Thessaloníki, Greece

Jewish Heritage of Thessaloníki

Historic Sites of Thessaloníki’s Sephardic Community Learn about the history of one of the most important and prosperous Jewish communities in Europe. After the 1492 issuance of the Alhambra Decree and the subsequent expulsion of Spain’s Jews, a large community of Sephardic Jews immigrated to Thessaloníki and built one of the largest Jewish communities on Earth, which remained so until World War II. Travel by motor coach and pass by Liberty Square, where Nazi occupiers ordered the registration and deportation of all adult Jewish men. Continue along the seaside road and admire the monumental villas built by Jewish merchant families, including the neobaroque Villa Allatini and the neoclassical Villa Mordoch. Stop at the Hippocrates Hospital, built by the Jewish community in 1907 and featuring a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Drive back to the city center to visit the Jewish Quarter and the Monastir Synagogue. Conclude your tour with a visit to the Jewish Museum, built to honor the Sephardic heritage of Thessaloníki. * Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally range