Obj. ID: 44660
Memorials Holocaust Memorial in Rhodes, Greece, 2002
Who is Commemorated?
1604 Holocaust victims from Rhodes and Kos
Description
The memorial is in a small park at one end of “La Kaye Acha,” an area that used to be Jewish homes that were destroyed by Allied bombs during World War II. A memorial to the victims of the bombing was created at the New Jewish Cemetery.
The Holocaust monument is a polygonal six-sided column, set on two bases within the center of a small urban square and shaded by large trees. A raised circular base of stone blocks is set in the center of the pavement of the square. This base is paved in pebbles, in the traditional paving manner of Rhodes. Atop this is a second base made of cut smoother white stone (marble or limestone?) that is smaller and hexagon in shape. Laid atop this are thin slabs of black and white marble forming a Magen David. The hexagon center of the six-pointed star is white, and the six triangular points are black. The tall black marble hexagonal column – the monument itself – is centered on the hexagonal white marble slab in the center of the base.
The main part of the monument has six smooth black sides, each of which is inscribed with a symbol and a commemorative inscription in a different language: Greek, Hebrew, English, French, Italian and Judeo-Spanish (Ladino), all of which translate more or less to “Never forget. In eternal memory of the 1604 Jewish martyrs of Rhodes and Cos who were murdered in Nazi death camps. July 23, 1944.”
The top of the monument terminated is a hexagonal extension, slightly set back from the edges of the inscribed side panels. The top is beveled and sits like a hazzan’s hat atop of the polygonal columns.
Inscriptions
Greek:
ΜΗ ΞΕΧΆΣEIΣ ΠΟΤΈ
ΣΤΗΝ ΑΙΏΝΙΑ ΜΝΉΜΗ
ΤΩΝ 1604
ΕΒΡΑΊΩΝ ΜΑΡΤΎΡΩΝ
ΤΗΣ ΡΌΔΟΥ
ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΚΩ
ΠΟΥ EΞΟΝΤΩΘΗΚΑΝ
ΣΤΑ ΝΑΖΊΣTIKA
ΣΤΡΑΤΌΠΕΔΑ ΘΑΝΆΤΟΥ
23 ΙΟΥΛΊΟΥ 1944
English:
NEVER FORGET
IN ETERNAL
MEMORY
OF THE 1604
JEWISH MARTYRS
OF RHODES AND COS
WHO WERE
MURDERED IN
NAZI DEATH CAMPS
JULY 23, 1944
French:
N’ OUBLIE JAMAIS
A L’ETERNELLE
MEMOIRE
DES 1604 MARTYRS JUIFS
DE RHODES ET DE COS
EXTERMINES
DANS LES CAMPS
DE CONCENTRATION
NAZIS
23 JUILLET 1944
Hebrew:
לא לשכוח
לזיכרון עד
של 1604
הקורבנות
יהוגי
רודוס וקוס
שנספו במחנות
המוות של
הצורר הנאצי
Italian:
NON DIMENTICARE
ALLA MEMORIA
ETERNA
DEI 1604 EBREI
MARTIRE
DI RODI E DI COO
STERMINATI NEI CAMPI
DI CONCENTRAMENTO
NAZISTI
23 LUGLIO 1944
Ladino:
NUNKA TE OLVIDES
A LA MEMORIA
ETERNA
DI LOS 1604
MARTIRES DJUDIOS
DI RHODES Y DI KOS
EXTERMINADOS
EN LOS CAMPOS
CONSENTRASION NAZIS
23 DI JULIO 1944
Commissioned by
Jewish Community of Rhodes and Greek government
sub-set tree: 
| Evreon Martyron / Jewish Martyrs Square /Πλατεία Εβραίων Μαρτύρων)
In 1946, under the leadership of Gabriel Haritos, the first elected mayor of Rhodes, following the integration of the island with the rest of Greece, the Municipality Council of Rhodes named the square in honor of victims of the Holocaust.
The design of the monument was arranged by the Jewish Community of Rhodes, especially Jewish community president Bella Restis. Funds for the erection of the monument were donated by Mr. Victor Restis.
The monument was dedicated on July 23, 2002, commemorating the day in 1944 when the Jews of Rhodes and Cos were deported.
The monument was vandalized in 2012 when slogans were painted on all six sides.
Hasson, Aron, A Guidebook to the Jewish Quarter of Rhodes (Los Angeles, CA: Rhodes Jewish Historical Foundation, 2012) , p. 48.
Kone, Loise and Roula Kone, Jewish-Greek Communities: little Beloved Homes (Volos: The Ladies of the Jewish Community of Volos, 2006), p. 138.
Oster, Marcy, “Rhodes Holocaust memorial vandalized.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Times of Israel, October 28, 2012. , https://www.jta.org/2012/10/28/global/rhodes-holocaust-memorial-vandalized (accessed October 18, 2022)
“Holocaust Memorial,” The Jewish Community of Rhodes website, https://jewishrhodes.org/la-juderia/ (accessed October 18, 2022)
”German Occupation – Holocaust,” The Jewish Community of Rhodes website , https://jewishrhodes.org/german-occupation-holocaust/ (accessed October 18, 2022)