Preserving History: The Jews of Greece
SNAPSHOT: Vincent Giordano photographed Romaniote Jews in Greece and in New York. Above, images of worshippers in Ioannina, Greece, in 2006 and 2007.
The Romaniote Jews are said to be vanishing, but photographer Vincent Giordano is dedicated to preserving their history before it drifts away. Their fading legacy is captured by Giordano in Before the Flame Goes Out, an exhibition that explores two small communities rooted in ancient traditions.
SNAPSHOT: Vincent Giordano photographed Romaniote Jews in Greece and in New York. Above, images of worshippers in Ioannina, Greece, in 2006 and 2007.
There were large groups of Romaniotes living in Greece and its neighboring territories some 2,000 years ago. During the early 20th century, many immigrated to France, Palestine, the United States and South America for economic reasons, and 85% of the Jews who remained in Greece were killed during World War II.
The Romaniotes’ religious rituals and customs are distinct from those of Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews, and Yevanic, a dialect of Greek that incorporates Hebrew and Turkish words, is the language spoken by these Jews.
Giordano documented the only Romaniote synagogue in North America, Kehila Kedosha Janina on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and the Jewish community in Ioannina, Greece, which claims a mere 35 members.
“In this case, what is disappearing and dwindling are the remnants of a major branch of Judaism,” Giordano said. “What we’re looking at here is not just a neighborhood synagogue in danger.”
The exhibit, currently on display at the Museum of Biblical Art, features some 40 works, including portraits of individuals and images of life cycle, religious and community events.
MOBIA, 1865 Broadway (at 61st St.); through July 13. (212-408-1500 or <www.mobia.org>)
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
