Until 1999 Etz Hayyim was a desecrated house of prayer that remained the sole Jewish monument on the Island of Crete after the destruction of our Jewish community in 1944. Essentially it stood as a monument to the success of the Nazis in obliterating 2300 years of Jewish life on the Island of Crete. From 1996 until the year of its re-dedication in 1999 the structure has been painstakingly restored. The philosophy that directed this work is summed up in the Hebrew – ‘Am Israel Hayy’ – ‘The people of Israel Live’. Today it stands as a vibrant statement of Jewish life, vitality and values, whereas yesterday it was still mentioned on the World Monument Fund's list of most endangered sites!

Location

Chania

Disciplines

• History
• Humanities
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Religion
• Cultural Studies and Ethnic Studies
• Sociology
• Social Work

Website

http://www.etz-hayyim-hania.org/