On 9.11.2025, on the International Day against Anti-Semitism and Fascism, the fully renovated Jewish Museum of Rhodes was inaugurated.
"Today is a day of special joy, not only for the local community, for the Jewish Community of Rhodes, but for our country as a whole," he stressed. ο Secretary General of Religious Affairs George Kalantzis, in his greeting at the inauguration event, shortly before cutting the inauguration ribbon, together with Metropolitan of Rhodes, Cyril II.
"The existence of a museum, the main message it gives - and what the Ministry of Education is particularly interested in - is that the history of Greek Jewry is a history integrated into the Greek nation, it is not something separate, and the Holocaust also happened in Greece, it concerns our own people, and it is not something foreign and distant. It happened here too," noted Mr. Kalantzis, underlining the importance of teaching about the Holocaust.
"His teaching is not the teaching of the history of others. It is the history of our own people. So this Museum, as well as the Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens, the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, with which we have a long collaboration, symbolize and embed precisely this message that is of particular interest, not only to institutions, but above all to Greek society itself, because it is an issue of identity," the Secretary General of Religious Affairs stated characteristically.
A museum next to the oldest functioning synagogue in Greece
During her speech at the inauguration, the president of the Jewish Community of Rhodes Claudia Resti He emphasized that "this Museum stands in a sacred place, not only because it is housed in the Kahal Shalom Synagogue - the oldest functioning synagogue in Greece - but because every stone, every photograph, every name and every memory within these walls carry human lives, stories and dignity."
Ms. Resti recalled that "today's date, November 9, coincides with the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938 -- an event that marked the escalation of anti-Semitism and led to the tragedy of the Holocaust." As she said, "the memory of that night reminds us that prejudice, when left unanswered, breeds violence and inhumanity."
Referring to the centuries-old presence of Jews in Rhodes, she noted that "the Jewish presence in Rhodes has a history of over 2.000 years. A community that left a deep imprint on the economic and cultural life of the island." However, as she recalled, "in July 1944, almost the entire Jewish community of Rhodes was deported to Auschwitz. Less than 160 people returned."
"This museum exists so that their lives do not become numbers. It exists so that we remember who they were, and not just how they were lost. This museum restores presence where there was absence," Ms. Resti said characteristically.
He then noted that "memory alone is not enough," pointing out that "today, anti-Semitism is reappearing in new forms, on the streets, in universities and on social networks. The words change, but the intention is the same."
Concluding, he emphasized that "this is why the museum must also function as: a place of education, a place of dialogue, a place of truth."
The Museum not simply as a space of memory but as an act of responsibility
At the inauguration of the fully renovated Jewish Museum of Rhodes, the keynote speaker was Assistant Professor of the History of Jewish Communities at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, George Antoniou, who described the presence of the Secretary General of Religious Affairs, Mr. Kalantzis, as a "fortunate coincidence", noting that "his action is an example of a steady course, contribution and substantial change for the better in the relationship between the Greek state and Greek Jewry."
Referring to the importance of the Museum, he emphasized that the Jewish community of Rhodes is "a living example of the immeasurable possibilities of Judaism" and that "this museum will not simply be a place of memory, it is an act of responsibility that is also addressed to the local society in a modern way."
He cited the intellectual Yuval Harari, saying that people's ability "to construct narratives, fairy tales and stories" was the force that forged collective life, calling for reflection on "the kind of values we will pass on to future generations around the Holocaust."
He stressed that the Holocaust “transcends its historical dimension” and remains “a beacon of protection for diversity and individual freedoms.” However, he warned of the “multiplying distortion” of historical truth and the rise of anti-Semitism, with 96% of Jews saying they have experienced anti-Semitism.
Concluding, he emphasized that "it is urgent that the discussion on anti-Semitism be depoliticized" and return "to the great family of racisms," emphasizing that memory requires "critical thinking, education and moral responsibility."
Education as a beacon against anti-Semitism
Dr. Xenia Eleftheriou, scientific director of the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki and scientific advisor of the Jewish Museum of Rhodes, emphasized in her greeting that “when we talk about combating anti-Semitism, we are not just talking about history,” but “about cultivating respect, empathy and understanding from a young age.” As she said, education has the power “to shape life attitudes,” while contact with the history of the Jewish Community of Rhodes helps children “understand how fragile human dignity is when we do not all protect it together.”
He pointed out that “only through education can we overturn old myths and negative stereotypes,” as “when history is not taught, it leaves room for ignorance and misinformation.” He placed particular emphasis on the need for the island’s students to visit the museum, where “history comes alive through objects, testimonies and places of memory.”
He also referred to the Museum's collaborations with educational institutions and bodies, for the training of teachers, "so that they can cultivate in students the value of diversity and human dignity."
"Memory is not just something we honor," he concluded. "It is something we transmit - with an open mind and an open heart."
The Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr. Noam Katz, sent a message for the inauguration of the Jewish Museum of Rhodes HERE.
The event was attended by Dodecanese MPs Manos Konsolas and Ioannis Pappas, as well as President Claudia Resti, Vice President Yomtov Robisa and Secretary General Daniel Benardout of the Management Committee of the Jewish Community of Rhodes, representatives of the Local Government, the Armed Forces and the Security Forces, as well as the academic community (University of the Aegean), etc.
The Museum's journey through time
The Museum was founded in October 1997, in the first two rooms of the former women's dormitory of the "Salom" synagogue.
The museum's founder is Aaron Hasson, a third-generation Rhodian, a lawyer from Los Angeles who noticed the lack of information about the unique history of the Jewish community.
The museum began as an exhibition of photographs collected by the Rhodian Jews of the Diaspora, documenting pre-war Jewish life in Rhodes.
Gradually, with the activation and financial contribution of the Community and individual donors, the museum expanded to all areas of the former women's dormitory.
Since June 2002, with the cooperation of the Jewish Museum of Greece, a permanent exhibition has been presented. Additional renovations followed. In 2006, the museum reopened with more informative panels and exhibits.
In its renovated form, which was inaugurated today, the Museum includes around 600 exhibits, including a 16th-century Torah, dedicated by Samuel Behar Abraham, and a wedding dress of Selma Levi Mizrahi, who had taken it with her to the United States in 1930.
Mission: Sofia Papadopoulou
SOURCE: ATHENS NEWS AGENCY 9.11.2025