It shouldn’t come as a surprise judging by their countries’ proximity but visitors to Zakynthos, aka Zante, will find it is the Greek island with the biggest Shalom.
Zakynthos has had a multitude of visitors over three millennia, not surprising, as it is known as the ‘flower of the Ionian Islands’.
And while today it is popular with a young party set it wasn’t so with its previous visitors.
All Greek to them
The Romans, the Ottomans, Venetians and Nazis, none of whom came bearing gifts.
Not that the Zakynthians bore any ill will to any of them as long as they allowed them to progress with their time-honoured ways.
Which was how it was when the Germans demanded that they round up their 275 Jews for transportation in World War II.
Only for the might of the Third Reich to run into two formidable Ionians they could not bully.
Mayor Loukas Karrer and Bishop Chrysostomos.
The Bishop and the Mayor
The island luminaries who assured their new Teuton visitors that their Jewish community were as Greek as Homer, halloumi, ouzo and smashing plates.
And when asked for their names gave them but two, their own.
With the Zakynthians doing what all Christians should have, and sometimes did, and sheltered the Jews in their homes.
The story goes that the bold bishop wrote out a letter personally too to Hitler on their account.
With the course of the war inexorably moving against the Germans the Zakynthian Jews saw out the war.
And Zakynthos would go down in history as the little island and only corner of the Third Reich to defy Hitler.
On a pedestal
Many of the Zakynthian Jews left after the war for Athens and the newly-formulated state of Israel.
Where the heroism of the Good Mayor and the Good Bishop were recognised by the Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.
On the site where stood the Sephardic synagogue before an earthquake did what the Nazis couldn’t and levelled it in 1953.
With the erection of two marble memorial monuments as a tribute to the bishop and mayor.
A pilgrimage to Greek idols
Clubbers on Zakynthos today will likely little know nor come by these otherwise unsung heroes of the war.
But they stand there all the same proud and defiant and a message to the outside world.
Of the Greek island with the biggest shalom.
Our old friends Loveholidays.com, with whom we are travelling to the Balkans this Autumn, have Zakynthos firmly on their radar.
And they say beach resort Alykanis is the best-value seven-night package (flights and hotel included) on offer.
Between September 30 until November 25 w/c 25th November 2024 (€354 per person) although from the looks of it they always want to charge you less.
