The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece unequivocally condemns the new terror attack in Jerusalem’s Old City which caused the death of two Israelis and the injury of other two. Every terror attack against innocent citizens of Israel moves away the hope of peace and threatens every attempt of harmonious co-existance between Israelis and Palestinians in the region.  

We express our sorrow and we convey our condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Israel.  

Athens, November 22^nd, 2021

CENTRAL BOARD OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN GREECE

On Monday, November 15, 2021, the opening of the "Divided Memories 1940-1950. Between History and Experience" digital exhibition took place, which had originally been presented at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki between December 2016 and April 2017. The contributors of the exhibition are the Goethe-Institute of Thessaloniki, the MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki and the Documentation Centre for National Socialism of the City of Cologne.

During the inauguration of the digital version of the exhibition, Dr. Annemone Christians-Bernsee, the executive director of the Documentation Centre of the City of Cologne, greeted the guests, followed by greetings by the Mayors of Cologne Henriette Reker and of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, the director of the Goethe Institute of Thessaloniki, Beate Köhler, the President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece & President of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki David Saltiel and the Chairman of the BoD of the Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki (MOMus), Andreas Takis.

This year marks 83 years since the "Night of Broken Glass", a series of pogroms against the Jewish population launched by the Nazis on November 9^th, 1938 in Germany and its annexed territories. On the occasion of this commemoration, the International March of the Living organized, for the second consecutive year, the #LetThereBeLight campaign which spreads a universal message against racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance.

The campaign included a central online event with testimonials from survivors, celebrities and music (see video HERE) as well as an open streaming platform on which thousands of people from around the world posted their personal messages. On the night of November 9, 2021, these messages were displayed on the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, creating a venerating and imposing atmosphere.

At the same time, prayer houses, Synagogues and public buildings around the world were illuminated and displayed their own promise that light would prevail, on their walls in a spectacular way. Greece’s dynamic presence to this year's campaign manifested itself in dozens of messages posted on the platform.

The message of the General Secretary of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS), Mr. Victor Isaak Eliezer emphasizes that "Anti-Semitism must not be tolerated. Let the light of knowledge educate the next generations. Let the light of human rights guide our society. Our determination never to forget the tragic consequences of the Holocaust will be the light that will prevail over the darkness brought about by racism and bigotry" and of the EMOTL President, Mr. Benjamin Albalas, stating: “The “Night of Broken Glass” constitutes the beginning of the great destruction of Greek Jewry. States, governments and the whole world must understand that early symptoms always indicate a dangerous disease. The “Night of Broken Glass” was the early and serious symptoms of the Nazis’ mad ideology that led to the death of six million European Jews".