The Gianopoulou Sisters by Lucas Miller https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao The story of a WWII Hero en-us 2025-05-11 18:09:32 UTC 2025-05-14 01:45:53 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4d3.png The Start of the Persecution lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177190 When Italy and Greece went to war in 1940, Mentes was drafted into the army and the family started to struggle financially. In April of 1941 the persecution of Jews started. Jewish people were marked with yellow stars on their clothing. Miriam eventually received a letter from a relative warning her of the dangers of the Nazi’s.

]]> 2025-05-11 18:09:32 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177190 The Mordechai Family lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177191 Mentes and Miriam Mordechai had five children named, Sarah, Asher, Shmuel, Rachel, and Yosef. They lived in Veria, Greece, where Mentes was a successful business owner and Miriam ran a fashion store.

]]> 2025-05-11 18:09:32 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177191 Their Background lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177192 Melpomini, Efthimia, and Bithleen Gianopoulou are Greek woman who, in thier teens, took in and hid the Mordechai family in their one room apartment in 1943 during the Nazi deportation of the Jews from Greece. The sisters hid the Mordechai family in their apartment for over a year, risking the lives of everyone involved to save the family from being deported.

]]> 2025-05-11 18:09:32 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445177192 Going Into Hiding lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445205167 In 1943, the Nazi’s started deporting Jews from Greece back to labor camps. The Mordechais hid in their former maid, Evlambia Tokatildo‘s house in an attic that was built to hide them. When living conditions became too harsh, they needed a new place to stay. That’s when Efthimia Gianopoulou came to the rescue. She offered to take in the family to live with her and her two sisters, Bithleen Gianopoulou (later Sumbasi) and Mepolina Gianopoulou (later Dina).

]]> 2025-05-11 18:53:58 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445205167 Tragedy Strikes lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445211483 Because the family was in hiding, they did not have access to medical help. Eventually, the six year old Shmuel became very sick. He was eventually taken to the hospital by Bithleen but it was too late. Shmuel passed away due to his sickness.

]]> 2025-05-11 19:05:31 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445211483 Splitting Up lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445215379 The family needed a new place to hide. They would end up splitting up. The sisters took the oldest daughter, Sarah, to hide in the woods. Asher escaped on his own to the mountains. Miriam would take the two youngest, Rachel and Yosef on foot to look for a place to hide. Eventually they would all reunite and live in remote areas of Greece until the war ended.

]]> 2025-05-11 19:12:07 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445215379 The Gianopoulou Sisters Story lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445215842 2025-05-11 19:12:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3445215842 “Ella’s song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock giannaspatafora2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3446516752 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Uus--gFrc&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD


“Ella’s Song” relates to Melpomeni and her sister’s story because it is all about fighting for freedom. In this song its lyrics revolve around doing something to fight against persecution against a group which is exactly what these sisters did. “We who believe in freedom can not rest” this is how the song starts and this is exactly how the Gianopoulou sisters viewed their fight against freedom.

]]> 2025-05-12 13:20:25 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3446516752 Video of the Reunion lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3449476343 2025-05-14 01:25:45 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3449476343 Melpomini Reuniting with the Mordechai’s lucasmiller2025 https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3449521466 2025-05-14 01:45:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lucasmiller2025/3fjrt4mpu84mq5ao/wish/3449521466