Thessaloniki is a coastal port city on the Greek mainland. Also known as Salonica (its Ladino name), this charming city has a very deep and rich Jewish history dating back 2,000 years and was known as the Jerusalem of the Balkans. In 1492, after the expulsion of Jews from Spain, many Spanish Jews found refuge in Thessaloniki and settled there. In the 16th century, many rabbis and students studied at the yeshivot there, such as Samuel Abarbanel and Solomon Alkabez, author of the Shabbat hymn “Lecha Dodi.” In 1908, there were over 90,000 Jews out of a total population of 157,000, so Salonica became the undisputed world capital of Sephardi culture. The Jewish influence was so strong that the port was closed on Shabbat because most of the port and dock workers were Jewish. This all came to an abrupt and shattering end on April 9, 1941, when the German army marched into the city and systematically began to destroy the 2,000-year-old Salonica Jewish community, deporting 96 percent of the Jews to the death camps.
Salonica was once known as “The Mother of Israel.” However, the Jewish community’s former glories are now mostly found in archives of aging photographs and the fading memories of elderly survivors.
In light of these deep Jewish historical connections, a special invitation was extended to Israel to participate in “Balkanfila XX.” The Greek Philatelic Federation bestowed a great honor in appointing Eddie Leibu, an Israeli judge, as president of the international jury. As commissioner, I brought five world-class Israeli exhibits, which were admired by many participants and visitors. I was honored to show the exhibits to the chairman of the Hellenic Post, Daniel Benardout. While I was explaining the Doar Ivri exhibit to him, he said in Hebrew, “Metzuyan” (“outstanding”). It turns out that Benardout is Jewish and had studied at the Technion in Haifa.
The Palmares Award ceremony was held in the lavish Mediterranean Palace Hotel ballroom, which is opposite Chabad located at the Astoria Hotel. Our Israeli delegation was greeted very warmly, and everyone applauded when we received large gold medals for the Doar Ivri and the Zionist Postcard Publisher exhibits. Two gold medals were awarded for two single-frame exhibits, and a vermeil [sterling silver plated with a thin layer of gold] medal for a collection of The Rise and Fall of the Jews in Germany. The Israeli Philatelic Federation donated a special prize, The Lion and the Lamb, which was awarded to a Turkish exhibitor.
This year, the Hellenic Post issued six magnificent stamps depicting synagogues of Greece, which included the Monastir Synagogue of Thessaloniki, which were admired and sold by the Hellenic Post at the exhibition.
Our Israeli delegation felt deeply honored and moved to participate in this exhibition and connect with the historical Jewish presence in Salonica. We are indebted to the Greek Philatelic Federation for inviting Israel to participate at “Balkanfila XX.”
I am extremely grateful to our exhibitors for entrusting me with their valuable collections, and I feel very honored to have represented my country and the Jewish people. May the memories of the Salonica Jewish community be forever remembered.■
Originally from South Africa, the writer is Israel’s philatelic commissioner and practices dentistry in Jerusalem, where he lives.
