Jewish Quarter of Thessaloniki
Jewish Quarter of Thessaloniki
Jewish Quarter of Thessaloniki
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
32 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
5
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Shelli R
Israel109 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
THE tip that helped me understand the heritage collection came from the museum guide who just by chance was standing there- Saloniki, Thessaloniki was integrated by all - Muslims Christians Jewish faiths- all among each other, No Jewish Getto however
Neighbors, communities
There are Eng explanations under the objects. No need for their digital tour which is not iPhone Apple compatible. Lower digital swav frustration and just go in, soak up the exhibitions and videos
Neighbors, communities
There are Eng explanations under the objects. No need for their digital tour which is not iPhone Apple compatible. Lower digital swav frustration and just go in, soak up the exhibitions and videos
Written 22 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark W
Boca Raton, FL2,543 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
Through the Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki, we organized a truly outstanding four hour Jewish heritage tour of the city. The guide they recommended, Maria Kyriakidou (kiriakid@otenet.gr) was one of the best guides we have ever had any place in the world. Enthusiastic and delightful, Maria speaks a fluent English. An experienced, licensed general tourist guide, Maria is a Greek Christian who has specialized in Jewish Thessaloniki for many years. Maria knows the leaders of the vestigial Jewish community of 2000, and was able to arrange a meeting with the Israeli rabbi of the community, as well as to work out our visits to both the regular daily synagogue and the large synagogue used on special occasions. All of the other 39 synagogues of Thessaloniki were destroyed by the Nazis, but there is a memorial plaque for each within the communal synagogue.
She took us by the communal school, as well as the mosque of the descendants of the Jews who converted to Islam after the apostasy of Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th Century. Very much a mosque in architecture, it is nonetheless decorated with stars of David. Apparently the descendants were never accepted by Muslims, nor were they considered part of the Jewish community. Maria also guided us through marketplaces where Jewish merchants sold their wares, as well as supplied meat, fish, vegetables and fruit for the entire population.
We also drove by the mansions of the wealthiest of the Jewish merchants, as well as the Baron Hirsch neighborhood of the middle and working classes of the community.
We were sorry when the tour was over. We could have spent a lot more time with her. Her fee, including the taxi and driver she hired to take us around, was 200 Euros, which we topped up with a 20 Euro tip. Best money we spent on our trip.
She took us by the communal school, as well as the mosque of the descendants of the Jews who converted to Islam after the apostasy of Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th Century. Very much a mosque in architecture, it is nonetheless decorated with stars of David. Apparently the descendants were never accepted by Muslims, nor were they considered part of the Jewish community. Maria also guided us through marketplaces where Jewish merchants sold their wares, as well as supplied meat, fish, vegetables and fruit for the entire population.
We also drove by the mansions of the wealthiest of the Jewish merchants, as well as the Baron Hirsch neighborhood of the middle and working classes of the community.
We were sorry when the tour was over. We could have spent a lot more time with her. Her fee, including the taxi and driver she hired to take us around, was 200 Euros, which we topped up with a 20 Euro tip. Best money we spent on our trip.
Written 11 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janet G
Bournemouth, UK134 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
We had a tour with Hella Matalon, and it was amazing. Hella's personal family stories added so much to the experience.
We met up with Hella at the hotel lobby she gave us a thorough introduction to the timeline of Jewish history in Thessaloniki Then on to a four hour walking tour of the downtown, highlighting many things which you would probably miss without a guide. We visited the two remaining synagogues ( out of the 43 that existed pre WW1!), and spoke about the current vibrant though small community.
Then we had a brief coffee break and continued on a second part of the tour, transported by Hella in her car.
We visited the old train station where the Jews were packed up in cattle cars by the Nazis, the memorial at the University commemorating the Jewish cemetery which was destroyed, the villas that used to be inhabited by rich Italian Jews, of the donmeh mayor, and the donmeh mosque which houses yet more important Jewish history.
Whilst not cheap , it was money well spent. We would highly recommend anyone interested in the Jewish history in this area to take the tour
We met up with Hella at the hotel lobby she gave us a thorough introduction to the timeline of Jewish history in Thessaloniki Then on to a four hour walking tour of the downtown, highlighting many things which you would probably miss without a guide. We visited the two remaining synagogues ( out of the 43 that existed pre WW1!), and spoke about the current vibrant though small community.
Then we had a brief coffee break and continued on a second part of the tour, transported by Hella in her car.
We visited the old train station where the Jews were packed up in cattle cars by the Nazis, the memorial at the University commemorating the Jewish cemetery which was destroyed, the villas that used to be inhabited by rich Italian Jews, of the donmeh mayor, and the donmeh mosque which houses yet more important Jewish history.
Whilst not cheap , it was money well spent. We would highly recommend anyone interested in the Jewish history in this area to take the tour
Written 20 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shifra w
toronto4,651 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
I went on a ten day Jewish Heritage Tour of Greece with MDA Tours, based in New York (though I, myself, am from Toronto and flew to Athens to join them).
We traveled to most of the cities in Greece that had established Jewish communities and infrastructure before the Holocaust, and spent two days in Thessaloniki.
Our guide throughout this trip was Haim Ischakis, who runs Jewish Heritage Tours of Greece.
Though he has a Masters degree in Geochemistry and was the manager of a family business, in 1996, after the death of his father, one of the very few Ioanniote survivors of Auschwitz, Haim decided to devote himself to the preservation of the Jewish heritage in Greece.
So, we were led through the former Jewish quarter by the last surviving Romaniote cantor. There had been over fifty functioning Jewish congregations before the Jews of Salonika were deported en masse in 1943; only two remain. One is the Monastirioton Synagogue, which was spared because the Red Cross used it during the war and the other is the Yad Lezikaron, in the commercial district.
There is a wonderful room in the Monastirioton Synagogue which has a display of old photos and artifacts and tells the story of the synagogue's history, as well as providing insight on Salonika jewry.
Having Haim as our guide lent an extra dimension to our trip. Besides presenting the history of each city in a very thorough way, Haim carefully removed the Torahs from the ark in each synagogue we visited and read the Torah portion of the day with the Byzantine ta'amim (melody), another Romaniote skill he is the last to possess. As we departed each synagogue, Haim blew a shofar (he is an incredible shofar blower) and sometimes chanted a prayer or read a moving poem.
I would like to write separate reviews and post pictures for each of the synagogues we visited, but right now this is the only listing I can find on TripAdvisor for items of Jewish interest in Thessaloniki.
We also visited the Jewish museum, the Holocaust memorial, and were shown the former homes of prominent members of the Salonika community before the war. The Jewish cemetery no longer exists. It had been the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe before the war, with over 500,000 tombstones. But, it was destroyed by the Germans, who used the tombstones as building materials. The university now stands where the cemetery used to be.
The streets where we walked, where a thriving Jewish community once existed, are now enclaves of little coffee shops and restaurants.
One thing I should mention is that there is a very nice kosher restaurant, called Shalom Restaurant, in the Astoria hotel. The Chabad rabbi who runs it is a great source of information about the Jewish sites and, with a little coaxing, he will play Jewish tunes on his violin for you.
Our particular trip was two years in the planning, but Haim also does short trips from cruise ships, one day tours and custom tours for groups large and small.
One really needs a tour guide to access the Jewish Quarter of Thessaloniki successfully. Not all of the sites have regular hours.
We traveled to most of the cities in Greece that had established Jewish communities and infrastructure before the Holocaust, and spent two days in Thessaloniki.
Our guide throughout this trip was Haim Ischakis, who runs Jewish Heritage Tours of Greece.
Though he has a Masters degree in Geochemistry and was the manager of a family business, in 1996, after the death of his father, one of the very few Ioanniote survivors of Auschwitz, Haim decided to devote himself to the preservation of the Jewish heritage in Greece.
So, we were led through the former Jewish quarter by the last surviving Romaniote cantor. There had been over fifty functioning Jewish congregations before the Jews of Salonika were deported en masse in 1943; only two remain. One is the Monastirioton Synagogue, which was spared because the Red Cross used it during the war and the other is the Yad Lezikaron, in the commercial district.
There is a wonderful room in the Monastirioton Synagogue which has a display of old photos and artifacts and tells the story of the synagogue's history, as well as providing insight on Salonika jewry.
Having Haim as our guide lent an extra dimension to our trip. Besides presenting the history of each city in a very thorough way, Haim carefully removed the Torahs from the ark in each synagogue we visited and read the Torah portion of the day with the Byzantine ta'amim (melody), another Romaniote skill he is the last to possess. As we departed each synagogue, Haim blew a shofar (he is an incredible shofar blower) and sometimes chanted a prayer or read a moving poem.
I would like to write separate reviews and post pictures for each of the synagogues we visited, but right now this is the only listing I can find on TripAdvisor for items of Jewish interest in Thessaloniki.
We also visited the Jewish museum, the Holocaust memorial, and were shown the former homes of prominent members of the Salonika community before the war. The Jewish cemetery no longer exists. It had been the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe before the war, with over 500,000 tombstones. But, it was destroyed by the Germans, who used the tombstones as building materials. The university now stands where the cemetery used to be.
The streets where we walked, where a thriving Jewish community once existed, are now enclaves of little coffee shops and restaurants.
One thing I should mention is that there is a very nice kosher restaurant, called Shalom Restaurant, in the Astoria hotel. The Chabad rabbi who runs it is a great source of information about the Jewish sites and, with a little coaxing, he will play Jewish tunes on his violin for you.
Our particular trip was two years in the planning, but Haim also does short trips from cruise ships, one day tours and custom tours for groups large and small.
One really needs a tour guide to access the Jewish Quarter of Thessaloniki successfully. Not all of the sites have regular hours.
Written 15 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adiweinberger
Amsterdam, The Netherlands3 contributions
Nov 2018
We spent a full day with Hella and had a wonderful experience we will never forget. Hella is a gifted and passionate guide and she took us to an incredible journey in her city and the history of the Jewish community over thousands of years. Her deep knowledge, personal touch, dedication and flexibility in accommodating our needs were exceptional. If you are Jewish or interested in Thessaloniki history we strongly recommend this tour.
Adi & Safi
Adi & Safi
Written 12 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
672nitzad
3 contributions
Sept 2017
We had a private tour with Anet Matza Kleinman who was very professional and exteremly nice!We visited the jewish Museum, 2 synagogues Yad lezicaron and Monastion, the jewish neighborhood, the old railway station where jews were taken to the camps. This tour is a must when you visit Thessaloniki.
Written 27 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelmarm
Jerusalem, Israel116 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
We had a tour with Hella Matalon, and it was great. Hella is herself a treasure of Thessaloniki Jewish heritage. Through her own family stories she highlights the history of the Jews in Thessaloniki.
We met up with Hella at the Electra Palace hotel lobby where she gave us a thorough introduction to the timeline of Jewish history in Thessaloniki in context of the other nations who have ruled the area through time. Then on to a four hour walking tour of the downtown, highlighting many things which you would probably miss without a guide. We also visited the two remaining synagogues (ouch, once so many!), and spoke about the current vibrant though small community.
Then we had a brief coffee break and continued on a second part of the tour, transported by Hella in her car.
We visited the old train station where the Jews were packed up in cattle cars by the Nazis, the memorial at the University commemorating the Jewish cemetery which was destroyed, the villas which remain of rich Italian Jews, of the donmeh mayor, and the donmeh mosque which houses yet more important Jewish history. Never have I felt so close to real history of Shabbtai Tzvi as in Thessaloniki!
Truthfully, when I am interested in someplace it is almost always worth taking a guided tour. A good tour guide brings out so much more than a printed guide ever could. And in the case of Hella, you are being guided by part of the Thessaloniki Jewish heritage today. It was a very good value for the money, and I highly recommend Hella.
We met up with Hella at the Electra Palace hotel lobby where she gave us a thorough introduction to the timeline of Jewish history in Thessaloniki in context of the other nations who have ruled the area through time. Then on to a four hour walking tour of the downtown, highlighting many things which you would probably miss without a guide. We also visited the two remaining synagogues (ouch, once so many!), and spoke about the current vibrant though small community.
Then we had a brief coffee break and continued on a second part of the tour, transported by Hella in her car.
We visited the old train station where the Jews were packed up in cattle cars by the Nazis, the memorial at the University commemorating the Jewish cemetery which was destroyed, the villas which remain of rich Italian Jews, of the donmeh mayor, and the donmeh mosque which houses yet more important Jewish history. Never have I felt so close to real history of Shabbtai Tzvi as in Thessaloniki!
Truthfully, when I am interested in someplace it is almost always worth taking a guided tour. A good tour guide brings out so much more than a printed guide ever could. And in the case of Hella, you are being guided by part of the Thessaloniki Jewish heritage today. It was a very good value for the money, and I highly recommend Hella.
Written 24 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elinore K
Tel Aviv, Israel15 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
You can see the whole city from here. Bittersweet, since the original community was all murdered by the Nazis, along with the Jews from all the area towns. Now trendy and pleasant, fun to wander around.
Written 15 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VVThanx
Philadelphia, PA59 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
We had a great half day driving tour of Thessaloniki with emphasis on Jewish history. Our tour guide was Maria Kyriakidou. We took the tour on our first day in the city and she gave us a wonderful orientation. We had specific interest in the Jewish history of the city and this was well highlighted by Ms. Kyriakidou. Vibrant personality , wealth of historic and cultural knowledge, and fluent English. We stopped along the way for coffee and several important sites. All in all a fun and informative morning. We also had an incredible day with Maria two days later for tours of Pella and Vergina.
Written 20 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bfindysz
Jerusalem District, Israel631 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
While visiting remnants the Saloniki Jewish community, we spent some time in a few of the shards:
the Burla/Small/ Yad Lezikaron Synagogue rebuilt after WWII on the site of another synagogue totally destroyed by the Nazis, there we met a couple of Holocaust survivors and their daughter who is active in today's community and a leader of the community. The building is a precious jewel;
The new cemetery built instead of the ruined ancient place of rest, destroyed to make room for a city that never sleeps.
the Burla/Small/ Yad Lezikaron Synagogue rebuilt after WWII on the site of another synagogue totally destroyed by the Nazis, there we met a couple of Holocaust survivors and their daughter who is active in today's community and a leader of the community. The building is a precious jewel;
The new cemetery built instead of the ruined ancient place of rest, destroyed to make room for a city that never sleeps.
Written 5 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Janet. How does one contact Helena?
thank you!
Alan Bey
Scarsdale, New York
Written 29 June 2019
Do you have an email address - we are interested in a jewish tour of Thessaloniki
Written 24 June 2019
ben ve eşim 05 ekim 2018 tarihinde selanik yahudi turuna katılmak istiyoruz
Written 17 September 2018
I'm looking to visit Thessaloniki - my mother birth place on 10-14 of April, 2018, and wondering if you offer a day or more tours in city exploring the centuries of Jewish life.
Thanks, Yehuda
Written 6 March 2018
Are there any Jewish sights outside of Thessaloniki we can visit or is there a Hebrew speaking guide who would be willing to take us on a days tour. We will be having our own car for 6 people. We shall be arriving end of October ufor 5 days.
Written 27 September 2017
We are looking for a guide who speaks Hebrew for 3 day trip in Thessaloniki - could you help us.
We are 6 people of ages 80-50.
Thank you
Shoshana / Israel
Written 26 September 2017
info@jmth.gr
the e mail of the jewish museum of thessaloniki.
try to contact them
or much better the jewish museum of thessaloniki they will help you for sure.
Written 27 September 2017
How and where can I book a Jewish Heritage Tour of Thessaloniki for tomorrow? We are arriving at the airport by 7:00 (hopefully) or for the morning of 30/6/17?
Written 28 June 2017
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