The Archive of the Synagogues of Greece Dear Friends:
I would like to bring to your attention this archive, which is offered for purchase, in the event that it interests your institution. The "Archive of the Synagogues of Greece" is one of the most important documentation projects for the Jewish heritage of Greece in recent years. It was undertaken by architect Elias V. Messinas (M.Arch.Yale, Ph.D.), and was created between 1993 and 2000. The archive includes material for all standing synagogues, and a number of demolished synagogues in Greece, dating mostly from the c.19th and early c.20th. Some buildings show earlier phases dating, probably from c.18th. The archive consists mainly of detailed survey drawings of the buildings, with full photographic documentation. These include plans, sections, elevations and details, computer drafted at full scale, including details such as the profiles of the door frames(!). The archive also includes photographic and archive documents (copies) on greek synagogues and the jewish communities, from archives in Israel, US and Europe, such as Joint, CAHJP, etc. and individual collections. Including photographs of synagogues, people, buildings, religious ceremonies, street life, community activity, etc. Finally, the archive includes pieces of demolished synagogues collected in situ by the author (prior to the demolition of the buildings). These pieces include a "synagogue" sign previously posted at the door to the synagogue room of the Jewish community center in Kavala (used as a synagogue after the WWII and the destruction of the synagogue next door)(1940s); a plaster wall piece painted with floral decoration from the synagogue in Komotini, and a plaster column capital from the same synagogue (c.19th). Finally, it includes pieces of the demolished synagogue in Xanthi, such as floor tiles and roof tiles (manufactured in the 1920s at the Allatini factory in Salonika)(1920s). The rich visual and historic material of this archive has been published by the author in his book "The Synagogues of Salonika and Veroia" (1997 and 2000) and "The Synagogues of Northern Greece" (Bloch Publishing House, New York, scheduled for 2004), in numerous articles, lectures, and exhibitions at Goethe-Thessaloniki, Catholic University, Yad Vashem, and elsewhere. The (presently) permanent exhibition at Yad Vashem includes a reconstruction model, at scale 1:20, of the synagogue Beth Shaul in Salonika, destroyed in WWII and accurately reconstructed by the author. The result is magnificent! The material is organized in ring binders and folders, organized by city or area. Photographs and negatives are also organized in A4 pages and kept in ring binders. The archive documents (copies) are kept in ring binders and are organized by city. This archive is offered for purchase. For details please contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] As a follow up additional service, to the institution that will purchase the archive, I am offering professional help to organize the material, catalogue it, and exhibit it in a permanent and/or temporary exhibition. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Dr. Elias V. Messinas, AssocAIA ----------------------------- Elias V. Messinas, AssocAIA, Architect, B.Des., M.Arch.(Yale), Ph.D. (EMP) E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yvelia.com ========================================================================== HaSafran - The Electronic Forum of the Association of Jewish Libraries Submissions for HaSafran, send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org/
