Remnants: Jewish heritage in Monastir - Bitola

By Zoran Gjorgiev

The Macedonian city of Bitola or Monastir as it was once known, was home to a sizeable Jewish community with many commercial, cultural and familial connections to the great port city of Thessaloniki. When the Holocaust happened, Bitola lost over 3300 of its Jewish citizens. They left behind over five centuries of Sephardic heritage and two millennia of Jewish history. The Remnants of this once great community are still here - from preserved 13th century parchments of the Torah, to columns of synagogues, to their large ancient cemetery, they all persist despite no longer serving their original purpose. But the main focus of this book is on the Jewish families of Bitola - their stories and especially their homes, many of which are still among Bitola's most beautiful and prominent houses. Through photographs both new and old, and collected stories and testimonies, the book attempts to shine a bright light on this seemingly forgotten but once great center of Jewish life, culture and history. The families and houses of Franco, Aseo, Medonsa, Nahmias, Aroesty, Shami - Calderon, Batino, Kolonomos, De Mayo and Albala each have their own chapter, as well as some additional information on important cultural relics, schools, synagogues and the touching story of Yakov Aroesty, the last Jew of Bitola by whose recorded memories many stories are supported.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CQ7WGJDH
• ISBN13: 9798864381649
• Release Date: December 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 202 Pages
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.8"