In Hania, Crete
Etz Hayyim Synagogue is the only surviving Synagogue on the island of Crete, and stands as a lone testament to a culture that spanned over 2 millennia, and that was almost completely wiped out during WWII.
Today, after an extensive reconstruction which was completed in 2000, the building not only serves as a place of Prayer for Jews that live on the island or visit, but just as importantly, as a memorial to the community that was here as well as a place of Recollection and Reconciliation. As a result all our events are attended by people of various faiths, particularly our Seder for Pesah.
In addition we have also created a resources center with a small but growing library covering local historical, religious as well as philosophical topics. While on a cultural level we produce several publications each year, such as an Interfaith Calendar, and the Jews of Crete series of historical essays, and organise lectures, concerts and exhibits throughout the year. In 2000 the Synagogue was rededicated; it’s function being not only as a religious site, but also as meeting place for people from different ethnic groups or religious backgrounds to come together for dialogue.
The Place
The old town area still represents the cultural and political center of the city, with shops, museums, galleries, the central covered market and the town hall just a short walk from the old Venetian harbor. This area also formed the heart of the diverse religious life of Hania, with 2 Synagogues, a Catholic Church, 3 mosques, and several Greek Orthodox churches, including the towns Mitropoli (central church).
The Cretans pride themselves in being quite distinct from the other cultural groups in Greece, and this is reinforced by the fact that Crete was an independent state from 1896 till 1912 when it joined the Greek republic. However when we look closely we will see that Cretan culture is a vast mosaic made up of the different cultures and ethnicities that established themselves in Crete over the centuries as well as those that the local people had contact with through commerce.
Some of these groups have included in the past Venetians, Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Armenians and of course Greeks from the mainland and other islands. Aside from being the core of life in old Hania, the old town still boasts a large number of full time residents, many of which are immigrant families from the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean countries. The current population for the Prefecture of Hania is about 150.387 people (2001 census). Of those approximately 10% are non Greek immigrants. Many of which have arrived in Greece in the last 10 years. Of these immigrant groups Albanians, Bulgarians and Georgians make up the top three. There are also many new migrants from the Middle East.
Download press article etzhayyimarticle2.pdf
You will also find a 2009 article on the Guardian web site.
Contact: Alexander Phoundoulakis
email: info@etz-hayyim-hania.org
www.etz-hayyim-hania.org
Their blog page is at: blog.etz-hayyim-hania.org
