Memorial Day of Greek Jewish martyrs & heroes of the Holocaust 2026

The Attica Region and the Israeli Community of Athens co-organized the event for the Memorial Day of Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust again this year. This year’s anniversary took place at a time of reflection, as it comes at the end of an extremely difficult period where a strong revival of anti-Semitic phenomena was observed, both in Greece and internationally.

Ceremony of Honoring Survivors

The event opened with the particularly moving moment of lighting a candle in memory of the victims. The candle was lit together by two survivors, "living witnesses" of the horrors of the camps: Mrs. Lola Hassid Angel, a survivor of Bergen-Belsen, and Mrs. Naki Bega, with arm number 77092, a survivor of Auschwitz. Their presence reminded us of society's duty to keep Memory alive, as eyewitnesses are increasingly scarce.

Research Presentation and Keynote Speech

As part of this year's activities, Mr. Minos Moysis presented the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by the Jewish Community of Athens among its members during the last two months of 2025. The survey captured the contemporary trends and concerns of the Community in the current context. Mr. Moses, among other things, emphasized: “…Therefore, the duty we have in Holocaust Remembrance, which brings us here today, does not only concern the past. It is also an invitation to the challenge to recognize the warning signs in the present and to ALL assume the responsibilities that fall to us… We therefore owe vigilance to the indications. Individual, collective, institutional vigilance. The sooner the better. Because anti-Semitism is a social and cultural cancer and, like any cancer, it begins its action from diseased cells. And if it is not stopped with appropriate prevention and treatment, it undermines and erodes the societies that allow it to develop. And it never stops with the Jews.”

The keynote speech of the event was delivered by the journalist and publisher of the magazine Books Journal, Mr. Elias Kanellis, who, among other things, stated: “This new anti-Jewish hatred is not simple anti-Semitism. It does not concern only Jews, it concerns all of us. Because, at the same time, the new type of hatred against Jews is also anti-Westernism. The attack against the state of Israel is carried out by forces that do not just hate Israel but, more generally, are hostile to democracy – and the Western world is the democratic territory of the planet. The manifestations of hatred against Jews are simultaneously manifestations of hatred against Western democracies. In fact, by forces that live in democratic environments and exploit democratic tolerance.”

In parallel, audiovisual material was shown with images of anti-Semitic slogans and actions, connecting the historical past with modern challenges.

Greetings and Honorary Distinctions

The event was greeted by:

• • The Governor of Attica (via video message), who emphasized that

“memory alone is not enough, it requires vigilance, courage and position…because never again is not a wish, it is a duty.”

• • The President of the Central Jewish Council of Greece, Mr. David Saltiel, who stated that “I must -once again- sound the alarm- so that all institutional bodies assume their responsibilities and act before it is --again-- too late.”
• • The Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr. Noam Katz, who characteristically emphasized that “memory is not only about mourning for the past, but also about recognizing the dangers of today”
• • The Vice President of the Jewish Community of Athens, Mr. Benjamin Batis, on behalf of the President of IKA, Mr. Albert Taramboulos, stated “…Today, unfortunately, we live in a world where the speed of information blurs the truth, where intolerance appears with new faces, where fear turns into violence, where fanaticism and terrorism are part of our reality, reminding us in the harshest way that “then” is not as distant as we would like to believe…”

The Jewish Community of Athens awarded two important distinctions this year:

1. Honorary Commendation to the Secretary General of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Mr. G. Kalantzis, for his continuous contribution to the preservation of the Memory of the Holocaust. The announcement was made by the Secretary General of the Jewish Museum of Greece, Mr. Victor Eliezer.
2. Special Honorary Distinction in memory of the recently deceased Alberto Eskenazi. Mr. Mikis Montiano, President of the Jewish Museum of Greece, praised Eskenazi's artistic contribution, referring in particular to his work

"Unknown Number" which was presented at last year's ceremony. The distinction was presented to his family.

The event was accompanied by music by the internationally renowned composer and virtuoso pianist, Emmy Award winner, Mr. Mark Chait. The composer performed his works such as "Esther’s Diary – Light of Remembrance” and “On and On”, offering an atmosphere of devotion and reflection.

The Jewish Community of Athens expresses its warm thanks to all the participants and the organizations that supported the event. The memory of the victims of the Holocaust continues to remain alive in our hearts and we will continue to fight for a world without hatred and racism.