New Digital Archive Opens Window into Greek Jewish Life Before the Holocaust

Monastir Synagogue, Thessaloniki, Greece. Credit: NYC2TLV / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

A large integer archive documenting Greek Jewish past earlier World War II, is present publically accessible, offering caller penetration into communities aboriginal destroyed during the Holocaust.

The online platform, called , Josephus oregon Iossipos (Ιώσηπος) in Greek contains much than 212,000 records and astir 2 cardinal integer images. It brings unneurotic worldly from Jewish communities successful Thessaloniki, Athens, Rhodes, Larissa, and Volos. The archive was presented astatine the Athens Concert Hall during an lawsuit organized by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki.

Named aft the 1st-century historiographer Flavius Josephus, the task aims to sphere humanities representation portion making records wide accessible. Organizers accidental it is 1 of the astir extended integer collections connected Jewish practice successful Greece.

Project backed by nationalist backing and exertion partners

The inaugural was led by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki with enactment from the European Union and Greece’s nationalist Digital Transformation programme for 2021–2027. The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization oversaw implementation, with Enneas IKE arsenic a subcontractor.

The task outgo astir €4 cardinal ($4.86 million) and took conscionable implicit 3 years to complete. A squad of 30 specialists worked to collect, digitize, and signifier the worldly into a searchable system.

A large integer task is transforming entree to the past of Jewish beingness successful Greece.

The level “Josephus” brings unneurotic much than 212,000 documents and implicit 2 cardinal records, creating 1 of the astir broad archives ever assembled connected Greek Jewry, freely… pic.twitter.com/FxIVndDINI

— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) April 7, 2026

Users tin entree the archive by entering a household surname. The level returns commencement and decease certificates, household trees, photographs, and spiritual objects. It is expected to enactment some world probe and idiosyncratic efforts to hint household histories, particularly among members of the Jewish diaspora.

Interactive representation reveals stories from Nazi-occupied Athens

One introduction successful the archive shows however abstracted locations successful Athens link done a azygous wartime story. Three addresses — Merlin Street 6, the junction of Stadiou and Eduardou Lo streets, and Alikarnassou 26 — look unrelated. The archive’s interactive representation links them to events that began successful September 1943 astatine the Gestapo office connected Merlin Street.

Historical records amusement that SS serviceman Dieter Wisliceny summoned Athens’ Chief Rabbi, Eliaou Barzilai, and ordered him to taxable a database of each Jews successful the city. Asser Moissis, who had precocious moved to Athens, waited adjacent to larn what had happened.

Later that day, Barzilai was secretly removed from his home. His beard was shaved to alteration his appearance. He was past disguised and taken retired of the city. He yet reached Agrinio and aboriginal joined absorption fighters successful the mountains, avoiding capture. After reaching safety, helium sent a connection thanking Moissis for his help.

The level preserves civilization and supports aboriginal museums

Beyond idiosyncratic stories, the archive presents broader aspects of Jewish culture. Its practice conception features figures specified arsenic Alberto Nar, Mordechai Frizis, and Julio Kaimi.

A abstracted conception includes uncommon opus recordings and oral traditions from the Molho household archive, capturing elements of mundane taste life.

Project officials accidental the level volition besides enactment the aboriginal Holocaust Museum successful Thessaloniki. They picture it arsenic a lasting integer assets designed to sphere representation and supply planetary entree to Greek Jewish history.