Draft:History of the Jews in Volos

Synagogue of Volos.

The history of the Jews of Volos reaches back two thousand years to the city of Demetrias and the nearby city of Almyros, with its modern community established in the 19th century. Jews immigrated to the city from the Peloponnese after the Greek Revolution and the destruction of all of its Jewish communities. The city's Jewish community's most notable member is Moshe Pesach, chief rabbi of greece from 1946 to 1955.

Ancient History

A Jewish community is thought to have been present in Volos since the 2nd century BC, as ancient tombs have been attested to it.

The oldest verifiable presence of a Jewish community in the area of Magnesia (regional unit) is in the city of Almyros (1st century C.E.). Jews have also existed in the city of Demetrias since the 2nd century C.E. and Jewish gravestones have been unearthed from 325-641 C.E. in the nearby archeological site of Phthiotic Thebes and in the city of Nea Anchialos.

Medieval and Early Modern History

Benjamin of Tudela was witness to the region's medieval 12th century Jewish community. He wrote that "there exists in Almyros a successful Jewish community of 400 coreligionists, under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shiloh Lombardo, along with Rabbis Iosif and Solomon."

The presence of Jews in Volos continued into the period of Ottoman Greece mentioned by diplomatic dispatches of the 16th century. Many of them worked in textiles and tobacco, largely participating in the economic development of Volos.

19th century

The contemporary community of Volos was established by Jews who immigrated to the city from the Peloponnese after the Greek Revolution and the destruction of all of its Jewish communities with it numbering 35 families in 1850. A Romaniote synagogue was built between 1865 and 1870 with the assistance of Baron Rothschild and Maurice de Hirsch replacing the older, temporary wooden structure. Their rabbi was Samuel Molcho.

A Jewish school that was opened by the Alliance Israélite Universelle was in Volos (1864), also attended by many Greek children. The school closed in 1878 because of financial problems, communal apathy, dwindling enrollment, and lacking sanitary conditions. In 1894, a rabbinic academy was also established.

When in 1881 the city was incorporated into Greece there was an organized Jewish Community, as evidenced by newspaper reports of the time.

The first Jewish cemetery was founded in the neighborhood of Neapolis, on Filikis Eterias Street.

In 1889 and 1893 the community also suffered from blood libels.

At the end of the Greco-Turkish War (1897), anti-Jewish riots broke out, and many Jews fled to Thessaloniki.

Early 20th century

In 1909 there were 150 Jewish families, in 1913 the community numbered about 1,000 people and in 1920 the community numbered 2,000 people.

In 1910, a branch of Poale Zion came into existence along with a female branch "Ozer Dalim", and in 1933 the Maccabi youth movement was also present.

From the first decade of the 20th century, many philanthropic and cultural associations were founded: "Avaath Reim", in 1901, to be succeeded, in 1921, by the Mutual Aid Association "Agudat Achim". Moreover, an athletic team of young men Hatikva, was succeeded by HaKoach, along with the Scouts Troop Maccabee, (1933). Parallelly, there existed the committees "Bikur Holim," Chevra Kedosha," to attend the comfort of the sick, and provide to the last rites for the dead.

The activity of the Jews of Volos was notable in the development of Volos, with many shops and factories. The large Mourtzoukou textile factory, the Levi Brothers spinning mill, the Amon & Azuz factory, the Isaac Saporta tobacco warehouses, the Baruch-Levi Bank and other businesses dominated the city.

In 1940 the Jewish population of the city was 882

Second World War

Moshe Pesach with his sons and another Rabbi.

During the period of the Greco-Italian war 71 Jews were recruited to fight at the front. Of these, one was killed, five were wounded and 2 were disabled during the fighting.

Of the 882 Jews present in Volos in 1940, many escaped before the arrival of the Italians I=in 1941, with the help of locals and religious authorities. During the occupation by Italian troops, the Jews were relatively safe. However, with the onset of Nazi occupation in 1943 this relaxed situation ended and the city's synagogue was destroyed.

In 1943 the Jews started dispersing themselves to the surrounding areas, but 130 of them eventually fell into the hands of the Nazis and were included in a transport to the death camps in 1944. Rabbi Moshe Pessah, after consulting the local Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan Ioachim, decided that he would not turn over communal lists to the German commander, and he advised his community members to flee to Mount Pelion and elsewhere outside of Volos in the Thessaly region. Mainly the very poor, old, or those who returned to the city were caught and sent to Birkenau in March 1944.

Some of the Jews of Volos were in a special ELAS Jewish unit, cooperating with the British to sabotage against German targets in the Greek Resistance.

After the Second World War

After the liberation of the city, in October 1944, the Greek Board of Jewish Communities in tandem with the philanthropic organizations encompassed within the American Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish community of Thessaloniki and private donors contributed to the reorganization of the Community and the synagogue of the community was rebuilt.

In 1948 there were 565 Jews in the city as immigration intensified to Israel and later to the USA, in 1958 there were 230; and in 1967 only 210. In the earthquakes of 1955 and 1957, the synagogue was severely damaged. A smaller synagogue was rebuilt on the same site in 1960.

In 1987, antisemitic graffiti were sprayed on the synagogue and Jewish stores in Volos.

In 1988, the Volos municipality, erected a Holocaust Monument in the central Rigas Fereos Square.

Present

The inside of the contemporary Synagogue of Volos.

The Synagogue of Volos.

Today, the community numbers only 100 people and the Community is governed by a five-member Board of Directors which is elected by the fourteen-member Community Assembly every three years. It posseses a cemetery which is adjacent to its Christian counterpart, at the crossroads of Taxiarchon and Plato Streets, covering an area of 4,000 t.m., and encompasses 700 graves. The Synagogue continues to be at the center of importance fot the community.

References

1.https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/photo/destroyed-synagogue-in-greece

2.https://www.jcvolos.gr/indexeg.php?cat=67133

3.https://jguideeurope.org/en/region/greece/volos/

4.https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/volos

5.https://koshergreece.com/jewish-interest-in-greece/volos/

6.https://en.kis.gr/index.php/koinotites/koinotita-volou/istoriko

7.https://orthodoxwiki.org/Joachim_(Alexopoulos)_of_Demetrias