Renovated Kos synagogue reopens

Seventy-eight years after the deportation of Kos’ Jews by the Nazis and their murder in Auschwitz, the Dodecanese island’s synagogue reopened its doors on Sunday, following extensive renovations.

“The historic Kal Shalom once again functions as a synagogue and opens its doors to the local community and to thousands of visitors from all over the world,” said the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KISE), in a statement issued ahead of the reopening.

The renovation project was overseen by architect Elias Messinas and carried out with the help of the local municipality, the KISE and the Hippocrates Civic Society.

In addition to its religious function, the renovated synagogue will also operate as a place of memory, knowledge and culture.

In a visit to the Jewish cemetery before the opening, Athens Rabbi Gabriel Negrin presided over a memorial service in memory of the Jews of the island, in the presence of Mayor Theodosis Nikitaras, the President of the Municipal Council and of the Hippocrates Civic Society Dionysia Telli, Muslim Imam Irfan Trampa and representatives of Greece’s Jewish community.

This was followed by the inauguration of the Synagogue, which began with the “opening of doors” ceremony, recited by Rabbi Negrin. Representatives of the local authorities and of Greek Jewry entered the synagogue, accompanying the ritual entrance of the Sepher Torah – a donation of the Athens Jewish Community – which was carried by Dimi-David Opsimoulis, a relative of the last Jew of Kos, Michel Menashe.

Subsequently, the mezuzot were placed at the main entrance by KIS President David Saltiel, and at the doors of the Synagogue by Rabbi Negrin and the President of the Jewish Community of Rhodes, Claudia Restis.

Rabbi Negrin chanted the prayers and blessings, followed by the greetings of the dignitaries.

KIS Secretary General Victor Eliezer read a message from the General Secretary of Religious Affairs, Giorgos Kalantzis, who was unable to attend due to flight delays. “The dual use of the space, that is, as a place of culture and a place of worship of God, is an excellent example that goes beyond the limits of the island, and of which we are all proud,” the message said.

In his speech, Metropolitan Bishop of Kos and Nisyros Nathanael emphasized the ties of the island with the Jewish community since ancient times, mentioning that the Apostle Paul preached in the Synagogue of Kos during his visit to the island in AD 57.

Mayor Nikitaras stated that the municipality saved, maintained and protected the synagogue “out of a sacred obligation to our Jewish fellow citizens and the history of our society.”

KIS President Saltiel underlined that “the renovated synagogue sends multiple messages: about the centuries-old history of the Jews of Kos, about the importance of preserving the Jewish cultural heritage, and above all about brotherhood.”

In her address, the President of the Hippocrates Civic Society, Dionysia Telli, said: “Today’s inauguration is a memorial dedicated to the memory of the Jews of Kos, it is a reminder of what the rampage of Nazism means and it is the starting point for interaction of cultures and respect of the ‘Other’.”