Just a couple of days after the first fire, Dr. Sam Gruber of the International Survey of Jewish Monuments contacted us offering his help by collecting money for the Synagogue through his charitable organization.

For the lates information on the fundraising being done you can follow the link below:

http://samgrubersjewishartmonuments.blogspot.com/2010/02/greece-isjm-continue-to-collect-funds.html

We thank everyone that has contributed to the Synagogue, and Dr. Gruber for coordinating this effort.

This past week (15 – 22 January) began with Erev Shabbat prayers as usual. Some 20 people gathered in the Kal itself which had been re-painted and polished – it was quite exquisite an atmosphere as all of the benches had been polished in lavender oil and the marble floor had been polished as well. At roughly 4:00 in the morning of Shabbat I was wakened once again by news that yet another fire had been set and by the time I arrived at the Synagogue the main office of the Synagogue – where we had also stored some things that we had rescued from my office and library – had become a raging furnace and by the time the fire had been put out the office was completely gutted. Flames this time had managed to penetrate the synagogue proper against the NW ceiling panels and in putting this fire out it was necessary that fire hoses be directed against it. By the time the fire was out the Synagogue was once again stained, filthy with burnt wood and some of the cushions had been destroyed but both the Ehal and Bimah were untouched and by 9:00 in the morning we began Shahrith prayers as usual in an anxious state of mind.

The week has been quite busy and we are grateful for all of the support that we have had and are having. David Saltiel the President of the Salonika Jewish Community has sent a sum for money for immediate needs that we are facing as serious fund-raising is going on. Also from Salonika Mr Maurice Saporta arrived to set in motion a new security system that the Community will fund for us. There has been little time for much more than making several depositions with police assistance and many telephone interviews from all over the world. I especially must thank the police of Hania for their work and support as well as the local fire brigade that managed to put out the fires with limited peripheral damage. Special thanks are due to the Archaeological Department of Hania and its director Dr. Michael Andreanakis. Through his assistance much paper work that normally is associated with antique buildings has been obviated. It was also Dr. Andreanakis who had made the transference of the bones of 15 Jews found in Nea Hora to the Synagogue burial plot several months ago. (See the post “The recent exhumation of fifteen burials from the former Jewish cemetery of Hania, June 15, 2009 in this blog.)

On Friday, 22 January some 90 people assembled in Etz Hayyim for Erev Shabbat prayers. By far most were Christians who wished to show their concern for the Synagogue and for the spirit of reconciliation that it stands for. Of special importance is that I made a somewhat solemn announcement to all that in keeping with the ancient Jewish practice henceforth annually the Synagogue would celebrate a Special Purim on the 7th of Shevat.

This week work will be concentrated on the Kal proper and also on the blocking in with stone, of the windows of what was once the Yeshiva and is now a Café through one of the windows of which the second attackers entered our courtyard.

N. Stavroulakis

Please see the following examples of news coverage and public statements regarding the arson attacks on Etz Hayyim:

“The Shame of Modern Greece. The country suffers from a lack of moral leadership denouncing the embarrassment of anti-Semitism,” by Andrew Apostolou in Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704320104575014571634292264.html

BBC reports on arrest of suspects (video): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8476380.stm

BBC reports on arrest of suspects (text): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8475053.stm

The Guardian reports on arrest of suspects: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/22/britons-arrested-arson-crete-synagogue

US State Department Condemns Arson Attacks on Etz Hayyim Synagogue: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/01/135479.htm

Ενώνω τον αποτροπιασμό μου με αυτόν των άλλων Ahepans και αξιοπρεπών Ελλήνων που καταδικάζουν αυτή τη χυδαία πράξη. Ακολουθεί το Δ.Τ. της ΑΧΕΠΑ Αμερικής. Τέτοιες πράξεις δεν εκφράζουν τους Ελληνες και τον Ελληνισμό που δίδαξε τη Φιλοξενία στα πέρατα του Κόσμου.

Κρίμα που ο κάθε ανισόρροπος εκθέτει την Ελλάδα σε μερίδα των πολιτών της που θρησκεύονται διαφορετικά από την πλειοψηφία. Κάθε Έλληνας πολίτης είναι στο σπίτι σε αυτόν τον τόπο και δεν επηρρεάζεται από ατυχείς πράξεις ανθρώπων με κατώτερα και ταπεινά ένστικτα. Το παρόν αναρτώ και στο προφίλ μου στο Facebook, γιατί η συνύπαρξη είναι μια κατάκτηση και όχι κάτι που συμβαίνει από μόνο του.

Ειλικρινώς,

Νίκος Φαρμακίδης.

WASHINGTON – Nicholas A. Karacostas, supreme president of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading association for the nation’s three million American citizens of Greek heritage, and countless Philhellenes, issued the following statement regarding the continued anti-Semitic attacks upon the historic Etz-Hayyim Synagogue located in Hania, Crete:

“We strongly condemn the anti-Semitic attacks that have been carried out on the Etz-Hayyim Synagogue in Hania. This is the second arson attack in two weeks that has left the synagogue’s infrastructure devastated and approximately 2,500 rare books and other archival items destroyed by fire.

“These anti-Semitic attacks upon the Jewish community in Greece are simply unacceptable. We appeal to the people of Hania, and all Greek citizens, to come together to defy these acts of hatred, intolerance, and bigotry; and to help the healing process begin.

“We call for the swift apprehension of the perpetrators of these heinous attacks so that they may be brought to justice.”

AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, and sister chapters in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA joined with the NAACP and B’nai B’rith International to fight discrimination.

The mission of the AHEPA family is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.

Ψήφισμα για τον εμπρησμό της συναγωγής Χανίων, απευθύνεται στο ελληνικό κοινοβούλιο.
Το εξέδωσαν ιστορικοί, κοινωνικοί επιστήμονες στις 17.01.2010 στη ΔΙΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ (16-17.01.2010) στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνώνμε με θέμα: ΔΕΚΑΕΤΙΑ 1940 Η ΕΠΟΧΗ ΤΩΝ ΡΗΞΕΩΝ

Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση μπορεί να υπογράψει όποιος θέλει (ή και να την προωθήσει σε φίλους )

http://www.petitiononline.com/chasynag/petition.html

Το κείμενο του ψηφίσματος που υπάρχει και στην παραπάνω ιστοσελίδα είναι το ακόλουθο:

Για τον εμπρησμό της συναγωγής των Χανίων

ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΣΥΝΑΓΩΓΗ ΧΑΝΙΩΝ (ΙΑΝ. 2010)

Τον Ιανουάριο του 2010 δύο φορές (μία στις 5 Ιανουαρίου και μία στις 16) η Συναγωγή των Χανίων έγινε στόχος εμπρηστών. Καθώς τα αποτελέσματα της πρώτης φοράς δεν ήταν θεαματικά, επανήλθαν κατορθώνοντας να κάψουν συνολικά 2.500 παλιά και σπάνια βιβλία, μέρος του αρχείου και πολύτιμα αντικείμενα. Την πρώτη φορά είχαν ήδη καεί η ξύλινη οροφή, το πάτωμα, η εσωτερική σκάλα. Τώρα όσα αντικείμενα διεσώθησαν μεταφέρθηκαν αλλού και η κατεστραμμένη Συναγωγή έκλεισε. Η Συναγωγή των Χανίων είναι το μοναδικό ίχνος εβραϊκής παρουσίας στην Κρήτη μετά από 2.400 χρόνια εβραϊκής ζωής σ’ αυτό το νησί. Το 1999 ολοκληρώθηκε η αναστήλωσή της και άρχισε να λειτουργεί ως επισκέψιμο μνημείο πολιτισμού, κόσμημα αρχαιολογικό, αρχιτεκτονικό και συγχρόνως τόπος μνήμης για τους 265 Εβραίους των Χανίων που εκτοπίστηκαν από τους ναζί με πλοίο που βυθίστηκε. Η Συναγωγή αυτή, σε μια πόλη δίχως κοινότητα, μιλούσε για το παρελθόν και αποτελούσε έναν ανοιχτό χώρο συνεύρεσης επισκεπτών και ερευνητών με την πλούσια βιβλιοθήκη και το αρχείο της.

Εμείς, ιστορικοί, κοινωνικοί επιστήμονες και όσοι άλλοι συμμετέχουμε στην «Συνάντηση Κοινωνικής Ιστορίας για τη Δεκαετία του ’40», θεωρούμε εξαιρετικά επικίνδυνες αυτές τις ενέργειες, δείγματα ανόδου μιας επιθετικής ακροδεξιάς, ρατσιστικής, αντισημιτικής και ξενόφοβης. Oι επιθέσεις αυτές, που τον τελευταίο καιρό πολλαπλασιάζονται στην Ελλάδα, είναι πολύ ανησυχητικό σημάδι και απαιτούν εγρήγορση. Καταγγέλλουμε τις ναζιστικής έμπνευσης κινήσεις, που συμβαίνουν λίγες ημέρες πριν την Ημέρα Μνήμης των θυμάτων του Ολοκαυτώματος. Δηλώνουμε επίσης τη συμπαράστασή μας στην ολιγομελή ομάδα εθελοντών που κρατούσε ανοιχτή τη Συναγωγή με προσωπικό μόχθο.

Πανεπ

To: The Greek Parliament    

PETITION FOR THE CHANIA SYNAGOGUE (Jan. 2010)  

  The Chania Synagogue became the target of arsonists twice during January 2010 (once on January 5th and again on the 16th). Since the results of the first arson were not spectacular enough, the arsonists returned and managed to burn a total of 2,500 old and rare books, part of the archives as well as valuable objects. The wooden roof, floor and interior staircase had already been burnt during the first arson.  Now, all rescued objects have been relocated and the damaged synagogue is closed.

The Chania Synagogue is the only trace of Jewish presence in Crete after 2400 years of Jewish life on this island. Once its restoration was completed in 1999 it began operating as a cultural monument, accessible to visitors, an important archaeological and architectural landmark of the city and at the same time a memorial to the 265 Jews of Crete who perished in a ship that sank while they were being deported by the Nazis. This synagogue, located in a town where there is no official Jewish Community, spoke of the past and was an open meeting space for visitors and researchers, with a rich library and archives. 

We, historians, social scientists and all those participating in the “Meeting on the Social History of the1940s”, consider these acts very dangerous, indices of the rise of an aggressive far-right which is racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic. These attacks, which have recently multiplied in Greece, are a very worrying sign and require vigilance. We denounce the Nazi-inspired acts, which occurred a few days before the international Day of Remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. We also declare our support for the small group of volunteers who kept the synagogue open with personal devotion.     

 University of Athens – Sunday, January 17th 2010 – Meeting on the Social History of the 1940s

I felt sick to my stomach when I heard that the Etz Hayyim synagogue in Hania, Crete, had suffered a second arson attack in 10 days. I got the call just after 9 am on Saturday. The attack had taken place at 3.30 that morning. This Romaniote synagogue is a haven of peace and tranquillity and a meeting ground for Jews, Christians, Muslims and those of no faith, so it seemed like an attack on the very ideas of tolerance and mutual respect, not only an attack on Jews.

The first attack, at 1 am on 6 January, was shocking enough. The unknown intruders set light to a reconstructed ezrat nashim, which was used as a library and office. The stairs were effectively destroyed along with 1,800 books. Smoke and fire debris got into the main synagogue building, staining the walls and woodwork. Within days, amid anger and bewilderment, cleaning and repairing were going on. At the service last Friday evening, with the walls scraped and painted, the wooden wainscot re-stained and the marble floor polished, the small community celebrated its recovery. A few hours later, they were surveying far worse devastation than before. This time an entire small office extension had been gutted. The flames took with it more liturgical and religious books, computers and the entire archives of the synagogue. Flames had burnt through a mesh-covered opening into the synagogue and damaged a part of the ceiling.

I feel part of this community. I got to know the synagogue and its remarkable Director, Dr Nikos Stavroulakis, when I ran the UK-based offshoot of Yad Hanadiv, a Foundation supporting Jewish life in Europe. Through this vehicle the British Rothschild family had contributed to the rebuilding of the synagogue, which was completed in October 1999, and gave continuing support for the synagogue’s programme. Etz Hayyim is the only functioning synagogue on Crete. It was vandalized by the Germans and locals after the remaining 263 members of the Jewish community in Hania were arrested by the Nazis on 24 May 1944. Almost certainly on their way to Auschwitz, their ship was hit by a British torpedo and they all perished.

It was practically a derelict site by the time Nikos, a Jewish art historian, museum designer and curator, author, theatrical costume designer, artist, cookery writer and much more besides, who had returned to his late father’s house in Chania, persuaded the World Monuments Fund and some donors to back a plan to rebuild Etz Hayyim.

Etz Hayyim is no conventional community. There were no other Jews on Crete when Nikos began the rebuilding, but he was determined that it be a living entity, not merely a mini-museum. Over the last 10 years it has become a home for Jews, including some Israelis, of all denominations or none. Some stay for months or longer; some just for a few days or weeks. There are also people of other or no faith who feel at home in the synagogue. It’s a fluid, pluralistic, diverse and largely itinerant population. Not a community in the traditional sense, since it seems to be at the frontier of Jewishness, but it has a postmodern character that reflects the reality of Jewry today.

Do the arson attacks threaten its existence? It may seem especially vulnerable, but it isn’t. Yes, there are antisemites in Hania and Greece faces major youth unrest and disrespect for law and order. And there are those who are even now exploiting this situation to spread their image of Europe as deadly for Jews today. But there are many who are appalled. Nikos is determined to continue and sees the many who have come together to help and offer support as a clear sign that good can emerge from such a tragic incident.

I flew out to Hania on Monday and first thing on Tuesday joined prayers being led by Nikos, while the business of cleaning-up and reconstructing was going on around us. After the second attack, he immediately decided that daily prayers would continue regardless. This affirmed that Etz Hayyim still speaks of a Judaism open to the world, not afraid to enagage, recognizing people’s multiple identities, yet linked to core texts and rituals.

We said prayers this morning in the Etz Hayyim synagogue in Hania, three days after it suffered a second arson attack, which destroyed an office extension and burnt part of the ceiling. The acrid smell from smoke and water damage, the sight of streaked and blackened walls and the ashes on the floor were deeply dispiriting. And yet the decision of Nikos Stavroulakis, the director of the Romaniote synagogue that was only reopened after rebuilding in October 1999, to immediately resume daily prayers, and the cleaning up and repair activity going on all around, spoke volumes for the resilience and determination of a unique and inspiring community.

I first came across Etz Hayyim 8 years ago when I was running the Rothschild foundation supporting Jewish life in Europe, which had helped fund the rebuilding and supported the synagogue’s programme. Everyone I know who goes to Etz Hayyim, situated in the narrow streets of the former Jewish quarter of Crete’s second city, is charmed by its magical qualities. Now the only functioning synagogue on Crete, Etz Hayyim was vandalized by the Germans and locals after the remaining 263 members of the Jewish community in Hania were arrested by the Nazis on 24 May 1944. Almost certainly on their way to Auschwitz, their ship was hit by a British torpedo and they all perished.

Although what was left of the building became the property of the Central Board of the Jewish Communities of Greece, it looked destined for complete destruction until Dr Stavroulakis, a Jewish art historian and museum designer, who had returned to his late father’s house in Hania, persuaded the World Monuments Fund and some donors to back the synagogue’s rebuilding. Although there were no other known Jews on Crete, Nikos wanted to create a living synagogue. “A cage went in search of a bird”, Nikos said, quoting Kafka, and the bird came. There are Jews, including some Israelis, of all denominations or none. Some stay for months or longer; some just for a few days or weeks. There are also Christians and Muslims and people of no faith who find meaning in the ways of the synagogue.

Last Friday night the community celebrated its recovery from the first arson attack on 6 January, which damaged part of a restored women’s section. The marble floor had been polished, the wainscot re-stained and the walls scraped and repainted. At 3.30 the following morning, arsonists struck again more devastatingly.

The police and local authorities were slow to respond after the first attack, but after the second, the incident was given wide international publicity and pressure from the central government resulted in a much augmented investigation. The incidents may have been the work of antisemitic groups, but there’s no evidence so far. There are such far-rightists in Hania, but there are also other violent and extreme elements, some linked to drug-selling. And Greek society is still experiencing more general violent protest among students.

Having visited the synagogue many times over the last 7 years, it seemed right to come and offer solidarity on behalf of the synagogue’s many friends. I’ll return with the message that, as we all knew, Etz Hayyim operates in challenging circumstances, but will continue to provide an enriching experience for anyone who falls under its spell.

Antony Lerman is the former Director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research

The latest fire managed to destroy all of what we had felt grateful to have been left with! Whatever we had salvaged from the first fire had been taken to the main office – books, CDs, a Mevelevi dervish habit and conical felt hat, some of my notebooks and the like. The second attack saw the ground floor and first floor of the office and library above gutted. Fortunately, all of the books there – perhaps 1000 or so on Judaism, Islam and Christian theology had already been moved to safe keeping and so have been saved….but two computers, scanner, cameras etc. – all gone!

The police have been very good with us and have been very thorough and sensitive to what has happened. In the following days we will try to be more prompt in giving information. Actually in many ways Etz Hayyim has succeeded in its role as a reconciler and I have been blessed with finding many old friends and we have re-established our links. Equally important is the effect that this has had on our ‘fraternity’ which has been strengthened and given a firm direction and truly has become a community. We are a strange lot – some Jews – religious, non-religious and some perhaps even anti-religious, some are Christians – both Catholic as well as Orthodox and we also have Muslims. All of us are cemented into a community through the magic of this precious synagogue. Through this fire – somewhat like that which our Father Abraham experienced on that night when the sacrifices were consumed and he stood in awe before what appeared to be a smoking oven, we have digested our differences and set about finding what unites us in silence and emerges as a whisper.

We are still in the difficult period of balancing work that must be done with incoming funds as they were disproportionate at the moment.

To date we have started work on the new security system which is a gift from the Jewish Community of Salonika through its president David Saltiel. Work has begun on the grill to be installed over the back garden gate as well as the bars that are to be installed over all of the windows that were once those of the yeshiva (this property became an asset of the Bank of Greece after WW II and then was sold to a Christian – and subsequently became known as the Synagogue Cafe.) It was through one of these opened windows that the second incendiary entered our property. The electrician has already connected some of our lines and tomorrow we will get the telephone installed – in the synagogue proper (for the moment). Alex and Anja (and the Synagogue) have a temporary office and computers not too far away and the work on the stairs to the old office may well be finished by the end of the week when work can be started on cleaning up, working on bookcases and seeing how deep the fire reached into the floor and ceiling. This will also have to be done in the Kal itself as several of the wooden panels of the ceiling had started to burn.

I wish to thank all of the friends who have shown such care for this synagogue which seems to have embraced and been embraced by the entire world.

Nikos Stavroulakis

On the night of Friday, January 15, after more than a week of work on the sanctuary – newly scraped, primed and re-painted; the wood-work oiled with lavender and the marble floor polished – we met for Erev Shabbat prayers and Kiddush. Later we locked the synagogue and returned to our homes feeling that we had set our steps forward. Saturday morning at 3:30 AM however the Synagogue’s director was wakened by the alarm that had been set off in the Synagogue and rushed there accompanied by two helpers to find the entire main office ablaze. They began putting out the fire with the garden hose as the firemen had not yet succeeded in getting their hoses connected. When the mains were finally connected the firemen set to work – by 4:45 the fire was only smoldering and all that remained of the upper and lower office was completely gutted. Also about a third of the wooden ceiling of the Synagogue itself was burnt, the benches covered in soot and broken wood, the floor a mess – but the EHAL was not touched! Everything in the main office – e.g. two computers, complete Talmud, Midraschim, 2 sets of Rashi lexicons (Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew) plus many reference books and the entire archive of the Synagogue have all been destroyed.

By noon the Siphrei Torah along with all of the silver ornaments (rimonim, tassim, yads etc.) and a precious early 17th century illuminated Qur’an were removed to a secure location. It was a sad moment to see them being taken away from the Kal as it was a joyous moment when they had been installed in 1999. But we are determined that they will come back!

January 17, 2010. Today, after Shahrith prayers in the ravaged Kal we will all meet to look into the task before us.  We must insure that we keep the Synagogue alive as place for prayer and even – more pertinently under the circumstances – recollection.  It is difficult at this moment to quite grasp how one faces the formidable task of reconciliation – with what exactly? ignorance, wickedness? – whatever it was – and is – (since the cause of all of this is still to be determined) our gift to Hania is our presence and our determination to continue to bear witness to values that are being severely tried at this moment.  We have many friends and are deeply grateful for the support in whatever form it has taken. It will now take some time for us to become contemporary as so much has been lost in terms of computers and contents (though we have located the hard drives of the computers and hopefully something can be done to contents).

Please keep posted through this blog as matters evolve as we will use for keeping a log of events.

N. Stavroulakis