'Jerusalem of the Balkans': Exploring Thessaloniki's lost Jewish history - opinion

Standing at the port of Thessaloniki, a bustling commercial hub on the Aegean Sea linking Southern Europe with the Balkans, Barbara Soffer reflects on the city’s rich Jewish heritage. She recalls the Jewish stevedores who once worked these docks and the community members who later moved to pre-state Israel, contributing to its development. Among them were individuals who participated in the resistance at Auschwitz-Birkenau, including those who led a revolt and destroyed crematorium IV. When a flight from Sun d’Or, El Al’s subsidiary, was displayed on her computer, she decided to book tickets for herself and her husband. This journey was driven by a desire to explore the city where the port once closed on Shabbat, and where Jews held prominent roles as both laborers and leaders in commerce. The city, known historically as Salonika or Salonica, was often referred to as “La Madre de Israel,” meaning the Mother of Israel, and the “Jerusalem of the Balkans.” The name Thessaloniki honors a woman, Thessalonike, the half-sister of Alexander the Great and wife of Cassander, who founded the city in 315 BCE. According to Greek legend, after her death, she transformed into a mermaid who would appear to passing ships and ask if her brother Alexander was still alive. Sailors were required to respond correctly, or face dire consequences. While the origins of the Jewish presence in Thessaloniki remain uncertain, historical records suggest that a Romaniote community, speaking a variant of Greek known as Yevanic, existed there as early as around 140 BCE. Over time, the community grew significantly, especially following the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and later from Portugal. These newcomers brought with them the intellectual and commercial vitality of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry, enriching the city’s cultural and economic landscape. Jews eventually constituted nearly half of Thessaloniki’s population, and Ladino became one of the city’s primary languages. Their influence extended to the port, which they developed and where they functioned as merchants, brokers, and longshoremen. As a result, the port was traditionally closed on Shabbat. Soffer visited a hat shop named Stamion, established in 1914, and noted that while the current proprietors were not Jewish, earlier generations of the family had conversed fluently in Ladino due to the large number of Jewish customers. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through Thessaloniki, leaving over 70,000 people homeless, with approximately 52,000 being Sephardi Jews. Many of these displaced individuals migrated to Paris, New York, and pre-state Israel. Jewish longshoremen from Thessaloniki played a crucial role in the development of the ports of Haifa and Tel Aviv. The observance of the Sabbath was later shifted to Sundays. The Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki provides insight into the rise and decline of one of the world’s most remarkable Jewish communities, as well as the present-day situation. On the ground floor, recovered tombstones dominate the space. Until December 1942, an extensive Jewish cemetery, housing hundreds of thousands of graves, occupied the land where the Aristotle University now stands. Graves dating back to the 15th century were among those affected. With the support of the Nazis, who had occupied Greece, municipal workers arrived with tools to dismantle the graves, repurposing marble for various uses, including a swimming pool for German troops, church renovations, and private courtyards. Hebrew inscriptions were defaced or the stones were overturned. Efforts to recover the gravestones continue. This experience evokes memories of the widespread destruction caused during the Holocaust.