In 2010, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Congregation Ezra Bessaroth in Seattle, Harley & Lela Franco renovated the synagogue courtyard in honor of their parents. The courtyard would also honor our ‘Rhodesli’ community history, with a mediterranean motif reminiscent of the Island of Rhodes, including olive trees, fig trees, grape vine, and a large podium finished with a mosaic of light and dark round stones (‘sheshos’), typically found in Rhodes and in the Kahal Shalom Synagogue.
The central feature of the courtyard, however, would be a reduced-scale replica of the martyrs monument that is located in the Juderia of Rhodes. The martyrs monument of Rhodes stands prominently in what is now known as Jewish Martyrs Square, a short walk from the historic synagogue.
In consultation with their good friend Joel Benoliel, the Francos found a fitting focal point for the Franco Courtyard in Seattle - that would honor our ancestors from the Jewish Community of Rhodes, by remembering those who were martyred al kiddush hashem – in sanctification of God’s name. Since 2010, every year, we have held an annual Rhodes & Kos memorial program.
Now 14 years later, we gathered in the Juderia of Rhodes the 80 years that have passed since 1,604 holy souls of Rhodes and Kos were martyred, simply because they were Jewish. Virtually the entire Jewish populations of both islands were brutally taken from their homes on July 23 1944 and transported by boat and cattle car to Auschwitz, arriving on August 16 1944. It was the longest journey of any community transported to the Nazi death camps. Only 151 ultimately survived.
Commemorating the 80 years since the tragic destruction of the Jewish Communities of Rhodes and Kos, the Jewish Community of Rhodes under the leadership of Claudia Restis organized a week-long symposium and memorial program on the Island. I was privileged to join as a member of the official US Delegation organized by the Sephardic Brotherhood of America.
As an aside, Ethan Marcus, the Managing Director of the Brotherhood, played a meaningful role in managing and organizing the trip – I personally appreciated his persistence and encouragement, when I was uncertain whether or not I would attend.
The new relationships I and others from Seattle established with the Jewish leadership in Greece, I believe are significant and will continue into the future.
In reflecting on what was a profound experience for me in Rhodes, I found myself trying to reconcile a deep sense of connection to the place and the people, with a more spiritual experience connected to the ancient Jewish tradition that once existed in the Juderia – and, I believe, still exists for us, if we choose to access it.
The place is stunningly beautiful.
Rabbi Benchlouch of Congregation Ezra Bessaroth in Seattle, Rabbi Owen from the Seattle Hebrew Academy (and descendant of Rev. David J. Behar), and I had the amazing privilege to help lead the Shabbat services and Torah reading, along with the Chief Rabbi of Athens Gabriel Negrin, in that holy place, according to the tradition of Rhodes.
We saw the ruins of the Kahal Grande, bombed by the allies in WWII - with its tile and stone floors still visible, as well as the one remaining wall in which two aron hakodesh ark insets still remain. We saw community buildings named for the Notrica and Alhadeff families; the beautiful, narrow stone streets, lined with homes - including still abandoned homes of Jewish deportees that remain vacant, placed in trust with the Greek government after the war to allow the original Jewish occupants to reclaim them. We saw a street and park named for Solomon Alhadeff; the beautiful Kaye de los Rikos (street of the wealthy); and a beautifully restored Jewish cemetery with a special section for the great hakhamim of Rhodes.
On Shabbat in Rhodes, as we stood in front of the Torah, we memorialized all the martyrs of Rhodes and Kos, reciting a special memorial prayer for our dear Stella Tarica, the last of the Rhodesli survivors in Seattle.
The experience in Rhodes felt like traveling back in time. The historic Juderia is part of a beautiful and ancient walled city—many of the beautiful Jewish community structures that survived World War II remain—as do the narrow stone streets—as they must have been when my grandparents, and their grandparents, lived there.
Nearly 300 people from Rhodesli diaspora communities from around the world joined us on the Island for the weeklong program. Sepharadim from Cape Town, Brussels, London, Toronto, Paris, and beyond were there to commemorate their families and their stories. I felt in some instances like I was meeting distant relatives for the first time; I was making new acquaintances with familiar names and faces, while meeting others for the first time that I only had the chance to connect with virtually.
It was a particular privilege to meet Sami Modiano, the only survivor from Rhodes who was able to attend the program in person this year. I was moved by his powerful testimony as a survivor of Auschwitz and his message to the next generation. I met so many people who were so engaging, including Anastasios Karababas, who accompanied Sami Modiano and moderated the presentation of his testimony.
I met Sami Modiano’s cousin, Jacques Franco from Cape Town; Daniel Benardout from Athens, and others from Israel and throughout Europe. There were brilliant lectures on Rhodes Jewry offered by scholars from my own city: Professor Devin Naar from the University of Washington, and Dr. Hanna Pressman from the Jewish Languages Project. Aron Hasson, the founder of the Jewish Museum of Rhodes, received a well-deserved honor for all he has done to enhance the jewish community assets in Rhodes.
After reflecting on this extraordinary experience, I concluded that the essence and heart of it all is our shared Torah tradition of Rhodes. Our spiritual legacy must be preserved and perpetuated, in order to ensure the future of our community. It is through our treasured tradition that those we are remembering today will live on, through the generations to come.
The beautiful Juderia, our wonderful people, our family histories, our culinary tradition, folklore, music, is all so very meaningful and emotional for us, but we must never lose sight of the tradition and torah legacy that infuses it all with life, meaning, and a unique connection to God.
Having now seen the leadership devoted to the Juderia and the global Rhodesli diaspora, I am confident they will continue to be faithful stewards of the Jewish quarter and advocates for our beautiful tradition; a unique Jewish tradition that will, Si Kere EL Dio, be perpetuated for generations to come.
In the face of a tragedy that might simply have brought an end to the history of the Jewish community of Rhodes 80 years ago, we will instead strengthen our connection to the holy remnant of the Juderia, to our brothers and sisters around the world, and our commitment to our sacred tradition, as a community.
Comentários