Thessaloniki Jewish Museum

Location: Egnatia
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The building inside which one will find the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki was erected in 1904 by the local Jewish community. It is one of the few Jewish structures that wasn’t burnt by the fire of 1917, which destroyed two-thirds of the city.

Until 1997, it was a typical merchant arcade and important institutions were housed there at some point, including the L’Independent newspaper and the Bank of Athens. After extensive work, a part of the building was converted to a museum and the inauguration took place in 2001. Since then, the space and exhibits have been overhauled thanks to the donations of individuals, families, and establishments.

The main exhibition space is split into three levels and three wings.
• The ground level is dedicated to Thessaloniki’s old Jewish cemetery. Until 1942 or 1943, it was located in the area now occupied by the University. However, it was demolished during the German Occupation.
• On the ground floor of the Andrea Sefiha Wing lies the Hall of Holocaust Victims. About 27,000 certified victims’ names are presented, after 30-year research conducted by Heinz Kunio, a survivor of Auschwitz.
• On the upper level, one can admire a permanent exhibition and read the information concerning the historical background of Jews in Thessaloniki since the 1st century CE. There are also rooms showing the 28 Jewish communities that fled to Thessaloniki from 1498 and during the 16th century, their family, social, and religious life, as well as the deportation due to the Holocaust.
• In the wing added in 2019, the extension of the permanent exhibition has been created, where the "Jewish Childhood Hall" and the "Unknown Musical Treasures of Greek Jews" Hall were added. The ticket office and shop have also been moved there.

Official website: www.jmth.gr