Jewish memorial in Kastoria desecrated

A memorial dedicated to the Greek Jews of the town of Kastoria, in the northern region of West Macedonia, who perished in the Holocaust was vandalized on Christmas day, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported on Wednesday.

According to the news agency, unknown perpetrators sprayed both sides of the marble slab commemorating the event with black paint.

The Memorial of the Jewish Martyrs of Kastoria, honors the members of the Romaniote community who were rounded up by the German army in March 1944 and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The slab bears the inscription: “In this place, on March 24 1944, the Nazis gathered the 1,000 Jews of Kastoria and transported them to death camps in Auschwitz. Only 35 survived.”

The mayor of Kastoria Anestis Angelis condemned the incident, describing it as shameful, noting Kastorian Jews contributed to the culture and economy of the city.

Greek media reported the memorial was restored with the help of local volunteers.