The book by architect, urban planner and writer, Dr. Elias Messinas "The Good" was presented on 1.4.2025, in the event hall of the Philoptochos Brotherhood of Men of Thessaloniki.
"The Good" is the third book in the trilogy that began with the book "The Synagogue" and continued with "The Synagogue".
During the book launch, the president of FAATH, George Konstantinidis, noted, among other things: "Christians and Jews shaped the historiography of the city. There may have been several differences, already from the period of Turkish rule, such as religious confession, the relations they maintained with the Ottoman administration, and even the economic activity they practiced. However, there were many elements that united them, such as culture. At the level of the bourgeoisie, there was not only vertical stratification based on religious confession, there was also horizontal stratification based on social class, and at the level of the bourgeoisie, there were special, exceptional and loving relationships. Elias Messinas has contributed greatly to the preservation of the Jewish architectural heritage of the city and our country."
Present at the book launch was the secretary of the Community Council of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, Hannah PintoAs she said, "The title of the book derives its name from the way in which Sephardim referred to the synagogue. Through the pages of the book, Elias Messinas leads us on a mental journey through these silent witnesses of Jewish life."
At the book launch, greetings were also delivered, among others, by the Deputy Mayor for Technical Works, Environment and Sustainable Mobility, Prodromos Nikiforidis, the President of the Association of Architects, Associate Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dimitrios Kontaxakis, the Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Themis Hatzigiannopoulos, as well as the Professor Emeritus of the Department of Architectural Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Nikos Kalogirou.
The event was coordinated by Stelios Christanis, Architect and Engineer, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Excerpts from the book were read by Architect Engineer MSc Restaurator, Dimitris Ambonis.
After the event, Mr. Messinas spoke with the audience and signed copies of his book.
SOURCE: Macedonian News, 1.4.25 by Gabriel Hatzinopoulos