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Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki

<Sam. SALTIEL Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki presents the story of the city’s Jewish community since at least the 3^rd century BC; evidence of their residency is confirmed by the excavated tombs from the Roman cemetery and references to several synagogues in the city. The Jewish community flourished in the city during the Byzantine period; during the 15^th and 16^th centuries, many Jews were expelled from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sicily, France, and North Africa and many of these refugees settled in Thessaloniki, so much so that it became the Jewish centre of Europe. The Jewish population began to decline at the beginning of the 20^th century, mainly due to civil unrest and the great fire of 1917, but their place in society changed drastically when the first German troops entered Thessaloniki in 1941.

One of the main exhibits explores Jewish history in the city and pre-WWII life – both religious and otherwise; the collection contains marble inscriptions and ornaments from synagogues which were destroyed by German authorities, old and rare books in Hebrew, public and private letters dating to the WWII period, and clothing belonging to the 19^th and 20^th centuries. There is also an exhibition dedicated to the old Jewish necropolis, with tombstones from the site. Additionally, the Museum has a gallery specifically focused on the Holocaust and its effects on the community within the city.

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A visit to the Museum would complement both GCSE History and A-Level History courses, focusing on the wider context of WWII  Nazi persecution, the Holocaust, and the Axis-powers’ occupation of Europe; moreover, it would be of interest for GCSE Religious Studies students for the studies on Jewish history and culture.

Feel free to contact us to tailor your own tour. 01342 324727