Jewish Community of Thessaloniki expresses ‘regret,’ ‘indignation’ over monument desecration

The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki (JCT) has expressed its “regret” and “indignation” on a Holocaust memorial desecration in Greece’s northern port city.

The monument, which is located on the campus of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University (AUT), was erected in the memory of the Jewish students who perished at the Nazi death camps.

It was targeted by vandals on Tuesday, the second time in two weeks. The perpetrators daubed blue paint and painted a cross on the monument.

“The desecration is an insult to the monument… At the same time this extremely sad event is an act of great disrespect for Aristotle University, an institution of education, a place for molding the character and consciousness of the younger generation,” JCT said in a statement.

“The actions of the perpetrators confirm that the necessary and successful efforts made by our Community, in cooperation with the authorities and institutions in our city and homeland to combat racism, anti-Semitism, intolerance and fanaticism while restoring and promoting the history of Thessaloniki and its aspects on the centuries-old Jewish presence, are annoying and disturbing,” it said.

The vandalism was on Tuesday condemned by university and municipal authorities.