Magen David Yeshivah High School students recently participated in a program which acknowledged the 65th anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish cemetery in Salonika, Greece, which included several speeches and a slide presentation. Learning about their ancestors, their history and their heritage, the students recognized the potential power of Sephardic Jewry globally and their ability to facilitate justice.
For nearly five centuries, Salonika’s Jewish population descended from the Spanish Jews who had been expelled from Spain in the late fifteenth century. The Spanish Jews dominated the city’s commerce and culture, making the port city the cultural, industrial and financial center. Even though the city was a major European port, the entire city was closed on Shabbat. By 1900, the Jewish population in Salonika had expanded to over 80,000.
The rich traditions, culture and language of the Salonika Jews hardly changed over the centuries, demonstrating a unique resistance to assimilation. After the Greek-Ottoman war the transfer of the city to the Greeks in 1912, many Jews moved away. However, the Jews that remained were determined to preserve their neighborhoods as they migrated near their ancient synagogues, but by 1941 they were easy prey during the ruthless Nazi regime. In 1943, the entire Jewish community was systematically rounded up and sent to their deaths in Eastern Europe. The destruction of the community was so complete that less than 4% of the population survived to return to Salonika at the end of World War II. Today, the Jewish population in Salonika (known as Thessalonika today) is presently under 1,000—a fraction of the strong Sephardic presence that once dominated the region.
The Jewish cemetery in Salonika is nearly 2,000 years old dating back to the Alexandria Empire. With over 400,000 graves and occupying 400,000 square meters, the Greek government singled out this property for development; however, it was fiercely resisted by the local Rabbinate in the 1930s. Nazi occupation resulted in the destruction of the cemetery on December 6, 1942. By 1946, the cemetery was given to Aristotle University (founded in 1920) by the Greek government.
Upon the cemetery’s destruction, Greeks took the marble headstones and used them to construct their homes. Mr. Richard Altabe, the Principal of Magen David Yeshivah Celia Esses High School, verified the defilement on a recent trip to Greece with Asra Kadisha (a world-wide organization dedicated to the preservation of holy Jewish cemeteries abroad). Mr. Altabe interviewed an elderly man that actually remembered and vividly described how his father took the marble headstones and used them in the construction of his home. Mr. Altabe, a Sephardic Jew whose family lineage can be traced back to Salonika, represented Magen David on a global mission to preserve the sanctity of Sephardic Jewry.
Records of the continuous desecration, as the university expanded over the 1950s and 1960s, was well documented. Recently, Asra Kadisha learned of the plans to construct a metro station on the southern boarder of the old Jewish cemetery. Unlike the university buildings that were built on top of the remains of our people, this project will necessitate the removal and desecration of Jewish cemetery plots.
Upon learning of the desecration, Harav HaGaon Maran Harishon Lesiyon Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef wrote a powerful letter to President Bush showing his indignation against these violent acts on our ancestors, urging him to preserve our holy site. As Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef wrote, “I was horrified to hear that they are digging there to erect additional buildings and a railway station, and human bones were dug up from their resting place with shards from gravestones and thrown about as refuse. I am imploring you to act with full great influence that the Creator of the World has granted you to stop immediately the terrible destruction that is being carried out daily.”
The State Department responded that the Greek authorities maintain that no damage to Jewish burial sites is occurring. Sending Christian Kennedy, Special Envoy of Holocaust Issues and Special Envoy to Monitor and Gregg Richman, Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism to the location, they reported the destruction was several hundred meters from the boundaries of the Jewish cemetery. Additionally, Mr. Kennedy stated that all work stops until human remains are identified for religious grouping or decisions can be made about the artifacts.
However, on Mr. Altabe’s visit, November 22nd through 24th, the truth was ascertained. Evident by the aerial photo taken on November 23, 2007, extensive work was being done. As Mr. Altabe witnessed the workers exhuming complete human skeletons of his holy ancestors, he recognized the atrocity and resounding abomination. The workers never stopped to identify any human remains! As Mr. Altabe explained, “The outright intent to lie to the Jewish people is completely outrageous.”
Now the State Department claims that the construction area in the photos is not inside the old Jewish cemetery boundaries. They say it is in the old Muslim cemetery of Ottoman origin. Karen E. Paikin of the US Department of State stated in a letter to Mr. Altabe, “We are continuing to monitor the situation… The pictures in your report lack landmarks, so it is difficult for us to assess if it is the Muslim cemetery currently being excavated or if it is a new excavation taking place in the vicinity of the old Jewish cemetery. ”The State Department is ignoring their responsibility and serving the interest of the Greek government as American citizens continue to have their heritage destroyed.”
Through Congressman Ed Towns and Special Assistant Rabbi David Niederman of Williamsburg, Mr. Altabe met with the US Consul General in Thessalonika. They informed him of their communications with the Greek authorities, trying to arrange a meeting between Greek authorities and cemetery experts from Israel as well as an archeological team. The US Consul General in Thessalonika believes that the site is from the Roman and Byzantine Era. The US Consul General and the State Department are contradicting themselves with over 1,600 years of history. Are the graves sites from the Roman Byzantine era or a Muslim cemetery of Ottoman origin? It is obvious the Jewish people as well as American citizens are being lied to.
The Chief Rabbi of Salonika and the community are central to the efforts to stop this atrocity. The rabbi has repeatedly visited the cemetery site and is organizing a community-wide protest.
Aware of the destruction, it is incumbent upon every Jew to take action by arousing the global Jewish community, especially the large Sephardic community of Flatbush and even the large Greek community of Seattle, Washington. Sephardic business leaders around the world, if alerted, could have an enormous impact. Secondly, as Jewish Americans it is our duty to write to our Congress and Senate to speak out on behalf of this issue. Lastly, we are responsible to educate our children about these issues.
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Mindy Jerome, Master of Public Administration.
