In the quiet, sunlit space of the Historical Archives of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, the shelves are not merely loaded with boxes. They are filled with stories-lives lost, families rebuilt, questions still awaiting answers. In this archive, memory is not static; it is alive and active. Behind its reconstruction stands the Chief archivist, Aliki Arouh.
"When I took over in 2009, I found before me a chaotic, unorganized collection of post-war documents, piled in a spacious yet neglected spot on Vas. Herakleiou Street. At the time, no one could have imagined where we would be today," she recounted to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), following a recent talk she gave on archival research at the Historical Archives of the Jewish Community.
More than 15 years later, the Historical Archive has transformed. Its structure is now thematic, organized, digitized-and above all, functional. "The cataloguing of 500 volumes of protocols, minutes, and registers, together with the complete digitization of 2,500 volumes that include approximately one million community documents from the years of the Holocaust, was a titanic effort," explained Aliki Arouh.
She emphasized that this project does not concern only the community, but every researcher seeking a deeper understanding of Thessaloniki's history. "This city was once the 'Jerusalem of the Balkans.' The Archive contributes to preserving that historical identity," she stressed.
The language of the documents also attests to the community’s multicultural identity. "Most are in Greek, but many documents are in French and Ladino-the language spoken by the city's Jews up until and even after the Persecution," Arouh pointed out.
Among the thematic collections are files related to property declarations to the German authorities in 1943, community elections, birth, marriage, and death registries, as well as documents on German reparations. "Most of these had never been researched before," she noted. "Each day, something new would emerge from the boxes-something that shed light on a forgotten story," she added.
She pays special attention to archival material related to the Holocaust. "Among the documents are sources that had never before been explored. Through them, we document not only loss but also the resilience of the survivors."
The processing of the post-war registry, combined with the filing of other sources, now allows for the search of genealogical information. "You can't separate the pre-war from the post-war archive," she explained. "The latter constantly refers to the former. It's an ongoing dialogue with the past."
This dialogue was significantly strengthened by the creation of a genealogical research and family tree reconstruction program. "It began experimentally in 2013, but thanks to our collaboration with institutions such as the Historical Archive of Macedonia and the Thessaloniki Municipality’s Civil Registry, we have now managed to reconstruct over 1,000 families," Arouh noted.
A unique aspect of this effort is the contribution of descendants. "Many provide us with digital copies of documents and photographs. In this way, we’re creating a new foundation for pre-war history, which was lost due to the Persecution," she emphasized.
Metadata played a crucial role in processing this enormous volume of information. "Without it, we couldn’t have provided meaningful access for researchers," she stated.
In 2012, the establishment of the 'Archival Research Request Form' opened new avenues. "It was a turning point," Arouh said and added: "With the support of the Community’s President, David Saltiel, and the community council, we managed to overcome typical bureaucratic hurdles and offer direct, functional access to the archive."
One particularly moving story is that of the first class of students from the Jewish School who visited the Archive, seeking to research the history of the Maccabi Athletic Club. "The third-grade children filled out the request form themselves, and with parental permission, brought in passports and recommendation letters. It was a revelation."
To assist them, Aliki Arouh turned their research into a game: "I organized a ‘treasure hunt.’ I placed colored stickers on the boxes related to the club and gave them cards with matching colors and numbers. The children searched with enthusiasm and ended up discovering much more than we had expected. They became researchers in the most natural way," she recalled.
Other student visits followed, with projects like "Personal Memory Meets History" or "The Return of the Survivors to Thessaloniki." "I still remember the class of seven children, all with Jewish ancestry," she said with emotion. "I helped them document seven different genealogies. It was difficult and emotional. But in the end, they each hugged me, their eyes filled with tears. And they promised they would come back."
Looking to the future, she highlights the role of the internet and digitization in access to knowledge. "Today, as the volume of information continues to grow; our aim is to contribute with precision, with documentation, with respect. To offer tools-not just data."
And she concluded:
"Archival research is not about the past. It is creation. It brings new knowledge, inspires new ideas, and opens new questions. Anyone who opens an archive adds a link to the great chain of historical memory. And I hope that through this, we can inspire new generations to keep it alive."

Sofia Papadopoulou
Photos provided by Aliki Arouh