Classify/Pass Romaniotes (Greek Jews)

[arkas]

Greek Jews are seldom talked about, so I thought I'd make a thread for them. Discuss.
http://imgur.com/AXhzyG3.jpg

https://youtu.be/t1Bff1BipJ4
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Mordechai_Frizis_Romaniote_Greek_Jew.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Greek_Romaniote_Jews_Volos_Greece.JPG/300px-Greek_Romaniote_Jews_Volos_Greece.JPG
https://jmedia.online/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/greece.jpg
http://imgur.com/hQw50fR.jpg
http://imgur.com/G7j2ucs.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-179-1575-08%2C_Ioannina%2C_Deportation_von_Juden.jpg
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis4b.jpg
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis3b.jpg
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis6b.jpghttps://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis5b.jpghttps://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis7b.jpghttps://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis2b.jpg
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis1b.jpg

[MysteriousWays]

Med to Dinaro Med in a broad sense. I know very little about Romaniote Jews

[arkas]

Med to Dinaro Med in a broad sense. I know very little about Romaniote Jews

They are the oldest Jewish community in Europe but suffered the highest casualties during WW2 as a percentage, but they were already a relatively small community, there's very few left now.

[Hadouken]

they look like a mix of greeks and druze or samaritans

[arkas]

they look like a mix of greeks and druze or samaritans

Interesting, outside of the bible, I don't often hear about Samaritans. They do look broadly similar.

[Papa]

Conversion to Judaism is underrated.

[arkas]

Conversion to Judaism is underrated.
???

[Papa]

???

They mixed with the locals.

[arkas]

They mixed with the locals.

Oh right!

[Teucer]

they look like a mix of greeks and druze or samaritans

I was just about to say they look like Cypriots. Pretty much exactly the same as what you said

[Tauromachos]

Some look not or not much different from Greeks

Others have more distinct features which point towards Middle East but i also see similarities with Armenians

Good thread

The Romaniotes are a distinct Jewish group which live in Greece since the Roman times and are neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic

[arkas]

Some look not or not much different from Greeks

Others have more distinct features which point towards Middle East but i also see similarities with Armenians

Good thread

The Romaniotes are a distinct Jewish group which live in Greece since the Roman times and are neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic
Are there any particular pictures that stand out as looking specifically Greek to you?

[Tauromachos]

Are there any particular pictures that stand out as looking specifically Greek to you?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Mordechai_Frizis_Romaniote_Greek_Jew.JPG

The man reminds me of Markos Vamvakaris a bit a Greek musician from Syros


In the picture below they don't look much exotic also their dressing is similar to traditional Mainland Greek dressings

Its also similar the dressing to that of Italian Arvanites"Arbereshe"
https://i.imgur.com/AXhzyG3.jpg



Below,they look like a normal Greek family to me
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis6b.jpg

[arkas]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Mordechai_Frizis_Romaniote_Greek_Jew.JPG

The man reminds me of Markos Vamvakaris a bit a Greek musician from Syros


In the picture below they don't look much exotic also their dressing is similar to traditional Mainland Greek dressings

Its also similar the dressing to that of Italian Arvanites"Arbereshe"
https://i.imgur.com/AXhzyG3.jpg



Below,they look like a normal Greek family to me
https://www.yadvashem.org/sites/default/files/batis6b.jpg

I can see some similarities with him and that singer, they do have the same moustache lol

The traditional outfits as well, looks similar.

[Odin]

Mainly Taurids, Alpine-Meds, and few East-Meds.

[Papastratosels26]

Med and Alpines

Στάλθηκε από το G3311 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

[Longbowman]

Most Greek Jews are Sephardim, not Romaniotes, and it was the Sephardim who got slaughtered. Most Greek Jews lived in the mostly Jewish city of Salonika and were Sephardim. Nearly all (98%) were killed. Today, there are 1-2,000 Sephardim in Salonika, where the lingua franca was once Spanyolit.

Romaniotes were always low in numbers. They also lived in Smyrna and other areas of Anatolia, but now there are only a handful of tiny Romaniote communities.

They were extremely well-integrated into Greek society and had their own dialect of Greek - Yevanic.

One of your photos is of a Romaniote Colonel who was one of the first to fall against the Italians. Metaxas paid a personal visit to his family, or wrote them a letter, for his bravery.

[arkas]

Most Greek Jews are Sephardim, not Romaniotes, and it was the Sephardim who got slaughtered. Most Greek Jews lived in the mostly Jewish city of Salonika and were Sephardim. Nearly all (98%) were killed. Today, there are 1-2,000 Sephardim in Salonika, where the lingua franca was once Spanyolit.

Romaniotes were always low in numbers. They also lived in Smyrna and other areas of Anatolia, but now there are only a handful of tiny Romaniote communities.

They were extremely well-integrated into Greek society and had their own dialect of Greek - Yevanic.

One of your photos is of a Romaniote Colonel who was one of the first to fall against the Italians. Metaxas paid a personal visit to his family, or wrote them a letter, for his bravery.
Oh, I may have unknowingly added some photos of Sephardic Greek Jews, like the one of the weeping woman. But I think the rest are Romaniotes, most photos came from this website. https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/interviews/batis.html

Were the Romaniotes unaffected by the holocaust?

[Longbowman]

Oh, I may have unknowingly added some photos of Sephardic Greek Jews, like the one of the weeping woman. But I think the rest are Romaniotes, most photos came from this website. https://www.yadvashem.org/articles/interviews/batis.html

Were the Romaniotes unaffected by the holocaust?

They were. But in Salonika the Jews had no friends - they were the majority of the population, with Spanish or Arabic names, speaking Judaeo-Spanish, all in one area (well, there were also small communities in Rhodes and other places). The Romaniotes were scattered across the islands, the mainland, Athens...

Additionally the bravery of Greeks was notable. In Zakynthos and Corfu, above all. There were 275 Jews in Zakynthos and the Nazis demanded a list of them from the mayor of the island. He gave them a list of two names - his, and the bishop's. Ultimately no Jews were killed on Zakynthos due to the bravery of the gentiles there. Many years later, when an earthquake hit the island, the Zakynthos Jewish diaspora gave a lot of money to rebuilding efforts.

[arkas]

They were. But in Salonika the Jews had no friends - they were the majority of the population, with Spanish or Arabic names, speaking Judaeo-Spanish, all in one area (well, there were also small communities in Rhodes and other places). The Romaniotes were scattered across the islands, the mainland, Athens...

Additionally the bravery of Greeks was notable. In Zakynthos and Corfu, above all. There were 275 Jews in Zakynthos and the Nazis demanded a list of them from the mayor of the island. He gave them a list of two names - his, and the bishop's. Ultimately no Jews were killed on Zakynthos due to the bravery of the gentiles there. Many years later, when an earthquake hit the island, the Zakynthos Jewish diaspora gave a lot of money to rebuilding efforts.
Interesting, I didn't look that deeply into the history. I only recently found out Greek Jews existed a year ago, since I discovered I may possibly have one ancestor that was Jewish on my paternal grandma's side.

[Longbowman]

Interesting, I didn't look that deeply into the history. I only recently found out Greek Jews existed a year ago, since I discovered I may possibly have one ancestor that was Jewish on my paternal grandma's side.

There were over 70,000 in 1939, now 4-5,000, mostly in Athens, rather than Salonika/rural.

My aunt is part Greek Jew.

[Rgvgjhvv]

There was a notable Romaniote settlment in Samos as well. MyHeritage had me researching these guys like crazy when I got 6% Jewish in my results :lol: