This Yom Kippur we joined our Jerusalem community Nava Tehila at the Nature Museum for Yom Kippur 5784.
However, thanks to Israeli documentarist Gil Lupo I also had the chance to witness a part of the Yom Kippur service 5784 from Ioannina, Greece.
Watching the footage, I felt proud of my Romaniote Jewish heritage, the heritage of an ancient Jewish Community that has survived to this age.
I was also very proud for my cousin’s #HaimIshakis‘ cantorial gifts in leading Yannena, the community of our ancestors, on this holy day of atonement, Yom Kippur. The combination of Haim and my father’s home community was very moving to me.
However, while hearing the prayers, what moved me the most was the voice of the Rabbi of my youth in Athens, Rabbi Isaac Mizan #isaacmizan the father of my dear old friends Mireille Mizan and Suzanna Mizan whom I got to know from up close during our shared time in Israel. Rabbi Mizan’s voice, alligns me to my soul, and spiritual Greek Jewish heritage more than anyone else’s and I want to thank him for that.
Lastly, my appreciation also goes to my beloved husband, fellow Romaniote Jew Elias Messinas for all his efforts to preserve and document the Romaniote Jewish heritage through his architecture, conservation work, and writings.
I would like to thank Elias publicly here, for his known but mostly unknown, behind the scenes work, to safeguard the surviving mosaic of the Romaniote Jewish Community of Aegina since 2019.
Elias has been investing his time, expertise and energy towards moving the project along, vis a vis the Athens Ephorate with initially Stella Chrysoulaki,
Former Director of the Ephorate of Archaeology of Pireaus and Islands as well as with its current Director Aggeliki Simosi; Makis Matsas, the Greek Romaniote donor who contributed 50,000 Euro for the cause; the renown engineer who designed the protective roof, Argyris Hatzidis; the Archaeological Museum of Aegina and its dedicated Director Sofia Michalopoulou; the Municipality and Mayor of Aegina Giannis Zorbas; the Central Board of Jewish Communities of Greece, led by David Saltiel; the Jewish Community of Athens, led by Taraboulous Alvertos; and other related parties.
In cooperation, we can do miracles!
Please join us and safeguard today the Aegina Romaniote Synagogue from extinction and decay with your contribution. As of today we are missing 30,000 Euros to complete the project. In the Notes section below you can drop me a message regarding the amount you are interested in donating towards the protective roof, and I will reach out to you. Thank you!
From Jerusalem with love,
Yvette Nahmia-Messinas