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When Greece was invaded during World War Two, life for the Greek people was hard. Initially they were under Italian rule, as part of the Axis powers, but when the Germans invaded in 1943 things changed dramatically. One of the first things that happened upon the German invasion of Zakynthos was a situation that has now become a memorable and important story of extreme bravery.
A German called Commandant Berenz, was placed in charge of Zakynthos on 09 September 1943. He approached the then Mayor of Zakynthos, Loukas Karrer, asking for a list of all Jewish residents on the island. The list was to be handed over within twenty-four hours, with threats of severe punishment, if the Commandant’s request wasn’t granted.
Mayor Karrer spoke with Bishop Chrysostomos. The Bishop wrote a letter to Hitler, in which he told him that the Jews were under his authority and not the Germans. The Mayor and Bishop then visited the Commandant and passed the letter and list of names to him. It is understood that Commandant Berenz presented the list of names and the letter for Hitler to the Nazi Military Commandant in Berlin. The list given to the Commandant by the Mayor and Bishop contained only two names: Mayor Loukas Karrer and Bishop Chrysostomos.
During World War Two the total Jewish population of Zakynthos was 275 people, but none of their names ever made the list that was demanded by Commandant Berenz. Whilst the Mayor and Bishop were giving the list to Commandant Berenz, Rabbi Isaac Ghani, the President of the Jewish Community organised a swift mass move of the island’s Jewish residents. With help from the Greek Resistance, the families were hidden across Zakynthos, ending up in farmhouses, monasteries and even cellars. The risk to islanders was great, but what they did saved many lives.
Due to the incredibly brave actions of both men, not one Jewish resident of the island of Zakynthos was ever sent to a WW2 concentration camp, and the island remains the only place to have successfully saved its entire Jewish population. They remained safely in their hiding places, undiscovered. They all survived and went on to continue their lives post-war, most moving either to Athens or Israel.
During the Great Ionian Earthquake of 1953, the historic Jewish Synagogue in Zakynthos Town was sadly destroyed, meaning that a lot of history was lost. But a lasting memorial to both the Mayor and the Bishop still stands on the original site of the Synagogue to mark their incredible heroism. The story of their bravery continues to live on in the minds and hearts of the Zakynthian people, never to be forgotten.
This incredible tale of the saving of the Jewish population of Zakynthos has been written about in several books, including Among the Olive Groves Miracle of Zakynthos. It has also been turned into a film called “Life Will Smile.”
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