The Synagogue of Trikala is in danger. The Ka’al Yavanim Synagogue of Trikala -a monument of unique outstanding architectural, cultural and historical value of the Greek Jewish tradition- is threatened. Ka’al Yavanim is the oldest Synagogue in Trikala and the only one that survived World War II, out of three Synagogues that functioned in this beautiful city of Thessaly prior to the War. The historical building of the Ka’al Yavanim Synagogue in Trikala is in danger of collapsing: the passage of time has left its imprint with significant damage to the floor, the roof and the columns, due to corrosion that is the main agent of decay.

Restoration is urgently needed so that we all join forces in order to save the synagogue of a town with significant historical Jewish presence and heritage. The small Jewish community of Trikala is struggling hard to keep the synagogue standing and functional. But these efforts are not sufficient enough.

For this reason, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Jewish Community of Trikala turn to all our coreligionists, inviting them to contribute to the funding of the restoration of the Synagogue, which is not only a sacred place of prayer but also considered to be a unique cultural monument of the Trikala Jewry.
We also call upon all Jews of Greek descent living abroad to support this effort in this particularly difficult economic period that our country as well as Jewish Communities of Greece are going through.
Become a donor now and help us save a Synagogue, return to the Synagogue its prestigious glamour and deliver it to the public again.

You may contact the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece -KIS  (e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or the Jewish Community of Trikala (e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

A few words about the history of the Synagogue

The construction of the building began around 1925 and was completed in 1930. The inauguration of the Ka’al Yavanim Synagogue took place during the same year (1930), at a remarkable formal ceremony attended by the large Jewish Community of Trikala, which at the time included the Jews of Karditsa, and Farsala, the local authorities and a crowd of people from Trikala and Karditsa, demonstrating the excellent relations of members of the Jewish community with their fellow citizens, as the local newspaper “Tharros” reported at that time.

The Synagogue is of Romaniote style and for that reason it is called «Ka’al Yavanim», which means «of Greek Jews». It is one of the few, rare, special, and precious examples of Romaniotic architectural style and layout. Unique specificity of the Synagogue of Trikala is that it has two Ambons (Tevah), one positioned in the center   -facing the Echal- and one on the western wall, from which the above panoramic photo has been taken.

The Synagogue is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city of Trikala and it is registered in international tourist guides and photo albums of world Jewish monuments as a synagogue of unique beauty and as a monument of glorious historical and cultural importance of the Greek-Jewish tradition. Tourists and researchers from all over the world visit regularly the Synagogue, and their number is increasing constantly.

Due to the risk of collapse, the Synagogue is actually closed to the public.