Memoryalive https://memoryalive.org The Story Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:16:54 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://memoryalive.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-LOGO_COLORS-button-32x32.jpg Memoryalive https://memoryalive.org 32 32 The Jewish Refugees return to the village https://memoryalive.org/return-to-the-village-of-the-jewish-refugees/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:55:18 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=334
74 years after the people of a small Greek village, led by the local priest, hid her and her family from the Nazis, Rivka Jakobi returned to meet the descendants of her rescuers.

On June 7th 2017, Rivka arrived in Kryoneri, which she knew by “Matsani” back in 1943. She came back to the village accompanied by her husband, Benny, her youngest daughter Rina and Rina’s friend Ila, who videotaped both visits.
Rivka and her family arrived early morning by the upper fountain of the village, which she seemed to remember clearly despite the few changes. They were welcomed by the president of the Municipal Department of Kryoneri, Mr Raftopoulos and Panos Poulos, head of the “Filoxenia” organisation.

Rivka Jakobi with Dimitris Dimopoulos

During her two days in Kryoneri, Rivka visited familiar places, such as the house she and her family lived in during the occupation. The descendants of Athanasios Dimpoulos (the man to hide Rivka’s family in his home), warmly welcomed everyone inside. Naturally, the house had since been renovated but Rivka was able to recount small details and even point out the window through which she watched the Germans set fire to a warehouse full of food and supplies.

Another place Rivka was glad to visit, was the chapel of the Rapsomati Monastery. Along with the Karamanos Cave, it was also another hiding place for her family whenever the Germans came.

In the afternoon, Rivka met up with her former classmates and old friends from the village. They spent an entire afternoon talking about her time in Kryoneri and all kinds of memories. Many even brought old photographs and everyone seemed to remember something. They all had dinner together at Diporto in the evening.

Finally, on her second day in the village, Rivka met some volunteers from the “Filoxenia” organisation and told them her story, from the moment she fled Athens all the way to when she moved to Israel. Every single youngster listened intently and by the end they decided to take on the task to open up the path to the Karamanos Cave. Rivka came back in September with her entire family (70+ people) and was finally able to visit that cave again.

]]> History of Greek Jews https://memoryalive.org/history-of-greek-jews/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:54:06 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=471

Jewish history goes back far into the past. The discovery of an inscription from Attica dating from 300-250 BC is the oldest archaeological evidence of Jewish life in Greece.

Many Jews immigrated to Greece in Roman times and made the beginning of the Byzantine Jewish Communities. These Communities mainly settled down in cities on the mainland and on the largest Greek islands in the 12th century CE.
“Romaniotes” is the name these Jews got later. They were distinguished by their activities in the fields of weaving, dyeing of textiles and the silk industry. The “Romaniotes” were already speaking Greek and even had the ability to write in the Greek language with the help of Hebrew letters.

During the Ottoman occupation the society was separated into Muslims and non-Muslims. Second-mentioned were less respected but allowed to practice their faith and had restricted autonomy on community matters. After some time Ottomans realized the importance of an active Jewish Population which is why the Ottoman Empire let the persecuted Spanish and Portuguese Jews into the country. These Jews were called Sephardim (Sepharad=Spain) and had their own language (Judeo-Espagnol), folklore and customs. But some smaller groups also came from Hungary and Southern Italy.

A story of a Sephardic family in Greece during the Second World War can be read here.

Thessalonica, a city in the northern part of Greece, had one of the largest Jewish communities in the whole world between the 16th and 18th century. Other ones of great importance were also those on Rhodes and Crete. Especially the latter one was famous for the development of Rabbinical Philosophy.

An enormous step forward for the Greek Jews was the founding of the modern Greek State in 1832 which had the consequences that all citizens (including Jews) were granted equal civil rights from year 1882 till 1920 when all Jewish communities in the country were recognized as legal entities.
After the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) the Greek borders have been widened, which brought the number of Jewish people in Greece to the maximum of approximately 100,000.

During the Second World War the Greek Armed Forces (consisting to a large extent of Jews) fought against the attacks of Italy (1940) and Germany (1941). Nevertheless, almost every Jewish community was completely wiped out in times of Occupation by the assassinations at the death camps. Only 13 percent of the pre-war Jewish population survived.

After the end of World War II the Jewish Community of Greece became even smaller because of the urge to emigrate – mainly to the U.S.A. and Israel. That is why only about 9 Jewish communities are left in Greece nowadays, including 5,000 Jews.

Even though a lot of things happened in the past, the Greek Jews have always been a very active part in the country’s public life. An example is the Jewish representation in the parliament and the Senate (now abolished).

(image and text information were extracted from the following website: Jewish Museum of Greece)

]]> Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) in Kolymvari https://memoryalive.org/orthodox-academy-of-crete-oac-kolymvari/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:48:41 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=922 In the west of Crete, where the destructive “Battle of Crete” raged in 1941, there is the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC).
In 1968 Irinäus Galanákis, then Metropolitan of Kissamos and Selinon, and his student Dr. Alexandros Papaderós founded the OAC. Its aim is to promote dialogue between people of different faiths and religions as well as between science, culture and faith. The OAC is under the spiritual patronage of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The OAC began its work during the dictatorship of the Greek military junta courageously. It was built on the site of the neighboring monastery of the Panagía Odigítria, which – like all of Western Crete – had to suffer severely under the German occupation.
Remembrance, encounter and education are still important services offered by the OAC to promote peaceful coexistence. It is currently one of the most important conference centers in Greece. Its activities include an Institute of Theology and Ecology.

Activities for volunteers:

Library (Cataloguing of books in German and English)
Reception service, taking care of visitors
Assistance at conferences and art projects (in winter with Greek school classes)
Housekeeping activities / hotel and kitchen
Support of the neighboring monastery of Gonia at events
Possibly visiting services in a retirement home of the Orthodox Church of Kastelli
(Annousákeio), where 70-80 elderly people live (www.annousakeio.gr/en/)

Requirements:

It is a denominational (Christian-Orthodox) project. Volunteers should be interested, open and respectful towards their partners. The activities are varied. Volunteers are needed who are active (even in the household or in the kitchen) and who are interested in educational work, theological questions, interfaith and inter religious dialogue.
The OAC is a relatively large institution, hierarchically organized and depending on the workload it can also be confusing for volunteers in the OAC. We are looking for independent people who are reliable.

Report by ASF volunteer Elina Pannier who is working in Kolymvari (01.09.2022-31.08.2023)

“My name is Elina and I work at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. The Academy is located in the western part of Crete, in Greece. I have been here for 9 months. Most of the time I work at the reception desk where my duties include checking in visitors, assisting with any issues they may have and being the friendly face of the academy. During the conferences, I often photograph the seminars and sometimes have the opportunity to join the conferences during their field trips. This has allowed me to explore and get to know the island better. Occasionally, I help in the kitchen or clean the rooms.

Four months ago, another volunteer joined me at the academy, and during the summer months, we expect more volunteers and interns. The academy is a great place to meet people from all over the world with different backgrounds. I have learned so much about a wide range of topics through the conferences. At the end of each conference, we have a Cretan night with live music and a traditional dance band. During the winter season, Crete becomes much quieter, including the academy. As a result, my duties during this period are a bit different. I mainly work in the library, cataloging and organizing books. We also had school classes visiting us, so I was photographing them as well. For six months, I attended Greek lessons twice a week in Chania, the nearest town. Two other volunteers in Chania also participated in these Greek classes.

In our free time, we often explored the island together, went to the beach or enjoyed the delicious Greek cuisine. Recently, the other volunteer and I started attending traditional Cretan dance classes. I live alone in an apartment on the academy campus. My neighbors include my mentor, the conference leader, our superintendent, an iconographer, and their families. In addition, our alumni secretary also resides on campus. I visit her often to chat in a mixture of Greek and German while we enjoy cookies and coffee. My apartment consists of two rooms, a kitchenette and a balcony with a view of the sea.”

Report by the first ASF volunteer Malena who is working in Kolymvari (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“During the first month I mostly worked on the reception, helped in the kitchen and took care of the Social Media accounts. Many international groups came in September and October, so I had the opportunity to join some excursions around the island ( for example boat and snorkel tours or exploring hidden beaches) and to meet different kind of people.

Now in winter most of my work takes place in my office where I sort documents and billets but I also have some things to do in the in-house library. Two times a week I participate in Greek lessons in Chania together with Carleen ( who is also an ASF volunteer) and other students.

I really enjoy living right by the sea and to have the possibility to explore the Crete nature. Sometimes I am a bit bored because I didn’t really get to know some Young Greek people yet but I am sure that will change in summer and I am looking forward to the next months of my voluntary service.”


The nature around the Orthodox Academy
The nature around the Orthodox Academy

In cooperation with:

]]> Municipal Museum of Kalavritan Holocaust https://memoryalive.org/municipal-museum-of-kalavritan-holocaust/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:48:03 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=971 The small town Kalavryta is located 30 kilometers from the northern coast of the Peloponnese in a mountainous region characterized by tourism. This area is known for many ski slopes and beautiful hiking paths.
Kalavryta is one of the recognized martyr communities of Greece. In mid-October 1943, the Greek Ressistance succeeded in capturing a reconnaissance force of the 117th Hunter Division of the German Wehrmacht near Kalavryta. As an “atonement measure” almost all kalavritan men and boys over the age of 12 were shot. The houses of the town were robbed and set on fire. More than twenty surrounding villages were destroyed as well. In the course of the “Unternehmen Kalavryta” almost 700 civilians were murdered.
Today, a memorial on the outskirt of Kalavryta commemorates the massacre. In the center of town there is the “Municipal Museum of Kalavritan Holocaust” since the year 2005. The museum has been housed in a former school where women, children and elderly people were imprisoned during the massacre of the male population in 1943. It documents the history of crime with photographs, film and literature. Many information are also available in German.

The Orthodox Church runs a nursing and senior citizens’ home. Residents are also descendants of the victims of the massacre and many elderly people from the region who don’t have families or whose families don’t have the possibility to accompany them at home.

Activities for volunteers:

Visitor service, reception, guided tours in the museum
Archive and library work, translation
Assistance in the preparation of the exhibitions and events
Probably one day a week: assistance and visitation services for the elderly people at the Kallimanopouleio nursing and senior citizens’ home

Requirements:

The memories of the massacre and the demands for reparations from Germany are very present nowadays and also controversially discussed in the community. The mayor of Kalavryta has also been Chairman of the Association of Greek Martyrs’ Communities for many years. Some people are still skeptical to work about working with Germans. But the museum and the senior citizens’ home, on the other hand, show great interest in working together.
The volunteer needs to be respectful, sensitive and reserved to the breaks and lines of conflict in the community. They should endure any aversions without taking them personally.
We are looking for a communicative, historically-politically interested person to work in the museum. A large part of the wok is office work ( with computers, scanners etc.). Volunteers can be used to accompany visitors an groups – this requires people who like to speak in front of groups. For the visiting services in the senior citizens’ home it is essential to be patient and to have the ability to listen to the life experiences of elderly people.

Report from the ASF Volunteer Jonathan Drewes in Kalavryta (1.9.22-31.8.23)

Arriving in Kalavryta

“I hope this is the right train. I better get off again. Am I going in the right direction?” were my thoughts as I sat on the train in Kiato and I was to begin my journey to Kalávryta, my project location for the next year. But after 15 minutes of waiting, the time had come and the train started moving. The scenic ride (mountainous landscape on the left and the Mediterranean Sea on the right) was very beautiful and took away some of my nervousness. Arriving in Diakopto, Dimos, a colleague from the museum, picked me up. On the way to Kalavryta we drove through the mountains and canyons while it was already getting dark. After some quick grocery shopping for the necessities I entered my apartment for the first time.

Jonathan Drewes, volunteer from Germany working in the Municipal Museum of Kalavryta.

First working day

The next day Dimos picked me up from home and we drove to the museum. Here I met the other three staff members and got a detailed tour of the museum. I was also shown what the daily routine tasks are, some of which I will also take on, such as reading and entering temperatures and humidity in the rooms or turning the TVs in the exhibition on in the morning and off in the evening.

Daily life and my job at the museum

I’m getting more comfortable with taking care of everything on my own (cooking EVERY DAY is more challenging than I thought, though!). Plus, I quickly realized how lucky I am with my balcony, which gives me a really good view of the city and mountains. It’s very chilly here in the morning, but as the day goes on, it gets warmer and comfortable (much to my confusion about what to wear). The colleagues at the museum are very kind and helpful and I feel well taken care of there. Currently, at work, I’m still studying literature about Kalávryta’s history, especially that during the German occupation with the books in the museum library, taking notes on it, and will give my first guided tour in English next Tuesday.

Time in Patra and setting up the traveling exhibition

Also, two weeks ago I was in Patra for four days setting up the traveling exhibition “Kalavryta: a city through history before and after the holocaust” at the Achaia Clauss winery together with Savvas from the museum and his father. The center of the exhibition are photos, mainly from the 20th century, which, along with accompanying texts in Greek and English tell about the eventful history of Kalávryta. Here the focus lies on the massacre that the German soldiers committed on the 13th of December 1943 in Kalávryta against the civilian population. For the four days we stayed with Savvas’ parents, where I was very hospitably received and ate a lot of good food. I enjoyed the time in Patras a lot and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to get to know Patras.

Report by the first ASF volunteer Paul who is working in Kalavryta (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“After my arrival, I was slowly introduced to the theme of the museum and had to do simple tasks such as putting up posters, small translations and everyday work in the museum. Gradually, I became more involved in the work. After a short time I was able to prove my knowledge of the local history and gave my first guided tour for a group of German educational travelers.
But also inter personally, I had very good experiences and was welcomed by everyone with open arms and a lot of helpfulness. I get along very well with my colleagues and we also do leisure activities together, such as trips to the seaside, or to Patras, the nearest city, as well as evenings in the local bars or eating together.”

Paul giving a tour in the museum

In cooperation with:

]]> Creating a Path to the Karamanos Cave https://memoryalive.org/creating-a-path-to-the-karamanos-cave/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:46:52 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=395

During her first return to Kryoneri Rivka Jakobi communicated her wish to visit the cave she found shelter in one more time, after so many years had passed. She really set her heart on showing her family and friends the place that kept her safe from multiple situations connected to the German occupation. Since no one had stepped foot on the path over decades, it was completely grown over by plants and no longer accessible.
Rivka met some volunteers from the “Filoxenia” organisation and told them her story, from the moment she fled Athens all the way to when she moved to Israel. Every single youngster listened intently and by the end they decided to take on the task to open up the path to the Karamanos Cave.
Under leadership of Mr. Poulos, a group of volunteers cleared the way to the cave in summer 2017.
The following video illustrates the process of clearing the path as well as Rivka’s second visit.

 

]]> Sharing History With the Next Generation https://memoryalive.org/sharing-history-with-the-next-generation/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:46:01 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=402

After her first visit on June 7th 2017, Rivka Jakobi came back with her ten children and dozens of grandchildren on September 6th 2017, for a ceremony.

In the morning at 10.30, the members of the Kimhi and Jakobi families from Israel, (more than 70 people in two coaches and a van), 4 relatives from Athens and the head of the “Filoxenia” organization Mr. Panos Poulos met at the Kryoneri Observatory with the president of the Municipal Department of Kryoneri Mr. Costas Raftopoulos. Together they went to the nearby church of Rapsomati, which is one of the places where the men of the village and the Jewish family hid whenever Germans came to the village. There, Mr. Poulos, Mr. Raftopoulos and Mrs. Rivka Kimhi-Jakobi spoke about what had happened in that area, but also in general about the efforts of the village to hide the Jewish family.

Then they went to the “Karamanos Cave” whose damaged access path was cleaned by the group of volunteers of “Filoxenia” with the instructions of Mr. Poulos, where again Mr. Poulos and Mrs. Rivka Kimhi-Jakobi spoke about the specific area and her experiences from the events of that time. Ms. Ravit Kimhi, daughter of Yechiel Kimhi, also spoke.

Before noon, everyone went to the church of the village, which functioned as a school during the Occupation (single class with teacher Father Athanasoulis). There, the pastor of the church, Panagiotis Theodorou, warmly welcomed the members of the Kimhi and Jakobi families and Mrs. Kimhi-Jakobi spoke about her experiences from the teachings of Father Athanasoulis with her 8 year old brother Yechiel. She recounted the time where other students said to him (as an “usual insult”) “Jew!” and how the priest scolded them, and punished them to sit fasting in the corner!
Then they all went to the house of Mr. Dimitris Dimopoulos, where his father Athanasios hid the Kimhi family and were welcomed with great emotion and cordiality. Mr. Dimopoulos was a classmate of the children (Rivka and Yechiel) at school.
Early in the afternoon, everyone from Rivka Kimhi-Jakobi’s family was given lunch.
Finally, at 18.30, the inauguration ceremony of the amphitheater took place, which was reconstructed at the expense of the Yechiel Kimhi family (Yechiel passed away on March 10, 2017) and Rivka and Benny Jakobi, as a donation of gratitude to the village. Present were the priests (of Kryoneri and the neighboring village) municipal councilors etc.

The event was opened and spoken with warm words by the president of the Municipal Department of Kryoneri Mr. Raftopoulos and the Mayor of Sykionia (Kiato etc. to which Kryoneri belongs) Mr. Spyros Stamatopoulos.

Immediately after, I read the text of the KISE message, which made a very good impression.

Then the granddaughter of Father Athanasoulis, in a very moving atmosphere, sang the famous “Song of Songs: how beautiful is my love” (from the “ballad of Mauthausen” by I. Kampanelis-music by M. Theodorakis).
Then spoke Avraham (Avi) Jakobi, Rivka’s eldest son, who recounted the rescue story and expressed the family’s warm thanks.
Panos Poulos also briefly mentioned the chronicle of the opening of the path by the volunteers of “Filoxenia”.
Rivka spoke, referring to the act of salvation by quoting a verse from the Torah, describing it as an effort of the Good – typically saying that God did not create all good people in a blissful society but allowed them to create and to gain goodness. This is what the people of Macani did in those difficult times at the risk of their lives.
Then, honorary diplomas were given to the families of the grandchildren of Father Athanasoulis and Dimopoulos (in whose house the Kimhi family had hidden).
The Mayor thanked him, and then the commemorative plaque was presented and its text was read.
It was read by the President of Dim. Council Mr. Raftopoulos, who along with the Municipality, thanked the Kimhi and Jakobi families for the donation.
The ceremony closed with the National Anthem of Israel, played by seven-year-old Ori, Avi’s little son with a trumpet, and sung by the whole family, while the entire amphitheater stood in reverence.
In general, the whole event (visits to the places of that time, and the opening ceremony) took place in an emotionally charged atmosphere, which was very human and moving. Both the June 6 and September 6 visits have been videotaped by a professional filmmaker and when the various shots are edited into a single documentary, it will be released in Israel and here. Also, a small book has been written in Hebrew with the history and other memories of the family from those years, which will be translated into Greek and published.

]]> Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania https://memoryalive.org/etz-hayyim-synagogue-in-chania/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:41:38 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=932
ASF volunteer Carleen sitting in front of a bimah in the Etz Hayyim Synagogue

Until 1999, Etz Hayyim was a desecrated house of prayer, which remained the only Jewish monument in Crete after the destruction of the Jewish community in 1944. It stood as a monument to the National Socialist extermination of 2,300 years of Jewish life in Crete.
From 1996 to the year of its re-inauguration in 1999, the building has been carefully restored. The philosophy behind this work is summed up in the Hebrew ’Am Israel Hayy’ – ’The people of Israel live’.
The synagogue is run by an association that focuses on the cultural heritage of the destroyed Jewish communities of Crete. The association also organises a variety of cultural events and educational programmes. Here, for example, lectures, readings and musical events take place.
The Synagogue Association is networked with other denominational, political and historical working groups and is committed to fighting against anti-Semitism, racism and other forms of group-based hostility to humanity.

Activities for volunteers:

Visitor support, assistance at events, attendance service
Cooperation with a volunteer of the Austrian Memorial Service
In combination with Etz Hayyim: Support for the initiative “Young Citizens of the World Chania”, which builds a small documentation centre based on the consequences of the German occupation on Crete and an open library (http://www.creative-intercultural-dialogue.org/neoi-polites.html)

Requirements:

Etz Hayyim is a small institution of international renown. “Young Citizens of the world” is a small political-artistic initiative with a very familiar working environment. The volunteer needs a reliable, independent personality and should be able to cope with chaotic situations. Respect for the confessional partner is also a basic requirement. This project is appealing for someone with an interest in Jewish history, culture and religion.

Report by the ASF volunteer Thora Bilz who is working in Chania (1.09.22-31.08.23)

Thora Bilz, volunteer from Germany, working in the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania.

When I first walked through the wooden door of Etz Hayyim synagogue, I thought “What a beautiful and comforting place”. The nearly two months I have spent in Chania since were an adventurous, interesting and eventful time. In my first week I watched my colleagues give tours, talked to visitors and begun to read into Jewish life and history on Crete. It was a perfect quiet start before the exciting time of Jewish holidays followed.

The first holiday we celebrated was the Jewish New Year: Rosh Hashanah. We welcomed the year 5783 by hosting a big dinner attended by 100 people. While the guests took part in the service, we prepared tables and got the food from a nearby restaurant. There are certain symbolic foods served at a Rosh Hashanah dinner. For example: Eating a fish head on Rosh Hashanah symbolizes the desire to be “heads, not tails” in the new year. It was so interesting to listen to the rabbi explaining these costumes and trying these traditional foods. On the following day I heard the powerful and loud sound of the Shofar for the first time. A shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown on Rosh Hashanah (the day of the (shofar) blast).

In the next week we celebrated Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement and holiest day of the Jewish calendar. There were various services I listened to, I got to witness the fasting and its breaking and, in the end, got to hear the shofar again that symbolizes the end of the holiday. The next two weeks Sukkot and finally Simchat Torah followed. Sukkot is the harvest festival. We built up the Sukkah hut and I decorated it with fruits. In the next few days prayers that were marked by processions with the lulav (palm branch with myrtle and willow) and etrog (citron) were held in this hut. Simchat Torah was the end of our holiday marathon. It is celebrated with singing, dancing, and merry processions of people carrying Torahs.

While I really liked the services and Torah readings and am so glad that I got to know all these Jewish traditions, the thing I enjoyed most about the holidays was talking to Jewish people from all around the world. We had so many different people joining us for the holidays that were open to share about their lives and the history of their families. It was so interesting, and, I think, very special.

The last two weeks I became a member of the tour-giving team of the synagogue. I gave tours in English and German, talked to visitors and took care of the Etz-Hayyim book shop. I look forward to all the interesting projects coming this winter and am grateful that I get to spend one whole year at this beautiful place!

Report by the first ASF volunteer Carleen who is working in Chania (1.09.21-31.08.22)

“My working day begins at ten o’clock with the preparation of the synagogue for visitors, e.g. preparation of items for sale. Afterwards, the team discusses the tasks for the day at breakfast together.
I am currently working with Theo, my Austrian co-volunteer from GEDENKDIENST, on a historic city rally for a youth exchange with students of the FU from Berlin, where young people from Chania and the students get to know each other.
During our working hours the synagogue is regularly visited by people of different nations, to whom we show the premises and also give short guided tours according to their interest. That is why I invested time in the first few days to study the history of the place and the Jewish community of Crete.

Every Friday evening the Sabbath is celebrated in the synagogue, where I help with the preparation and follow-up, as well as participating in prayer. Even if this is not part of my working hours, it has always been exciting and beautiful experiences for me so far, because one is received in a friendly way by the community and thus gets first impressions of Jewish culture. During the first weeks, I also had the opportunity to get an insight into the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Sukkot. To better follow the prayers Theo and I participate in Hebrew Reading lessons.

I also renew our website, write articles for our newsletter or help with all kinds of current projects. Apart from all that I also take part in community events like Passover. Due to that, I have learnt a lot about Jewish culture and I hope to further enrich this knowledge in the next months!”

In cooperation with:

]]> The Annual Youth Encounter of the German Bundestag, EUROPEANS FOR PEACE https://memoryalive.org/the-annual-youth-encounter-of-the-german-bundestag-europeans-for-peace/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:40:27 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=559

Andromachi Poulou, alumna of EUROPEANS FOR PEACE, participated in this year’s youth encounter of the German Bundestag on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism (2020) and shares her experiences with us:

“How do you give a young person the opportunity to deal with history in a practical way? You give him/her the chance to participate in an international youth exchange, which has exactly this focus. This chance was also given to me and therefore, thanks to the EVZ Foundation, I had the opportunity to participate in the youth encounter of the German Bundestag between 23 and 29 January 2020 in Berlin and Auschwitz on the occasion of the German Bundestag’s commemoration hour for the victims of National Socialism.

These 6 days included a very intensive and challenging work with the Nazi era, but this time not from far away and through scientific and factual books, but directly at the site of the crime and in connection with people who personally experienced these crimes against humanity.

The days between January 24th and 28th were very enriching for us 60 participants from different countries (Germany, France, Austria, Israel, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, USA, Greece), as we were allowed to spend them in Oświęcim/Auschwitz. With two guided tours in the former concentration camps Auschwitz I (main camp) and Auschwitz II (Birkenau) the discussion about a very dark time began. Each evening reflection in working groups focused, among other things, on the fact that such significant historical events must be known to all young people and young adults. This was also clearly reflected in our two contemporary witness talks with Mrs. Lidia Skibicka-Maksymowicz and Mrs. Walentyna Ignaszewska-Nikodem.

On 27 January we had the honour to participate in the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Auschwitz II (Birkenau), where the importance of commemoration and remembrance was supported by speeches of survivors (Batsheva Dagan, Elza Baker, Marian Tuski and Stanislaw Zalewski).

Also on January 29th we had the honour to participate in the commemoration hour in the plenary hall of the Reichstag building in Berlin and afterwards in a panel discussion with the President of the Deutscher Bundestag Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, the Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President of the Federal Republic of Germany) and the President of the State of Israel Reuven Ruvi Rivlin – ראובן רובי ריבלין and to ask our own questions such as “What is Germany doing today to fight against anti-Semitism, right-wing extremism and other forms of racism?

My motivation to take part in this meeting was based on my interest in learning more about the history and secrets of a very difficult time, in order to broaden my knowledge, which I definitely succeeded in doing. I was also confronted with the topic “memory work”, which will accompany me in my future plans.

Such projects offer a unique connection not only between past and present, but also between past and future. Because we have to know and understand our history, which was written by us humans, to prevent it from being repeated.”

The German Bundestag reports about the Encounter in a short clip: https://dbtg.tv/cvid/7424522.

]]> The new book “My Own People” by Mariza Decastro https://memoryalive.org/%ce%bf%ce%b9-%ce%b4%ce%b9%ce%ba%ce%bf%ce%af-%ce%bc%ce%bf%cf%85-%ce%ac%ce%bd%ce%b8%cf%81%cf%89%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%b9-my-people-by-marisa-dekastro-2/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:39:41 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?page_id=648

From Athens to a poor village in Corinthia – The adventure of a family through the eyes of the children who lived it

The great illustrations by Hara Marantidou add emotion to the narrative. It is an exemplary conversation between text and image. The overall result is a Greek book for children that has all the makings of an international career.

“I loved going to that school with the saints, looking at us from the pictures hanging on the walls. Everyone loved Father Athanasoulis and listened to him because he was very good. One day, after class, some of the older boys grabbed my brother and put him in the middle. A boy holding a broken bottle shouted at him, “You killed our Christ!” The priest found out and punished them.”

In the story of the Jewish girl Rebecca, who became Koula during the Occupation and, with the help of EAM, hid with her family in the village of Matsani (today Kryoneri) in Corinthia, everything fits. The peaceful osmosis between cultures and solidarity, brutality and fear, the family bond and racist bullying, self-denial and risk-taking. Not a few months have passed since I was wondering, writing here about an excellent foreign-language Holocaust martyrdom book (“The Boy from Buchenwald” by Robbie Weisman, Pataki Publications), when we will finally have children’s and teenage books based on Greek-Jewish stories from the Occupation (and not only!).

And here is my expectation fulfilled in the best possible way.

Rebecca-Koula, now over 80 years old, a permanent resident of Israel with children and grandchildren, is a cousin of Decastro and lends her story to her. Marantidou’s great illustrations add to the emotion and drama that the low tone of the wise, short narrative holds beneath the author’s lines. It is an exemplary conversation between text and image. The overall result is a Greek book for children that has all the makings of an international career.

A Jewish family with two young children, then aged about 7 and 9, is rescued from occupied Athens in 1943. A shanty village with tiled houses, without running water and electricity, welcomes the Jews and hides them.

The village priest takes the matter upon himself in his Sunday sermon: “When the Germans come, anyone can raise their hand and say that there are Jews hiding here. The Germans may give him money, they may not hurt him, but I, your priest, will burn his house and drive him out of the village. Because there are no traitors in our village”.

the book cover, illustrated by Hara Marantidou

“A shepherd, then, who knew how to manage both the good and the wild, became the guardian angel of the irreligious fugitives. Decastro has the good idea of interpolating the words of the alien children of the village of Matsani into Rebecca-Koula’s words. This is effective staging, as the reader makes the comparison on his own and forms on his own initiative the complete picture from the pieces of the multi-faceted mnemonic puzzle. Here the author seems to make use of oral testimonies.

From the reference at the end of the book we assume that the testimonies come from the relevant archive of the Corinthian organisation Filoxenia, which is now based in the same village and is active in the field of culture and the environment. So this is why words are not only the children of many people, but also of a combination of modern infrastructure and good practices. Who would have expected, a few years ago, such performance starting from the mountainous Peloponnese? The descendants of Father Athanasoulis, and of the Dimopoulou family who hosted Rebecca-Koula, her brother and parents, were later honored by Yad Vashem, the International Holocaust Remembrance Center based in Jerusalem.

After reading the book, I walked to the building at number 10 Athinas Street, a modern building with no taste. This is where once, at the beginning of history, the pre-war apartment building that the Kimhi family abandoned when they fled to Matsani would have been located. In this way, I think, the city is given its true face. From now on, the readers of this book, walking in Monastiraki or passing the Isthmus or climbing the mountains of Corinth, will recall a certain past, which will no longer be a ghost. And his people.

(Article translated from “Η Καθημερινή”, January 30, 2022, written by Μαρία Τοπαλη)

 

Author and Illustrator

Mariza Decastro studied Pedagogy at the Sorbonne and Literature for Children and Young People. She taught History and Literature to primary school students in private schools. Furthermore she writes Knowledge books for children in the fields of history and art, and translates literature for young people and adults.

Since 1998 she has been involved in the review of children’s and teenage books in print and online
periodically.
Her books have been honoured with the State Knowledge Book Award (2006, 2018, 2019), the IBBY-Hellenic Book of Knowledge Award Department (2012, 2016, 2021) and the Youth Translation Award (2012, 2016, 2021) Book Award of the Hellenic Society of Literature Translators (2014).
Her works are included in the White Ravens 2017 catalogue and 2018 of the Munich Youth Library.
Plus that her books are also published by Kaleidoscope Publications:
A world in motion (National Knowledge Book Award 2018) and in the market of Ancient Athens.

Detailed biography and review: https://biblionet.gr/προσωπο/?personid=1625

Hara Marantidou is an artist, designer and architect.
She is a graduate of the School of Architecture of NTUA and
of the Athens School of Fine Arts.
She believes everything is interesting as long as you look at it up close. In all her works she tries to tell stories through the combination of image, text, objects and also through space, materials, sound and everything that can be combined to enrich the experience of storytelling.
Marantidou made Design exhibitions, educational material, museum products, special crafts, activities for children and adults, books and objects for many different institutions such as: the Museum of Cycladic Art, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC), the Olympic Museum of Athens, the Coin Collection of the Athens ALPHA BANK, the Kapodistrias Museum in Corfu, the Museum Greek Folk Musical Instruments, and other cultural institutions and education.
She has also illustrated books for Kaleidoscope Publications: Man or violin? (Honorary distinction The Reader 2013)
and The Complaining Mako.

(Βiographies were extracted from Kaleidoscope Publications)

Book Information

 

Οι δικοί μου άνθρωποι

ISBN 978-960-471-233-5
Pages: 64
Price: 17,90 €
Suggested age: 10+
First version: January 2022

]]> The Kimhis Family Story https://memoryalive.org/the-camhis-family-story/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:39:07 +0000 https://memoryalive.org/?p=449

Gabriel Kimhi (the son of Rafael Kimhi who was hidden with other family members in Kryoneri during the German occupation in World War II) took his time to document his fathers family story:

“I, Gabriel Kimhi, a descendent of the Kimhi family whose origins lie in the city of Monastir (in north Macedonia), to which they came from the city of Toledo, Spain after the expulsion by the catholic kings.

Yehiel and Rebecca Kimhi with their two daughters Victoria and Frida. On the bottom left is my father Rafael and on the right his brother Abraham (Monastir 1906).

The stories of Rafael Kimhi and his wife Malka, my great grandfather and great grandmother went through the family from generation to generation. Rafael and Malka had several children, but naturally I will focus on stories about one of their sons, Yehiel Kimhi and his wife Rebecca, the parents of my father Rafael.

The family stories and tales through generations delivered strong messages of the importance of family and its protection in case of danger. These stories taught me important lessons. After the Balkan War, the Serbs took over the city of Monastir and closed the free passage to Greece. The trade with Thessaloniki was stopped and Monastir suffered an economic recession.

My grandfather Yehiel was looking for a way out, and along with my aunt Victoria went to search for their luck in Athens. They settled there to prepare the ground for the arrival of the other family members. Meanwhile, World War I broke out and the border was finally closed. The family in Athens made great efforts to obtain a permit to leave Monastir.

My aunt Victoria had ties to the Queen of Greece seamstress, who was the sister of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II and, through her contacts, managed to obtain the long-awaited permits.

It was in 1915 when a German soldier showed up at my grandmother’s (Rebecca) house with documents.

My grandmother and those around her did not understand his language and did not know what he wanted. He, who couldn’t explain the purpose of his visit, left the place. The same day, Grandma told the story of the arrival of that soldier to one of her neighbors, which suggested that they might have been the long-awaited exit permits from Monastir.

Gabriel Kimhi with Dimitris Dimopoulos (son of Athanasios Dimopoulos)

Immediately at that moment, my father Rafael, who was only 12 years old at the time, was sent to the town center to try and locate the soldier. After searching, running and running, he found him. Unable to talk to him, he shrugged and managed to bring him back to my grandmother’s house. With the help of the neighbors who were able to understand and translate his words, it turned out that these were the exit permits from Monastir, but to their astonishment the validity was only forty-eight hours. In the short time they had loaded everything they could on a wagon. They began their journey towards the border and on arrival, thanks to the permits they had in hand, the border was opened for them and they arrived to Florina and from there took the train to Athens and connected with my grandparents. The family settled in Athens.

This was not the end of the story of the family’s hardships. In 1940, after Mussolini’s failed invasion of Greece through Albania, the Germans invaded Greece.

In 1943 the Gestapo representative in Athens sought to convene the leaders of the Jewish community in the synagogue and demanded that Rabbi Barzilai prepare a list of all the city’s Jews. The rabbi gathered the Jews and told them in the Ladino language “vos fuites todos”, which means “all to flee”. As a result, the family again had to disperse. Some hide in Kryoneri a village on the Peloponnese (formerly named Matsani), some hide in Athens and elsewhere. The only family that did not run away and did not hide was my aunt Frida’s family, who thought that because she was carrying a Spanish passport, they were immune to deportation. The bitter result is that she ended her life in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, along with many of the Jews. Our consolation is that her daughter Laura survived, she is 94 and lives in Jerusalem.

Going back to Kryoneri, my family (My father Rafael, his brother Abraham with their children Yehiel Jr. and Rivca, and their parents Yehiel and Rebbeca Kimhi) was hidden by Athanasios Dimopoulos and his family under the protection of the priest Nikolaos Athanasoulis. Under his personal protection the family could survive the war and return safely to their homes in Athens when the war ended.

From time to time (17 times) the village was visited by German patrols searching for partisans and Jews which might be hiding. They stayed days in the village searching from house to house and checking the documentation to find people that don’t not fit there, like a Jewish family.

Meanwhile, when the lookout in the observation post saw a German patrol approaching to the village, he gave the notice and the church bell ringed announcing that the Germans are coming. From that moment on, all the men that could be associated to the resistance ran to hide in the mountains, taking with them the Jewish family to hide in a cave in the mountain, in which they could spent several days in very unfavorable conditions, but most of all fearing from the knowledge that if they are found by the Germans, whether by searching or by betrayal of a local, they could be sent to the death camps in which Jews were exterminated by an industrialized process: factories of death. This was the first time I became aware of this feeling of horror, realizing why my father never told me about his horrendous experience.

At the end of World War II, the brothers dispersed again. Uncle Abraham, his wife and their two children Yehiel and Rivka immigrated to Israel. My father Rafael emigrated to Chile with his wife and my sister.

In Chile he met his sister Jenny, who married Enrique Assael in the 1920s, also of Monastir who emigrated to Chile at the 20’s and was spare from the horror of war. In Athens, Victoria remained married to Salomon Kimhi, a monasterly too.”

]]>