Greek Auschwitz survivor passes away aged 96

·

Esther Cohen, the oldest Greek survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 96.

Esther was one of just two Jews still alive in Ioannina of the 50-odd who survived the Holocaust and made it back from Auschwitz.

Speaking in a prior interview with Ekatherimini, Esther was taken away in the early hours of March 25, 1944. In a well-orchestrated plan with the help of the Greek gendarmerie, the Gestapo swept through the Jewish quarter of Ioannina, a town close to Greece’s northwestern border, piling 1,725 men, women and children onto trucks.

17-year-old Esther, her parents and her six siblings, were sent off to the crematoriums. Less than 50 came back.

“The last time I saw my parents was on the railway platform in Auschwitz, where we were separated. I remember that as they were driven away in the back of a truck, they shouted out, ‘Girls, defend your honor.’

“One day when our heads were being shaved by one of the prisoners, she asked me what had become of my parents. I said that I didn’t know. She pointed to the flames coming out of the crematorium and said, ‘There they are, burning.’”

Esther escaped the camp with the help of a German doctor of Jewish descent, who hid her when SS officers took people from the ward and marched them to the crematorium. After the concentration camp was liberated she learned that the only other member of her family to have survived was her sister. 

Esther managed to rebuild her life marrying Samuel, who had survived the war in the mountains, and passed away on Tuesday.  

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

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

Advertisement

Latest News

Australian doctors praise Rhodes Hospital during visit

A delegation of 25 hospital doctors from Australia visited the General Hospital of Rhodes this week as part of a tour of medical facilities.

Ange Postecoglou leaves Nottingham Forest with classy farewell after being sacked

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Nottingham Forest just 39 days after taking charge, but the Greek Australian showed trademark composure.

Turkey accuses Greece of blocking entry into EU defence program

Turkey has accused Greece of undermining European security by opposing Ankara’s bid to join the EU’s SAFE defence program.

Ceasefire in Gaza resumes after deadly Israeli strikes kill 26

The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday, October 19, that the ceasefire in Gaza had resumed following an exchange of violence.

Tufan Erhurman elected new Turkish Cypriot leader in first-round victory

Tufan Erhürman, president of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has been elected the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community.

You May Also Like

Vatican confirms papal trip to Greece and Cyprus in December

Pope Francis will travel to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus on a five-day trip next month.

Greek kefi triumphs over rainy weather at Canberra’s Hellenic Festival

Canberra's two-day Hellenic Festival at the Hellenic Club of Canberra was a hit over the weekend, with 3,500 people attending.

Jake Anastas identified as third pilot killed in mid-air collision in Sydney’s south-west

Jake Anastas, 29, has been identified as the third pilot killed in a mid-air plane crash in Sydney's south-west on Saturday, October 26.