“Meanwhile, in the dining room sits Mr. Georgantas (government chemist), a Christian friend of my uncle, who, with great sadness, hears the very unpleasant news and advises us with all his strength to attempt to escape to Athens, where the Italians protect the Jews from German barbarism. We consider it impossible. A long discussion takes place about this. Finally, dawn breaks. My cousin's friend comes and tells us that the first group has already departed. [...] We have decided! By any means, we must leave! But it is not that easy. The escape must be accomplished with the help of Christian guides who ask for exorbitant amounts. The first proposed to smuggle us away took the advance payment and vanished. Others do not satisfy the trust. Other means do not seem very safe to us. And so we keep getting ready to leave, but we keep turning back...

Excerpt from “Occupation Diary - 1446 Days of Agony” by Benjamin Chaim Kapon.

YANNIS KARATZOGLU Yannis Karatzoglou was born in Thessaloniki in 1946. He studied Business Administration (M.B.A.) and is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. As a poet, he has published 7 poetry collections, as well as critical essays. He is engaged in the history of Thessaloniki and is a regular contributor to the magazine “Thessaloniki City” with related studies and articles.

Historical Bibliography: “The Imperial Ottoman Bank In Salonica - The First 25 Years 1864-1890,” publication by Ottoman Bank Research Center, 2003, “The Destruction of the Thessaloniki Jews of France, a kadish for our ‘own’ French,” Ed. EPIKENTRO 4014, “A Century of Bonds of Trust, 100 Years of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” Ed. E.V.E.TH. 2016.