An important project of preserving memory and culture was recently completed in the Community of Larissa, that of highlighting, mapping and recording the monuments of the old part of the Jewish cemetery. In this section there are graves dating from 1860, most of which had sunk into the ground, while their slabs had blackened and their inscriptions had been erased.
The initiative to map the old graves belongs to the Board of Directors of the Community, which in this way wanted to record the names of the people who lived and died in the Community of Larissa and, on the other hand, to ensure that anyone interested would be able to easily locate and surely the graves of his dear dead.
The realization of this sacred and ambitious project was the work of the tireless and always creative Mr. Victor Venousiou from Thessaloniki, who willingly responded to the call of the Larissa Community to undertake this work, since he already had the experience of similar work in the Jewish cemeteries of Trikala and Kavala.
It took about two years of hard work, during which Mr. Venouziou, in addition to his personal work, also recruited craftsmen of various specialties as well as volunteer collaborators from the Community, who worked under his instructions and orders. The old graves were excavated from the soil, cleaned, numbered, photographed and recorded in a detailed topographical map of the area. Their inscriptions were rewritten and the details they contained recorded in tables, while the remaining details of the dead were filled in from the Community registers.
Finally, gathering all these elements, Mr. Venouziou created a useful Guide-booklet, which includes historical data, detailed situations and photos, which he handed over to the Community of Larisa, at a special meeting of the Board of Directors. held for this purpose.
For Mr. Venousiou's invaluable contribution to the completion of the above project and the drafting of the relevant study, the Larissa Community organized an event in his honor during Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday, May 18, 2012. Thus, the members of the Community had the opportunity to be informed for the enormous work carried out, "a sacred work, which above all has as its purpose the preservation of the memory and the honoring of our ancestors", as characteristically mentioned by the president of the Community, Mr. Maurice Magrizos, in his introduction. Mr. Magrizos invited Mr. Venouziou to receive an honorary plaque saying that "It is the least we can do for this man, who, with so much love and selflessness, offered his services to our Community."
With very warm and laudatory words, the Rabbi of Larissa, Mr. Ilias Sabetai, also spoke about Mr. Venouziou, congratulating him on his continuous efforts for the good of the Jewish communities and wishing him to continue his wonderful work.
Mr. Venouziou, clearly moved, received the honorary plaque stating that it was also a great honor for him to work for the Community of Larisa and added that the study of the sacred space of the cemetery brought him into contact with the culture and traditions of the Community, as they are depicted in the tombstones and gave him many emotions. Finally, Mr. Venouziou thanked his collaborators and urged the members of the Community to take care of the cemetery with interest and love, helping the Community in this sacred obligation.