Year
The end of the Second World War in 1945 brought relief, but also enormous challenges. Europe emerged devastated: cities leveled, millions dead and displaced, economies in collapse, and societies deeply scarred.
For Greece, the end of the war did not mean a return to peace. The country emerged ravaged by the Occupation, with its economy destroyed, its cities and villages half-ruined, and its Jewish communities deeply wounded.
Most Holocaust survivors were left without a home and family. In Greece, the once-thriving communities of Thessaloniki and other cities lost the majority of their population.
Those who returned most often found their homes and properties destroyed or seized. Despite the difficulties, they sought to rebuild their communities and preserve their historical and religious heritage.
