Jewish Museum of Greece, Athens

Jewish Museum of Greece, Athens

Presented with elegance in a series of softly lit rooms, accompanied by ample explanations in English, the Jewish Museum provides a comprehensive overview of Greece's Jewish communities, which have their origins dating back to the 3rd century BC. The exhibits offer insight into both Romaniot Jews, who have a longstanding history in Greece, and Sephardic Jews, who sought refuge in Greece during the 15th century after fleeing Spain and Portugal during the Ottoman Empire's era of religious tolerance.

Among the notable artifacts on exhibit, including traditional costumes, jewelry, and religious ceremonial instruments, one item of particular interest is the reconstructed 'ehal'. This ark, housing the Torah from the Pátra synagogue dating back to the 1920s, was rescued by Nikólaos Stavroulákis, the museum's founder, who has also authored several books about Greek Jews available for purchase in the museum's bookshop.

The museum's poignant displays document the period of German occupation in Greece during World War II, which resulted in the tragic loss of 87 percent of the Jewish population. More than 45,000 Greeks from Thessaloníki alone were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp within a five-month span in 1943, and others were sent to concentration camps as late as the summer of 1944.

Note that less than one-third of the museum's collection is on permanent display, and it regularly hosts temporary exhibitions to showcase the remaining artifacts.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Athens. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Jewish Museum of Greece on Map

Sight Name: Jewish Museum of Greece
Sight Location: Athens, Greece (See walking tours in Athens)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery

Walking Tours in Athens, Greece

Create Your Own Walk in Athens

Create Your Own Walk in Athens

Creating your own self-guided walk in Athens is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Plaka Attractions Walking Tour

Plaka Attractions Walking Tour

In the shadow of the Acropolis stands Plaka, the most picturesque and oldest district of Athens, with continuous habitation from antiquity until today. The “neighborhood of the Gods”, as it is called, is like a romantic, atmospheric trip to old Athens adorned with antiquities, historic 19th-century buildings, museums and Byzantine churches.

From the vibrant Syntagma Square walking down...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Walking Tour Around the Legendary Acropolis

Walking Tour Around the Legendary Acropolis

Also called "the sacred rock", the Acropolis was home to temples and sanctuaries throughout recorded history, and is a symbol of the city of Athens. Its religious importance was paramount to the ancient Greeks, and the buildings on the summit still capture the essence of their classical architecture. You can see the temples from most parts of the city, which adds to the feeling that this...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Athens Food Walking Tour

Athens Food Walking Tour

Traditional Greek cuisine is one of the healthiest in the world, and prices in all but the flashiest establishments afford excellent value. The prevalence of vegetable and dairy dishes makes eating out a delight for non-meat eaters. Carefully selected appetizers (tzatzíki, dolmádes, kalamarákia) can constitute a full meal. Greece’s most famous slow-cooked oven dish, however, is probably...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Walking Around the National Garden

Walking Around the National Garden

The National Garden is an impressive, historic park in the center of Athens, complete with artificial streams and duck ponds. Formerly known as the Royal Garden, it was commissioned by King Otto’s queen, Amalia, in 1838, reason why it is located directly behind the Old Palace (currently the Greek Parliament building). Not only is it a welcome refuge from the swirl of traffic just outside the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Athens Introduction Walking Tour

Athens Introduction Walking Tour

Athens is one of the oldest European cities, widely regarded as the birthplace of Western Civilization. Its history begins in the Neolithic period between 4th and 3rd millennium BC. The first settlement on the site of Athens was situated on the rock of Acropolis which means “high city” in Greek.

According to the Greek mythology, the name “Athens” emerged from a competition between the...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles

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