{
  "id": 2582512,
  "title": "'Jerusalem of the Balkans': Exploring Thessaloniki's lost Jewish history - opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/jerusalem-of-the-balkans-exploring-thessalonikis-lost-jewish-history",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T13:46:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-906068"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Standing at Thessaloniki's port, I recalled the Jewish port workers who once toiled there and those who later immigrated to pre-state Israel. Among these men were also members of the Sonderkommando who revolted at Auschwitz-Birkenau, destroying crematorium IV.\n\nI boarded an El Al flight to Thessaloniki, eager to explore the city that once had a vibrant Jewish community. When I arrived, I learned that the locals called it \"La Madre de Israel,\" or \"the Mother of Israel,\" and \"the Jerusalem of the Balkans.\" The name Thessaloniki honored the city's namesake, Thessalonike, half-sister of Alexander the Great, who founded the city in 315 BCE.\n\nA Jewish legend stated that Thessalonike transformed into a mermaid after her death, haunting passing ships and ensuring that her brother, Alexander, remained alive. She turned into a monstrous sea creature if sailors answered incorrectly to her inquiry. Jews are believed to have lived in Thessaloniki since around 140 BCE, with a Romaniote community that spoke Yevanic, a Jewish form of Greek. The arrival of Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century contributed to the city's growth, with Jews comprising half the population by the end of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry.\n\nThe port, expanded and managed by Jews, naturally closed on the Sabbath. However, in 1917, a devastating fire destroyed much of the city, leaving over 70,000 people homeless, including 52,000 Sephardic Jews. Many opted to emigrate, with some moving to Paris, New York, and pre-state Israel, where they played a significant role in developing the ports of Haifa and Tel Aviv.\n\nThe Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki showcased the rise and fall of one of the world's most illustrious Jewish communities, as well as the present-day community. The museum's ground floor featured recovered tombstones, many dating back to the 15th century, which were forcibly removed during the Nazi occupation of Greece. The stones were repurposed for various purposes, such as building a swimming pool for German soldiers, church renovations, and as pavements in private courtyards. Efforts are ongoing to recover these gravestones.\n\nThessaloniki's Jews endured further tragedy during World War II when they were forced to remove bodies from the gas chambers at Auschwitz. The Monastirioton Synagogue, which survived due to its use by the Red Cross during the German occupation, offered a glimpse into the community's past. I had the opportunity to listen to Elia Matalon, a retired surveyor and civil engineer, recount the history of the community both through public events and personal experiences.",
  "summary": "I had long wanted to visit the city where the port once closed on Shabbat, and where Jews were both longshoremen and leaders in commercial development.",
  "key_points": [
    "Thessaloniki called \"La Madre de Israel\" or \"Jerusalem of the Balkans\"",
    "Jews lived in Thessaloniki since 140 BCE, comprising half the population by Golden Age end",
    "Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki displays recovered tombstones from 15th century"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}