of Katerina Schishino

On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we talked with Victor Eliezer, Journalist, Correspondent of the newspaper Yedioth Achronoth in Greece and CEO of the Central Jewish Council of Greece.

Why was January 27 established as International Holocaust Remembrance Day?

January 27 was established by the UN General Assembly as the International Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust. On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi regime's largest concentration and extermination camp. With a unanimous decision of the Hellenic Parliament in January 2004, January 27th was established in Greece as "Day of Remembrance of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust". With this decision, the world is called to remember the 6.000.000 Jews, among the 60.000 Greek Jews, who were displaced from their homes in Europe and brutally killed in the German extermination camps, just because they were born Jewish. Humanity is called upon to learn from the Holocaust and to teach future generations what fanaticism, totalitarianism and intolerance can lead to if this viper's egg hatches.

Do you think that anti-Semitism continues to exist in Europe and in Greece and threatens the Jewish communities?

Unfortunately the answer is yes. Holocaust memorials are vandalized, Jewish cemeteries are desecrated, people are killed inside synagogues while they pray. But you ask me if the Jewish Communities are threatened. Yes, anti-Semitism threatens Jewish Communities. But not only the Jewish Communities. And do you know why? Because anti-Semitism starts against the Jews but does not stop with the Jews. Because the hatred that anti-Semitism breeds is not only hatred against Jews, but against every free-thinking person. So anti-Semitism threatens our very democracy, culture and humanity.

Coming from Arta, how important do you consider the existence of efforts by our small societies to preserve the memory of the Holocaust?

Look, each local community makes its mark on the future, highlights the education of its children through empathy. And in this process, with the teachers themselves as protagonists, young men and women from Arta, my father's hometown, participate. And I am moved when I meet students who participate in the Holocaust video competition that the Ministry of Education organizes every year, when I see the students of the 1st Vocational Lyceum participating in the events of the events honoring the Jews of Arta, I am moved when I meet and I hear the children of the Music school of Arta singing odes dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. It is this "baton" of memory, from generation to generation, that can shield a society from slipping back into the brutality of fascism and Nazism.

WeRemember - why should memory be a compass for the future and what practices exist to preserve it?

So that people don't turn into numbers engraved on their arm again! I know Mrs. Schishinou that you are a lover of poetry: so I will convey to you some verses of the Israeli poet Zelka who dedicated them to the 6.000.000 victims of the Holocaust, who were turned into numbers by the Nazi machine:

Every man has his own name

God given.

And, still, given by his father and mother.

Every person has a name

Given to him by his stature

And given the way he smiles

And given, even, by his clothes.

Every person has a name

Given to him by the mountains

And given to him by the walls that stand around him.

 

Every person has a name

Given to him by the planets

And given to him by the neighbors.

Every person has a name

Given to him by his sins

And given by his lusts.

Every man has his name

Given to him by enemies

And given to him by love.

Every person has a name

Given to him from his feast day

And given to him by his labor.

Every man has his name

Given to him by the seasons of the year

And given to him from his own abyss.

Every person has a name.

Given to him by the sea.

And given to him by his death.

These people, who were our relatives, friends, neighbors, fellow citizens, fellow human beings, we remember them with the "Weremember" campaign and that is why Parliaments and Municipal buildings are lit up... to show that the "light of memory" prevails over the "darkness of you forgot".

SOURCE: e-maistros.gr, 25.1.2023

ABOUT:

MESSAGES

POST OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

MESSAGE OF THE PRIME MINISTER FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

POST OF THE ISRAEL AMBASSADOR ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EVENTS IN GREECE

#WE REMEMBER 2023 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN

EVENTS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023 AT I.K. GREECE

EME & GAITE INSTITUTE ORGANIZE FILM SCREENING FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

BOOK PRESENTATION "SHOUT FOR TOMORROW"

EVENT IN THESSALONIKI FOR THE NEW ERT SERIES "THE BRACELET OF FIRE"

BOOK PRESENTATION "ELIAS PETROPOULOS. For the Jews of Salonica"

TRIKALA: HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

THE FEATURE "ADIO QUERIDA: FROM THESSALONIKI TO AUSCHWITZ - 80 YEARS" WILL BE SHOWN AT THE 25th THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL

THE KISE FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023 - Meeting with the Special Envoys on Anti-Semitism

KIS FOR THE HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2023 -Meeting with the Special Envoys on Anti-Semitism

PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK "BERRY NAHMIAS - CRY FOR TOMORROW"

THE THEATER OF THESSALONI HONORED THE 2023 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE SHOWING OF THE PLAY "Saturday"

THE THEATER PERFORMANCE "Saturday" PRESENTED IN LARISA FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

"LET ME BE MYSELF": REPORT - ACTION FROM THE 1st EXPERIMENTAL HIGH SCHOOL AND THE 3rd HIGH SCHOOL OF LARISA

THE EVENT OF THE REGION OF ATTICA & THE I.K. ATHENS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

WE REMEMBER 2023 – THE GREEK PARLIAMENT AND MUNICIPALITIES PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST

THE HELLENIC PARLIAMENT AND MUNICIPALITIES AROUND GREECE JOINED THE HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE CAMPAIGN #WE REMEMBER 2023

THE EVENTS OF THE REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA AND OF I.K. THESSALONIKI FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

THE EVENT OF I.K. CHALKIDAS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EVENTS OF THE THESSALIA REGION AND OF THE I.K. VOLOU FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

THE EVENT OF THE EPIRO REGION AND THE I.K. IOANNINE FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

SPECIAL MEETING IN THE PARLIAMENT FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY OF THE GREEK JEWISH MARTYRS

"WHAT THE CITY REMEMBERS" - PROFESSOR MAZAUER'S SPEECH IN THESSALONIKI DURING THE CEREMONY FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

PAKETHRA TOURS STUDENTS TO XANTHI JEWISH MEMORIAL SITES FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF ARTAS MUSIC SCHOOL FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

THE 2ND PRIMARY SCHOOL OF TRIKALON HONORED HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EVENT IN CHANIA FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EVENTS OF THE THESSALIA REGION AND OF THE I.K. VOLOU FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

PIERCE SERIES OF EVENTS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE LAUDER SCHOOL OF THE ISRAELI COMMUNITY OF ATHENS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

ACTION OF THE 2ND EPAL OF RETHYMNO FOR THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

OPENING OF THE EXHIBITIONS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ATHENS – WE FOR THE HOLOCAUST

OUTDOOR PHOTO EXHIBITION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ATHENS ON THE HOLOCAUST

THE "NEVER AGAIN" OF THE CHILDREN IN LARISA FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

3rd GEL KAVALAS: LEARNING THE HISTORY AND TRAGIC FATE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF KAVALAS

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE 1ST GE.L. KILKIS FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE 8th GEL IOANNINE FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

 

EVENTS ABROAD

THE PLENARY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF CYPRUS OBSERVED A MINUTE OF SILENCE ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

EVENT OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF GREECE IN NEW YORK FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

 

ARTICLES – INTERVIEWS – TESTIMONIALS

BERRY NAHMIAS: A TESTIMONY. A SCREAM. A LIFETIME

INTERVIEW OF GEN. SECRETARY KISE ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023

ARTICLE OF GEN. SECRETARY KISE ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023: "EVERY PERSON HAS HIS NAME"

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023 - INTERVIEW WITH LEON SALTIEL IN APE: "The renaming of a main street of Thessaloniki to Avenue of Jewish Martyrs is due honor"

ARTICLE LEON SALTIEL: Thoughts on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023 - INTERVIEW WITH LEON SALTIEL IN APE: "The renaming of a main street of Thessaloniki to Avenue of Jewish Martyrs is due honor"

THE HOLOCAUST AS A SECRET

ARTICLE OF GEN. SECRETARY KISE ON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2023: "EVERY PERSON HAS HIS NAME"

"THE BRACELET OF FIRE": BEATRIKI SAIA MAGRIZOU SPEAKS TO ERT ABOUT THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE SERIES

"THE CRYING GIRL" - THE SHOCKING STORY OF A PHOTO FROM THE EXTERMINATION OF THE JEWS OF JOHNINE

NAKI BEGA, AUSCHWITZ PRISONER 77092 SAYS TO "K": "LET US DIE NOW. DENBORUMELLO"

NAKI BEGA. THE LAST GREEK JEWISH HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR

TESTIMONY OF RINA BARZILAI REVACH: He was three years old when he was found in the Bergen-Belsen camp

THE HOLOCAUST AND THE LYCORNIES OF BEBELOSIS