The City Concealed: Kehila Kedosha Janina - The Last Greek Synagogue

New York City has the Western Hemisphere's only Greek Jewish Romaniote Synagogue. Romaniote Jews who grew up near the synagogue on Broome Street share its history and roots.
The City Concealed playlist: • The City Concealed

[@msmavris1]

About 1:30, mr. Colchamiro states that his grandfather "used to wait at the docks when Greek Jews would come in to the city off Ellis Island and help find them a place to live and jobs". Hearing this, I was reminded and felt obligated, to include herein a bit of my family's history in America. We are not Jews but Greek Jews from this Synagogue helped first in 1972, the man who would later become my father in law to establish himself in the city by providing him with contacts and a place to sell his wares. His bench in front of a Jewish store on Broom street where he sold mainly umbrellas, later became a sizable store in Midtown Manhattan. His name was Milton Pashaleris and he never forgot the kindness done to him. He is gone now but he let us all know how he got started in America. In 1976 my own father was looking for work and answered an ad for a caretaker's position in the Bayswater Jewish Center in Far Rockaway where he got hired immediately. We found out later that one of the administrators was a Romaniote Jew and accepted my father because he was Greek. She was Miriam Levi and we became friends with her and her family. Her mom spoke Greek and used to come to our house to sit and talk with my mom. We lived in an apartment given to us on top of the main hall and my father ran the everyday affairs for three years before he went back to his regular job, he was a sea captrain in the merchant marine, and we moved to Brooklyn. Meanwhile, as we had immigrated to America in 1974, and knew very little of the American way of doing things, we were helped by various members of the Center with establishing credit, with purchasing funiture, with doctors, with schools. They helped us find the Greeks who lived near us and a Greek Orthodox church to attend. They even took us kids to the Pocono mountains whenever the "Pasha" society, I'm not sure if this was the actual name, had an event! I was fifteen then and I'm sixty now but I never forgot the Levis and the people the Bayswater Jewish Center even though we have lost contact. I always wish them, as well as the good people of the Kehila Kedosha Janina good health and prosperity and I do check in the synagogue's sites once in a while just to catch up with the news of the community. I think, I have written enough.. Know that you all have my family's respect and gratitude.

[@starshine742]

Thank you! I just found out today that I'm a Romaniote Jew! Thank you for posting this!! My family is from Ionnina!

[@philadelmar]

My grandfather, a Romaniote Jew from Ioannina, was a member of this synagogue.

[@dragonslayer7627]

Long live Greek and Jewish brotherhood.

[@nicoangel3452]

Ney! Always

[@michaelfilimon8510]

NEY Always! Greetings from an American of Romanian descent who loved this story!

[@YosefyosBaruch]

I'm a Yanina Romanyot From Israel :) I was very excited to see this video. Last winter I've found out that we have American family called "Naxmias" in USA.

[@izmtky1463]

do you speak greek? if i may ask?

[@andreasgeorgopoulos3878]

My family on both sides is romaniote Jewish I’m first generation living in the USA we still speak the Greek language . Unfortunately we haven’t been taught very much about who we are other than we are Greek Jews but I am raising trying to learn more and raise my kids in the Jewish way

[@andreasgeorgopoulos3878]

I come from a long line of bechoropoulos and matzas

[@andreasgeorgopoulos3878]

There was also an ashkenazi surname hebrewlein very far back as well

[@andreasgeorgopoulos3878]

There was also an ashkenazi surname hebrewlein very far back as well

[@yataghanman]

My Papou David Isaak help fund this synagogue back in 1927.

[@BBWahoo]

Give him a high 5 for me.

[@lyndaehrich3872]

My maternal grandmother, Dinah Negrin Bendjouya, her mother was a Colchamiro. I am just starting to rediscover who I am. It has been an adventure.

[@taltalim18]

Are you in touch with Kehilla Kedosha Yanninna and the Sephardic Brotherhood? They can definitely help you with discovering family history from others in the community.

[@sallyray515]

You know you are not Ashkenazi when just the sight of that jelly material on the gefilte fish makes the hair on your arms stand up.

[@taltalim18]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@karategirl144]

my great grandfather was one of the founders of this temple

[@BBWahoo]

Give him a high 5 for me.

[@michaelfilimon8510]

A beautiful story and I love the song at then end. Very touching, heart warming. Was watching this before going to bed. I now know that I will have sweet dreams! EFHARISTO! TODAH LEYKHA! THANK YOU!

[@user-yz8pw9dv2n]

My family Sephardi from Salonica,but was told we had also Romaniote ancestors as well as Sephardim.

[@elmaezra2360]

I am from Spain...sad history this country....and still intolerante reign in this country I com from coverted jews....many here of came...In Spain a strong existentialism feeling persist in our soul

[@sallyray515]

βραωο παιδια! This was so touching.

[@shinjiharaguchi5460]

Rachel Sally many Jews in Israel and in north America are now believers in yeshua

[@dimitrislamprinakhs5678]

Greetings from Crete island Chania state Mediterranean sea, Shalom Alehiem

[@norahamilton1846]

Fascinating! Inspiring!

[@Byzantios1]

No cigarette fassolia in our house!

[@vasilikiyannos]

Hashem bless Jewish people!!!

[@jerometurner8759]

Does the Hellenic Museum in Chicago have anything about your community?

[@georgepr242]

It should!!

[@User_1138]

Lol they say they aren't Sephardic and then they proceed to call all the foods the regular Sephardic names.

[@vienaventurada1120]

SHALOM ... I'm looking for Spanish group please ...uswer...SHALOM

[@jerometurner8759]

Does your community still speak Greek? Well, the younger people in your community? Are trips to Giannina organized?

[@odysseasntalias5950]

The romaniots only spoke greek . They lived in Ioannina from the roman era (the majority of other jews came to Greece in the 15th century , evicted from Spain) and apart from their religion they were totally hellenized. Some still live there and services are done in the synagogue. Actually the last mayor of Ioannina was jew, Dr moshe elishaf but sadly he passed away a few months ago due to cancer. Many israeli people visit the town. There are many hotels and rbnb and also an airport so you can easily visit😊

[@jerometurner8759]

Does your community eat Fasolada? Pastitio? Gemista?

[@dejanciric8502]

I am listening carefully and recognize several Balkan Slavic words since Janina was region inhabited with mixed population. Fore example, "prasa", "bamia", "patlijan" and "fasulja".

[@starman1144]

those are Greek words. Their pronunciation is a little different from normal greek because the Romanyot Jews had their own dialect of Greek.

[@alep_bet]

all four of those words aren't Slavic; in fact they are either Arabic or Persian that entered, among others, Greek and Slavic languages, through Ottoman Turkish.

[@georgepr242]

If they are used in Slavic languages regularly then they are Slavic words too. They may have Greek origin or Persian origin but one can still call it a Slavic word. I say this as a Greek lol

[@BBWahoo]

Wariuniote Jew

[@BBWahoo]

Romwariute Jew