Report from Kefalonia: Lessons from the Holocaust of Greek Jews | Dan Perry

A journey among the Greek islands reveals a forgotten chapter of the Holocaust: the massacre of the Italian Acqui Division soldiers in Kefalonia, the destruction of the Corfu community, and the rescue of the Jews of Zakynthos. Author Dan Perry compares the fates of the islands and raises questions about alliances, responsibility, and choice in moments of trial, drawing parallels to Israel's current situation.

In a personal opinion piece from Kefalonia, Dan Perry describes a journey among the Greek islands and reveals a forgotten chapter of the Holocaust. In September 1943, after Italy abandoned its alliance with Germany, the Germans massacred thousands of Italian Acqui Division soldiers in Kefalonia. The German takeover of the Italian occupation zones exposed the Jewish communities to destruction. In Corfu, nearly all of the island's 1,800 Jews were deported to Auschwitz in June 1944. In Zakynthos, Metropolitan Chrysostomos and Mayor Loukas Karrer refused to hand over lists, and all 275 Jews were saved. In Kefalonia, most of the community had left before the war. Perry compares the three fates and raises questions about alliances, responsibility, and choice in moments of trial, drawing parallels to Israel's current situation and the fragility of its alliances.