Greek Holocaust Survivors to Obtain Citizenship; Will Be Holders of Greek ID Cards by Early 2011

The Athens News website reports today (November 27, 2010) that Holocaust survivors of Greek extraction will soon have their Greek citizenship restored in an expedited process, according to Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitrios Dollis.

There are approximately 100 survivors in Israel who will be granted citizenship. Dollis said that the papers would be processed within months, and the survivors would be holders of Greek ID cards by early 2011.

The Jewish community in Greece numbers a mere 5,000 people today -- down from 77,000 before World War II.

In fact, the Jewish community in Thessaloniki -- the second largest city in Greece -- flourished so much before World War II that it came to be known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans."