Today we saw the continuation of the idea from Avi – the absence of presence and the presence of absence – during our visit to the synagogue at Veria when we saw a whole Jewish community vanished in the Holocaust. On our trip to Poland, the cataclysm was extremely visible and immediate. One cannot even think about walking through Auschwitz without feeling the evil of the place, so when walking through these quaint villages and towns, one doesn’t realize the hidden tragedy of Greece – the absence of presence and the presence of absence.
To find the memory of the life of so many Greek Jews through the synagogues and homes of those that lived here that were taken away and murdered by the Nazis is overwhelmingly tragic. It’s a heavy weight we bare as educators and simply as people, to carry on the work of keeping alive the memory of those lost in the Holocaust, but it is noble work.
This trip has given us the opportunity to move beyond the typical, beyond the immediate, beyond the well-known tragedy of the Holocaust. It has given us a depth of knowledge and a phrase that embodies the full struggle of European Jewry – the absence of presence and the presence of absence. This struggle lives on in the buildings, documents, and oral histories of those living and dead who were and are dedicated to preserving the life and presence of a vibrant, passionate, committed group of people who faced a horrific reality. A reality that hit them rapidly, as related in the story of the expansive Jewish cemetery of Thessaloniki, that experienced utter destruction in a matter of moments. Whether it be in a monument to such an event or the living experience and reflection of CWB travelers, the work must continue!
Our day continued in the town of Larisa for a visit to their Holocaust memorial and synagogue. This poignant memorial sits in the center of the town in a place of prominence that was once the heart of a thriving Jewish community. The memorial was erected in 1987—the first Holocaust memorial in all of Greece!
From there we traveled to the Etz Chaim (Tree of Life) synagogue and met the rabbi. He spoke of the compelling and long history of the building and community. He also spoke of the loss of 2,048 souls to the Holocaust. He spoke of how the survivors returned and how some stayed. He spoke of how the society is still strong and continuing the great faith traditions of Judaism. Etz Chaim has a different structure than the other synagogues on the trip because it was brilliantly bright white on the inside, conveying a feeling of hope and life. Overall, Larisa was a contrast to some of the other areas in which the idea of the absence of presence and the presence of absence was truly felt.
In addition, the rabbi spoke of how the memorial was a turning point in the relationship between the Jews and non-Jews of Larisa, which was exciting to hear. In the words of the rabbi, the relationship between Jews and their Orthodox Christian neighbors is “excellent and getting better every day.” The Jewish community of Larisa does not hide, nor does it have to.
Shawn Whelan is a teacher at Gateway High School.