Issue 20, Pesah 5777/ 2017
Etz Hayyim Synagogue P.O. Box 251 73100 Hania, Crete, Greece Tel. +30 28210 86286 E-mail: [email protected] Jottings Web site: www.etz-hayyim-hania.org
Editorial mother’s English kidney pie; teaching about the world’s religions, while in More than three months since the end working hard on becoming a Nikos P. Stavroulakis’ passing, Etz reasonable Jew. Hayyim is s ll receiving Many people righteously loved Nikos condolence le ers and emails for his all in human behaviour. They from people and friends whom admired his artwork and embraced Nikos had, in one way or the his teachings, wri ngs, building other, touched dearly throughout ability and enlightened knowledge on his long life. many historical ma ers. We have Some are wri ng ar cles, sending dedicated this issue of Jo ngs to photos, making films, sharing Nikos, sharing with you a selec on of interviews and stories that all of the memories which we have together, build a complex portrait received and we hope that you will of a man with many diverse enjoy them as we have. More interests: a man asking more eulogies will be later featured on our ques ons than finding answers; website where it's never too late to invi ng people in, but keeping a share a thought or to make a distance; opening up on dona on. As Nikos would have said conven onal ma ers, but with a twinkle in his deep blue eyes: L'Shanah Tovah (זצ״ל) always hiding a personal Νικόλαος Ντανιέλ Χαννάν-Σταυρουλάκης secret; spicing up life with Nicholas Daniel Hannan-Stavroulakis (ZT”L) and Happy Rosh Hashanah. Anatolian aromas, but 20 June 1932 - 19 May 2017 Marianna Vinther and the Etz never forge ng his 16 Sivan 5692 - 23 Iyyar 5777 Hayyim staff
Eulogies for Nikos Stavroulakis Also in this issue: Eulogies for Nikos ...... …………………..…3-11 Dear friends of Nikos, Nikos’ Legacy at Etz Hayyim……………...... 12 In the early morning hours of Friday, May 19th, Nikos Pe- ter Stavroulakis passed away quietly in his own house. News from the International Havurah… ...... 12 Surrounded by his close family, friends and a nurse, he Cultural Life at Etz Hayyim…………………...... 13 had lately suffered from a string of minor strokes which, Poetry Reading with Catherine T. Davidson:...... 14 one by one, had closed down his general nerve system. In Poetry at Etz Hayyim...... ……………………16 the end, there was not much that could be done for him and he finally found peace. He was honourably put to rest Festivals and Liturgical Life at Etz Hayyim...... 17 in the Jewish Cemetery of Nikia in Athens on May 22nd A Cretan Romaniote Haggadah………………...…17 following a funeral worthy of a high Jewish spiritual lead- Gedenkdienst at Etz Hayyim………..……...... 18 er. Seminar with Federation of German Trade Unions.19 Thanks to the though ul prepara ons of Rabbi Gabriel … con nued on page 2 Jottings Page 2
Negrin and our helpful friends from Athens and KIS, es- our most recent Interfaith Calendar. pecially to Iossif Ventura and Victor Eliezer, both of Today Nikos will be praised and honoured by colleagues, whom I would never have been able to do my part with- former students, new and old friends, by people who out their deep considera on and empathy. knew him a life- me, by people who simply crossed his I closed his eyes. I stayed with him over the last years in path. June 20th was his birthday. Yet, the deepest and order for his dear and concerned family to be able to most las ng honour that we can give this talented, intel- keep him at his own house surrounded by his beloved ligent, free-thinking and, it might be said, some mes animals, books, music, garden and beau ful balconies difficult man who gave us so much to think about, is to facing the old Vene an harbour of Hania. In this way, he keep this place [the synagogue], his last and most deli- could s ll welcome his friends in a decent manner and cate work, alive as much as possible in ways that compli- retain some of the quality of life he so much appreciat- ment his unique and individual spirit. On behalf of a unit- ed par cularly delicious food, wine and though ul talks ed staff and Board of Trustees of Etz Hayyim, I just want with friends and colleagues from a long, crea ve and to add that this is what we will go on doing. Together respec ul working life. with Nikos' close family, Dori and Karen Kanellos, both of On the synagogue’s part, we tried - Anja and I - to keep whom have been life-long supporters of Nikos and his him involved as long as his concentra on and health work, I want to thank all for coming today. It has been allowed. In spite of his serious decline, he s ll managed extraordinarily overwhelming . Thank you! the editorial for our last newsle er and the layout for Marianna Vinther (President of the Board of Trustees)
He always had a Jewish Museum big smile in the of Greece in Ath- beginning of our ens and it was mee ngs. He lit then that he his pipe and the said: “Suddenly discussion started one of those with “some clocks started French” for people cking. I brought who created ob- in some more stacles against his clocks, I wound work. We laughed, some others and we discussed and within half an then he moved hour all of the on, skipping over clocks were ck- the obstacles and ing to the same insis ng on what At the funeral service for Nikos Stavroulakis, Athens, May 22nd, 2017, photo: Ken Ross rhythm. I felt as if he wanted to achieve which seemed impossible to the I had brought back to life all of those personal objects of rest of us in many cases. those people who were lost in 1943. I worked for many Nikos Stavroulakis was a ci zen of the world, so today I hours in this small room in Melidoni Street, the clocks will paraphrase his own words from an interview in a started haun ng me. Every night, before leaving, I newspaper conducted some years ago ( Ele herotypia , wound all of them and when I came back in the morning 21/02/2010): “One of the reasons for feeling proud of I would wind them again where necessary. If I found a being a Jew is that I belong everywhere. I can be French, malfunc oning clock, I would send it for repair. This ex- English, Greek or Turkish, I can collect what I think is the perience became my hoop with the Museum, my very best from the people of every country and, at the same personal experience that led me to a close connec on me, I can keep my iden ty… The ability to adapt, this is with the Museum. It was this experience that helped me a vital characteris c for people”. understand that this should not be a museum for the In July 1977, Nikos began the process of establishing the Holocaust, but a museum for Jewish life, for ordinary Jottings Page 3 people, their life and how they were trapped by terrible gogue?”. I replied “of course you can”. They entered the events. It should also be a bond with the totally de- synagogue, lit the candles and made the sign of the stroyed past. That was the main idea in my mind for the Cross. On leaving, they explained to me that when they years to come”. Those thoughts were wri en in his re- were young, they were friends with some other young port dated November 19th, 2008, when the Central girls who were lost in 1944. They wanted to light a can- Board of Jewish Communi es in Greece bestowed upon dle in their memory. This was the real bond with the him on the Medal of Honour for his services to Greek past. I think that this is the only synagogue in Europe Jewry. open to everybody; nobody is asking if you are a Chris- In 1993, Nikos resigned as Director of the Jewish Muse- an, a Muslim or a Jew”. um of Greece and returned to his father’s house in Ha- Nikos was a great teacher, giving his teaching flesh and nia, Crete, where he focused on pain ng, an endeavor blood every day through dialogue and common prayer. he loved very much. However, he could never remain He gave context to the terms: “brotherhood”, “mutual s ll. understanding” and “mutual respect”‘. In the same inter- Following the devasta ng 1994 earthquake in Hania, he view, he stated that “tradi onally, a synagogue is not a immediately went to the Central Board of Jewish Com- temple. It serves three purposes: first of all, it is a place muni es in Greece based in Athens, informing us that where all people gather, Jews and non-Jews, to discuss the long-abandoned Etz Hayyim Synagogue in that city their common problems. Secondly, it is a place to study was facing imminent collapse due to earthquake dam- the holy books. Thirdly, it is a place where the believers age. Soon a erwards, Nikos travelled to New York and pray towards Jerusalem. When we first sat down, all to- gave a lecture to the World Monuments Fund on endan- gether, and discussed what brings us all here together, in gered Jewish monuments in Greece with par cular em- this synagogue, fi een people here and almost five hun- phasis on Etz Hayyim that resulted in the synagogue be- dred who support us from abroad, we ended up defining ing added to the list of the world’s one hundred most the synagogue as a place of prayer, recollec on and rec- endangered monuments of cultural concern. At the oncilia on. It would be the place where Chris ans, Jews same me, the Jewish community of Salonica also asked and Muslims could share common values”. him to set up a Jewish museum in that city and he be- Nikos Stavroulakis was a cosmopolitan intellectual, a tra- came dedicated to that pursuit, as he would have done di onal Jew, a guardian of Jewish culture, the man who in any other case. established the Jewish Museums in Athens and Salonica When he was asked “why did you want a synagogue in a and the man who gave life to the Etz Hayyim Synagogue place [Hania] with just one single Jewish resident?”, he in Hania. answered “I didn’t want to create a museum, I had al- We, the Central Board of the Jewish Communi es in ready worked in many museums in my life. However, I Greece, together with Marianna and Anja, and all those had never revived Etz Hayyim before! Some days a er individuals who love and support Etz Hayyim, will con n- the re-opening, I found three typical Greek elderly wom- ue to give life to the synagogue according to Nikos’ lega- en in black clothes, holding candles, who were standing cy, his values and his wishes. in front of the main gate of Etz Hayyim. They asked me, Victor Eliezer “Mr. Nikos, could we light the candles in the syna- (KISE Representa ve on the Board of Trustees)
BS”D my own; and maybe I will only be able to bear it if I share I don’t know if I should or if I could say something today. it. It is you who taught me that: “Whatever you talk about About 10 years ago, in February 2007, having se led into with your teacher and whatever treasures he gives to my new life as a first-year student in Rethymnon, Crete, I your soul, it is your mind they should form and give set off to visit the synagogue of Hania. If I remember shape to. Therefore hide those hidden treasures well in correctly, it was a Tuesday when, a er searching several your heart, create your own and a er that, forge your hours in the narrow streets of the old town, I eventually own future.” succeeded at dusk in loca ng the wooden door with the But my pain is very deep, Niko, unbearable to endure on metal Mezuzah. Jottings Page 4
I was really disappointed. The synagogue was closed. Special and precious were your gi s to our community; With some hesita on, I touched the Mezuzah and began special and complex your personality. For me, however, to recite the Shema. I hadn’t quite finished when I saw a you will be my teacher, my guide, the humble carer of no ce board next to the door announcing the me for my soul, the one who first taught me the power of the Kabbalat Shabbat service. silence, the strength needed for praying, the pa ence for I was fascinated and even more enthusias c! I counted cul va ng the blessing Moses accepted on Mt. Sinai. the minutes un l the me was announced on the There, during the Shacharit prayers on a Sunday morn- weather-beaten no ce board. ing, immediately a er the Shema, when you lit your pipe Friday came. I took the bus from Rethymnon to Hania. and were si ng outside the Mikveh, you made me The moment the bus arrived, I got off in a hurry and I commit to con nuing your vision for your beloved crea- began to walk, almost running, to the synagogue. I on, our synagogue, and that your Havurah would not pushed the half-closed door open and entered a small change its course, but rather con nue on the path you courtyard typical of a Romaniote-style synagogue. I was had outlined. And one more me, with all my strength, I elated. The voices and the laughter which could be reassure you of that! My first Smicha (ordina on) thus heard from the small office opposite the main entrance came from you! made me walk over there. I knocked and slowly opened the door. This was when I first met Mr. Stavroulakis. An o (farewell) Niko, An enigma c smile, a half-ex nguished pipe in his right I’m certain no ma er how many years may pass, how hand and a glass of Tequila was the first image of a man I many experiences may cover like dust the traces your would later admire, esteem and venerate! I could not lessons have le on my soul, I will con nue to hear you imagine then that he would be my first mentor on a whispering as I kiss your hand … “Be a good boy, okay?” deep journey into Judaism and the con nued art of nurturing both soul and mind. Gabriel Negrin (Rabbi of Athens)
At the funeral service for Nikos Stavroulakis, Athens, May 22nd, 2017, photo: Ken Ross
Nikos had been a dear friend of the family for many His pride in his Jewish heritage and his dedica on to years. Nikos was not only a dis nguished ar st – I treas- sharing Jewish tradi ons and culture with others is a ure all his works which came my way – but, in addi on, model to emulate. Over the years, I have been so he cared passionately about so many causes, and with pleased that our family was able to support Nikos’ great determina on, he developed and sustained the Etz dreams: to welcome and encourage people to par ci- Hayyim Synagogue. pate in educa onal programmes and cultural ac vi es, Jottings Page 5 as well as to inspire research based on the archives his bravery and though ulness. We are going to miss him housed in the synagogue. Jewish life in Crete owes a enormously. There are few talents like his in the world debt of gra tude to Nikos and while he had suffered so today. much over the last few years, we will always remember Lord Jacob Rothschild
The Angelou house became for many of us the monas r Stavroulakis. While I joined a religious community, Nikos became one -- for so many! His capacity for friends was prodigious, demanding we visit when we could. Where his interests were embracing, his heart was even more so. As he suffered decisive changes, we had to be there for him -- in person or spirit. In fact, if work absorbed his life, friends cons tuted it. An amazing presence. A life centered around animals and food, for himself and his friends. And he shared so much that sharing could become a palpable burden. Yet a list of accomplishments would be redundant, for each is a friend. So many have been enriched, in turn to serve and enhance others. David Burrell
My Dear Nikos, is yours now wear it and remember.” It is an impossible mission to summarise the life you Then you explained to me that it was given to you by a had, the things you have done, your friends, achieve- Greek man a er you re -opened the synagogue in 1999. ments and so on. I can only regret that I knew you for This Greek man told you that the amulet was given to eight years. We had a special connec on; you treated him by his Jewish neighbour in May, 1944, when the Na- me as your son and my family as your family with much zis began depor ng the Jews of Crete. love and care. You and Dori are my family. His Jewish neighbour told him to keep it un l the Jews The synagogue you loved so much is and will ever be returned to Hania and then to give it to them. He waited your biggest achievement and your true legacy. Every for more than 50 years un l you, Nikos, the angel of inch in it is your crea on, cra ing, pain ng, the books Hania, the rebuilder of the synagogue of Etz Hayyim had and endless knowledge: all you combined into the syna- arrived. Nikos told me that he put soil from Jerusalem gogue. Sure we cannot replace you in any way, but we from one of his visits to Israel inside the amulet. all united can follow your way. He told me, “Lior, it is yours now to wear and to keep and You were the biggest Jew I have ever met. Things you always know in your heart and mind that this amulet sto- have done for the Jewish people are more than anyone ry is the true meaning of the phrase AM ISRAEL HAI!!!” can explain in words. Each one of your friends can write a book on your endless knowledge, deepness and crea- on. Today, May 22nd is a unique day for me. On May 22nd, 1944, my great grandfather who fought with the Bri sh Army in Crete as a Jewish volunteer from Israel was killed figh ng the Nazis (he was 38 as my age today) while at the same me, the Jews of Crete were being deported. On May 22nd, 2009, my son, Ofir was born and today, May 22nd, 2017, here in Athens, life and death are again inextricably linked for me on this special date. Three years ago when I came to you on Yom Kippur, in one of our talks before we le for the synagogue, you gave me your necklace/amulet and you told me, “Lior, it Jottings Page 6
Dear Nikos, I will wear it and keep it in my heart and soul I will keep your legacy and story. I know deep in my un l my day will come to pass it on to my son, Ofir, to heart that only because of angels like you that are gods pass on your legacy and story that is part of the history li le helpers on the face of the earth, the Jewish legacy of the Jews of Hania and Crete. will be solid as a rock and will last forever. By rebuilding Etz-Hayyim Synagogue, you have shown to With endless love and longing, Lior the world that AM ISRAEL HAI!! Lior Asher Rest in peace my dear Nikos, from now un l my last day,
Shalom Dearest Niko, small conserva ve synagogue had closed its You have touched hundreds of lives doors in North Carolina.) The Torah binders worldwide, and your LIGHT will shine were delivered to Nikos by my niece who trav- brightly in our hearts, and in the elled to Greece from the US. hearts of every tree you have planted, In 2002, my eldest daughter, Aviva, announced every flower, every creature in your her engagement to Alan Silverstein in Washing- pond, and in your home menagerie, ton, DC. They asked me for ideas as to where forever. to have the wedding. Etz Hayyim was our first Nikos and I had a lifelong friendship choice, and from that moment Nikos took over. from near and far. Some years ago, The wedding was scheduled for September 1st my children gave me a special birth- with over 100 guests filling up hotels, resorts day gi on disc. Messages sent by and guest houses. Word had reached Heraklion friends from many parts of the world. and our cousins from Israel were asked if they Here is Nikos’ message: were heading for “the wedding” in Hania! Since “Dearest Louisa, we've had a long life that memorable celebra on, those who missed together and lots of ups and downs the wedding made special trips to Hania from and turns and corners, and G-d knows the US and South Africa. what ... wish I was with you and hope that next year we Upon hearing the sad announcement of Nikos' passing get together." on Friday, May 19th, I received many calls and emails of When Etz Hayyim opened its doors in Hania, Nikos sent sympathy from friends and family. These messages ex- out a wish list. Torah binders were needed. They were press the love, respect and apprecia on for the rich lega- made in memory of my husband Alan Klein, and I was cy that Nikos has given us all forever. delighted to find a permanent home for them (a er our Louisa Klein
THOUGHTS ABOUT NIKOS STAVROULAKIS lectual, moral and spiritual. In my last email to Nikos, I referred to our friendship go- Peter Stavis, as he was known then, told me he was in ing back over sixty years. We met as undergraduates in his final year at University in a special programme known Notre Dame University in 1954. I had barely joined the as the ‘Great Books Programme’ that involved reading University a few months earlier having arrived fresh from the “classics” ranging from Aristotle and Plato to New- Dhaka. I had gone to a get-together for students from ton, Shakespeare and Einstein. At the me of our South Asia where I spo ed a lanky man who was not mee ng, he was 18 and I was 16 years old. He must have South Asian. When he learned that I was from Bengal, he realised that having le home for the first me, I was showed a special interest and told me that he was plan- faced with the challenge of adjus ng to life in an Ameri- ning to go to Shan neketan a er his gradua on the next can university, living in a large dorm with other students. year. He also men oned his close rela onship to a physi- That he himself was different from the average American cist from Bengal who had told him about the unique undergraduate became evident as he explained that his character of Shan neketan – an ins tu on founded by father had migrated from Greece and his mother was Rabindranath Tagore -- which offered a dis nc ve curric- Bri sh. He had a ended a Catholic school in Wisconsin ulum aiming to develop every aspect of a person, intel- and that is where he had been a racted to the Universi- Jottings Page 7 ty of Notre Dame, a leading Catholic University in the nagerie of animals. This concern arose whenever we dis- States, although neither of his parents were Catholic. cussed his proposed visit to Bangladesh during his last I was struck by Peter’s strong individuality. He had cho- year. Sadly, this visit never materialised. sen not to stay in a residen al hall, but had instead *** found accommoda on in exchange for work in a profes- Among Peter’s many achievements, and the one that sor’s home. He had a car that he would drive to work was the most meaningful to him, was the rebuilding and and then back to class. He was also working as a staff restora on of Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Hania. This was ar st for a religious journal published by the University. one of his two permanent contribu ons which resulted His illustra ons included those of biblical prophets for from his links with Judaism; the other contribu on was the journal. the Jewish Museum in Athens. He had also played a ma- As our friendship grew, our jor part in restoring the conversa ons reflected his Jewish Museum in Saloni- serious interest in religion. ka. Although not born Catholic, Peter visualised the syna- he used to a end church and gogue as a mee ng place had a deep interest in all oth- for people of all religions er religions. His interest in to interact with each oth- Shan niketan and travelling er. We had talked many to India had led him to read mes about his idea of about Hinduism and Bud- holding a global event to dhism. Our growing friendship promote inter-faith har- led to his interest in Islam. mony in our world which This interest led him to enrol was then and is now wit- in a post-graduate program in nessing extremist vio- Islamic and New Eastern stud- lence centering around ies, and he wrote his disserta- religion. on on the origins of the Is- For me, the most signifi- lamic mosque, earning his cant event in which Peter Master’s degree from the Uni- played a key role, and one versity of Michigan. reflected in the prac ce Before leaving for Oxford, we of inter-faith harmony, shared a journey across the US in a new Ford car from was my daughter Sara’s wedding to David. Our friends Detroit to San Diego in California. This enabled us to see and families from several con nents came to Hania for a dozen states from Illinois to Colorado within three the event. As it turned out, this mul -cultural event be- weeks. A memorable experience during that journey was came a major a rac on for tourists who came to the when Peter, who loved animals, saw a small ki en shiv- synagogue and supplemented our numbers. There was ering in the cold in the Rocky Mountains. What were we much feas ng, and I am amused to remember Nikos’ to do with the ki en? As we discussed this ques on, we insistence that the menu for the wedding feast should drove past a convent. We saw this convent as a solu on include the Cretan delicacy of boiled lamb, over-riding to our problem. Peter urged me to drive in. We then met our hopes for the more delicious meals that we were the Mother Superior, who listened to our appeals and used to ea ng at his home or around Hania! In the twen- agreed to shelter the ki en. Peter was to rescue many ty or so years since, we, our children and grandchildren ki ens and other animals later in life. His love for ani- have all had the good fortune to be regular visitors to mals con nued – dogs, cats, birds – and they later occu- Hania, and they have been lucky to have become ex- pied the best room in his home in Hania. tremely close to him. *** *** One of Peter’s major concerns when he le Hania for Nikos’ quest for a dis nc ve iden ty led him from Ox- trips abroad was to find someone to look a er his me- ford to Athens and could be seen as a desire to return to Jottings Page 8 his roots. Since his father’s family was from Crete, he Stavroulakis. I con nued to call him Peter and visited began visi ng the island while teaching university stu- him in Athens almost every year. He was remarkably suc- dents in Athens at an ins tute for American students. cessful in re-discovering his roots, despite having spent Our friendship con nued to grow to the point where we the first twenty years of his life in the US. In Athens, he regarded ourselves as brothers. He expressed an interest gained sufficient knowledge about Greek history to be- in joining me in Dhaka a er I returned in 1959. However, come a respected teacher and enviable guide around this was not to be. He became more a racted to Crete, Athens and the rest of Greece. especially a er he acquired what were the remains of his *** family property, a er which he decided to se le down in Nikos will be remembered for his many extraordinary Hania. Here, he restored the property and made it into a gi s as scholar, historian, crea ve ar st whose pain ngs beau ful and special home un l he passed away. and woodcuts are widely admired, and of course, as a During the six es and early seven es while teaching in brilliant cook. Yet, for those of us who were close to him, Athens, Peter began to discover that he had connec ons his most important quality was to make people of all with Judaism on his mother’s side. Characteris cally, his different ages and backgrounds feel that he could truly interest began to deepen as he discovered there were make their problems his own and do everything he could valuable Jewish an qui es lying in and around Athens. to provide meaningful help. I personally feel one of the He felt what was needed was to house these an qui es greatest gi s I have had in life was to have him as a and thus he became the designer and founder of the friend for more than 60 years, and his loss leaves an ir- Jewish Museum of Athens. reparable void. In Athens, Peter resumed his family name of Nikos Kamal Hossain , Dhaka, June 20th, 2017.
I miss you and I have been missing you. We met you in member the deligh ul emails in which you described the Crete so long ago when I had no expecta on of returning sea being up, the view, the food you'd make from the to the States with a friendship. I was just interested in garden and I'd be in Hania again, while looking out on going on a family trip, seeing what we see, enjoying what snow-covered hay fields. we enjoy, learning about another place. I have saved every card, every Jo ngs, every drawing We thank "Michael" Roka, who wove the rug in our fami- and with every one that arrived in the post, it also gave ly room, for introducing us to you. In its we and weave me hope and connec on: you were making art too. I was are the wonderful memories of discovering old Hania. overjoyed when you wrote that my mezuzahs would be I remember when I first saw you. You were watering the used in the rebuilt synagogue. Maybe they were de- plants around what was to become Etz Hayyim. I think stroyed in the fire? I never wanted to ask; there were you had to take a cat to the vet and we had to hurry to more important things of concern. However, I remember meet you before you le . You and Michael were two my joy in your response as if it were yesterday. guys who knew to save history, cra , art, knowledge, I use your cookbook regularly, and I always feel you are culture. in the kitchen with me when I do. It's a bit food-stained Thankfully the internet enabled our conversa on to con- from use, but that's ok too! Like my mother's Se lement nue, and you were an amazing support for me, as I was cookbook from 1939! struggling with my own art development, while returning You were always a teacher and a friend. Your devo on to to my career amid my responsibili es to a growing family rebuilding the synagogue and to the museums of Saloni- and community. You fostered my growing awareness of ka and Athens inspired me. I remember when we met the breadth and depth of Jewish history, Islamic art and you in NYC for the day. I always thought we would see calligraphy, as I was seeking a place of inclusive Judaism more of each other in person. But you know, you will with a focus on social jus ce and spirituality. You helped always be there because you ma ered so much and that me give deeper meaning to my own art. Etz Hayyim was lasts forever . a beacon of light. SaruN, thank you, love, Jo Niko, those conversa ons meant so much to me. I re- Jo Margolis Page 9 Jottings
I do not remember when I first met Nikos, but it must When I met Nikos, my first ques on was to ask what have been in the mid -1990s when the World Monuments func on the synagogue would have given that there Fund put Etz Hayyim Synagogue on the Jewish Heritage were no Jews then living in Hania. He said that it would Fund’s endangered Monuments list, and Nikos started to serve as a synagogue for Jews when they visited the is- collect money for its restora on. My wife had rela ves in land from me to me, as well as a cultural centre for Heraklion and I decided to extend our visit by going to people of all beliefs. As Antony Lerman of the Observer Hania to meet Nikos. quo ng Ka a stated: “It turned out to be a cage in It turned out to be the first of many visits to Hania and a search of a bird”. friendship I treasured for a quarter of a century. We Nikos’ enthusiasm was contagious and he built a stayed in a hotel within easy walking distance of Nikos’ support organisa on around the synagogue which will house and got to know the old port of Hania and the old con nue to preserve his work and mission. He was one city well. We were also visited by Nikos in New York and of the most charming and caring persons I have ever delighted in his extensive talents which included pain ng, met, and a man who had the gi of friendship. Unfortu- cooking and wri ng on many subjects, both scholarly and nately, the last couple of years of his life were difficult; worldly. He was also a museum designer and curator, old age was not kind to his body. Yet, whenever I called theatrical costume designer and had many other gi s. him, he was full of op mism and hope for recovery. He had found his life’s mission: to rebuild a synagogue in I will miss him. At my age, we lose our dearest friends the city in which he inherited a house from his father, and though we think of them o en, it is not the same and to make it a centre of cultural ac vity in no way lim- thing as talking to them. ited to the original func on of the synagogue. He sought I hope that Etz Hayyim will con nue forever as a monu- to rebuild the synagogue as it was, with the Mikveh, ment to Nikos. Who among us can say that we made our library, the graves and their grave stones, and everything dreams come true? else as close to what it must have once been in the 17 th Peter Sichel century.
Goodbye to our Great Teacher and Friend mo va ng and inspiring by his example Nikos Stavroulakis and vision. It was then that I first divined On May 19th, a very special person de- my deep bond to my Jewish heritage and parted, leaving a void among the Greek values, and I thank him for this. and Cretan Jewish communi es that will I now realise that this man had the power be difficult to fill. He was a dedicated and of affec ng, at an emo onal level, and in- reless scholar of Jewish culture and histo- fluencing many more people whom he had ry. We owe him so very much; and now, as met the world over: in Britain, the United we say good bye, it is me to also thank States, Israel, or Istanbul throughout the him for all he so openheartedly offered us years. With the mul faceted accomplish- throughout these years. ments he le us, he is also bound to con- I first met Nikos in 1983 when he had just nue influencing and inspiring us for many founded the Jewish Museum of Greece in years to come. All these people can now Athens on Amalias Street. It was the me I form a valuable capital and can help ascer- was returning to Greece to take up my tain, promote and support the future of Etz posi on at the University of Crete a er a long absence Hayyim Synagogue. abroad. Since that me, I started admiring his work and It is now our duty and obliga on to con nue his work by accomplishments, not knowing that fi een years later, strengthening the ac vi es and standing of this remark- he would begin his remarkable effort of singlehandedly able synagogue in Hania. Nikos will be standing with us restoring and reviving Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Hania. in this effort. He was a great teacher to us all and had the power of Joseph Ventura Jottings Page 10
Remembering Nikos brought interna onal recogni on and importantly, fund- Joseph and I first met Nikos through Judith Humphrey. ing. Judith had come to Crete for her research, saw a poem I remember that Nikos and Susie talked about fundrais- of mine published in a C.I.C. (Chania Interna onal Com- ing at that visit, a topic that was obviously very much on munity) newsle er, rightly assumed from my name that his mind then (and later). Susie herself had been a suc- I was Jewish, and wanted to meet me. Sunday dinner at cessful fundraiser in rela on to a Masor Synagogue in our house: we talked of many things. Did we know Nikos Kfar Saba that she and a group of friends had founded. Stavroulakis in Hania- a colleague and friend, ar st, his- Twenty years down the road, the fact is that a Jewish torian, designer of O oman gardens, collector of Greek presence, together with Jewish life, has been reasserted Judaica? He’d recently moved from Athens to Crete and on Crete. Nikos not only restored the historic building, was now turning his talents to restoring the badly dam- but breathed new life into it. If anyone from the last Cre- aged and abandoned synagogue in Hania. The next me tan-Jewish community could return from their watery we drove west (possibly there was a conference at Ko- grave to see Etz Hayyim today, my guess is that they limbari we planned to a end), we looked Nikos up, would be astounded. By its existence. By its beauty. which in those days meant “called him at his house”. How it has evolved since their day. How it reaches out to This was in the late 1980s or early 90s before the inva- the wider community through cultural and religious sion of the Internet and mobile phones. He invited us to events. How they themselves- members of the last Cre- come by. Most likely he offered us coffee in his amazing tan-Jewish community- are remembered. Truly, Etz Hay- kitchen. What I do remember is that he showed us his yim is a place of prayer, recollec on, and reconcilia on. books. They filled an en re room and it was the first Nikos, we will not forget you. Thank you for everything me I’d seen a home library of that magnitude! I was you did for Greek Jewry, and for us, single-handedly, also struck on that first visit by the aura of art, culture with determina on and dedica on. Your legacy is huge. and crea vity that clung to him (and, on a more mun- We pledge to uphold and further it. You are among us, dane level, his resonant voice and deep-throated laugh). your spirit palpable every me we step through the He was open and gracious and eager to let us into his Rothschild Gate into the north courtyard, every me the world. This was someone I wanted to stay in touch with. grandfather clock in the main sanctuary chimes the When my cousin Susie was visi ng from Israel in 1997, hour, every me one of the synagogue cats curls up next we made a special trip to Hania so that she could meet to us on a teakwood bench during Shabbat services. Nikos and hear first-hand about his project to restore Goodbye, Nikos. Rest in peace. the old synagogue. Nikos took us to the premises where Natalie Ventura, Heraklion, Crete work was ongoing. The roof, which had collapsed during the 1995 earthquake, must have already been fixed and at least one of the semi-circular windows cleared of de- bris. It was s ll fairly dark inside the building; the state of disrepair was obvious to the visitor. However, more important were the finds that Nikos showed us which he had salvaged from the razed Jewish Cemetery in Hania and the treasures he had collected when he had worked at the Jewish Museum in Athens! His enthusiasm and excitement were infec ous. Although we couldn’t have known at that point the extent to which Nikos’ visionary plans would succeed, there was never any doubt that succeed they would. This success was dependent on whether the financial challenge could be met. Nikos was already on the road both figura vely and literally. He’d go en Etz Hayyim on the World Monuments List which Jottings Page 11
In Memory of Nikos Stavroulakis memorate the Jews of Hania who were killed by the Na- It is so difficult to express words of condolence about a zis. I saw then that his health was already failing. S ll, his friend whose personality was so powerful and vivid dur- eyes were bright, his mind was sharp, and from me to ing all of the years in which I knew him. I met Nikos me, he roared with laughter. about fi y years ago when Teddy Kollek, then Mayor of When his le ers became scarce, I knew that it was not a Jerusalem, asked him to renovate the Byzan ne church good sign. In his le er dated October 10th, 2016, he in East Jerusalem. wished me a ‘Shanah Tovah’ and asked me to write to At that me, Nikos was a tall, young and handsome man him about my love of life. I felt that this might be our last who used to smile and laugh a lot. I knew that he was a exchange. On May 19th, 2017, I received the message very talented ar st and a great scholar, one of the best in announcing his death. the field of Byzan ne art. He le Israel a er a few years To all who loved and cared about Nikos, I send my deep- and a er that, I only saw him a few mes in person. est condolences. He was a unique person. I hope that Etz From then on, most of our communica on was by le er. Hayyim will thrive and will con nue in Nikos’ spirit to be About nine years ago I visited Hania with my family and I a place for both Jews and non-Jews who share common saw his life-long project, the renewal of the Etz Hayyim values as the children of Abraham. Synagogue there, as well as the immense effort to com- E Amit , Jerusalem
Finding a true friend in this When that part of your life is cluster of a world is difficult gone, you feel an emp ness. enough. Yet, in this day and In this case, I don't feel that age and in the weirdest of though; I feel because of the circumstances, you can s ll experiences we had that he succeed. will live on in my heart and This is a true story, my sto- this is what’s most im- ry, a er moving to Crete to portant. No amount of me be with my family in what at or distance can take that first seemed like a perpetual away. vaca on would actually be I believe Nikos would not the place that I would find have wanted us to be sad, my true foo ng in this no not at all. He understood world....and a cherished that this part of life will friend. come as well and it was A er a long road of disen- more about reflec on and chantment, incompleteness renewal even in these mo- and a war, I found a true ments. For all the quirks he friend who helped me grow, had, and he had many, this spiritually and intellectually. is the best way to remember Even now, I s ll think of the him; the best way of re- things we talked about, the membering those moments moments we shared, words and advice that I look back which you can't forget; the best way to remember what on and think what would he have said in this situa on. he did for this community and the founda on he set in That is the true mark he le on me. I learnt many a thing not only stone, but in our hearts, he will live on.... about life, about the deep passion one can have, about Every me I think, every me I reflect, every me I laugh the laughter and how important it is to laugh every day. and every me I cry, I feel his warm embrace. Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet.... (זצ״ל) He was more than a mentor, more than a guide, more Nikos Stavroulakis than family. Lorenzo Garcia Jottings Page 12
Nikos’ Legacy at Etz Hayyim
As expressed in the eulogies and reiterated at the most your life. Your stories will be collected for a memorial recent mee ng of the Board of Trustees of Etz Hayyim sec on on the Etz Hayyim website . This will also include Synagogue, we will remain commi ed to con nuing the an extensive biography, as well as informa on about Ni- work of Etz Hayyim Synagogue as Nikos had envisaged kos’ art, wri ng and publica ons, along with a collec on it. Etz Hayyim will remain a place of of media reports and documen- prayer, recollec on and reconcilia on as taries. Nikos defined it. Memorial services will The exhibi on documen ng Nikos’ also be held in Nikos’ memory both in project of restoring Etz Hayyim Syn- Israel and New York (updates on specific agogue will remain on display as it dates will be posted on our website and was one of the last endeavours Facebook page). The video of the 30 -day which the Etz Hayyim staff worked memorial service at Etz Hayyim is acces- on in collabora on with Nikos. It sible here: h ps://youtu.be/ allows visitors to appreciate Nikos’ huaTlRK6Cic. We will also commemo- achievements and his life’s work. rate Nikos’ Yarzeit on 23 Iyyar 5778 Booklets of the exhibi on will soon (May 8th, 2018) with a ceremony at Etz be published in both English and Hayyim. The Central Board of Jewish Greek. We will also con nue the Communi es in Greece ( KISE ) dedicated tradi on - established by Nikos - of the front page and a extensive ar cle in publishing an Interfaith Calendar . the latest issue of its journal Chronika to A major part of maintaining Nikos’ Nikos and his work. Their 5778 calendar legacy is also the maintenance and will equally be dedicated to Etz Hayyim preserva on of the building of Etz in honour of Nikos. Hayyim Synagogue itself, and of You are also s ll welcome to share your stories about keeping it open to the public. Therefore, we welcome how you met Nikos and the ways in which he impacted your support and any dona ons in Nikos’ memory. News from the Interna onal Havurah of Etz Hayyim
Last year, my husband Luis turned 55 years old and I Even though my family is Ashkenazi, we had arrived at a turned 50, and for that reason we gave each other a gi . Romaniote/Sephardic community synagogue and we im- That gi included a visit to Crete. mediately felt at home. I have always been curious about Jewish synagogues Allow me to confess that there are numerous ques ons around the world and even more curious about historic that I have asked myself about Judaism and about my ones; places that you iden fy with and feel a sense of Jewish iden ty. Yet, as we arrived at this beau ful place fullness in your soul just by visi ng them. filled with light, for a moment those doubts dissipated. As we arrived in Crete, I heard that there was this syna- Inside this synagogue was a man giving an explana on of gogue called ‘Etz Hayyim’ which I insisted to Luis that we the history of the place. My husband and I, holding visit and this personal wish suddenly became a group hands, walked to the back of the sanctuary and our exci- wish. tement kept growing. As we finished the tour, we heard A er almost two hours of walking around the Old Town a woman speaking Hebrew and we engaged in conversa- and figh ng against fa gue, we found this marvelous, on which made us understand that without the dis- magic and small synagogue, a hidden place that le me nc on of birth place, genre or customs to adapt to the speechless (it is hard to leave me speechless, well, at Diaspora, we are Jews and that being Jewish is simply a least my husband and three kids think so) just by seeing way of life. the Hebrew le ers above the entrance. Excitedly, we signed the visitors’ book and Luis told me Jottings Page 13
“they deserve our help and it´ll be our privilege to help and myself. By some means, our children saw it reflected them”. and now they feel an affinity with Etz Hayyim without That day, we talked by phone with our children (they did even knowing it. not travel with us) and told them the story of how we So a er all this me, we feel a part of the Etz Hayyim were so touched by this visit. The one who encouraged family, the ‘Havurah’, and Luis, our kids (Itamar, Nathan, us to give ‘tsedaka’ was our middle child, Nathan, and Ilann) and I feel truly blessed and grateful for this magical since the day of that discussion, he did not forget about place. it un l we made our first dona on. According to the Jew- On behalf of my family and myself, we thank you and ish tradi on, by giving tsedaka, we are not simply giving hope that we can keep suppor ng you.
absolutely anything, but we are, in fact, learning and re- We send you a big hug from Mexico. ceiving and that is exactly what happened to my husband Monica Vigderovich
I had the opportunity to visit Etz Hayyim Synagogue [in there is so much an semi sm out there that any organi- July 2017] while traveling in Crete. I was greatly touched sa on which exists to help non Jews see Jews in a posi- by the story of the Crete’s Jews, as well as the history of ve light should be celebrated and supported. the synagogue and its reconstruc on in the late 1990s. As a result of the foregoing, I am making a dona on to As a forty -four year old Jewish man living in the United Etz Hayyim Synagogue in the sum of $5000 (US). My fam- States, I thought I knew a great deal about the struggles ily and I have supported Jewish causes for many years. of the Jewish people throughout the world. However, While there are many great na onal causes, some mes the fate of the Jews in Greece, let alone Crete, was not the more local ones get ignored even though they can be something that I had ever contemplated and was certain- just as important to the Jewish community, if not more ly not expec ng to come across during my visit to Crete, so. I believe that Etz Hayyim is important to Jews and to a land dominated by churches and monasteries. the en re island of Crete for what it represents to the Yet, what really moved me about Etz Hayyim was what world: a celebra on of Jewish life and values. I am glad the synagogue represents to the people of Crete today. to be able to support it. While I am sure it is important to the remaining Jews of Daniel Stuzin , Florida, USA Crete, it appears that the synagogue is mainly supported and a ended by many members of the community who On behalf of Etz Hayyim Synagogue we would like to are not Jews. I cannot think of a be er way to celebrate sincerely thank the Vigderovich family and Daniel Stuzin Jewish culture than to educate those unfamiliar with it to for their support and the generous dona ons they have its customs and values. Jews are so few in this world and made to Etz Hayyim.
Cultural Life at Etz Hayyim In the spring and summer of 2017, Etz Hayyim hosted a series of cultural events which were very well-received and a ended by locals and visitors alike. The events in- cluded poetry readings (see ar cles on pp. 14 and 16), two concerts and a lecture by Etz Hayyim’s Visi ng Rabbi Nicholas de Lange. In June, renowned soprano, Sonia Theodoridou and maestro, Theodoros Orfanidis, performed their ‘Orchestra Mobile’ songs that represented a rich Jewish musical tradi on from various places and periods includ- ing tradi onal Sephardic and Ashkenasi, as well as Israeli songs, and the performance concluding with Theodora- kis’/Kabanellis’ “Asma Jottings Page 14
Asmaton.” The concert was made possible with funds the trumpet for Nikos Stavroulakis inside Etz Hayyim Syn- from the German Embassy in Athens and we would like agogue the year before when he invited her to give a to par cularly thank Ms Monika Frank, Head of the Press concert. For both concerts, Etz Hayyim was filled to the and Culture Department, for bringing this event to Etz last seat with an enthusias c and apprecia ve audience. Hayyim. Nicholas de Lange read from his most recent transla on In July, Alev na Parland (trumpet) and Carmela of Amos Oz’ “Judas”, for which he was shortlisted for the Lönnqvist (violin), two young Klezmer musicians from Man Booker Interna onal Prize 2017, and spoke about Finland, performed at Etz Hayyim. Alev na had played his work and experience as a translator.
Poetry Reading with Catherine T. Davidson: The Tree of Life: A Story About Repair The Tree of Life can be found in a maze of backstreets in be on the board of a local synagogue and thought that the ancient port of Hania, Crete. How I found it, and how my voice might fit. a moment of my life came to hang like fruit in its branch- Normally of course, I would have said maybe, one day, es is a story about how the world some mes works in but as it turned out, I was already planning to go to surprising ways — toward connec on, hope and repair Hania. and against chaos, separa on and despair. My husband is a member of an associa on of English One root of the story begins with my husband. His father lawyers specialising in European law who meet annually was born into a prosperous Jewish family in Germany; he at some beauty spot in Europe, o en ed to the school escaped as a baby in his mother’s arms; they came to holidays. I think he chose his area of law knowing that his England as refugees and began a new story, one which own story is rooted in the me of terrible destruc on eventually led my husband to California and to me, and that ended in the peace and democracies of post-war our blended Greek Jewish German American English fam- Europe. Un l now, European law has been rewarding ily in London. and interes ng, if some mes frustra ng. The confer- The other part begins with an organisa on called Exiled ences have all been great — for our family. With the Bar Writers Ink: a group dedicated to promo ng the voices of European group, we have been to Iceland, Italy, Malta refugee writers in the UK. I came to the UK as a willing and Cyprus. This year’s mee ng had just been set for immigrant — certainly not a refugee. Yet, one evening Hania. I said yes. shortly a er the US elec on in November, they asked me David put me in touch with Anja, the administrator at Etz to read as they sought an American response to what felt Hayyim. Etz Hayyim (“Tree of Life”) turned out to be an like a mutual disaster. extraordinary place. The reading was hosted by a Jewish English poet named Synagogues on the island of Crete once served a Jewish David Clark. At the end of the evening, he asked me if I popula on who had been there since the Hellenis c era would ever consider reading in Hania, Crete. He used to in the 3rd century BCE. By the beginning of the Second Jottings Page 15
World War, only three were le — one in Iraklion and village in Thessaly where a local Jewish family had been two in the north -western city of Hania: Beth Shalom and hidden in a tree trunk during the occupa on. He was not Etz Hayyim, both built in the Middle Ages and places of alive to tell me if my hunch was correct, and yet, some- worship for hundreds of years. how, in his absence, I felt this strange link. Etz Hayyim survived un l 1944 when its en re congre- Stavroulakis was a man of the crossroads, in his life and ga on of 263 people was arrested by the Nazis. They in his ethos. He was determined to make Etz Hayyim — were herded onto a ship that was then torpedoed by rooted in the past and branching into the future — the Bri sh who saw it sailing under a German flag. The hospitable to those who cross borders. As a place of wor- synagogue fell into disrepair and was almost lost; locals ship, it is interdenomina onal and open to all who care used the loca on as a dumping ground as post-war tour- to come: men, women, Jews, non-Jews. As a cultural cen- ist Hania developed around it. Then it was rescued by tre, it has hosted ar sts and writers from around the the remarkable Nicholas Stavroulakis. world. Stavroulakis’ mother was Jewish from Istanbul; his fa- One of them was Ruth Patel, the English poet. She had ther was Greek from Hania. He done a residency two years before and grew up in the States and the UK. found a network of local poets, some He lived and worked in Greece, of whom came to read with me in Ha- Turkey and Israel, eventually be- nia. They were Natalie Ventura, an coming the director of the Jewish American who married a Greek and Museum in Athens. He discovered lived nearby; Karen Olsen, who was the ruins of Etz Hayyim, and be- married to one of Stavroulakis’ rela- came determined to resurrect it. ves; Vangelis Rousso, a Greek ar st He raised funds and got the site with roots in Hania, and Konstan nos recognised as an important piece Fischer, a local resident who had of Jewish heritage. In 1999, Etz grown up in Hamburg. Hayyim was officially re-opened As we talked, Konstan nos’ two foster and re-consecrated as a place of sons played loudly in the courtyard, worship. In the years since, it has energe c boys whom he spoke to in become both a living synagogue, calm and fluent Greek. Later, I discov- serving the Jews of Crete and visi- ered this was his own form of repair, tors, alike and an historical monu- having taken on their care a er a trou- ment and cultural centre. bled early start. His poems were pas- We found it in the maze of back- sionate, angry, voicing the voiceless in streets of what is now the heart of powerful words. Later, he scooped one touristed Old Hania. The doors were wooden, tall and sleeping boy in his arms and I reflected on how lucky they heavy, and we pushed through into an inner courtyard had been, small, tossed and troubled ships, to have full of life, greenery and light. We met Anja, who turned found themselves in his safe harbour. out to be a so -spoken and good-humoured woman The barristers sat on the benches, arranged like a star whose perfect English bore a trace of German. She had around the central table, where we read under hanging wri en to me only a week before to say that Nicholas lamps. The men wore colourful kippas, and I enjoyed see- Stavroulakis had died a er a long illness. ing those I knew in other circumstances — senior QCs and I felt I had missed the chance to meet someone who judges, looking the part. Some, like my husband, were would have been a kindred spirit. Later, I wondered if I Jewish or part Jewish, most were not, but as the rows had met him, as I remembered an animated conversa- filled with bodies, listening carefully to our poems about on I had when I lived in Athens in 1986 with the head iden ty, me, love and loss, the place felt full of spirit — of the Jewish Museum there. He had stopped me on the the ghosts of the past and the ghosts of the future, as yet street because I looked Jewish and we had talked about to be determined. my Greek mother and Jewish father, and my mother’s Catherine Gemma Davidson Jottings Page 16
Poetry at Etz Hayyim Etz Hayyim has become a popular venue for poetry sented them in December, 2016, along with research he readings in recent months! Three took place in the peri- had undertaken on the poet’s work; od between the end of May and mid-July (the me of and, back in 2002, a reading by members of the Hania this wri ng). Interna onal Writers Group in the north courtyard of Etz On May 29th, Catherine Temma Davidson, an American Hayyim. who lives in London with her family, read a selec on of Who’s next? her poetry and prose centring on the crossroads of I leave you with two favorite quotes, both by American Greek, Jewish, American and Bri sh cultures. She also poets: hosted an open reading by local poets: Konstan ne Fischer, Karen Olsen, Vangelis Roussos and Natalie Ven- All poems are in praise of God. tura. Catherine teaches crea ve wri ng at Regents’ Uni- —Robert Frost versity and is a wri ng consultant at Amnesty Interna- onal, while serving on the Board of Exiled Writers Ink. It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die On June 10th, Iossif Venturas from Athens, the last sur- miserably every day for lack of what is found there. viving Jewish male born in Hania, read from his long po- —William Carlos Williams em, Tanais, dedicated to the last Chaniote Jewish com- munity that drowned at sea in June, 1944. Tanais was Natalie Ventura the name of the ship on which they were sailing; their des na on, which they never reached, had been Pirae- us, the port of Athens, and then most likely, the Nazi death camps. Iossif’ s poems were read in their original Greek, and in English transla on for interna onal a endees. The reading took place one day before the annual Memorial Service for the community. On July 11th, Canadian poet Adele Graf read from her new book of poems, math for couples , as well as from a set of poems based in Greece. Adele has worked as a writer and editor, and taught crea ve wri ng in the public and private sectors in Halifax and O awa. An open reading followed, as at the May 29th presenta on, with local poets reci ng their own work: Konstan ne Fischer, Zoe Kolarou, Karen Olsen and Natalie Ventura. Looking back over the years, there has been a slew of other poetry readings as well in this inspiring venue. One would have to check the pages of past issues of Jo ngs for a complete lis ng . Yet some that stand out in my mind: a reading by Ruth Padel, well-known Bri sh poet and writer, friend of Nikos Stavroulakis. She read from her then-new book (2009), A Life in Poems , about her great- great-grandfather, Charles Darwin; a reading of the poems of Paul Celan (1920 - 1970), a Romanian-born German language poet and translator, Adele Graf (l.), featured poet at July 11th reading, with sister deeply marked by WWII. Chaniote Philologist, Giorgos Natalie Ventura, a member of the Etz Hayyim Havurah. Photo Kartakis translated Celan’s poems into Greek and pre- by R Edward Overstreet. Jottings Page 17
Fes vals and Liturgical Life at Etz Hayyim Etz Hayyim’s Visi ng Rabbi Nicholas de Lange led ser- Hashkava service at Etz Hayyim; the names of the com- vices for Pesah including the community Seder with munity members who perished on June 9th, 1944 were about 70 par cipants, and Shavuot. He will join us again read and a candle was lit for each individual. for the High Holidays (see holiday schedule on p. 20). Kabbalat Shabbat services have been held every Friday evening with a considerable number of visitors every week. Members of the Havurah prepare the Challot and share the reading of the prayers. On July 22nd, a special Kabbalat Shabbat with Piyu m from around the Jewish world was led by Hazan Yair Harel. The annual Memori- al Service, led by the Rabbi of Athens, Gabriel Negrin, for the vic ms of the Tanais took place at the municipal monument in Hania on June 11th and was followed by a
Republished: A Cretan Romaniote Haggadah
In February, Panagio s Gkoumas contacted Etz Hayyim preserve the Romaniote liturgy.” Synagogue and donated a modern edi on of a 16th cen- With the Haggadah published this spring, the second tury Romaniote Haggadah from step of this project is the publica- Crete which he had just published on of a Romaniote Siddur. Pre- in collabora on with German the- paring the text for prin ng, as ologian Florian Leubner. Panagio- well as fundraising has so far rest- s had learnt about this Haggadah ed completely on Panagio s’ from a recent academic publica- shoulders and he has been trying on about this majes cally illus- to bring his publica on project to trated manuscript from 16th cen- the a en on of the few remain- tury Irakleion. For the new edi on, ing Romaniote communi es the original text was transcribed worldwide in order to garner sup- by Dr Gerold Necker, professor for port. He also published a Jewish Studies at University Halle- “Bibliography on the Romaniote Wi enberg, Germany. Jewry” and, pending the neces- Panagio s Gkoumas, a young sary funding, hopes to publish in Greek educator living in Germany the near future a Romaniote with a keen interest in philology Mahzor (prayer book for High and history, explained: “Even Holidays) from 17th century Con- though I have no personal connec- stan nople/Istanbul and collec- on to Romaniote Judaism, at ons of Piyu m (liturgical poems) some point I discovered this part and Selichot (peniten al poems of our Greek history and culture and prayers) which became a ma- and realized that the old texts like jor part of the Romaniote liturgy, the Mahzor, Haggadah and Piyu- the Minhag Romania. m have been almost completely lost. In order to help Panagio s Gkoumas hopes that his ini a ve will further preserve this heritage, I felt it necessary to republish research into the Romaniote tradi on, including record- those liturgical texts based on original manuscripts […] as ings of liturgies, and that the republished liturgical texts in my view one way to preserve this unique heritage is to will be used again by Romaniote communi es. Jottings Page 18
Gedenkdienst at Etz Hayyim I came to Hania more than a year ago without having Besides working in the synagogue over the past year, I been to Crete before. I actually did not know what to s ll had enough me to enjoy Crete to the fullest extent. expect, but I was certain that it was a good decision and I travelled around the island, ate a lot (some mes too now I can firmly say that I do not regret spending a year much) of Greek food and relaxed on many different in Hania. beaches. I spent much of the number of months doing graphic In mid-September, I will leave Crete and move to Vienna work for the synagogue by de- where I plan to study archi- signing posters for different tecture on the Technical events, as well as a programme University Vienna. On the for one of our concerts. The stu- side, I would like to take a dent exchange between a Greek Greek language class in and German school and also the order to con nue to im- educa onal trip with the German prove my skills. I am very Federa on of Trade Unions much looking forward to (DGB) was one of the most inter- living in Vienna, to enjoy es ng weeks I’ve had. I learnt my first experiences at the many new aspects about Cretan university and to learn history including Crete during something new. This is why WWII and the German Occupa- I am not too sad to leave on. By regularly talking to visi- Crete, even though I will tors and giving them guided tours miss it very much. I am also through the synagogue, I’ve very excited about the ex- go en to meet a lot of really in- periences that the new teres ng people. German- Gedenkdiener, Christoph, speaking tourists are always very will make in Hania, espe- happy to speak with someone in cially in the synagogue. I their na ve language. As German hope that Christoph will and Austrian schools do not in- have a good me in Crete, clude in their curricula the sub- in spite of the fact that the ject of Greece in WW II, as a re- funding situa on of the sult, a few of them only know Gedenkdienst by the Aus- something about the German trian State has progressive- occupa on in Crete. On the other ly go en worse this year. hand, we also some mes have This year has so far seen a Jewish visitors to the synagogue few big changes. It was an who had family in Hania before honour for me to meet the war. It is always equally sad Nikos and it is very sad that and interes ng to hear their sto- I am the last Gedenkdiener ries and I hope that our who could meet and talk to knowledge about the Jewish pre-war community will him. Nikos’s death was a big loss for the community, but con nue to expand. One local newspaper from my I am sure that Etz Hayyim Synagogue will con nue to hometown called “Klagenfurter” also published an ar cle expand and promote Nikos’s vision. I am very glad to about my work in the synagogue. In addi on to my regu- have been a part of such a great team with so many nice lar du es, I wrote an interview piece with other colleagues. Gedenkdieners in other places for a student newspaper. Daniel Jordan Jottings Page 19
My name is Christoph Steinberger, I am 18 years old and It is a pleasure that I’ve go en this unique opportunity to grew up in the Viennese suburbs. For the following year, be part of this special place and I sincerely hope that I I will be the new Austrian volunteer who works at Etz can do my bit so that the synagogue keeps flourishing. It Hayyim Synagogue. Just like every single one of my pre- is an irrefutable allegory for revival and resurrec on. Un- decessors, I just have to men on that it will be my first fortunately, I didn’t get the chance to meet Nikos, but I me living on my own, in my own flat, paying my own am convinced that together, we will con nue to preserve bills and taking care of myself. However, be assured that the synagogue’s historical, cultural and spiritual heritage. even I will master the high arts of cooking. Sooner or later. Christoph Steinberger
German War Crimes and Debt in Greece - Seminar with Federa on of German Trade Unions (DGB)
Who owes what to whom – this was the ques on at the unknown.” The fact that most of them were hardly older centre of a week-long educa onal trip to Crete in May, than nineteen [years of age] “leaves the visitor stunned”, 2017 that was organised by the Federa on of German says Eifler. However, much more disturbing is the uncri - Trade Unions. The specific topic was the German war cal portrayal of the historical events in an exhibi on on debt and the culture of remembrance seventy years lat- the site: “The exhibi on suggests that the soldiers died in er. The des na on of the edu- regular combat between two ca onal trip was the beau ful opposing armies, which was port city of Hania in West Crete. not the case at all. The German For the seminar sessions, we Wehrmacht, in fact, led an un- met at the library of Etz Hayyim equal war against the civilian Synagogue where Anja popula on of the island. They Zuckmantel, the administra ve were not just soldiers, but oc- director, introduced us to the cupiers,” Eifler con nues. The complexi es of Greek and Cre- atroci es commi ed by these tan history and thus provided us German occupiers are not with a valuable context for the men oned which is incompre- events of the 1940s. Popular hensible. resistance against the German occupiers was par cularly For the members of the DGB, German war crimes cannot fierce on Crete which may be due to the centuries-long be made up for with money. A er World War II, Greece – experience of foreign rule on the island. along with other states, in view of major war- me de- A visit to the memorial for the massacre at Ano Viannos struc on in Germany – did not insist on immediate repa- in south Crete, together with the documentary, “A Song ra ons from Germany and thus faced a rela ve disad- for Argyris” and a guided tour of Etz Hayyim Synagogue, vantage in post-war rebuilding of a country devastated confronted the par cipants with the crimes commi ed by war and German occupa on. “Germany, however, by the German occupiers. Referring to the massacre in never felt obliged to repay a forced loan equaling then a and around Ano Viannos, Ulrike Eifler, who had organ- three-digit million amount or even repara ons,” explains ised the educa onal trip for the DGB regional group, Eifler. It was thus even more mor fying to realise the summarised the events of 1943: “One of the villages was extent to which the German government nowadays forc- completely destroyed, the popula on was rounded up es more and more austerity measures on the Greek pop- and murdered. No dis nc on was made between men, ula on, says Eifler. women and children. It is unfathomable to hear this.” “Past and present cannot be discussed separately. They “Visi ng the military cemetery at Maleme, maintained by are connected. Whoever talks about Greek debt must the German War Graves Commission, provided a com- not be silent about the debt Germany owes to Greece,” pletely different perspec ve,” explains Eifler. “On the Eifler summarised the topic of the one-week educa onal site, 4,465 German soldiers are buried, some of them trip and the consensus within the study group. Page 20 Jottings
Calendar for Upcoming Holidays Tax-deduc ble Dona ons in the USA Holiday Schedule Etz Hayyim can now accept tax-deduc ble dona ons in the USA through a collec ve giving account at FJC: A ‘Ερεβ Ρόσς Ασανά – Erev Rosh Hashanah 20 Σεπτεμβρίου 7 μμ – 20 September 7 pm Founda on of Philanthropic Funds . Any check should be made out to FJC, with “Not-for-Profit Corpora on Ρόσς Ασανά – Rosh Hashanah Morning Service Etz Hayyim” in the memo line and mailed to FJC’s 21 Σεπτεμβρίου 10 πμ – 21 September 10 am office at:
Κιπούρ – Kippur FJC: A Founda on of Philanthropic Funds Κολ Νιvτρέ – Kol Nidre Service 29 Σεπτεμβρίου 6:30 μμ – 29 September 6:30 pm 520 8th Avenue, 20th Floor New York, NY 10018 Γιομ Κιπούρ – Yom Kippur Service 30 Σεπτεμβρίου 10 πμ – 12 October 10 am Donors will receive a dona on receipt from FJC; the Μινχά 5 μμ - Minha 5 pm funds will be made available to Etz Hayyim Synagogue. Νεϊλά 6:30 μμ – Neilah 6:30pm
Fast ends 30 September at 7:47 pm. Bank Informa on for Dona ons Snacks will be served at the Synagogue for breaking the fast. Acc. Name: Civil Not-for-Profit Corpora on Etz Hayyim Σουκότ – Sukkot IBAN: GR 9401 7163 5000 6635 1095 59315 SWIFT/BIC: PIRBGRAA ‘Ερεβ Σουκότ – Erev Sukkot Service Bank: Piraeus Bank (1635), Agia Marina, Hania 4 Οκτωβρίου 6:30 μμ – 4 October 6:30 pm Potluck dinner - please bring a contribu on. We very much appreciate your con nued support of our Sukkah will be up un l 11 October. work at Etz Hayyim Synagogue. Dona on receipts provided. Services will be led by Etz Hayyim’s Visi ng Rabbi Nicholas des Lange. News from from Etz Hayyim — We would also love to hear from you . Our sincere thanks to the friends and members of the Etz Hayyim Havurah who contributed to this newsle er. We would also love to hear from you . Contact the synagogue if you would like to contribute an ar cle, share informa on or ideas. The next Jo ngs will be published for Pessah 5778. Please send contribu ons by March 1, 2018.
Weekly Services at Etz Hayyim Contact us and stay in touch Kabbalat Shabbat Services every Friday. Phone : 0030-28210-86286 Candle ligh ng mes are posted on our website : Email : [email protected] www.etz-hayyim-hania.org/events Web : www.etz-hayyim-hania.org (click on the relevant dates in the calendar). Other Holidays will be announced on our website, by email Facebook : Synagogue Etz Hayyim and on our Facebook page. Synagogue Opening Hours Jottings
May to late October : Mon -Thurs: 10 am - 6pm, Fridays: 10 am -3 pm, Newsle er of Etz Hayyim Synagogue, Hania, Crete reopening in evenings for Kabbalat Shabbat; Sundays 11 am - 4 pm Co-editors of Jo ngs November to April : Mon-Thurs 10 am - 5pm, Fridays 10 am - 3 pm; Katarina Anagnostaki, Alex Ario , and again 30 minutes before Kabbalat Shabbat service; Daniel Jordan, Anja Zuckmantel closed weekends