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Ottomans arrive and improve life for Jews

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Influx of Jews arrive after exile from Spain

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The antisemitic EEE was formed and perpetrated attacks on Jews. “They were angry at me that I killed Jesus, but I had never met Jesus! I didn't know who he was.”-Chaim Raphael

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Ioannis Metaxas, the Greek dictator, restricted Jewish participation in the army but also subdued the EEE.

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Multiple measures were imposed on Jews that affected their daily lives

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Nazis conquer Salonika

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The Germans robbed Jewish property and closed all Jewish schools. Einsatzstab Rosenberg led a special unit called “Commando Rosenberg” which was instrumental in the torturing of rich Jews and looting of cash, jewelry, silverware, art pieces, and carpets.

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“Every day there was an article written against the Jews. Some of the writers were forced to write against the Jews.”Jewish newspapers were canceled, and instead, antisemitic newspapers appeared."-Chaim Raphael

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Exceptionally severe and six hundred people died of cold and disease.

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9,000 Jewish men in Salonika between the ages of 18 and 45 were summoned to (Liberty Square), where they were humiliated in the burning sun all day."“They dealt out so many blows that people fainted, so then they would lift them up, pour water over them and start again.” Itzchak Nechema

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“There were girls standing there and every time there was a beating or something like that they applauded gleefully.”

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250 of the enslaved men had perished

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The Judenrat (led by Rabbi Zvi Koretz) appealed to the Commander of Salonika to release the enlisted Jews because of the impending winter and argued to pay the Germans 3.5 million drachmas in the exchange.

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The Commander released a statement saying the Jewish community had obtained two million drachmas and had sold their cemetery to fulfill the remaining 1.5 million drachmas needed.

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the National Liberation Front (EAM) issued a statement calling on Christians to save the Jews. “calls upon the inhabitants of Athens and upon all Greeks and all Christians to extend their help in order to save the Jews. This can be done by massive protest demonstrations, big rallies and general mobilization aimed at frustrating the terrible Pogrom. Let us give asylum to all persecuted Jews; let us crush any traitor that harms the Jews.”

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Was a part of the EAM

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Despite Rabbi Koretz’s protests he was designated to represent the Jews in dealings with Aldof Eichmann’s representatives upon their arrival

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A series of edicts were issued to implement the Nuremberg Laws and isolate the Jews.

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“The Jewish identifying mark consists of a six-point star, ten centimeters in diameter, made of yellow cloth.”

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Deportation convoys assembled in Baron Hirsch quarter. The Neighborhood becomes a ghetto.

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Rabbi Koretz tried to stop the deportations by offering the Germans half of the Jew’s property.

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Berlin refused the offer and twenty transports comprised of 43,850 Jews began leaving for Auschwitz.

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Guelfo Zamboni was the leader of the Italian consulate in Germany and was instrumental in helping some Jews escape. As the transports began Zamboni saved 350 of the remaining desperate citizens by providing them forged Italian citizenship.

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Yaacov (Jacki) Handeli woke up one morning to the SS, Greek police, and the Jewish council banging on the doors with guns and forced them from their homes into the cattle cars. The cattle cars were marked “six horses,” denoting that the train holding 90 humans was intended for six horses. They were told they were going to Poland so they were to pack heavy clothing and good shoes. To maintain the facade, each person was given 600 Polish Zloty.

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The deportations were even harsher than others in Europe because they lasted seven days and eight nights, rather than the usual two or three. For over a week, 80-90 people were placed in a cattle car with a small bucket of water and a small bucket to serve as a toilet.

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“I don't know if there is a movie director who could recreate the atmosphere in those sealed cars during seven days and eight nights. They put eighty people into a cattle car, and sometimes more. It was absolutely horrific. The suffering, the embarrassment, the humiliation.”-Chaim Raphael

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“The doctor would sit by himself and I asked him every time, "Doctor, how many days is it possible to live without food, how long can a man hold on?" He would answer, "It's possible to hold on for 40 days." Every morning I would remind him: "Doctor… how many days?" And he would answer: "Forty days." On the seventh day I asked him: "Doctor?" And the doctor was dead. "Doctor", I said to him, "You've gone? Why so soon? You said we could hold on for 40 days…"

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Jacki describes how the Red Cross gave them bread and cheese, but the cheese was so salty that all the Jews became even more dehydrated. They sometimes stopped for hours at railway stops seeing water far away but were not able to drink any.

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Only 11,200 people (4,200 women and 7,000 men) passed the initial selection. The 37,000 other men, women and children were gassed upon their arrival.

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When Jacki arrived at Auschwitz, the whole transport was forced into a hut and told to undress. The Germans inspected the prisoners’ mouths for gold teeth and, if any were found, they simply yanked out the whole tooth to obtain the gold. Jacki was too young to have any fillings but he thought of his father who he knew had many coverings.

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Greek Jews were fully assimilated into society and, therefore, spoke Greek and Ladino, vastly different from the common camp languages of German, Yiddish, and Polish. “The Jews did not accept us as Jews.”-Jacki

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“All that smoke you see, that's your parents.”

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“I would not starve to death”-Ovadia Baruch

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One time, out of pure exhaustion, he cried out, “Oy Madre, Oy Madre” and caught the eye of a girl passing by with a kapo. He fell instantly in love.

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Zvi Michaeli also lost his parents after the selection and was told: “they don't exist anymore.” He was alone in a world where he could communicate with very few. He managed to save 20 photographs of his family and every night would recite their names to ensure he never forgot them.

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Zvi became very ill and was sent to the camp hospital. He befriended the French speaking Polish Dr. Shymon Lubitz, who told him “I'll keep you in the ward as long as I can.”

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Jacki worked in the kitchens and met Jaco Razon. Jaco Razon was also a Salonika Jew and a world renowned boxer. The camp commander liked boxing so Jaco retained personal freedoms not available to other prisoners. Jaco Razon tried to use his relative freedom and access to food to keep others, particularly Jacki, healthy.

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Alberto Errea was arrested by the Germans

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Alberto arrived at Auschwitz. And was selected to be a Sonderkommando. The inability to communicate with the majority of prisoners made the Salonika Jews unwittingly perfect sonderkommandos because they were unable to warn prisoners of their imminent fate.

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Albert took the famous “Sonderkommando Photographs” Three other sonderkommandos kept watch as he secretly photographed. Two of the shots were taken within the gas chamber.

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August 1944 (Sonderkommando Photographs) 

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August 1944 (Sonderkommando Photographs) 

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The photographs were numbered 280–283 by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Nos. 280 and 281 show the cremation of corpses in a fire pit, shot through the black frame of the gas chamber's doorway or window. No. 282 exhibits a group of naked women just before they enter the gas chamber. No. 283 is an image of trees, the result of the photographer aiming too high.

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August 1944 (Sonderkommando Photographs) 

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August 1944 (Sonderkommando Photographs) 

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he pictures were smuggled out in a toothpaste tube. The photographs were distributed by the Polish Resistance and were cropped to focus on the figures. These pictures along with a few from the Auschwitz Album are the only ones to exist surrounding the gas chambers.

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During as ash transport, Alberto hit the SS watchmen on the head and attempted to escape.

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Alberto was captured and killed

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Many planned Sonderkommando upsirings had been called off, the situation gained urgency: transports ceased and the liquidation of the sonderkommandos was beginning.

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They began to cement their plans of revolt and escape. Gunpowder was smuggled in by women, which the men fashioned into grenades from sardine tins. Local partisans were able to slip small arms through the fence. Knives, axes, and other small weapons were made and hidden inside the crematorium.

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The Poles in Crematorium One began the revolt.

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Hungarians in Crematoriums 3 and 4 revolt

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A Nazi guard in Creamtorium 1 was stuffed in an oven and burned alive. The Germans soon arrived bearing tanks and machine guns and shot all the prisoners near the crematoriums. Some sonderkommandos dragged their crude grenades into the oven and ignited them in a sucicide attempt to destroy the crematorium.

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The revolt was suppressed and 200 sonderkommandos were forced face down and executed with single shots to the back of their heads.

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Auschwitz liberated

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Of the 55,200 Salonika Jews living prior to the war only 1,950 survived. Most survivors returned to Salonika hopeful to find relatives but quickly realized almost all had perished.

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Ovadia Baruch married Aliza and they illegally fled to Palestine in a fishing boat. Much to their surprise, the Jewish doctor that operated on Aliza left her one ovary and she gave birth to a boy and later a girl.

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Jacki Handeli endured a death march to Bergen-Belsen where he was finally liberated by the British. Jacki immigrated to Israel and had two children with his wife Rachael.

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withstood the death march to Bergen Belsen and, although emaciated, survived until the camp’s liberation. On the ship to Sweden for rehabilitation, he met his wife, Elvira, another Auschwitz survivor and they later moved to Israel where they started their family. Zvi spoke about the horros he endured during the Holocaust and in 1990 even lead student tours to the Polish death camps.

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Salonika is the second largest city in Greece, housing .05% of the country's Jews.