Greece marks 80th anniversary of Holocaust deportations
- Around 1,000 people marched to the old railway station in the city of Thessaloniki, where deportations of Greek Jews, in cattle wagons, began in March 1943
- Around 46,000 Jews transported to Auschwitz between March and August 1943 but only 1,950 returned; antisemitism persists, says local Jewish leader
Greece on Sunday commemorated the 80th anniversary of the first deportations of Greek Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Thessaloniki, the northern metropolis that lost almost its entire flourishing Jewish community.
Holding white balloons captioned ‘Never Again’, around a thousand people of all ages marched to the old railway station of Thessaloniki, where the deportations began in March 1943. Many people left flowers on the train tracks.
The deportations were carried out in cattle wagons, each holding around 80 people forcefully crammed in, said ceremony officials.
Some 46,000 Thessaloniki Jews were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau between March and August 1943, said the president of the Jewish community in Thessaloniki David Saltiel. Just 1,950 returned, he said.
“The community lost 97 per cent of its members, around 50,000 people,” Saltiel said, noting that Jews made up a fifth of Thessaloniki’s population at the time.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and Thessaloniki Mayor Konstantinos Zervas were among the officials at the ceremony.
The American ambassador to Greece George Tsunis and Israel’s Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis also attended.