Exploring Jewish Greece with Temple Sinai Travelers

“The Little Liar,” Mitch Albom’s latest book, opens in the city of Salonika in Greece, shortly before almost the entire Jewish community is loaded in boxcars and sent to their deaths in Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the initial pages of the novel, Albom notes, “This book is a work of fiction,” and “references to real people, events, establishments, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity.”

However, the author unquestionably knew the devastating history concerning the Jews of Greece, the country in Europe that saw the highest percentage of its Jews murdered during the Shoah. The highly impactful, educational, emotional, full-sensory trip was marked by key moments of remembrance as the group held its Yom HaShoah observance on the fateful platform in Salonika from which 50,000 Jews were deported. In all, the 32-member Temple Sinai group of travelers, led by Rabbi Ron Segal, now understands this dark chapter of history as well.

The following are some of their personal reflections, accounts that highlight both sorrowful and exultant experiences throughout the journey.

Wendy Katz

“One of the most awesome inspiring sites on our recent trip to Greece trip with Temple Sinai was the incredible breathtaking geological sandstone rock formations of Meteora. Perched atop these towering cliffs are 14th-century monasteries, strategically built to blend into the dramatic natural landscape. A popular tourist destination today, some are undergoing meticulous restoration to preserve its historic and spiritual significance.

“The most deeply moving moment of the trip took place in Salonika, coincidentally on Yom HaShoah — the Day of Remembrance — on April 24, 2025. Our group gathered at a modest, overgrown train station, the site where, in 1943, Jews were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz, where almost all were immediately murdered in gas chambers.
“The experience was especially emotional when a participant in our group shared her grandfather’s experience with us. Deported by train to Auschwitz as a child, her grandfather miraculously escaped, survived, and lived to share his story with future generations. Her story was intensely moving.”

Darrel Gilbert

“Amazing. Considering what happened to the Jews by the Nazis, it is amazing that our people and the Jewish religion have been able to survive and thrive since World War II. The strength of those who survived to tell the stories of their loved ones who perished and their families still alive today, was and is amazing when thinking about it. The trip evoked sadness about the past but also made us proud to be Jewish.
“As far as the sites, Meteora, the site of the Grecian Monasteries, was breathtaking with the location of the monasteries built on these hills.
“As a trip designed to learn about Greece and the Jews with respect to the Holocaust and their deportation to Auschwitz, we were touched by many personal stories from members of our group and people we met. We experienced emotions of shock, sadness, tears, remembrance, and hope. A few in our group shared their family stories and it was quite touching.”

Sheila Fagin

“The old synagogues moved me the most. They are able to host very few congregants today due to the deportation of so many Jews to the concentration camps.
“On the other hand, visiting and experiencing the monasteries and nunneries on the mountain tops of Meteora was breathtaking and stunning! Building these structures on these inaccessible mountain tops was a feat of superhuman determination. This ancient country with its ancient history has brought you to the connectivity with the present day. Thanks to our rabbi and the tour leaders, we were opened to many perspectives of this time and the people of Greece.”