Jewish educational activity in Thessaloniki, in its early years, was rather limited.

The education that children received was religious, as offered by the "Talmud Torah" school (Talmud Tora ha Gadol), which was founded in 1520 and operated in a complex of buildings, which was destroyed by the fire of 1838 in the city center. It was then rebuilt, but was completely destroyed by the fire of 1917.

The Talmud Torah, like the peripheral synagogues, were centers of basic and secondary education for economically poorer families. The Community also operated a kindergarten and elementary school. As soon as a child turned two years old, they sent it to the "Mesheika". This was a woman who gathered the toddlers in her house, offering them care and supervision. She usually sat them on a bench, taking care of their cleanliness whenever needed. The children remained seated for quite a while, as the framework was more protective than educational.

When the boys reached the age of five, they began their four-year attendance at the "Chevra". The girls, according to the customs of the time, remained at home, contributing to household tasks. The "Chevra" school was usually housed in a simple space with benches, and teaching was done by the "melamed", the teacher of traditional education, who possessed basic knowledge.

The school program was particularly demanding, as children spent many hours of the day sitting in their seats. The teacher started in the morning going through the neighborhoods to gather the students and during the lesson used a rod to point to reading points. When a student had difficulty, he asked him to spread his palms and punishment followed, known as Haftona, with the rod called palmatorio. On the contrary, when the student answered correctly, the teacher lightly touched his teeth with the rod and said he had "dientes de oro" -- teeth of gold. These children had the special honor of accompanying him to the synagogue on Friday evening.

After Chevra, children usually continued to the Yeshiva (religious school). From 1850, with the tolerance of the Turkish administration, various European schools began to operate -- Italian, French, Bulgarian, Romanian, English -- which progressed and offered higher education to students.

At that time, the progressive leaders of the Community decided to turn to the Alliance. In 1862, the then president of the Alliance, Adolphe Crémieux, assigned the highly educated Rabbi of Thessaloniki, Yehuda Nehama, to create a modern school in Thessaloniki, modeled after those of Tangier and Baghdad. In 1864, Moses Allatini and other prominent Jews of Thessaloniki formed the committee that would represent the Alliance in the city.

In 1867, the Professional School for Girls operated, with 360 female students, who learned sewing, embroidery and the manufacture of women's hats.

In 1873 the inauguration of the first Alliance school took place. Initially 200 students enrolled in the school, a number that increased to 506. Of these, only 43 paid tuition, while 463 had free attendance.

The main language of education in Alliance schools was French. In 1874 the Girls' School (exclusive school for girls) was founded and operated, with 430 female students. In 1905, of the 456 female students, 360 paid tuition and 76 were subsidized. For this reason, many women's philanthropic organizations of the Community financially helped the school. Prominent and wealthy Jews of the city with large donations subsidized the maintenance of the schools. The Alliance schools were open to non-Jews as well. The spirit of the schools was unified: "Education must be spiritual and moral".

In 1887 the Professional School for Boys was founded, with lessons in ironwork, lathe work, marble sculpting and typography. In 1888 the Alliance Commercial School operated. In 1912, 9 Alliance schools were operating, together with the branch on Evzonon Street, with 70 classes and a total of 3,500 students. The teachers were mainly Jews, but there were also Christians.

At the same time, there were also notable private schools, mainly in the period 1930-1940, such as the Altsech School. The schools ceased their activity with the Nazi occupation and the destruction of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki.

FOREIGN SCHOOLS IN THESSALONIKI

The Italian School in Thessaloniki

Before 1911, the presence of foreign schools in Thessaloniki -- among which six Italian ones -- was particularly noticeable. These schools were mainly addressed to wealthy and urban social strata.

A significant part of the city's Italian community consisted of Thessaloniki Jews with origins from Italian cities, in various historical periods. Most families had roots in Livorno.

Among the best-known Italian families that supported education were the Allatini, Moseri, Modiano, Morpurgo, Salem, Saias and others. These families were accustomed to enrolling their children in Italian schools, where they were taught Italian, Ladino and Turkish.

A special place was held by the secondary education school Umberto I (Umberto Primo), which acquired particular importance and historical prominence through the documentary "The Students of Umberto Primo", based on a script by A. Crescenzi and Alessandra Maioletti.

The documentary tells a true story dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust. During the 1941-42 school year, the school welcomed nine new students of Jewish faith -- five boys and four girls: Esther, Lydia, Matilde, Alberto S., Leticia, Giovanni, Alberto M., Daniel and Claudio. These children grew up with dreams for the future and freedom, until the reality of war violently overturned their lives.

During the 1942-43 school year, Professor Crescenzi, in a now empty classroom, wrote a letter to his students. Only memory remained (source: Voria.gr).

Their story was revealed when Antonio Crescenzi (A. Crescenzi), working at the Italian Institute in 2003, on the initiative of Italy's deputy ambassador Susanna Schlein, located the archives: reports, identity cards, diplomas.

The French School of Kalamari

The Hellenic-French School of Kalamari (École de Calamari) was founded in 1894 in Thessaloniki by Catholic Sisters of Mercy, who arrived in Greece from Europe for philanthropic purposes. The patron of their order was Saint Vincent de Paul (St. Vincent de Paul).

The school was open to children of every religion and nationality. Many Jewish bourgeois families chose to send their daughters there, to receive high-quality Greek and French education.

During World War II, the school was converted into a shelter for people in need -- orphans and war victims. From 1940 to 1945, it hosted approximately 300 people.

Little Reina Zilberta Sakki -- Molcho was one of these children. Her parents entrusted her to the school shortly before their deportation by train. Her protection was undertaken by Soeur Joseph, who upon liberation personally delivered her to her mother in Paris, when she returned from the Bergen-Belsen camp.

Reina recorded her experiences in the book "Reina -- Zilberta, a child in the Occupation". For her act, Soeur Joseph was honored by Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum of Jerusalem) with the title of Righteous Among the Nations, and a tree was planted in her honor. The Israelite Community of Thessaloniki also honored the Sisters of Kalamari in a ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the Holocaust.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The 5th Boys' Gymnasium

The 5th Boys' Gymnasium constitutes one of the most historic and recognized schools of Thessaloniki. It was housed in the villa of Mehmet Kapantzi, in the Analipsi area, with the back yard touching the sea. This unique location allowed students to gaze at the Thermaic Gulf, while at the end of the school year, instead of the traditional hazing, graduates used to dive dressed into the sea.

The 5th Gymnasium was established as one of the top educational institutions of the time, as its graduates typically succeeded in gaining admission to University. Among its students were several children from the Jewish community, whose lives and education were violently interrupted with the beginning of deportations during the Nazi occupation.

In 2017, the Administration of the Educational Foundation of the National Bank unveiled a monument dedicated to the memory of the Jewish students of the 5th Gymnasium, whose attendance was abruptly interrupted in February 1943.

The 1st Boys' Gymnasium of Thessaloniki

The building where the 1st Boys' Gymnasium was housed originally belonged to the Isaac Benrubi family. In 1921 it operated as the residence of Hatzi Misef, while from 1928 it became the property of the Greek State.

On April 8, 1943, 149 Greek Jewish students of the 1st Boys' Gymnasium were forced to discontinue their studies. In the following weeks they were deported, along with their families, to extermination camps. Of these, only six survived and returned after the war.

As a sign of honor and memory, memorial plaques were placed on the sidewalk in front of the school, which is located at 3 Queen Olga Street.

The commemorative street plaques -- known as stolpersteine or "stumbling blocks" -- are the inspiration of German artist Gunther Demnig from Cologne. To date, more than 50,000 plaques have been installed in 19 European countries.

The Hellenic-French Practical and Commercial School of Athanasios Konstantinidis The school was founded in 1907, at a point between Angelaki and Ethnikis Amynas streets. Later, it was moved to the current building of the School for the Blind.

During the first school year (1907-1908), 162 students enrolled, all Greeks regardless of religious identity. The school was a model of coexistence, equal access and practical training for the new generation.

AFTER THE WAR

After the end of World War II and the tragic loss of the majority of its members, the Jewish community of Thessaloniki gradually began the effort of reconstruction. High on its priorities was the education of the children of the first and second generation of survivors.

As a first step, the Community collaborated with the most established private schools of the city -- such as Valagianni, Schoina, Korai and the Macedonian Educational Institutions. There, children attended basic subjects and, in a specially designed program and hours, were taught Jewish language and history by teachers trained from Israel.

During the 1950s, a new kindergarten was founded in the old building of Bikur Cholim, marking the Community's firm commitment to restarting Jewish education in the city.

In the late 1970s, and specifically in 1979, the operation of the Talmud Torah Elementary School began, with two classes and a kindergarten. The school was housed in the building of Matanot Alevionim, on old Mizrachi Street. From then until today, the school operates continuously, continuing the rich tradition of Jewish education in Thessaloniki.

Today, the school bears the name Joseph Nisim, honoring the memory and contribution of important personalities of the Community.