn party is legally elected? How does it feel for the Greek and Thessalonians Jews themselves, when every now and then vandalisms are taking place at memorial monuments and/or their cemeteries? How things could possibly change when the Holocaust of the Greek Jews is not even properly mentioned in schools and school textbooks? Change takes a while and walks with baby steps. The most important thing is the support coming from the Public Body and the emphasis given on the implementation of educational activities. The reopening of the Jewish Studies Department in AUTh (it was interrupted in 1935 by the Metaxas dictatorship) seems like an ideal step towards this direction.
EH: Do you have a website? How people can follow you or attend your events?
EK: Unfortunately, there isn’t a concentrating website for the moment but this deficiency will be hopefully restored after the establishment of the Holocaust Memorial Museum and Education Center for Human Rights of Thessaloniki (expected on late 2019). In the meantime, on social media there are few groups in order to inform and raise awareness amongst those concerned (see items 1-4 below);
Eli Haligua: Can you please explain what is memorial walk and what is your aim with this event?
Eleftheria Koukoura: The memorial walk is considered an act of peaceful protest as an attempt to honor our lost fellow citizens, considering nearly 50.000 Jews (20% of the city’s population) who were deported in the Nazi death camps during WWII. Specifically, the memory walk is an annual event aiming towards the restoration of the memory of the “black anniversary” . In a period of 6 months 19 deportations took place, taking with them 46.091 Jews from whom only 4% survived (about 1.950 Jews). The first deportation took place on early morning hours of March 15th 1943, carrying about 2.500 Jews from the Baron Hirsch ghetto (the closest to the Old Train Station) to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Also, the selection of the starting point from Eleftheria’s Square is a concrete statement against local ignorance. A seemingly innocent nowadays parking lot in the heart of the city holds one of the darkest pages of Thessaloniki’s history since on July 7th of 1943 (the Nazis selected on purpose the holy day of Shabbat for such action) all Jewish men between 18-45 were commanded to be present and therefore were sent to labor camps, inaugurating a circle of horrible events, considering the Nuremberg Laws which led to the Final Solution.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sephardi-jews-in-salonica
http://parallaximag.gr/thessaloniki/chartis-tis-polis/i-thessaloniki-palia-sinikismos-chirs
EH: How did this initiative is established?
EK: This initiative, as part of a greater mobilization to honor the victims of the Nazi atrocities, started in 2013 by the Municipality of Thessaloniki in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki (JCT) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Since then, the annual memory walks have been enriched with various related events (indicatively this year, expect for the historical speeches by distinguished scientists, mrs. Rika Benveniste & mrs. Rena Molho, a “memory concert” was held with the participation of the choir of the JCT whilst a book exhibition was inaugurated within the Town Hall entitled “Testimonies and historical essays on Jewish genocide”, including books from the Shoah collection of the Central Library of AUTh) whilst the other two institutions of the city are also participating, namely University of Macedonia (UoM) and Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (ATEITh).
http://athjcom.gr/news/%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B7%CF%82-73-%CF%87%CF%81%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B7/
EH: Can you please give information about attenders and the places that you visit during the walk?
EK: Over the years it has been shown that attendees of the memory walk(s) do not come explicitly from the JCT or an affiliated academic environment. These are individuals and families of Thessalonians who are walking peacefully in the footsteps of their lost fellow citizens. The walk starts from the Holocaust memorial on Freedom square (Plateia Eleftherias), then a few minutes walking distance follows till the Old Train Station, where the deportations have started from, 74 years ago. Τhere, beside the official greetings and the moment of silence, a tribute is being held by the choir of the JCT and there is also a play and/or affiliated poems recitation (e.x. Todesfuge by Paul Celan ) http://www.poiein.gr/archives/29998/index.html ) by Greek students.
EH: How may jews are living in Thesselonike today?
EK: According to official sources only 1.200 Jews live in Thessaloniki for the moment while the city used to have the biggest Jewish community of Greece, as the city was also known as “Mother of Israel”(la madre de Israel).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Thessaloniki
http://www.greece-is.com/mother-of-israel/
EH: Knowing the past can be helpful to built a better future. What would you like to tell about the facedown of Greece and Jewish community?
EK: Taking into consideration Thessaloniki on its pre-war days with the multicultural and inter-religious mosaic it used to have, it’s obvious there’s still a lot of work to be done. For numerous reasons (mainly financial ones from Greek Orthodox against their Jewish fellow citizens and the waves of Greek immigration from Minor Asia which created a huge social imbalance) an atmosphere of envy was held upon the city and many citizens even cooperated with the Nazi administration in order to take advantage of another’s property.
Although both the Municipality and the JCT are even more outgoing, the most embarrassing thing to ascertain is the ignorance of the younger generation. The fact is that those concerned and interested in the past of the city and the restoration of the memory have access to archives, events, symposiums and steady increasing publications. But how can one be optimist in a country with such past where the Golden Dawn party is legally elected? How does it feel for the Greek and Thessalonians Jews themselves, when every now and then vandalisms are taking place at memorial monuments and/or their cemeteries? How things could possibly change when the Holocaust of the Greek Jews is not even properly mentioned in schools and school textbooks? Change takes a while and walks with baby steps. The most important thing is the support coming from the Public Body and the emphasis given on the implementation of educational activities. The reopening of the Jewish Studies Department in AUTh (it was interrupted in 1935 by the Metaxas dictatorship) seems like an ideal step towards this direction.
https://insidestory.gr/article/giannena-fantasma?token=HVC3603JUI
http://www.tribune.gr/politics/news/article/182109/neonazi-anelavan-tin-efthini-gia-vandalismo-sto-evraiko-nekrotafio-sti-nikea.html
EH: Do you have a website? How people can follow you or attend your events?
EK: Unfortunately, there isn’t a concentrating website for the moment but this deficiency will be hopefully restored after the establishment of the Holocaust Memorial Museum and Education Center for Human Rights of Thessaloniki (expected on late 2019). In the meantime, on social media there are few groups in order to inform and raise awareness amongst those concerned (see items 1-4 below);
Paylaş: