Moves are under way to return the former synagogue on the Greek island of Kos, near Rhodes, to active use as a Jewish house of worship. As part of these plans, a search is under way for an ark and bimah to install in the sanctuary.
The synagogue was built in the mid-1930s to replace an older synagogue that was destroyed in an earthquake in April 1933.
It has been preserved in fairly good condition and has served for some time as a municipal cultural center.
“This year, the mayor and the Central Board of Jewish Communities have come to the understanding and agreement that the island needs a synagogue for the increasing number of visiting Israelis [and other] Jews to the island,” the architect Elias Messinas, who is overseeing the transformation of the synagogue, said.
Messinas is the leading expert on Greek synagogues and has been involved in the survey, study, and restoration of synagogues in Greece for decades.
“The budget is quite limited,” he said. “We have been searching in several directions, first to secure reused older furnishings from Israel, Italy, Turkey or Greece, but without success.
We then looked for new furnishing in Israel. A company that has reasonably priced good quality products is producing them in Ukraine. With the situation at the moment, it is unlikely we can order them from there, at least for the foreseeable future. Having no other options, we am now extending our search to the US and Europe.”
Messinas said that in the 1930s, when the synagogue was built, Kos was under Italian rule, “so, we are looking in fact at an Italian tradition synagogue.”
Regarding the style of the furnishing there is a dilemma: we can go with more modern mid-20 century pieces, but we can also assume that the ark and bimah from the older synagogue that was destroyed were reused after they were salvaged from the earthquake. Therefore, we would be open to review both ‘modern’ and more traditional options. I think that the reuse of existing pieces will also add to the synagogue narrative and layer of historic importance.
If you have leads or if you can help, you can reach Elias Messinas directly at:
5 comments on “Greece: Ark and Bimah sought for synagogue on the island of Kos; it’s being revived as an active synagogue”
every summer in Kos wish to be able to visit the Synagogue
Last I knew the original furniture was taken to Israel after the war
For Torah scrolls,try reaching out to Knesset Israel in Gloversville, NY.my dad z”l was the rabbi there when the commy was bigger.
Hello, my name is Jeremy Kimchi. I’m a wood artist specializing in the design and creation of hand-crafted artistic furnishings for the synagogue. I have been creating pieces for synagogues both in Israel and abroad for thirty years now. I happened to come across this article by chance and am very excited by the prospect of working with you on this project. I feel it would be an honor to participate in the restitution of this synagogue. Please take a look at my website:
http://www.kimchidesigns.com, and feel free to contact me. Here is my email address: [email protected]. I will be happy to work together with you to create the perfect pieces at a reasonable price.
Thank you, Jeremy.
Hello Elias,
Rabbi Blessofsky at Chabad of Northeast Queens gave me the telephone number of Rabbi Hendel of Chabad in Athens:
30-210-323-3825
Best,
Ronnie Steinberger
[email protected]