From the Travel Diary of Sephardic Heritage Explorers

Did you know that Sephardic Jews have a long and rich history in the Balkan countries, such as Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bosnia? This past summer a group of 21 Sephardic Jews from the New York area, eager to learn more about their roots, embarked on an exciting trip to explore this heritage.

Rabbi Nissim Elnecavé, an expert on Ladino Sephardic history, Executive Director of The Sephardic Jewish Brotherhood of America, and one of the enthusiastic travelers explained,

“After the expulsion from Spain in 1492, Sephardic Jews settled in those lands, which was known at the time as the Ottoman Empire.”

Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos, trip organizer and Museum Director at Kehila Kedosha Janina, the Greek Synagogue in Manhattan, said, “The purpose of our tour was to create more of a connection with our Sephardic roots. For 22 years, the Association of Friends of Greek Jewry has been running tours to Jewish Greece, often incorporating visits to nearby countries with Sephardic Jewish presences. In addition to learning and connecting, we focus on discovering ways to help, sustain, and revitalize these dwindling Jewish communities.”

Rabbi Elnecavé added with excitement, “In addition to all we can give these communities, we also have so much to gain! There is a treasure trove of rich tradition, culture, music, and prayer, and we keep discovering so many new old things; it’s like digging for gold. The more we reach, the more we find! It would be too great of a loss to let it go. I see these trips and this revival as a vital contribution to the entire Jewish world.”

“In the two weeks of travel, we spent many joyous moments in the various communities.” Marcia shared. “We learned and saw so much and met so many wonderful people.”

Rabbi Elnecavé was surprised to see many Jewish tourists in Thessaloniki (also known as Salonika,) Greece. He said, “At one point, I turned around in the hotel lobby and noticed that 80% of the people were Jewish, and many were speaking Hebrew. Greece is becoming a hotspot because it’s fun, the prices are reasonable, and it has magnificent scenery.”

In Salonika the group walked through the colorful Modiano market, which was formerly the Talmud Torah; the Jewish Museum of Saloniki, the refurbished cemetery, and Yad Lezikaron, a Synagogue which was constructed after the war from remnants of other synagogues destroyed by the Nazis.

Rabbi Elnecavé said that one of his favorite moments was when they opened up the arc and sang with the exact tunes they use at the congregation at the Sephardic Jewish Center of Forest Hills. He said, “I was amazed at how this tradition survived and has been preserved!”

The next stop was the picturesque and cozy city of Bitola, known as Monastir by the Jewish population–which was at 3,000 before WWII. The travelers snapped photographs of its lush, green mountains and immaculately maintained, colorful buildings where Jews once lived. As they viewed Jewish artifacts at the Ataturk Museum, the group learned that most of the Jewish population was destroyed in the Holocaust. One of the stops on the itinerary was to visit the Jewish cemetery, which is being restored by an organization from Israel.

Rabbi Elnecavé stated, “The restoration of the cemetery in Bitola is an example of one of the many projects taking place in the Balkans to revive Jewish heritage.”

Fuente: thejewishvoice.com