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Café Synagogue

In the summer of 1999, while working in the Mediterranean as the Jewish Chaplain for the United States Navy, I rode into Hania, Crete, aboard USS Nassau. I was sent there to conduct worship and study for the 25 or so Jewish personnel stationed on that island. One Friday night after Kabbalat Shabbat services, I led about 15 service members and their wives into the port city of Hania to eat dinner. We sat around a table and I noticed that the stone wall to my right was inscribed with these words, "Café Synagogue". Of course my curiosity was totally captured. I asked the server what this meant and he told me that this was the Jewish quarter. He explained that there was also a synagogue in this vicinity and pointed down the street. So after we ate, the group wandered down the street and discovered the entry door to the local synagogue. This synagogue had been functioning for several hundred years until the Nazi invasion. I was told that during the war the Brits were not eager to give up their influence here. They stationed several warships at the mouth of the harbor hoping to capture Nazi vessels as they left port. While this was happening, the Nazis rounded up all the Jews on the western most end of Crete and herded them aboard troop ships in the harbor. The Brits who lay in ambush just beyond the harbor sank the Nazi ships as they left port. Of course the Jews of Western Crete met a watery grave. Perhaps one might say it was more merciful than the fate which certainly would have awaited them had they made it to Piraeus.

As we arrived at the front door, a gentleman by the name of Chanan Stavrolakis greeted me. We exchanged niceties and then I began to realize that fate had indeed brought us together. He needed raw man power to remove broken pieces of wall, to repaint, to repair broken pews, to clean the cemetery that was behind the edifice, to re-plaster, and so much more.

I seized upon this opportunity to create good will between our presence and the people of Crete. With a sense of purpose and urgency, I went to speak with my boss, the Admiral for the Sixth Fleet. I explained that we were in unique position to accomplish great things and bring about a humanitarian exercise of significant proportions. He asked me what I needed. So I explained that about 150 volunteers could accomplish the goals in the space of about two weeks. In the twinkling of an eye a call for volunteers went out across the ships loud speaker system. Two days later, after contacting Chanan, I appeared at the synagogue door with so many volunteers that we had to turn some away. There was just not enough room for all of them to work. The ones left behind immediately went to work. USS Nassau had to leave before the work was finished, but several weeks later, USS Kennedy came into port and sent volunteers to do the same. After several months of repeated volunteer efforts by ships crews who rotated through Hania regularly, the hard work was finished. What was left was the replacement of windows, restocking the library, locating a Sefer Torah, finding prayer books, and of course the grand dedication.

This event was quite remarkable inasmuch as the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Hania agreed to participate. It must be remembered that the Greek Orthodox bishopric was not particularly fond of the Jewish people. The re-dedication of the Etz Hayyim Synagogue was wonderful with prayers by me in Hebrew, the Bishop in Greek, and the local Protestant clergy as well as the Catholic priest on the island.

The most wonderful part of the event was the re-opening of the library. The books from the library had been secretly kept in an underground vault. They resurfaced for this event. A Torah was loaned to the congregation, from the Czech trust in London, (the same place from which our Holocaust Torah scroll was obtained).

With great sadness, I learned just two days ago that arsonists had gained entrance to the synagogue and set fire to the entire library. Books that had survived for three centuries and more were totally destroyed. I am writing this account hoping that when you read it you will share my profound sadness. It is my hope that you will help to rebuild the library. Please donate to the Rabbis Discretionary Fund (the amount need not be greater than "chai" (18 dollars), and earmark your donation for the Library Fund of the Synagogue of Hania. I in turn will forward these funds to Crete where I am sure they will be used to reconstruct the library.

You will in this small way enable the "flame of Judaism" to continue to burn brightly. May Adonai bless you for your efforts.

- Rabbi Jonathan A. Panitz

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