92-year-old Greek woman reunited with Holocaust survivors she saved during WWII

·

One by one, the 40 descendants of a group of Israeli siblings leaned down and hugged the elderly Greek woman to whom they owe their very existence, as she sat in her wheelchair and wiped away tears streaking down her wrinkled face.

Clutching the hands of those she hid, fed and protected as a teenager more than 75 years ago, 92-year-old Dina Melpomeni said she could now “die quietly.”

Sunday’s emotional encounter was the first time Dina had met the offspring of the Mordechai family she helped save during the Holocaust.

The Mordechai family lived in Veria, Greece, near Thessaloniki, where nearly the entire Jewish community was annihilated within a few months in one of the most brutal executions of the Nazis.

When the Nazis began rounding up the Jews for deportation in early 1943, the family’s non-Jewish friends provided them with fake identity cards and hid them in the attic of the old abandoned Turkish mosque. They were there for almost a year, hearing the screams outside of other Jews being rounded up. But eventually they had to leave because their health was declining in the cramped, unventilated attic.

That’s when Dina and her two older sisters took the family of seven into their own single-room home on the outskirts of the city, sharing with them their food rations.

One of the children, a six-year-old boy named Shmuel, became gravely ill and had to be taken to a hospital, despite the risk of exposing his identity. He died there.

Shortly after, the family was informed and Dina’s sisters and their relatives helped them flee in various directions.

Yanai, the oldest, headed for the woods, another went to the mountains, and the mother headed out on foot with her youngest two surviving children in search of another hiding spot.

Dina and her orphaned and impoverished sisters provided them with clothing before their departure. The family reunited after liberation and made their way to Israel, where the children started families of their own.

Yossi Mor, today 77, was just an infant when his family was taken in, but he said he could still remember a few things, such as when his older brother died and the kindness they encountered from their rescuers — who gave them various forms of refuge for nearly two years.

“They fed us, they gave us medicine, they gave us the protection, everything, they washed our clothes,” he said, before gesturing toward Dina. “She loved me very much.”

Mor and Yanai had reunited with Dina in Greece years ago. But the younger generation of their extended family had never met her before Sunday’s ceremony. The two soldiers proudly pushed Dina and Yanai throughout the complex in their wheelchairs.

Sourced via The Japan Times.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

HACCI NT celebrates five years of community and business connections

Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the NT has grown into a dynamic network of businesses and professionals.

Chris Christofi’s annual gala raises over $200,000 to support homeless Australians

Chris Christofi's fifth Lead With Kindness gala raised almost $214,000 ($213,765) in support of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Braith Anasta breaks silence on heated restaurant run-in with Rabbitohs’ Latrell Mitchell

Braith Anasta has opened up about a heated confrontation with Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell outside Sydney’s Chin Chin restaurant last year.

Sydney man Theodore Penemenos pleads guilty after drugs found in underwear

Sydney real estate agent Theodore Penemenos, 31, has pleaded guilty to drug possession and possessing suspected stolen property.

Marina Strougaris’ family home under threat in Inner West Council rezoning plan

Marina Strougaris has expressed shock over Inner West Council’s draft plan to acquire and demolish her home to expand a nearby playground.

You May Also Like

John Anastasiadis appointed new senior coach at Heidelberg United FC

Heidelberg United FC has announced John Anastasiadis as its new NPLM Senior Coach ahead of the 2024 season.

Battle of Crete: The facts behind one of the most important battles of WWII

This week marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. We take a look at the largest air borne invasion ever attempted by Nazi Germany.

Constantine Costi to direct play for Musica Viva Australia’s first national tour in 2024

The national tour will start in Newcastle on Tuesday 20 February, and conclude in Perth on Sunday 10 March.