Fall 2007 - Kehila Kedosha Janina

In Honor or MemoryRecipe for Watermelon Rind DessertSimchas Edition 11, Fall 2007Since our last newsletter, donationswere made in honor or memory of thefollowing people:David & Esther Abraham, Ezra & MollieAskinazi, Joseph Askinazi, Sylvia Assael,Julia Asser, Manny Asser, Ralph Battino,Ester Benjamin, Yessoula Besso, LarryBlecker, Ben Bryton, Moise Calderon, MollieCohen Feldman, Deanna Cohen-Marcus,Colchamiro Family, Elias & SperanzaColchamiro, Leon Colchamiro, Morris &Esther Colchamiro, Eliot DeCastro, SimonElias, Rebecca Eliasof Kailo, Jesse &Dorothy Elison (Colchamiro), Hy Genee,Dora Gessula, Gene Golumbek, MarciaHaddad Ikonomopoulos, Annete Joseph,Ezra Joseph, Max Joseph, Anna RaphaelKoehler, Seth Kofinas, Leon Lafazan,Thelma Levy, Leah Mathios, Sylvia Meller,Al Moses, William & Mollie Nachmias,Lucille & Abe Naphtali, Joseph Negrin,Mr. & Mrs. David Reis, Esther & ElishaRusso, Jean Saltsman Colchamiro, RachelSama, Molly & Sam Solomon, Esther Talbi,Rachel Levy-Weinberg, Esther Yohanan,Joseph Yohanan.SPECIAL THANKS: We wish to alsoacknowledge a special donation by WilliamSabba in memory of his parents, Mollie andMorris, and an exceedingly generous donationby Rabbi Marc Angel of Shearith Israel inhonor of our President, Marvin Marcus.A special thank you to the Besca Family fortheir generous donation of a new parochetand bema cover in memory and honor of theirbeloved father.*DeceasedPassingsIt is with sadness that we note the passingof these special Yanniotes and family membersof Yanniotes: Joseph Askinazi, father ofour webmaster, Maurice; Eva Chizek ofthe Isaac Family; Chrysoula Kalef-Ezra,the mother of the Vice President of theJewish Community of Ioannina, John; BobbyGabrilides of Athens, husband of KarolinaGabrilides; Dora Gessula, mother of AnnetteShaw and Leon Gessula; Gene Golumbek,husband of Holly Kaye; Pearl Hametz andHenry Isaac.We apologize for errors in our last issue.Eli Zagha’s name was misspelled, and therewas the unfortunate omission of Larry Blecker,husband of Alice.We had many, many responses forour request for watermelon rind recipes,printed in our last issue of The Romaniote.It is our pleasure to offer the familyrecipe of Jeff Mordos’ mother, MathildaMordos of Blessed Memory, as givento us by his wife, Audrey. This recipeis from Preveza. Mollie Cohen (pastPresident of The Sisterhood of Janina) isoffering her traditional Yanniote recipe(too long to possibly reproduce here!)and for those who want an additionalwatermelon rind recipe, please contactMollie directly at 631-544-5432.Watermelon Rind Dessert(Karpouzi Glyko):For Rind1 watermelon2 qt. glass jar2 tablespoons of lime(comes in a 5lb. bag from the hardware store)2 qt. waterFor Syrup2 cups water3 cloves2 drops red food coloring3 cups sugarCut off all red watermelon from therind. You will not be using any of thewatermelon for the recipe. Carefully peel(or cut) off all of the green shell fromthe rind, leaving as much rind intact aspossible. Cut rind into approximately3.5˝ by 1.5˝ pieces. Rinse and drain allof the rind. Set aside.Fill the 2 qt. jar halfway with water. Mixin two tablespoons of lime. Add the rind.Add more water to fill the jar to the top.If all of the rind doesn’t fit into one jar,make a second jar with the same amountof lime and water. Soak overnight. Rinseeach piece of rind very well the next day.Put in pot and boil until tender, but nottoo soft. Drain and set aside. Also, rinseand dry jar for later use.To make syrup: Add 2 cups of waterto 3 cups sugar. Cover and boil. Add 3cloves and 2 drops of red food coloringto sugar water. Cool in pot. Removecloves. Put rind in glass jars and fill jarswith syrup. If there is not enough syrup,make more using proportions above.Set for at least 12 hours. Can now beserved. Keep remainder in glass jarsfilled with syrup for future serving. Doesnot require refrigeration.Now that our synagogue is refurbished, wehave been honored to host a number of recentsimchas, two baby namings and a Bar Mitzvah.What better way to truly celebrate yoursimcha than to have it in the only Romaniotesynagogue in the Western Hemisphere. If youhave plans for a celebration, let us know! Wewould love to be part of it.Changes in Format for Future NewslettersToo often our newsletter recipients misplacethe list of Upcoming Events. There will nowbe a separate sheet with each newsletter, andit will not only list the synagogue/museumevents but also the Sisterhood, Brotherhoodand Pasha events, which you can keep for easyreference. In addition, as part of every futurenewsletter, there will be contact informationfor our sister and brother organizations.Contact InformationBrotherhoodChaim Kofinas[for membership and burials]:845-356-0844Steven M. Matza[dues for current members]:732-792-072SisterhoodRose Eskononts:718-648-7374Esther Benjamin:914-636-2480PashasMax Nachmias:516-481-8616516-263-3501Association of Friends of Greek JewryMarcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos:516-221-2712Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and MuseumFounder*: Joseph I. Josephs Life President*: Hyman Genee Life Members*: Michael Aronesty • Morris L. Cohen • Morris David • Morris Eskononts • Joseph Kassorla • Sam Nahoum • Solomon SchinasiTrustees: Marvin Marcus, President • Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos, Museum Director • Chaim Kofinas, Treasurer • Solomon Kofinas, Financial Secretary • Elliot Colchamiro, Recording SecretaryJeffery Mordos, First Vice President • Rose Eskononts, Second Vice President • Marc Winthrop, Second Vice President • Martin Genee, Vice President • Lois Ledner, Vice PresidentJesse Colchamiro • Leonard Colchamiro • Isaac Dostis • Ilias Hadjis • Holly Kaye • Sol Matsil • Max Nachmias • Maurice NegrinNewsletter of Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and MuseumThe Renaissance on Broome StreetTen years ago, the world was ready to write usoff: even our own people were questioning whetherwe should close our doors and go the way of somany other synagogues on the Lower East Side. Ourperseverance and commitment to the “little Greeksynagogue on Broome Street” have been rewarded.Not only are we a part of the recent renaissanceon the Lower East Side, butwe are in the forefront. Ourrecent rededication (May 20th)of the Kehila Kedosha JaninaSynagogue and Museumsaw Broome Street betweenEldridge and Allen closed totraffic as the crowds gathered tocelebrate our triumphs. Greek,Israeli and American flags flewfrom our façade. Speeches byour President, Marvin Marcus;our Museum Director, MarciaHaddad Ikonomopoulos; ourarchitect, Leonard Colchamiro;the Consul of Greece, Sophia Veves and Holly Kaye ofthe Lower East Side Conservancy preceded a religiousrededication of our synagogue led by Rabbi NissimElcenave of the International Sephardic LeadershipCouncil and Marty Genee, son of Hy Genee of BlessedMemory, with the official unveiling of our LandmarkPlaque by Holly Kaye and Leonard Colchamiro.Dear Friends,As we approach the High Holidays, I would like tonote some of the wonderful events we have experiencedthis year at KKJ. In April we honored the life and timesof former president and spiritual leader Hy Genee. InMay we rededicated our synagogue, and in June wecelebrated the 80th anniversary of the Kehila and the BarMitzvah of Seth Kofinas, the son of Chaim and SuzanneKofinas and the grandson of Sol and Koula Kofinas.The synagogue was overflowing with love and emotion.Also in June we had a baby naming for Mia Chana,daughter of Jilit and Howard Stein and granddaughterof Anna Sabba Ullman and Jonathan Ullman. OnSeptember 8th, we will have the baby naming of RebeccaAriella Solomon, the second daughter of Paul and Alizaand their second daughter to be named in KKJ.Message from our PresidentAfternoon services reflected our continuity as ChaimKofinas shared the honors with his son, Seth, andAndrew Marcus, son of our President.On June 2nd, in honor of the anniversaries celebratedby our five organizations [Brotherhood: 100 years,Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue: 80 years, Sisterhoodof Janina: 75 years, Pashas:50 years and Museum: 10years], our synagogue wasagain filled to capacity as thevoices of the Yanniotes sangout in celebration. Sharingin the honor were ChaimKofinas, Marvin Marcus andMorris Levy, great-grandsonof one of our first Rabbis,Jessoula Levy.Our physical structure hasbeen restored to its 1927“grandeur,” and we are readyto host your simchas and family reunions. Let oursynagogue and museum continue to act as a livingrepository of the special culture, traditions and minhagof the Romaniote Jews of Greece. Join us for religiousservices. Continue to support us as you have in thepast. This is your Kehila and Museum. Be a part ofour renaissance!We grow with the efforts of many individuals whogive their all to help continue the Romaniote culture andtraditions. To them I extend a heartfelt thanks. We lookforward to one day hosting a wedding at the Kehila.I would like to wish L’ Shana Tovah to the Board ofDirectors, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Pashas, and all thefriends and families of Kehila Kedosha Janina. I hopeand pray that in the coming year our synagogue willcontinue to be a source of spiritual renewal for all thosewho seek it. Please join us this holiday season.Xronia Polla,Anos Muchos Y Buenos,Marvin Marcus280 Broome Street • NYC 10002 • 212-431-1619www.kkjsm.org or e-mail at kehila_kedosha_janina@netzero.net

With the reopening of the Museum,our mission has taken a slight detour.Initially, when the Museum was founded,the main thrust was to tell the storyof Romaniote Jewry to a world thatknew very little about us. While we,certainly, will still continue to do this,in addition the Museum wants to tellthe story of our people both in Greeceand, especially, when they came to theNew World. Many more family artifactsare now on display and artifacts can beeasily rotated to enable those in storageto make an appearance.Since the reopening of the newMuseum so many exciting things havehappened. On April 29th, we hosted agathering in celebration of Hy Genee,of Blessed Memory, with the openingof a new permanent exhibit about thisexceptional man. A moving film tributecompiled by Vincent Giordano madeus feel that Hy was actually with us forthe event, especially when, at the end,he rolled his eyes, almost saying: “whythe big deal.” Such was our Hy, alwayshumble. He will be forever missed.Going forward, we are planning torestore our communal room to includea kafenion room and a multimediacenter, facilitating on-site genealogicaland Holocaust research.Message from the Sisterhood of JaninaI am so proud of our Officers and Members, who, in keepingwith our mission of philanthropy, overwhelmingly voted todonate $5,000 to the historic Kehila in Janina, Greece…and, totop it off, I got to deliver it in person this summer, when anotherfull-of-history event took place…the Bar Mitzvah of Seth MichaelKofinas, son of Suzanne and Chaim, and grandson of Koulaand Sol, whose father prayed at this one-of-a-kind building.In this Diamond Jubilee year of the Sisterhood, culminating ina gala five-way anniversary historic event this past June, weYouth GroupAs part of our continuing endeavorto pass our traditions and culture onto the next generation, the Board ofKehila Kedosha Janina is now in theprocess of establishing a KKJ youthorganization to bring in our youngpeople. Activities will be planned fordifferent age groups (5–12, 13–18,19–30 and 31–40). Let us know of yourinterest and suggestions.Message from our Museum DirectorThe Museum played host to two verymoving family gatherings; the first onMarch 18th of the Colchamiros, and thesecond of the Asser Family on May 27th.These events serve many purposes,other than the obvious one of enablingthe family to gather together and feaston Greek delicacies. They also serve asa means of having our people, many ofwhom have become disconnected overthe years, reconnect with the synagogueand, most important, bring in the nextgeneration, our future.Over 150 descendants of Jessoula andRachel Galanos Colchamiro, representing8 of the 11 branches of the family,gathered for a day of celebration andremembrance. A special exhibit wascreated in the Museum in honor of theevent. Though the exhibit was only ondisplay through the end of June, ourwebsite will continue to tell the story ofthe Colchamiros. In telling the story ofthis remarkable family, the Museum toldthe narrative of so many other Yanniotefamilies, both in Ioannina before theycame to the United States and here inthe New World as they struggled tosurvive and confronted a culture thattried to absorb them. The Museumexhibit had far-reaching consequences.One of the branches (that of DinoulaColchamiro Bakola) was almostcompletely destroyed in the Holocaust.look forward to many more years of service and benevolence toour coreligionists and hopefully augment our ranks to includesecond- and third-generation members. So, please get yourdaughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, etc. to join us to continueto perpetuate what our founders envisioned 75 years ago. Contactour Membership Chair, Esther Benjamin, at 914-636-2480, ormyself, Rose Eskononts, President, at 718-648-7374. We lookforward to hearing from you and welcoming you to our “family.”– Rose EskonontsOne of the most moving messagesI received was from Emily Bakola,born in Greece, a great-grandchild ofDinoula, who grew up thinking that theonly family she had were the offspringof the few who had survived, only tonow find out that she has hundreds ofcousins. Then there was the recent visitof Mollie Cohen Weissbard, daughter ofHanoula and Isaac, now 97 years old,who came to see the story of her family.I shall never forget the image of thisremarkable woman standing there andnaming the people in the photos.The Asser Family event was quitedifferent but no less remarkable. It wasa smaller reunion, marking the 92ndbirthday of Manny (Menachem) Asser,possibly the first Bar Mitzvah in thesynagogue. Thirty-two members of theAsser Family gathered to remember theirheritage and their attachment to KKJ.Additional family gatherings areplanned: the Ganis Family for October28th. The Askinazi/Eskononts/EskenaziFamily, Attas and Matza/Mazza Family,dates still to be determined. If you areinterested in having your family gatherin the Kehila and reconnect with theirroots, get in touch with us. This is yourmuseum!– Marcia Haddad IkonomopoulosSpecial Thanks to Major BenefactorsWe wish to thank the late Frances Siegelbaum for the exceptionally generousbequest that enabled the completion of our recent interior restoration. This sizeabledonation is unprecedented in the history of our Kehila and for that we owe her atremendous amount of gratitude.In addition, we received a generous donation from the Genee Family, in honorof Hy Genee of Blessed Memory, that will be applied towards the next stage of ourinterior restoration.A very special thanks to Amy Attas Shapiro and her husband, Steven, who havegenerously donated the cost of the restoration of our chandelier so that they can keepit “in the family” for four generations. As Amy so beautifully phrased it, the AttasFamily has continued to be “responsible for the light at Kehila Kedosha Janina.”Message from the Association of Friends of Greek JewryOn March 18th, the Association ofFriends of Greek Jewry was honored tobestow one of its highest awards, our “LivingTreasure Award,” to Leonard Colchamirofor his dedication and commitment topreserving Greek Jewry. Leonard, a worldrenownedarchitect, and descendant ofLeon Colchamiro, one of our foundingfathers, was instrumental in enabling therestoration of Kehila Kedosha Janina andworked pro bono, refusing any personalcompensation for his tireless work.Long overdue, it is our honor to tell thestory of someone very special, Jeff Mordos,our First Vice President, a member ofthe Board of Directors and the ExecutiveCommittee of Kehila Kedosha Janina sincetheir inceptions. Jeff is also a Board Memberof the United Brotherhood Good HopeSociety of Janina. In addition, he is on theBoard of YAI, the National Institute forPeople With Disabilities and a former BoardMember of the Sephardic Nursing Home.Jeff grew up on the Lower East Sideand had his Bar Mitzvah at Kehila KedoshaJanina in 1970. Jeff’s late mother (MathildaCohen Mordos) was born in Preveza andhis late father (Elias Mordos) in Zakynthos.Both survived the Holocaust but Mathildalost most of her family in the concentrationcamps. Jeff’s father was among thosefortunate Jews of Zakynthos who survivedZakynthos, one of the seven islands inthe Ionian Sea, had a varied history butthe most enduring influence was the longperiod of Venetian occupation (over 400years). It was during this time that the Jewsliving on the island, like all Jews living onVenetian soil, were placed in a ghetto. TheJewish population on the island was alwayssmall and Romaniote (Greek-speaking)throughout its history. The few Sephardim(Spanish-speaking Jews) who settled onthe island after the Expulsion from Spainin 1492 were absorbed into the indigenousRomaniote community.Yad Vashem honored the MetropolitanBishop of Zakynthos, Chrysostomos, andMayor Lucas Carrer, crediting them withsaving the 275 Jews of Zakynthos. This isthe story: In the Spring of 1944, the Mayorof the island, Lucas Carrer, was called tothe German High Command Office (HerrLitt) and ordered at gunpoint to produce thelist of Jews of the island the following day.Distraught, not knowing how to proceed,he went to see Chrysostomos. The Bishoptold him to destroy the list immediately andthat he would take care of this himself.The following day, Chrysostomos reportedto Litt’s office, accompanied by Carrer.When asked to produce the list of theThis past summer, from July 18th toAugust 2nd, the Association brought overour annual tour to Jewish Greece. Ourparticipants experienced the beauty ofGreece and visited the Jewish communitiesof Ioannina, Salonika and Athens. Wewere invited by Eleni and Nicholas Gageto visit their family home in Lia, celebratedthe Bar Mitzvah of Seth Kofinas in thesynagogue of Ioannina, visited the Jewishmuseums in both Salonika and Athensand cruised the Aegean. This tour wasMeet the Board: Jeff Mordosdue to the moral courage of Christianislanders [see “The Saving of the Jews ofZakynthos” below].Jeff’s family immigrated to the USA in1951, first settling in Coney Island and thenat 61 Delancey Street. He was born at BethIsrael in 1957 and named after his maternalgrandfather, Jessoula Cohen. Jeff attended PS42, PS 110, JHS 56 and Brooklyn Tech beforereceiving his BS from SUNY at Stony Brookand his MBA from Cal State Sacramento.Jeff’s early education was supplemented byattending Talmud Torah on Rivington Streetand Greek School at St. Barbara’s GreekOrthodox Church on Forsyth Street.Jeff married Audrey in 1988 and is theproud father of Elise (16) and Todd (14).Since 1984, he has worked for BBDO,a New York advertising agency, and isJews, Chrysostomos handed over a pieceof paper with two names on it: his and thatof Mayor Carrer. He then said the wordsthat earned both him and Carrer “RighteousAmong Nations”: “Here are your Jews. Ifyou take the Jews of Zakynthos, you musttake us, and we will share their fate.” Litt,though supposedly moved at the sacrificethese two men were prepared to make,said that he could not do anything, that“he had his orders.” The Bishop then askeda favor of Litt. He wanted to be given theopportunity to plead directly with Hitler,having met him while studying in Munich.Litt allowed him to send a wireless message,and a reply was received four days later:the Jews of Zakynthos will remain thepersonal responsibility of the Mayor andthe Bishop of the island. A boat was neversent to pick up the Jews of Zakynthos. TheGestapo never showed up on the island. Noother explanation is given for this unusualsituation in Greece.When the Jews returned from hiding(they had all fled to the mountains andsurvived with the help of local Christians)they crowded around the Bishop, wantingto hear the story of how they were saved.They wanted to thank the Bishop and theChristians of the island, and offered to helpsold out almost immediately. Don’t missout on our Summer 2008 Tour, detailsto be released in January. Get on ourmailing list.We have “our man in Ioannina,” IsaacDostis, Vice President of the Association,now living in Ioannina nine months outof the year. If you want Isaac to researchbirth records in the municipal archivesand get copies of birth records for you,contact us.presently its COOfor North America.Also an avid runner,Jeff has completed 45marathons in 33 states,including the last 11consecutive New YorkCity Marathons.The Saving of the Jews of ZakynthosThose of you who are holding thisnewsletter in your hands should be awarethat it is through the generosity of JeffMordos that we are able to publish TheRomaniote. BBDO does the typesetting andJeff does some of the editing. And mostof the printed material at KKJ (stationery,business cards, brochures, etc.) is suppliedthrough donations Jeff has secured forus. Thank you, Jeff Mordos. We are trulylucky to be blessed with your generosity,commitment and passion.physically and financially with the buildingof an earthquake-proof church for thePatron Saint of the island, Agios Dionysus.The church was completed. The Jews helpedto build it and contributed the stained-glasswindows and the church bells.The feared earthquake came in 1953,leveling the city of Zakynthos, including thesynagogue and the Jewish quarter. One ofthe few buildings to survive was the churchthe Jews helped build. The first ship toarrive with help for the devastated islanderswas from Israel with the message: the Jewsof Zakynthos will never forget their Bishopand their Mayor. Both Chrysostomos andMayor Carrer are honored at Yad Vashemand, in 1998, monuments in memory of theircourageous help in saving the Jews of theisland were paid for by the Central Boardof Jewish Communities and Zakynthos Jewsin the Diaspora and placed in the centralsquare of the city.There is no Jewish community on theisland, most having relocated to Athensor Israel after the earthquake. However,a well-kept cemetery tended to by oneof Jeff Mordos’ relatives, and the onlyremaining Romaniote synagogue in Israel isthe Zakynthos Synagogue in Tel Aviv.