On June 9, 1944, three days after the landing at Normandy, overriding
German high Command orders, the Gestapo on the island of Corfu rounded
up close to 1,800 Jews in the Old Fortress, from where they were sent
on small, requisitioned boats to Patras and from there to Athens, where
they were put into cattle cars. Their final destination was Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Most never returned. Ninety-one percent of the Jews of Corfu perished
in the Holocaust. This year on June 10, 2001, on the anniversary of their
deportation, a memorial to the lost Jews of Corfu will be unveiled. Corfiote
Jews from around the world will gather to pay respects to their lost relatives
and friends. The story of the Jews of Corfu has always been fascinating:
a mixture of strong willed Romaniotes and a large influx of "Pugliese"
from southern Italy. Two separate communities lived side by side, with
separate synagogues, separate languages, diverse customs, not even willing
to share a common burial site. Although never large in number, the Jews
of the island seemed to present an economic challenge to the Christian
population. The "Blood Libel" on the island of Corfu in 1891, although
thought to be politically motivated, demonstrated how easy it was to inflame
the Christian populace, and successive Greek governments. The repercussions,
both economic and emotional, were still being felt on the island some
fifty years later, when Corfu Jews were deported. The Jewish population
of Corfu was for most part poor. The most common occupations were porter,
laborers and venders. There were those few who owned shops, most small
in size, supplying the needs of the community. Heavy bombing had taken
place on the island and many Jews, along with many Christians, were homeless,
seeking shelter with relatives and friends. Some were fortunate to find
safe shelter outside the city, and with the help of local Christians,
were not within the city of Corfu when the June 1944 deportations took
place. About 200 Jews on the island survived this way. These were poor,
hard working, strong-spirited Jews. The more affluent had left in 1891,
leaving a void, not only in the Jewish Community, but also in the Christian
one. The Jewish Community missed their leadership and guidance, the Christian
community their economic expertise. There were a small, mostly descendants
of wealthy Italian Jews, who preserved a culture and refinement, reminiscent
of more affluent times. They collected art, went to concerts on the Esplanade
and engaged in the literary and cosmopolitan offerings of the island.
Walking through the streets of the Old City of Corfu, through the "Jewish
Ghetto", one can still feel the presence of this vital community. There
are still some Jewish owned shops on Palaologos street. The "Scuola Greca",
the Greek Synagogue, is nestled near the edge of the Jewish Quarter, as
the area became known after the ghetto gates erected by the Venetians
were torn down. Signs of the bombings of World War II are still present.
The shell of the second synagogue can still be seen and many former homes
are only facades. The present community numbers about 80 and the synagogue
usually remains locked. An increase in Israeli tourists has led to occasional
services, but these are rare since there is no rabbi on the island. The
Jewish Community of Corfu has commissioned a prominent sculptor to create
the Holocaust Memorial. The total cost is approximately $35,000. The Jewish
Community of Corfu has pledged $10,000 towards the monument and the Municipality
of Corfu has donated the land in the square directly outside the Jewish
Quarter, along with $5,000. It is hoped that the remainder will be raised
by Corfiote Jews in the Diaspora and other interested individuals. As
part of the preparations for the unveiling of the Holocaust Memorial,
the Association of Friends of Greek Jewry is hoping to have a complete
list of all those Jews from Corfu who were deported in June of 1944. Unfortunately
no complete list exists. We have been able to compile the family names:
Akkos, Alchavas, Amar, Aron, Asias, Asser, Bakolas, Balestra, Baruch,
Ben Giat, Besso, Cavaliero, Chaim, Dalmedigos, Dentes, Ftan, Elias, Eliezer,
Eskapas, Ferro, Fortes, Ganis, Gerson, Gikas, Israel, Johanna, Koen, Kolonimos,
Konstantinis, Koulias, Lemous, Leoncini, Levi, Matathias, Matsas, Minervo,
Mizan, Mordos, Moustaki, Nachon, Nechamas, Negrin, Osmos, Ovadiah, Perez,
Pitson, Politis, Raphael, Sardas, Sasen, Serneine, Sinigalli, Soussis,
Tsesana, Varon, Vellelis, Vivante, Vital and Vitali. A plaque will be
placed at the base of the monument with the family names of those lost.
Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos is the president of the AFGJ . |
