‘Jewish snakes out’ daubed on newly renovated historic shul in Greece
Synagogue in northern Greek city of Trikala condemned by Central Jewish Council as causing 'outrage and deep sadness'
A newly renovated historic synagogue in Greece was vandalised with what the country’s Jewish umbrella organisation called “abusive slogans of antisemitic hatred.”
“Jewish snakes out” was among the slogans painted in bright blue on an outside wall of the synagogue in Trikala, a city in northern Greece that once was home to one of the country’s oldest Jewish communities.
The vandalism has caused “outrage and deep sadness,” the Central Jewish Council of Greece, or KIS, said in a statement.
“We are reminded that the snake’s egg continues to hatch in our society, and that the fight against antisemitism must be continuous and vigilance uninterrupted,” it said.
The statement said authorities must “take all necessary measures to arrest and punish the perpetrators and to protect the Jewish sites of the city of Trikala, which has demonstrated its zero tolerance of intolerance and racism.”
In October 2018, eight tombstones at a Jewish cemetery in Trikala were smashed. The cemetery has some of Greece’s oldest tombstones, including some erected more than 450 years ago. About 40 Jews lived in the city of some 81,000 at the time of the cemetery vandalism.
Antisemitic graffiti outside Trikala synagogue >>> https://t.co/7UKAc0knV8 pic.twitter.com/91GlZw6Uh3
— Monitoring Antisemitism Worldwide (@cfcantisemitism) December 31, 2019
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
