Holocaust Memorial Day in Athens

Students at the Lauder Jewish Community School of Athens — alongside Greek Jewish Holocaust survivors — commemorated the Holocaust.

On Monday, January 29, 2018, the Municipal Council of Attica and the Jewish Community of Athens organized the Holocaust Memorial Day, commemorating Greek Jewish Holocaust victims and survivors. The event took place at the Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center. It was titled, “Pages of memory, Pages of Life,” referring to books which document the Holocaust, and serve as vital tools in preserving its memory.

The President of the State of Israel, Mr. Reuben Rivlin, attended the event, accompanied by his wife. The hall was packed with more than 1,000 guests, and began with the school choir singing “The Song of Peace.” It was moving when the children lit the Menorah, honoring the few living Greek survivors and commemorating all Holocaust victims.

The first candle was lit by a grandfather (one of the last survivors of the Greek Holocaust) and his two grandchildren, both of whom are students at the Lauder Athens school.

Silence reigned when the President of Israel, Mr. Reuben Rivlin, gave a concise and meaningful speech which ended with the wish, “Let the memory of every brother and sister be a beam of eternal light.”

The event continued with speeches by the President of the Jewish Community of Athens, Mr. Minos Moissis, and the President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, Mr. David Saltiel. At the end of the evening, everyone left with a strong closing message of ‘Never Again’, and with a feeling of satisfaction in seeing so many children and youth volunteers offering their time and effort in making this once again a memorable occasion, and safe-guarding the community’s history, as it builds its future.