Jewish Page

Anti-Semitism as a Socio-Economic Phenomenon Or what the Jews have in common with the Swiss guards of the Pope.
Romaniotes and Sephardim - A short essay explaining the two distinct Jewish populations of Greece. (See below for links.)
The Deep Roots of the Middle East Problems - Several articles used as background for an OLLI Workshop on the History of the Middle East (May 2010)

THE GREEK JEWS AND THE HOLOCAUST
WHY 87% WERE KILLED DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
THE TWO GREEK-JEWISH HOLOCAUSTS 1821 and 1943-1944
Addendum to the "Illusion of Safety"
Mordecai Frizis and the Red Army
Thoughts Inspired by the Documentary "Song of Life" - Another view on why the Jews of Zakynthos survived. (Posted 7/11/08)
Bar Mitzvah Speech by Dr. Matsas for his grandson, November 14, 2009. (Editorial note: A very moving speech recounting the speaker's WW-II experience.)
Bat Mitzvah Speech by by Dr. Matsas for his granddaughter, October 27, 2012. (Editorial note: Another very moving speech recounting a fascinating WW-II story.)
Additions to the Greek Translation - In 2010 the "Illusion of Safety" was translated into Greek. On the occasion, the author included additional material that is posted here. There are several interesting details that did appear in the English original. (Posted 8/15/10.)
The Battle of Karalaka - How 242 Waffen SS soldiers and officers were killed while they attempted to capture five unarmed Greek Jewish families. (Posted 8/6/12. Correction on 5/26/13: replaced "German SS" by "Waffen SS". The members of these units were not all German, they included men from the Baltic countries, the Netherlands, etc. I was reminded of that by a recent celebration in Latvia of former Waffen SS members.)