The history of the Greek Jews, that is, our compatriots, remained little studied for decades. There was a distance, fear and reluctance to look at those who have traveled with us for centuries, to learn more about their religion, manners and customs, about the outstanding personalities of their communities, even about their contribution to the struggle of the nation and in the run-up to our country. Our old school textbooks, for example, not only lacked generic references, but even the Holocaust article was a paragraph long. However, in recent years, the state has shown remarkable institutional maturity to take steps forward. Close and enlightened people in public positions, such as Yiannis Boutaris, helped move forward by telling the truth about the past.

Today, civil society is also paving the way for the fight against intolerance and anti-Semitism. The most striking example is the widely published book “The Jews of Greece” by the Alexandrian publishing house, which was presented on Tuesday in the amphitheater of the Benaki Museum in Piraeus. A multi-volume collection (with two excellent editors, AUTH Professor Giorgos Antoniou and Doctor of Economics Evangelos Hekimoglu, as well as leading researchers) that explores topics such as music, clothing, identity, political activities of Greek Jews, etc. Edition sponsored by a historic law firm from Athens. But how did this interesting partnership come about?

In 2021, when Greece took over the reins of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for one year, the Central Jewish Council of Greece wanted to publish a volume on the 200th anniversary of Greek Jewry. The book became a reality thanks to the kind sponsorship of the Karatza & Synergates law firm, on the initiative of its partner, Giorgos Minudis.

The presentation was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Picrammenos, Rabbi of Athens Gabriel Negrin, President of the Jewish Museum of Greece Makis Matsas and members of Parliament. In his greeting, KISE President from Thessaloniki, David Saltiel, stressed that the growing interest of the Greek public, governments and citizens in the history and culture of Greek Jews serves as a compensation for ignorance. Giorgos Minoudis, in turn, added that the duty of Greek society is never to forget the Holocaust. Secretary General for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Giorgos Kalantzis, referred to the progress made by the state in the fight against anti-Semitism, while Anna Diamantopoulou, President of the Reform Network in Greece, spoke about Greece’s struggle. and Europe with stereotypes. The epilogue was given by two editors, who stressed that this volume is not only for experts or connoisseurs, but also for sensitive readers.