Thessaloniki mayor to visit Melbourne Holocaust centre

November 21, 2014 by Michelle Coleman
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Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, the mayor of Thessaloniki in Greece, is set to visit Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust centre on Sunday, November 23.

 

The Jews of Thessaloniki assemble to register

The Jews of Thessaloniki assemble to register

Mayor Boutaris has called the liquidation of Thessaloniki’s Jews the “darkest moment in its history”, and wore a yellow Star of David at his most recent mayoral swearing in ceremony in recognition of the murder of Thessaloniki’s Jews during the Holocaust.

Yiannis Boutaris

Yiannis Boutaris

Before the Holocaust, Thessaloniki was home to 80,000 Jews. In 1943, under Nazi occupation, some 60,000 Jews were deported to Treblinka and Auschwitz, approximately 90% of whom were murdered. A number of Thessaloniki Jews were involved in resistance acts both in the Warsaw uprising and the October 1944 attack and bombing in Auschwitz.

Over 300 Greek Gentiles have been recognised by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among The Nations.

The Mayor will speak at the JHC on Sunday, 23rd November at 11:30am and will be joined by Cr Jim Magee, mayor of Glen Eira and His Excellency Mr Charalampos Dafaranos, ambassador of Greece.

Dr Donna-Lee Frieze, genocide studies scholar, will introduce the video testimony of Holocaust survivor, Maria Curtis, (formerly known as Rachael Seror), who escaped the ghetto and was hidden by Greeks in Thessaloniki. Curtis attributes her survival to the righteous of Thessaloniki.

Comments

One Response to “Thessaloniki mayor to visit Melbourne Holocaust centre”
  1. Onoufrios Newy Gorozidis says:

    Yiannis Boutaris
    Mayor of Thessaloniki (Greece)

    Kalosorisate stin Poly mas Melbourne
    Tha mas Timisete na vrite tin Ora
    Gia na fitepsete mia ELIA DENDRO is to OROS MELA na mini enthimio gia eonia oti Perase o Dimarhos o PONTIOS
    Stin Melbourne sto OROS MELLA

    My warmest regards,
    http://www.flagpolehill.org.au

    Onoufrios (Newy) Gorozidis
    Managing Director, Paintmobile
    0420891279

    President of the Pontic Foundation of Panagia Soumela of Australia
    Recipient of the NCHSR, La Trobe University Recognition of Community Service
    Winner of the 2007 HBF/HACCI Lifetime Achievement to Business Award

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