Where there is not mention of Jews in the port city of
Volos in Thessaly, Greece until the 15th century, Jewish tombstones
from antiquity were found close by. The community seems to have come into its
own after the takeover by the Ottoman Empire and the influx of Sephardim. With
its entrance into Modern Greece in the 19th century, the Jews
assimilated and while retaining their Sephardic liturgy, became Greek speaking.
At the onset of Greece’s entrance
into World War II, Volos was placed into the Italian Zone of Occupation. That,
and the presence of a strong, highly respected and insightful rabbi, Rabbi
Pessach, enabled most of the Jews to escape the deportations in March of 1944. A
severe earthquake in 1955 destroyed the city and the synagogue, causing many
Jews to emigrate. The synagogue was rebuilt in 1960, smaller in size than the
original due to the diminished size of the community.
There are presently 70 Jews living
in Volos. The synagogue functions and holds services on Shabbat and the Jewish
Holidays.
Synagogue--
The synagogue is located at the junction of Platonos,
Xenofondos and Moiseos in the heart of the commercial district of Volos. It is a
simple structure, with a courtyard
for the communal Sukkah and the interior layout in the traditional Sephardic
style, with the tevah in the middle. There is a women’s gallery upstairs.
Copyright © 2002 Edward Victor