Your Excellency, Minister of Justice, Ms Stephie Dracos

Distinguished guest

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Ladies and Gentlemen

On September 23rd, 1947, the 15-year-old Alexander Weiss from Romania boarded the ship “Medinat Ha’Yehudim” (The Jewish State) in the port of Burgas, Bulgaria.

2,664 immigrants crowded on board the ship. Half of them were teenagers aged 14-18. The voyage they embarked on was organized by Zionist youth movements. The goal was to transfer Jews from post-war Europe to the Land of Israel.

However, those Holocaust survivors were considered as illegal immigrants, since they did not have certificates that would grant them entry to Mandatory Palestine. And so, on October 2nd the ship was captured by the British and the immigrants were sent to the detention camps in Cyprus.

Alexander Weiss was interned for three months in the Youth camp in Xylotymbou where teenagers and orphans were deta

in

ed.

He was one of the approximately 52,000 visa-less Jewish refugees from Eastern and Central Europe, the Balkans, Greece, Morocco and Algiers who passed through Cyprus en route to Eretz Israel.

Alexander Weiss was my father-in-law; the grandfather of my children. Somewhat surprisingly, his memories of that period of his life in Cyprus pictured a rather carefree life in the camps.

Perhaps it should not be surprising, if we take into consideration that his friends and him were actually teenagers spending time together away from their parents. They had plenty of time for carrying out the usual mischiefs that characterize adolescents.

In the early stages the conditions in the camps were harsh. The detainees had limited access to water and food, staying for a long period in overcrowded tents.

However, by 1947, when Alexander Weiss arrived at the camps, the conditions had improved, mostly thanks to the activity of Jewish organizations, such as the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which took care of the detainees’ welfare. 

The camps were filled with life and served as places of communal organization and enhancement of national identity. Children were taught Hebrew, art and music. The detainees organized sport events and theatrical plays. They continued to observe religious customs and practices. And they created new families. Hope, motivation and creativity were kept alive.

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Undoubtedly, the historic period of the detention camps in Cyprus is deeply rooted in the collective memory of the people of Israel. It constitutes an important chapter of our history. The temporary stay of 52,000 Jewish refugees on the island of Cyprus served as a preparatory step for their smooth integration into the State of Israel. It is for that reason that the detainees referred to Cyprus as Erev Eretz Israel (the eve before Israel).

Cyp

riot people on the other hand, for many decades were not aware of the great significance this part of history resonate in the heart of the Jewish people. Only nowadays both people can truly share and cherish this important milestone.

The monument next to us dedicated to the birth of 2,200 children to Jewish detainees serves this purpose: to establish the period of the camps as a joint landmark in the collective memories of both our people.

Allow me to seize this opportunity to thank Mrs. Zehavit Blumfeld, who was born here in the former British Military Hospital. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be here with us today, but her intensive efforts were catalytic in bringing this monument into reality. 

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Ladies and gentlemen, almost 75 years after young Alexander Weiss, being displaced and homeless, sailed in the pursuit of better, brighter days, we are witnessing hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee their homes.

People carrying a single suitcase, grandmothers holding a purse with the house key, mothers rolling the strollers. Innocent civilians fleeing a war being waged in the heart of Europe. A war that casts the whole globe into a frightening unknown.

Especially these days perhaps we can be inspired by the liveliness that erupted within the camps by people who lived the horrific events of the WWII and the Holocaust. So let us find some solace in the past. In rebuilding life and re-emerging from ashes.  

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We are standing here today to remember and honor the 52,000 Jews that passed through the island and the 2,200 children born in the camps and also the Cypriot people who stood by them in an act of solidarity and support.

The late Prodromos Papavassileiou was the person that organized and coordinated groups of people in Famagusta and Larnaka providing various forms of assistance to the detainees. We feel honored that his children Mrs Lina Papavasileiou-Varnava and Mr Christakis Papavasileiou are here with us today.

Also w

ith us today is Mr Giorgos Hadjianastasis, the son of the late Costas Hadjianastasis from Deryneia. Costas Hadjianastasis was engaged in construction work. Under Prodromos Papavasileiou’s instructions he undertook the clandestine transfers of Jewish escapees to the shores of Famagusta to flee to Palestine. The missions were run under highest secrecy putting their lives in high risk.

We wholeheartedly thank Prodromos, Costas and many other Cypriots who helped the Jewish detainees. We honor the generosity and braveness of those who offered unconditional support and solidarity to our people. We thank the descendants of those people for keeping alive the legacy of the past.

Let us not forget that the story of the camps of the Jewish Holocaust Survivors lays the foundation of the historical ties between our people. It was during that period that the seeds of the close bonds between our two nations were planted. Ever since, the relations between the two countries have flourished and developed, and the solid roots continue to bear fruits.

Minister Petrides, let me take this opportunity to thank you and your Ministry for the initiative, for hosting this ceremony and for being our partner in cherishing our common past and solidifying our joint future.