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“The Jewish Community of Ioannina – A Journey Through Time” – a digital exhibition by the Jewish Museum of Greece https://www.jewishmuseum.gr/en/the-jewish-community-of-ioannina-a-journey-through-time-2/ Kehila Kedosha Janina – Synagogue and Museum https://www.kkjsm.org Dalven, Rae: The Jews of Ioannina. 1989, Cadmus Pr

This synagogue did not survive the German occupation. It is said to have been built in Italian architectural style outside of the Castro on the Joseph Eliyia Street. It was built around 1540, when the Jewish Community of Ioannina counted more than five thousand members. The Kahal Kadosh Hadash was narrower but longer than the … Read more

The Jewish Cemetery of Ioannina is situated on the western edge of the town on Mega Alexandros St, in an area named Agia Triada.  It was once an eight-acre field bought by the community from the Ottoman Turkish Despot, Ali Pasha, in the early 19th century. The history of this cemetery was marked by constant … Read more

A Jew and a Greek in one…The first Jewish poet to write in Greek…Christos Christovasilis Joseph Elias Kapoulias, better known as Joseph Eligia, was born in Ioannina in 1901. Joseph Eligia was the only son of a humble family. He was brought up in poverty in Arsaki Street in the Jewish quarter of Ioannina, but … Read more

Of the 1950 Jews living in Ioannina in 1941, only 9,28%, 181 people, survived. 17 of these emigrated and 164 returned to Ioannina (Dalven, Rae: The Jews of Ioannina). However, they found their houses looted as the Germans officially allowed people to do after they arrested the Jewish population in 1944. Many houses were also … Read more

Romaniote Jews played a significant role in every field of the arts in Ioannina and in the rest of Greece, too. The Romaniote Jews of the city contributed to its theatrical productions, and since drama is inalienable from Jewish tradition and is an important feature of religious festivals, their plays were mostly inspired by religious … Read more

In addition to being religious leaders of the community, rabbis were also its administrative leaders. They found solutions to internal problems, represented the community to local authorities, answered people’s questions and were custodians of its laws and customs. From time to time, the extremely pious Romaniote Community of Ioannina was host to renowned rabbis such … Read more

This is my story about the deportation of Ioannina, Greece 1944 My beloved children, this is my story about how the Germans caught and deported us from the city of Ioannina in Greece on the 25th ofMarch, 1944. This day they had released the doctor Eriko Levi, who had been imprisoned by the Germans. It was … Read more

There was no recognisably Jewish form of dress by which the people of the Diaspora could be distinguished or identified. They dressed in accordance with the norms of the various places they lived in, taking account of climate and local materials, and influenced by local customs and the dictates of local authorities. This was true … Read more

By 1944, some Romaniote Jews of the Jewish Community of Ioannina lived inside the castle walls, while others lived outside. As a result of this they referred to themselves as the insiders and the outsiders. Most homes in the Jewish quarters were two-storey houses with a paved courtyard called a sadi, and a garden with … Read more