A Living Paradox

Israel is a paradox. A tiny land on a large planet with incredible contrasts: from stark desert to snow-capped Mount Hermon; from secular Tel Aviv to observant B’nai Brak; from shepherding to software developing; and from tragedy to joy.  

We just had a mini-vacation in Crete where I also found interesting polarities. Israel is just a two-hour flight to Athens, and from there, it is a quick hop to many Greek islands. There is no time change and the best kept secret is that Greece in the winter is quiet; no cruise ships equals very few tourists.

  

As we sipped coffee in the main square of Chania, locals drank ouzo, shared a few jokes then fell into silence, their amber komboloi (worry beads) clacking. 

No one was in a rush except for  sheep and mountain goats who had taken over the empty hiking paths, jangling bells echoing across steep marbled gorges. The sea was a vibrant blue. Stark-white villages clung to cliffs and soaring mountains were clad in snow.

To capture the azure sea and sparkling snow-capped mountains in one vista is inconceivable, unimaginable, yet mezmerizing. A paradox. 

In just one afternoon, we hiked down a gorge in Akotiri, dipping our feet in the Mediterranean, then threw snowballs in the blustery White Mountains. The Cretans certainly appreciated this glorious backdrop, often constructing open-air theaters with direct mountain vistas.

Mosaic from walls of Knossos Palace

As we dug deeper into the local history, we learned of its many wars, rulers and invasions across a span of 4,000 years of civilization. After the decline of the peaceful, progressive and creative Minoans, the island was ruled by Dorians, Romans, Saracens, Byzantines, Venetians, Turks and, during the Second World War, the Germans.

Much like Israel, Crete was a place of splendid palaces, massive forts, active trading ports, yet a place of defeat and loss. Most villages we visited had a memorial to the Cretans who were killed in the Second World War.

And so we asked, where were the Jews of Crete? There is evidence of a Jewish community in Crete since 142 BCE. Josephus was married to a Cretan Jew who was living in Jerusalem. By 1481 there were 600 Jewish families and four synagogues in Chania and soon after, exiles from the Spanish Inquisition were welcomed to the community.

Over the centuries, Cretan Jews had been treated as serfs. Under Venetian rule, they had to wear a Jewish badge. They were accused of blood libels by the church, were highly taxed, imprisoned and suffered many massacres. Yet they somehow survived for close to 2,000 years.

So where were the Jews of Crete? When the Nazis invaded Crete in May 1941, they surrounded the Jewish quarter of Chania and rounded up the remaining 263 Cretan Jews. Men, women and children were imprisoned and, together with Greek and Italian prisoners, placed on a ship destined for Auschwitz. A day later, the ship was torpedoed by the British. Everyone on board was killed and 2,000 years of Jewish life in Crete was erased.

Another paradox in the story is that even though the Jews were wiped out, one synagogue stands today. The Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania, once in ruins, is now fully restored and operational. A testament to a once thriving Jewish life in Crete, Shabbat prayers are heard on Fridays and guest rabbis perform service on the Jewish holidays.

 

When we visited, cats were lounging on seats in the main sanctuary. An original etrog tree stood in the courtyard, heavy with yellow fruit. 

The restored mikveh

The mikveh, with inspiring art on its walls, had been restored and flowed from an underwater stream. Cats also stood guard atop three graves of rabbis just outside the sanctuary.

Venetian-style door in Jewish Quarter

I left the shul and circled the pretty harbor with its lighthouse and chic cafes. Looking out to sea, I thought of those last Jews imprisoned on a flaming ship that sank into the depths.

Yet despite this heaviness and tragedy, the synagogue doors in Crete are now open and welcoming, conveying a feeling of love and care. This too is the story of Israel. It is the Jewish paradox and we are living it.

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