DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS

The Permanent Exhibition of the Jewish Museum of Greece

The Jewish Museum of Greece was first established in 1977 and housed in a small room next to the city’s synagogue. It housed objects salvaged from WW II, mainly artefacts, documents and manuscripts of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as ritual artefacts, documents and jewelry. In late 1997, twenty years after it first opened its doors to the public, the Museum moved to 39 Nikis street, its new address in the center of Athens.

As a historical and ethnographical museum its main interest is to collect, preserve, research and exhibit the material evidence of 2,300 years of Jewish life in Greece, providing the visitors with a vivid picture of Jewish life and culture as it was during those centuries.

The artifacts in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Greece are classified in the following five basic categories: Judaica, the Historical Collection, the Ethnological-Folklore Collection, the Second World War and Holocaust Collection and the Modern Art Collection. The extensive collection of religious Jewish artifacts, known as Judaica, includes objects used in synagogues as well as objects used in private worship. Ritual artefacts and fabrics from synagogues as well as the interior of the Patras Synagogue are displayed in the museum’s basement.

The unique collection of the Jewish Museum of Greece includes more than 10,000 objects, the oldest of which are manuscripts, textiles and tombstones from the 16^th and 17^th centuries C.E. Clothes and household items comprise the core of the Museum’s ethnographical character and offer a vivid picture of everyday life in the Greek Jewish communities from the mid-18th until the 20th century.

The exhibits are organised in thematic units, starting from the ground floor and taking advantage of the architectural dispensation of the interior. Every unit has its own display case -or cases- and covers a specific subject, relating to the cycle of life, the history and the traditions of the Greek Jews.

General view of the display case “The Torah”.

View of the display case “The Tik”.

Painted wooden Tik, Romaniote Torah case with Torah scroll, Corfu, 18th century, from Patras Synagogue.

Sephardic Torah scroll, with its silver adornments. According to its inscription, the Me’il, was dedicated by Abraham M. B[]rba on the holiday of Sukkot to the Beth Shalom Synagogue, Athens, 1947.

Wooden Tik, Corfu, 18th century, from Patras Synagogue.

The Parohet, or Torah Ark curtain, was dedicated to the Beth Shalom Synagogue of Athens in 1950 in memory of Pavah Bat Sol, wife of Israel Isaac Tiano.

Wooden Ehal, Torah Ark, of the Patras Synagogue, from ca. 1920, with its original appurtenances. A particular decorative feature of the Holy Ark in the Patras Synagogue, was adopted directly from the Corfu Synagogues: pairs of Rimonim, Torah finials, are attached on either side of the Parohet. This device for displaying the Rimonim was formerly found in other Greek synagogues as well, such as in the Old Synagogue of Ioannina and in the Beth Shalom Synagogue of Chania, Crete.

Silver Rimonim, Torah finials, Corfu, late 17th century.

Shaddayot belt from the Kahal Kadosh Yashan (Old Holy Synagogue), Ioannina, late 19th or early 20th century. The Shaddayot date from 1771 to 1876.

Wooden Tik, Torah case, 19th century, from the Beth Shalom Synagogue, Athens.

Set of silver adornments for Torah Ktanah, a small Torah scroll, Rhodes 1789.

General view of the display case “Synagogual Textiles”.

Silk Mappah, Torah case wrapper, early 18th-century centerpiece with embroidered ogival lattice filled with Ottoman motif of four flowers, dedicated by Joya, wife of Rabbi Avishai Hayim Gani to the New Synagogue of Ioannina, on Rosh Hodesh (Beginning of the Month) Kislev 5609 (1848).

Silver Tas, Torah shield, probably made in Ioannina, dedicated to the Etz Hayim Synagogue, Athens, 1896.

Wood and ivory Rimonim, probably made from Etzei Hayim, Torah scroll staves, from Ioannina Synagogue.

Silver Rimon, Torah finial, from Ioannina Synagogue, 1882.

The Synagogue

This level contains exhibits pertaining to synagogue rites. The restored interior of the old Romaniote Synagogue of Patras can be found here.

Three of the nearby displays contain silver holy objects and valuable embroidered textiles, used to decorate the synagogues or mark their different architectural parts.

On the same level, among other items to be found in the showcases is a collection of wooden protective cases, from various Jewish communities in Greece, used for the Sefer Torah (the Scroll of the Law).

According to the general practice of correct book storage in antiquity, the Sefer Torah was kept in an upright position inside a cylindrical wooden or knitted case, known as the tik in Hebrew from the Greek word “θήκη/thiki/ case”. Both the Romaniots and the Jewish communities of North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, kept the tradition of storing each Scroll of the Law in a separate Tik.

The Torah includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. It is also known as the Pentateuch and is the most sacred Scripture of Judaism. In the synagogue, it is always a handwritten parchment wound on two staves forming the Sefer Torah. A synagogue’s Scrolls of the Law are kept in the Echal or Holy Ark, a type of cabinet which is often incorporated in an intricate structure built on the synagogue’s east wall. Extracts from the Torah are read in the synagogue on the Shabbat (Saturday), on holy festivals as well as every Monday and Thursday morning.

Shofar, ram’s horn, for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, decorated with an engraved geometric pattern and a cut-out crenellation, with a feather inserted against moisture, Ioannina, ca. 1900.

Velvet cushion, with gold thread embroidery, for the “bridegrooms” of Simhat Torah holiday, Ioannina, 19th century.

Cast brass, Hanukkiyah, lamp with eight lights, 19th or early 20th century, from Patras Synagogue. In the centre, it bears the characteristical inscription: “The Mitzavh (commandment) is a lamp, and the Torah is light”.

Silver and parcel gilt filigree Esther Scroll case, Ioannina, late 19th or early 20th century.

Megillah, Esther scroll, in parcel gilt silver case with engraved motif of the Tablets of the Covenant, Ioannina, late 19th or early 20th century.

Candle holders, such as this pair of silver-plated candlesticks, became customary in the 19th century for fulfilling the religious duty of kindling the Shabbat lights. (…)

Besamim boxes, spice containers, for the Havdalah ceremony. The two pierced cylindrical pairs come from the Patras Synagogue, 20th century, and the tower-shaped filigree container probably from Brno, Moravia, 19th century.

Shabbat cloth, embroidery on linen with coloured threads in chain stich, depicting Holy Sites of the Land of Israel, made probably by Simhe Janiver, Jerusalem, second half of the 19th or 20th century.

Glass oil lamp, from Patras Synagogue, first half of the 20th century.

Special festive breads served at Shavuot in the Sephardic Communities of Salonica, Larissa and Komotini.

Novias, marzipan figures representing the chief characters of the story of Esther, as well as everyday objects, were made for the Purim celebration in Salonica and other Sephardic communities.

Oreozil Sidiropoulou – Levy dressed as Queen Esther, Volos, 1922.

Rabbinical costume for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The white satin robe with velours front, and satin head cover and rabbinical pectoral ornament in the shape of a Magen David set with rhinestones, as well as the walking stick belonged to Rabbi Elias Barzilai, chief rabbi of the Athens community during the Nazi occupation and after the war, meanwhile he was in hiding with the Greek partisans in the mountains. The handwoven silk Tallit, prayer shawl, once covered the head and shoulders of Abraham Ishkenazi, who served as a Shamash, or caretaker, of the Athens Synagogue.

Jewish Holidays

On this level, the display case shows typical artefacts of the cycle of the Jewish holidays as they are celebrated during the year. In the center of the display case, artefacts used for the celebration of Shabbath are shown. It is a day set apart by Jews for rest, study and divine worship, as it recalls the rest from the divine act of creation and is dedicated to religious and spiritual reflection, and the total abstinence from any kind of creative work. Inspired by biblical narration, synagogue liturgy and domestic ceremonies, specific iconographic patterns were developed for each holiday and special artistic objects were created for their celebration.

Copy of a capital fragment showing three menorot, lulav and ethrog, from the Synagogue of Corinth, 4-6th c. C.E. The copy was made with the help and the assistance of Prof. Charles Williams of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The original can be found at the Archaeological Museum of Corinth.

Copy of a marble plaque bearing the inscription “(ΣΥΝ)ΑΓΩΓΗ ΕΒΡ(ΑΙΩΝ)” (Synagogue of the Hebrews), from Corinth, 4-6th c. C.E. The copy was made with the help and the assistance of Prof. Charles Williams of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The original can be found at the Archaeological Museum of Corinth.

Μanuscript, of rare artistic and historical value from Venice. It is a proclamation by the Doge Francesco Erizzo (1631-1646), in reply to a petition from the syndics of the Jewish Community of Corfu, for protection against vandalism and other local anti-Semitic acts. It has 44 pages with texts dating from 1642 until 1724, three of which are illustrated with full-page miniatures; the open page shows Moses holding the Tablets of the Covenant.

Copy of the “Regimento da Santo Officio da Inquisicao dos Regnos de Portugal”, the Regulation of the Holy Office for the Holy Inquisition in the Kingdom of Portugal, which was published in Lisbon in 1640, is currently on display. The Grand Inquisitor, the Archbishop Don Francis de Castro, instituted this rule, which was the harshest rule of Holy Inquisition effective in Portugal between 1640 and 1774. The Holy Inquisition targeted the New Christians, the Conversos, also known as Marranos or Crypto-Jews, who had converted to Christianity, in order to avoid the expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula, but secretly kept their Jewish customs and traditions.

The diary of Daniel Sevilia. Daniel was born in Athens in 1900 and grew up in a neighbourhood near the synagogue. Along with his brother Errikos, he went to the Asia Minor front in 1919. In 1920, Daniel was promoted to second lieutenant. In his diary, he gave a detailed account of the developments on the front in the summer of 1921. Daniel was killed in October 1921 on the battlefield. Errikos returned with his dead brother’s diary and rebuilt his life in Athens. He took part in the Greek-Italian War of 1940–41. He was arrested in March 1944 and sent to Auschwitz, from which he survived. Errikos mentioned his brother in the memoirs about his experiences in the camp. “Asia Minor remained more etched in my heart because that is where I buried my brother, the second lieutenant.”

The surgical tools of Dr. Nissim Cohen that he used in the Second Mountain Surgery at the Albanian Front.

Mordochai Frizis, Captain of the Greek Army.

Wall hanging, inspired by the famous photograph of Theodor Herzl overlooking the Rhine from the balcony of his room in the “The Three Kings” Hotel in Basle during the First Zionist Congress. This photograph served commonly as a source for the design of Herzl’s portrait on decorative items that found their way into many Jewish households. In this example, the original background of the photograph has become the Tower of David in Jerusalem in front of a rising sun and a group of Jewish pioneers returning to Eretz Israel, the Land of Israel. The tapestry was manufactured in the weaving department of the “Alliance Israélite Universelle” Trade School in Jerusalem in the early decades of the 20th century, as part of a series featuring portraits of Zionist leaders, bearing witness to the short revival of Jewish carpet-making at the time.

Stock certificate issued by the Salonica-Palestine Company to Ouriel Negrin, Salonika, 02/05/1928.

General view of the display case titled “Military Memorabilia”.

History of the Greek Jews

This level marks the beginning of the part of the Museum that is devoted to history, covering the long period from the 3rd century B.C.E. until the end of World War II.

Here, the display case presents the material evidence of the century’s long history of Greek Jews, through inscriptions, rare books, manuscripts as well as documents of the Ottoman period, which describe the life of the Jewish communities in Greece.

The Jewish communities of the Hellenistic and early Roman period formed the foundation of the communities that flourished during the Byzantine era. The Jews of Byzantium also known as Romaniotes, spoke Greek, while cultivating their unique dialect, Judaeo-Greek. They comprised the majority of the Jewish population in Greek Lands until the 15th century. Towards the end of the 15th century, thousands of Sephardic Jews were forced to leave the Iberian Peninsula as they were persecuted for religious reasons by the Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The 1844 Constitution of the newly established Kingdom of Greece emancipated the Jews, recognizing them as equal citizens with equal rights and obligations. This legislation was valid until the end of the 19th century. In 1899, the Greek Government officially recognized the Jewish Communities.

On the same level, there are artefacts proving the participation of the Greek Jews in the Balkan Wars, the First World War and took part in the Asia Minor campaign as well as in the Greek-Italian war. They distinguished themselves in battle and were decorated for their courage.

Additionally, on this level the visitor will see artefacts relevant to Zionism, an ideological and political movement that arose in the 19th century, and whose goal was the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine. The ultimate result of the Zionist movement was the founding of the State of Israel, in May 1948, as well as the literary and practical revival of the Hebrew language. Jewish immigration to Palestine, then under Ottoman rule, already started in the 1880’s, mainly from Russia.

Restrictive orders against the Jews of the German occupation zone, like the one issued by General Stroop, Commander of the SS and of the Greek Police, and anti-Semitic proclamations, such as the one on the right of Stroop’s order, to the inhabitants of Corfu, issued by the local authorities to announce the confiscation of property, and the deportation of the Jews on the island.

The Archbishop of Athens and Greece (1941-1949), Damaskinos. At his instigation false certificate of baptism were issued to the Greek Jews, thus avoiding their arrest and deportation. For defending in writing the Jewish Community he was threatened by General Stroop that he would be shot, answering that “The orthodox clergy of Greece, General Stroop, do not get shot, they get hanged. Please, respect this tradition”.

Greek edition of the Nazi propaganda brochure “Der Untermensch” (The Subhuman) [1942]. In its pages is “documented” the “inferiority” of the Jews on the basis of anthropological comparisons.

Destroyed Torah scroll from the Synagogue in Rhodes. The Sephardic community of Rhodes was part of the Italian zone of occupation until autumn 1943, when Italy capitulated. The Dodecanese then fell into the hands of the Germans.

Τwo ID cards of the same individual: David Asser. The top, orange-coloured ID is his real one, dated 30 August 1943. The blue ID below, dated 29 March 1944 and depicting the same person, bears the Christian name “Dimitrios Stamatopoulos”, whose religion is “Orthodox”. These forged identity cards did not differ from real ones as they were all issued by the police on the orders of Athens police chief Angelos Evert, who was later awarded the Righteous Among the Nations title.

Handwritten note by Zak Soussi from the time of their imprisonment with other family members at Haidari military barracks in Athens. These notes were sent to Zak’s wife, Louiza. A few days later, on 2 April 1944, all the Jews held in Haidari were deported to Auschwitz. Zak died of dysentery in February 1945 at Mauthausen, where he had arrived after a death march.

Τhe little socks knitted by Eda de Botton-Siakki for her infant daughter Reina during her incarceration at Bergen-Belsen. Young Reina was hidden in the Catholic convent of Kalamari in Thessaloniki, where she was smuggled with the help of her mother’s childhood friend.

Τwo magnified photos which were contained in a pendant. The names of those pictured remain unidentified as the pendants are part of the items that were confiscated by Bulgarian authorities in the spring of 1943 from the Jewish inhabitants of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

Chiffon blouse with embroidered quotes by Sartre, Collete and Gide, made by Lisa Pinhas shortly after her return to Greece, in an effort to give herself courage and inspiration.

Photograph of Leon Batis, probably taken at Bucharest in 1945. He was the first survivor who returned from the death camps in Greece. His account of what had taken place in the camps was met with stunned disbelief and he was put in an asylum for two weeks.

Title ceremony of “The Righteous among the Nations”, of the Yad Vashem Institute at the Israel’s Ambassador residency in Greece, on November 7th, 1978, to: Archbishop Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, Lucas Karrer, Mayor of Zakynthos during the Occupation, to the Skoulatou couple from Athens and to the Deceased Emmanuel Petrakis from Chania.

Shoah Area

This level contains the area devoted to the Holocaust (Shoah). The subject is examined in four specially designed displays, which cover the events during the German Occupation, starting with the first anti-Semitic measures in Thessalonica in 1941, until the liberation of the few survivors of the concentration camps in 1945. The subject being so sensitive, an attempt has been made to convey the atmosphere of confusion, terror and agony of those days, to present the events as the participants experienced them. Biographical notes of the people, whose belongings are seen in the displays, underline to the visitor the fact that the Holocaust’s victims were real flesh-and-blood people, no different than any of us.

An issue that was further explored, after recent research, is that of the participation of Greek Jews in the Resistance. The area also presents the brave stance of some eponymous Greek Christians. It is the Museum’s aim to expand the presentation to include the simple anonymous people who risked their lives to save the persecuted Jews, with a display devoted to the Greek “Righteous of the Nations”, who have been honoured by the Yad Vashem Foundation in Israel.

Jewish bridal attire of Ioannina, 19th century basically composed of a gold brocade Anteri, Robe, silk moiré Shalvari, Pantaloons, and a gold embraided silk Fex, cap.

Beneath the festive costume, women wore a silk or linen shift, like the cream linen Pukamis from Ioannina dating to the 19th century, which shows the traditional form of a woman’s undershirt, cut as a long and wide-sleeved tunic. Its vertical front opening bears needle lace made with silk thread, silver and silver-gilt wire in a diamond pattern, flanked by embroidered flowering branches and birds rendered in the Epirote style.

Child’s silk caftan, displayed with a range of charms and amulets for the protection of the child against harm and for good luck, 19th century – early 20th century.

Sephardic female costume of Salonica, 19th -early 20th century.

Parcel-glit silver filigree Fiongos buckle with double-headed eagle, Epirus, 19th century.

The original drawing of the colored lithograph depicts a Jewish merchant sitting on a divan smoking a water pipe, probably with the Bosporus in the background. He is wearing a red Tarbush or conical hat with a turban, which became the official headwear of Ottoman subjects after 1829, as well as a striped caftan with a sash wrapped several times around the waist and a fur lined overcoat, which were basic elements of the male attire of all social groups. The turban seems to show no Jewish features, as the observance of such social distinctions decreased in the late 19th century.

The exhibit of jewellery dating to the 19th and early 20th century in the upper centre of the display case allows us a glimpse into the former life of the mainly Sephardic communities of Serres, Drama, Kavala and Komotini, all destroyed during the Holocaust. Following Jewish custom, certain pieces of jewellery were presented to the prospective bride during the period between the betrothal and the proper wedding: Pocket watches, twisted bangles, made of silver or gold, amulet pendants, earrings and rings. Bracelets, composed of several compressed multiple link chains fastened to decorated plaques fitted with a clasp, represent a traditional piece both among various Jewish and Christian communities in the Balkans and Turkey, and differed in shape and design according to region and religion.

Costumes

On this level, costumes and accessories of the Jews of Greece are exhibited. During the Ottoman period, the costumes of the Jews of Greece reflect the rich interplay of cultures and traditions that characterised the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Ottoman costume was a complex mixture of Μedieval, Islamic and Byzantine dress that was made even richer through the influence of Mongol and Persian styles and affectations. By the middle of the 16th century, all these elements emerged as a distinct style of dress. It adapted to the needs and requirements of specific millets, ethno-religious communities, indicating the individual’s social position. The law dictated that it was forbidden for European dress to be worn by subjects of the Sultan. Romaniote and Sephardic Jews assumed a costume that for the most part, is a direct adaptation of contemporary Ottoman dress with a few distinguishing features in the way of colour, or its absence, minor peculiarities of cut and a varying headdress. From the 16th to the 19th century, the costume of Jewish men, which had to be suitable for public social intercourse, was conservative, undistinguished and modest. Women spent most of their lives indoors, running homes, maintaining families and, if wealthy, acquiring dresses and jewelry. Descriptions of this period speak of the richness and exotic character of their costumes.

General view of the Oda, reception room.

Τhe Ketubbah, marriage contract, contained the obligations of both bride and groom prescribed by Jewish law, as well as the monetary value of the dowry and, in the case of Ketubbot from Ioannina, a detailed account of the bride’s trousseau. This marriage contract represents the earlier type from Ioannina. Its text is inscribed within a horseshoe arch, which is framed by broad border stripes filled with dots and the widespread Ottoman motif of serrated leaves. It was created in 1845 for the marriage of Moses, son of Samuel Moses and Rosa, daughter of Michael Moses.

Silk gauze headscarf for the woman in childbed, with embroidered apotropaic symbols and the Name of God “Shaddai”, as well as the names of the angles Sanoi, Sansanoi and Semanglov and of Adam and Eve, Smyrna, 19th Century.

The special blessing of the Brit Milah was recorded on an Aleph, a unique custom of the Romaniote Jews of Greece, which hung in the room of newly delivered mothers and served, both as an amulet, to protect both mother and child during the confinement period and later, as a circumcision certificate. This Aleph represents the earlier, elegant type, with a subtle coloration and a classical composition. It belonged to Jedidiah Cohen born on 29 January 1875, who is surely none other than Rabbi Jedidiah from Preveza, who came into office in the Patras Synagogue in the early 1920’s.

Circumcision instruments, 19th – early 20th century.

Bridal couple in traditional Jewish costume, late 19th century.

Takunya, wooden clogs, Istanbul, 19th century.

Cotton Benika, hair wrapper embroidered with cross stich pattern, North Africa, late 19th century.

Equipment for a Bar Mitzvah, “son of Duty”, consisting of a) a Tallit with bag, b) Kippah, skullcap, c) a Siddur, prayerbook with daily prayers and d) a Tefillin bag and Tefillin, two leather boxes containing pieces of parchment with passages from the Torah, which are bound on the left arm and above the forehead for the morning service.

Silk cushion cover, embroidered with silk, gold and silver thread, Ioannina, early 19th century.

Decorative silver goblet provided with receptacles for spoons, existed in both Christian and Jewish homes. Guests were welcomed with a spoonful of a homemade sweet called “Dulsi” in Ladino and “Glyko tou Koutaliou”, literally “Spoon Sweet” in Greek. These were boiled pieces of fruit preserved in syrup.

Characteristical costume of a rabbi of the 19th century, consisting of a striped silk Anderi from Salonica and a black Dulamas, which belonged to Chief Rabbi of Athens, Elias Barzilai.

Coloured lithograph. It depicts an imaginary, picturesque scene in the Jewish cemetery in the Hasköy quarter of Istanbul. It shows a Jewish woman wearing a Makrama, a white scarf leaving her face unveiled, and a Feraçe, a heavy dustcoat with a large, embroidered collar worn by the Jewish women of Istanbul. She is sitting near an elaborately carved, rectangular tomb. A rabbi or professional prayer reader is standing next to the woman, hired to recite prayers for the deceased, who was probably a relative or a renowned rabbi. The lithograph was made after a watercolour painted in the 1850’s by Amadeo Preziosi, a Maltese nobleman who spent most of his life in this city. It was first published in 1858.

The Cycle of Life

This level of the permanent exhibition includes a small sitting room, specially designed to offer the visitor a brief rest, a characteristic example of middle-class architecture of the Ottoman period. This is the “Oda”, or “Nice Room”, or “Reception Room”, or “Archontariki”, as it has been called in traditional Greek architectural terminology. The Oda was the center of the middle-class house, and its architecture and form was common to Muslim, Jews and Christians. The walls were decorated with geometrical motives, floral themes, mundane and bucolic representations, and joyful scenes in frames. On the Oda, which was covered with the best carpets, were low and relaxing benches or minteria or built couches, used by family members and by guests for relaxing and sleeping. The Jews in Greece used the Oda also for engagements, weddings, and circumcisions. The wooden frames which decorated the walls were painted by the first director of the Museum, the dearly departed Nikos Stavroulakis, in order to cover the walls of the Oda in the former Museum building. They were installed here, in commemoration of his important contribution to the Jewish Museum of Greece.

Between the “Oda” and the display case of the cycle of life, there are two display cases, recent additions of the JMG, dedicated to the Jews of Crete. The exhibits presented are primarily heirlooms of the families Capon, Minerbo, and Albert — in combination with relevant artefacts from the JMG collections. The displays include among other items, jewelry, photographs, documents and religious objects, dating back to the end of the 19th century. In addition to objects from the time of the German Occupation, belonged to the persecuted Jews of the island.

The display on the same level is also associated with the home: the everyday life of the Greek Jews and the cycle of life. Jewish life has always been centred in the synagogue, a place of prayer and study, and in the Jewish home, where traditions are preserved and passed on. Holidays, ceremonies and rituals, the preparation of food, lighting of candles, blessing of children and many other domestic rites, make the Jewish home a holy place. Family life has always been highly regarded in the Jewish tradition; therefore, a marriage was a very important event in any community and followed a set sequence of rituals in Greece, starting with the official betrothal and culminating in the religious ceremony and joyous, extensive festivities.

«The Good Shepherds. Metropolitans and Chief Rabbis in the Face of the Holocaust»

“The Jewish Community of Ioannina– The Memory of Artefacts” and “Joseph Eligia, the Poet of the Lake”

“Through The Lens of Nissim Levis: a family, an era”

«Like nails must the words be hammered». The Oral History Archive of the Jewish Museum of Greece

“FORM/Less”, Art Exhibition by Maria Frangoudaki

“Sylvia” by Victor Cohen

“Hidden Children in Occupied Greece”

“Jewish Neighbourhoods of Greece”

“Synagonistis: Greek Jews in the National Resistance”

“Between Sound and Silence” by David Benforado

Temporary Exhibitions Areas

On this level, the temporary exhibitions of the JMG are housed. The Benrubi Art Gallery was created in response to the public’s desire to explore other aspects of human creation, beyond the history and tradition of the Greek Jews, and was inaugurated in 1998. In 2011, the Art Gallery was expanded thanks to a generous donation by Mr. Samuel (Makis) Matsas. The creation of the new Temporary Exhibitions Area, realized through the donation of Samuel (Makis) Matsas and Maurice Saltiel Families, was inaugurated in 2011. This expansion gives the practical ability to the museum to host and present to its visitors larger or concurrent temporary exhibitions of historic, ethnographic or artistic content.