The Kahal Kadosh Yavanim synagogue reopened this week. Credit: amna.gr
The Kahal Kadosh Yavanim synagogue, located in Trikala, Greece, reopened this week – after being closed for nearly eight decades.
Members of Jewish communities from around the world participated in its reopening. The repairs were carried out with funding from the German government, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and national and national and international donors.
Noam Katz, Israel's ambassador to Greece, attended the event and made an emotional statement on his Twitter: “At the event I said: Since the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the synagogues have served as the centers of Jewish life. In Trikala, it symbolizes the glorious presence and history of the Jewish people in Greece for many hundreds of years in Greece. Let us wish and pray all together that this synagogue will be a place to remember and cherish the history of the community... And more than that, a home for a rich and thriving community and jewish life here in Trikala, now days and in the future.”
The Kahal Kadosh Yavanim synagogue. Credit: Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece
It is estimated that in the period before the Second World War, the city of Trikala had about 500 Jews. As early as 1967, the city had 100 Jews, and by the end of the 20th century, only 40. It is believed that 87% of Greek Jews were killed in World War II.
