With deep emotion and participation of representatives of the state, the Israeli Community of Athens and the diplomatic corps, the Memorial Ceremony for the victims of the Holocaust in Athens was held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Beth Shalom Synagogue.
The event was dedicated to the Jews who were arrested in Athens during the Persecution (September 1943-September 1944), deported and murdered in the death camps, as well as to those who were murdered within Greek territory in their attempt to escape arrest and deportation.
A special moment was the unveiling of the "Wall of Names", the monument erected in April 2025 following funding from the German Foreign Ministry with funds from the Hellenic-German Fund for the Future, Mr. Nissim Migionis and other donors, where the names of the 1.029 identified Holocaust victims in Athens are listed for the first time.
The ceremony began with a memorial prayer by the Most Wise Rabbi of Athens Gabriel Negrin, while a greeting was delivered by the President of the Jewish Community of Athens, Mr. Albert Taraboulos, who, honoring the memory of the victims, referred to the new monument, the restored freight car that is to be placed in the center of Athens, as well as the Jewish heritage in Greece. This was followed by a greeting by the General Secretary of the Central Jewish Council of Greece, Mr. Victor Eliezer, and speeches by the Professor of History and Authorized Researcher of the Jewish Community of Athens, Mr. Philip Karabot, who carried out the research and collection of data on the identified victims, the President of the Holocaust Descendants Association, Ms. Bella Aaron, and the former President of the Holocaust Descendants Association, Mr. Marios Soussis.
During the ceremony, an honorary plaque was awarded to Mr. Marios Soussis for his contribution to the recording and highlighting of the names of the victims. The ceremony of lighting the memorial candle by the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr. Noam Katz, was also moving.
After a minute of silence, attendees were taken to the “Wall of Names” next to the Beth Shalom Synagogue, where the unveiling of plaques with the names of the victims of the Holocaust in Athens took place – a moving moment of remembrance and honor.
The ceremony concluded with modesty and respect, with everyone leaving with a renewed responsibility to preserve historical memory and remind us of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Israeli Community of Athens