Letter from Jewish Communities in Greece

CENTRAL BOARD OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN GREECE
2 Sourmeli str.
GR - 104 39 Athens

TEL: (01) 883-9953

Cables: Kenisrail - Athens
Athens, January 8 1993

To the
Central Boards of the
Jewish Communities of Europe
E.J.C.
W.J.C.
Bnei Berit International
Executive Council
of Australian Jewry
American Jewish Committee

Sirs,
as you certainly know after the division of the former Democracy of Yugoslavia to a series of independent small states it has been created the question of the naming of the State of Scopia that is asking to be recognized under the name of Macedonia

Greece does not object to the recognition of this State, that it wants to help materially in every way, but it cannot accept the name Macedonia which since antiquity is related to a plainly Greek region.

Jewish religion and philology constitute the unquestionable witnesses of the ancient ethnological character of Macedonians as Greeks.

Noticeably the prophets Daniel (chap.8, 1-22 chap.2 para.39 4-13, 26-28, 31, 38 chap. 7, 2-7) Isiaiah chap. 19, 20 chap. 19,23 Joel chap.3 v.6, Jeremy, Habacoum chap.2, v.5 and the books of the Maccabees (1st book chap. 1, v.1 & 10 chap. 6 v.2, II 8, 20 III 8) include explicit elements for the Greek character of Macedonia.

These very same notions have been supported by the contemporary professors Yigal Yadin (archaeologist, Jerusalem University), George Box (professor of Old Testament, London University), Yacov Messorer (numismatist of the Jerusalem Museum), Erich Graetz (historian Breslow University)

Besides these the Talmoud in relating the friendly meeting between Alexander the Great and the High Priest Simon the Just, on the former's entry into Jerusalem in teh year 330 BC., refers to him as Alexander HaMocdon Meleh Yavan - Alexander the Macedonian, King of Greece. Similar references can be found in Talmoud in the books "Seder Hadorot" as well as "Megilat Taanit".

Moreover Jewish historians like

a. Flavius Josephus makes reference to the Greeks of Macedonia and to Greece or Macedonia, sometimes using the one term and sometimes the other, clearly regarding the Macedonians as Greeks and the Greeks as Macedonians (Antiquities of the Jews book 11 para.337, 109, 148, 286, 184 book 8 para.61, 95 100, 154, 312 book 10 para.273 book 12 para.322 & 414 where he includes these Macedonian kings together with Antiochus the Great in the conquest if the Greek world by the Romans since he regards Macedonia as a Greek province).
b. Philo of Alexandria refers to the Macedonian King Alexander whom he identifies with the Greeks.
c. Maimonides according to whom "thanks to the conquest of Judea by the Greek-Macedonian dynasty the Greek learning was transplanted there and contributed to making Hellenism and Judaism acquainted with one another and to the creation of a new philosophical and religious synthesis which opened up new paths and gave new directions to human civilization".
d. Numerous well known rabbis.

In conclusion we mark Henry's Kissinger characteristic statement at the Management of Europe meeting (Paris, June 1992) "I believe that Greece is right to have objections and I agree with Athens. the reason is that I know history, which is not the case most of the others, including most of the Government and government officials in Washington. The strength of the side of Greece is its history".

We lined up all the above data so as to prove you the legitimacy of the Greek aspects as far as it concerns the Greek character of Macedonia and to ask you the full support of these Greek positions to the appropriate personalities of your country.

Sincerely yours
The President --- The Gen. Secretary
Nissim Mais --- Moses Constintinis