The message "NEVER AGAIN" and the warnings about the danger of the rise of neo-Nazism, the far right and anti-Semitism in Europe dominated the event for the National Day of Remembrance of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust held in Thessaloniki.
"The duty is one: To never allow some perverts to attempt to turn our land into an immense cemetery again. For us, it is a duty and a duty of honor to be able to teach our children that what happened once is something that no civilized person should allow to happen again," emphasized in his greeting the Deputy Minister of the Interior (Macedonia and Thrace) Costas Gioulekas and continued: "No one expected that after the global devastation of 1939-1945 we would experience a war in Europe again. And yet, unfortunately, for the last two years a war has been raging over our northern borders, in the Heart of Europe, in Ukraine. All of these are signs of a constant vigilance, awakening, and vigilance for all that we must do to prevent it from taking on greater dimensions. what is happening there". Mr. Gioulekas also conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the event.
"Eighty years after World War II and the liberation of Auschwitz, it is deeply disappointing to hear reports that anti-Semitism is not decreasing but is alarmingly increasing," Israeli Ambassador Noam Katz said. "This resurgence has been further fueled by the turmoil in the Middle East, particularly following the heinous terrorist attack by Hamas - a recognized anti-Semitic and genocidal terrorist organization - in Israel in October 2023. This attack, the deadliest against Jews since the Holocaust, claimed the lives of 1.200 Israelis and led to 251 others being taken hostage. Demonstrations and rhetoric against Israel, often labeled as "anti-Zionism", all too often turn into blatant anti-Semitism, with rhetoric or silent calls for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state and the targeting of Jewish communities around the world. These realities must not fade from our consciousness, even in this fragile moment of ceasefire, as hostages are being released, with four women released yesterday, at enormous cost to Israel. It is a stark reminder that vigilance and action against hate remain as critical as ever.”
The Israeli ambassador referred to the once thriving Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, the fact that 94% of its 50.000 members were exterminated by the Nazi death machine, and described the destruction of European and Greek Judaism by the Nazis as an "indelible stain on the history of humanity."
He spoke about the story of the Thessaloniki "violinist of Auschwitz", Jacob Strumsa, who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, with music proving to be a lifeline for him, and stressed the need to preserve memory and be vigilant as anti-Semitism is on the rise.
Regarding the current Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, he said that "although much smaller, it continues to play a prominent role in the life of the city while preserving its rich heritage."
He also emphasized that "the creation of the Holocaust Museum in Thessaloniki is an important step forward for the memory of the Holocaust and the honor of the history of the Jewish community, and we look forward to completing the honor of the Community's heritage in Eleftherias Square, further ensuring that this memory will be woven into the fabric of Greek history."
"As the generation of Holocaust survivors dwindles, our commitment to preserving memory intensifies. Together, we must work for a future where the atrocities of the Holocaust will not be repeated. By embracing the lessons of the past and strengthening unity, we can ensure that "Never Again" is not just a phrase but an enduring commitment," he said, concluding his speech by saying in Greek "NEVER AGAIN."
"Thessaloniki remembers one of the darkest periods of its history every day, and we do so not simply because we have a debt, but because it was indelibly etched in the social and historical subconscious. Because the city and all of us learned to live with an open wound and to pass on the lessons of that era to future generations, with the emphasis that they must not and cannot forget, so as not to allow such an atrocity to be repeated," pointed out the regional governor of Central Macedonia, Athena Aidona.
"Greece honors the 67.000 innocent Greek Jews who were exterminated. 50.000 of them were from Thessaloniki. Unfortunately, few of those who experienced the horror are able today to speak about what they went through," said the president of the Central Jewish Council of Greece, David Saltiel, and continued: "This helps the rise of parties that, with extreme and divisive rhetoric, celebrate historical triumphs, reshaping the political landscape in Europe, as a result of a society of inequalities and generalized insecurity. At the same time, as the era of the martyr approaches its twilight, we see a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism in Europe. An anti-Semitism that, wherever it comes from - right or left - is the same poison."
Mr. Saltiel spoke about the "complicity" of those who knew about the Holocaust and remained apathetic and inactive and noted: "Only the full understanding of what happened in World War II, only the deepening and consolidation of the memory of the Holocaust can be a response to the phenomena of nostalgia for barbarity that are strongly observed in our days."
The keynote speaker at the event, which took place at the Port's Warehouse C, was the mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, who emphasized: "The inhumane regimes have collapsed. However, as it is proven, even today the monster of anti-Semitism is still here, alive, in every corner of this very fluid and changeable world that is changing at a rapid pace. And it is also proven that whoever is not afraid of the face of the monster, as the late Manos Hatzidakis used to say, is beginning to resemble him. The weapons we have in our hands today to defeat the monster and not get used to being afraid are two. The preservation of memory and constant vigilance. Let us always be ready so that not only does humanity never know such horror again, but also to make it even more humane, more tolerant, more inclusive our society".
Mr. Angeloudis expressed optimism that the pending legal matters will soon be resolved and that work will begin in the coming months on the creation of the Memorial Park in Eleftherias Square.
A written message was sent by former Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikramenos, while a greeting was delivered by the Deputy Governor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Gioutikas.
The event was attended by the ambassadors of Germany Andreas Kindle, Canada Anna-Karin Asselin, the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Athens, Maria Olson, the consuls general in Thessaloniki of the US Jerry Ismail, Germany Monica Frank, France Jean-Luc Laveau and the Republic of Cyprus Konstantinos Polykarpou, the Secretary General of the N.D. Party, Stavros Kalafatis, as a representative of the Speaker of the Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis, the N.D. MPs. Dimanantis Golidakis, Fanis Papas, SYRIZA-PS MP Katerina Notopoulou, as a representative of the party's president Socrates Famellos, Thanasis Glavinas (member of the PASOK-KINAL Coordinating Political Center), as a representative of the party's president Nikos Androulakis, the Coordinator of the Prime Minister's Office in Macedonia Yiannis Papageorgiou, the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Philotheos, representatives of the Military Authorities and the Security Forces, etc.
The event was followed by the laying of wreaths at the Holocaust Memorial on the coastal Nikis Avenue.