Previous Exhibits

Hametz Family Exhibit

 

On November 11, 2007, in honor of the marriage of Sharon Hametz and Jeffrey Rodnick in Kehila Kedosha Janina, a special family exhibit was created for the Hametz family. Sharon’s great-grandfather, Rabbi Israel Hametz, came to serve the growing Yanniote community on the Lower East Side in 1928. The immigration quotas for that year had already been filled and the synagogue sent formal letters to the American Consulate in Greece requesting that Rabbi Hametz and his family, his wife Pernoula and 7 children [his oldest daughter had already arrived in New York in 1920 and had married Joe Leon Josephs in 1924] be allowed to come to New York. A copy of the original letter of 1928 is on display in our Museum.

 

Israel worked in import/export to supplement his salary as a rabbi. The family would live on the Lower East Side, close to the Kehila where Israel’s son, Ovadiah, would also serve as a spiritual leader, helping to conduct the traditional Romaniote prayer services.

 

Israel would have been proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who would fulfill the “American dream” and become professionals. He would have been most proud of his great-granddaughter Sharon who chose to have her wedding at Kehila Kedosha Janina, the synagogue that played such an important role in the life of her family.

 

Additional information on Hametz Family

 

The family name “Hametz” is a nickname [a paratsouklia] that first appears as a surname in the Ioannina Municipal Archives in 1845 [Solomon ben David Hametz, born 1845]. According to family oral history, the paratsouklia was acquired when the patriarch of the family was found with hametz in his pocket during Pessach.

 

Like many other Yanniotes, Israel Hametz made his living buying and selling fabric. Israel was a religious man but, obviously, a progressive man. Allowing his young daughter, Sarina, to come to the United States by herself was not common in this patriarchal conservative community. Sarina would arrive in 1920, lying about her age on the manifest, afraid that a 15 year old might be turned away. She would marry Joseph Leon Josephs, another Yanniote, in 1924. Immigration quotas put into place that year would prevent her family from attending her wedding. It would not be until 1928 that the rest of the Hametz family would join her in New York. In the interim from when Sarina left in 1920 and the rest of the family arrived in 1928, three additional children would be born to Israel and Pernoula [Albertos, age 7, Isaac, age 4 and Eftihia (Molly), age 2]. On arrival at Ellis Island, Israel’s daughter Fina was 17, Esther was 16, Haim was 15 and Ovadia was 11. The family settled in at 273 Broome Street [according to the 1930 census, a copy of which is on display in the Museum] and became a vital part of the Yanniote community on the Lower East Side. Israel would serve as a rabbi and his son, Ovadia, would become a spiritual leader of Kehila Janina.

 

The intervention of the Kehila in NY in expediting the family’s emigration from Greece saved their lives. In a few short years, the Ioannina Jewish community would be destroyed in the Holocaust [see Holocaust list and the relatives of Israel Hametz that perished].

View pictures in exhibit.

The Jewish Community of Preveza 

Exhibit to open on October 7, 2007
Reception: 1-3 pm

The Jewish Community of Preveza was never large in size; it only existed for a mere 63 years. The Jewish neighborhood was no more than four-square blocks, the community never numbering more than 400. Yet, to us at Kehila Kedosha Janina, many of whom have familial connections to Preveza, the story of the Jewish Community of Preveza is of utmost importance. The Community was destroyed during the Holocaust. It lives on in our hearts.

Join us on October 7th for the opening of the Preveza exhibit. Reception in the Museum from 1-3.

The exhibit contains never before exhibited photos of Jewish families from Preveza and artifacts attesting to the vibrant Jewish presence in the city.

Exhibit to run through May 2008.

View preview of exhibit.

COLCHAMIRO FAMILY

It all began with the marriage of Jesoula Colchamiro and Rachel Galanos in 1865 in a small city in northwestern Greece called Ioannina. . . .

The story of the Colchamiro family, both in Ioannina and here in New York, is told through exhibits and photos in our Museum.

Photos taken at the opening of the exhibit are posted here courtesy of Elliot Cochamiro. A video was taken and if you wish to purchase a copy, please let us know [all proceeds go to KKJ Museum].

For additional information on this exhibit, click here.

Yom HaShoah, 2007 in memory of the Dinoula Colchamiro Bakola Family

The David Family Exhibit

In 1848, in Ioannina, David ben Elia married Simchu. They had 9 children, producing many illustrious Yanniotes, among them the poet Joseph Eliyia and the author, Eftihia Nachmias Nachman. Many of David and Simchu’s children and grandchildren perished in the Holocaust. Others, fortunately, had found their way to New York in the early part of the 20th century, marrying (for the most part) into other Yanniote families.

The family tree of David Elia and Simchu branches out to include many of the Yanniote families. Too many of the leaves were torn and shredded in the Holocaust. It is our hope to give faces to many who were lost and, hopefully, reconnect distant branches to this important tree.

View exhibit.

Our Gang in World War II

This exhibit will become a permanent part of our website. It can be seen in person from November 2, 2008 through November 2009.

The United States officially entered WWII on December 7, 1941. It would be a war that would affect everyone. Among the many who served was “Our Gang,” Greek Jews from the NYC area, most of whom were sons of recent immigrants.

There were those who were wounded in battle. Both Ralph Battino and Joseph Lafazan would receive the Purple Heart.

There were those who were taken as prisoners of war, including Isaac (Pat) Nachmias of 279 Broome Street, captured during the Battle of the Bulge and imprisoned in Stalag IVB until May of 1945.

And, finally, there were those who did not return. Hyman Barash died on Omaha Beach on D-Day during the landing at Normandy. Both Nissim Attas and Abraham Matza died during the Battle of the Bulge. Herbert Nachman, son of past Sisterhood President Rae Nachman, was shot down over Germany. Both Arthur Rubenstein and Hymie Atun were lost in the Pacific.

This exhibit is dedicated to “Our Gang,” Greek-Jews, most sons of immigrants from Ioannina, many from the Lower East Side, who proudly fought to defend their country. Jews by faith, Americans by nationality, Greeks by ethnicity, they would make us all proud.

The title for this exhibit was taken from a series of newsletters written in 1944 and 1945. “Our Gang,” written by Mildred Barouch (later to become Mildred Coffina), was intended to inform family and friends of what was happening during the war.

The actual exhibit includes photos and artifacts. We were pleasantly overwhelmed by the response to this exhibit and by the enthusiastic participation of the Greek Jewish community.

Our apologies to those whose stories were not included. It is not too late.

Send us your photos of Greek Jews who served in the United States Armed Forces during WWII and we will include them on our website.

View preview of exhibit.