The Jews of Greece- Οι Εβραίοι της Ελλάδας
The Sydney Jewish Museum will launch its new temporary exhibition, The Jews of Greece later this month.
Jewish and Greek musicians Trikkala, c.1920
Developed by filmmaker Carol Gordon and photographer Emmanuel Santos, the exhibition sheds light on the little known-history of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world.
Through photography and documentary, this exhibition brings to life the story of Greece’s once vibrant 2,500-year-old Jewish community and show us the history, tradition and present-day existence of the Jews of Greece.
The Jewish community of Greece was one of the largest ancient communities in the world. It was nearly wiped out during the Holocaust, which saw 87% of the Jewish population murdered.
The Jews of Greece exhibition provides an insight into the life of Romaniote Jews, Sephardim (Jews of Spain) and the smaller groups of Ashkenazi Jews of Europe that constitute the Greek-Jewish community. This community witnessed and experienced the beginnings of Christianity, the rise and fall of Empires and the creation of the Modern State. The exhibition also tells the story of Greece in the Second World War and during the Holocaust, telling the story of nearly 13,000 Jewish Greeks who served in the Greek army during the war and in the Greek resistance to the Nazi occupation.
The Jews of Greece exhibition celebrates this ancient community, who despite facing almost total decimation in the Holocaust, have continued to survive.
Nikos Stavroulakis, Emeritus Director of the Jewish Museum of Greece Hania, Crete, 2013. Nikos Stavroulakis was the founding Director of the Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens. He then went on to establish and rebuild the Etz Haim Synagogue in Hania, Crete. The synagogue serves as both a cultural centre and museum. Although not a rabbi, Stavroulakis opens the synagogue for Friday night services that are well attended.
The Sydney Jewish Museum
148 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst
25 October 2017 – 18 February 2018
