Books you can buy

At the moment we have for sale the following selected books.
  Check our items section too .

We can also help you in order to broaden your knowledge of the Jews of Crete:   We suggest further reading by introducing the broader bibliography in our Material section.

The moment we receive your order, we will reply asking for confirmation. Since we cannot tell the cost of postage in advance, we will first send the books and we will send a written invoice (if required) a week later. If you do not need a written invoice we will send you the invoice via email. We kindly request you to send a check for the payment to:

Etz Hayyim Synagogue
P.O. Box 251
73110 Hania
Crete, Greece

Sephardi & Romaniot Jewish Costumes in Greece and Turkey

This is a folio of 16 reproductions of watercolours by Nicholas Stavroulakis. The study for these costumes was based on miniatures, photographs and textiles. The folio includes a historical essay and detailed analysis of the components of the dress of the Jews of the Western Ottoman Empire. 25 x 35 cm The individual prints are suitable for framing.

Salonika, Jews and Dervishes

This study is based on a small photographic album that was compiled between the years 1914-1917 by a British photographer who was active in the medical corps in Thessaloniki (Salonika). There are two series of photographs; one taken in the great Jewish cemetery of the city that was destroyed in 1942. It is estimated that over 300,000 Jewish internments were located there. The second series of photographs was taken in the Tekke of the Mevlevi dervishes that was located at the western walls of the city. It was one of the great centres in the Balkans for Sufi mysticism. It was destroyed in 1929. The text by Nicholas Stavroulakis goes into considerable detail on the life and practices of Jews and Muslims associated with these two sites.

Lavanta-Lavanta (The Lavender Seller) in Turkish by Nicholas Stavroulakis

This is a novel that traces the events and horrific changes that affected Crete between 1895 and 1944 that saw the deportation of the Cretan Muslim community and the marginalisation of the Jewish community that eventually led to its destruction in 1944.

Fuentes de mi tradision by Rita Simantov

A book of contemporary poems in Ladino (Judaeo-Espagnol)

Yiannina by Eftychia Nahman in Greek.

The Jews of Yiannina, a town in northern Greece, were, prior to the Second World War, the largest remaining community of Romaniots. These Jews traced their origins back into Antiquity to a time when Greek was the lingua franca of almost all of the Jews in the Roman world. Mrs Nahman's book is in the form of a memoire that includes descriptions of customs and folkloric material that records the life of these Jews as it was prior to 1941.

(the book will presently be published in english as well)

The Jews of Ioaninna by Rae Dalven

This book also on the Jews of Yiannina was written by the late Rae Dalven, the poet and translator of Cavafy and for many years professor at New York University. In many respects this book adds another dimension to our understanding of the Jews of the city.

Salonika, a family cookbook. By Esin Eden and Nicholas Stavroulakis

Prior to 1924 Salonika was the mother city of the Donme, the followers of R. Shabbetai Zvi. After his conversion to Islam many of the Jews of Salonika as well as Marranos converted as well. This community of Shabbataians developed a theology and theory of the messianic redemption that was/is quite autonomous. This book of recipes is an important record of the cullinary arts of one Donme family and based on three recipe books written in Osmanli Turkish. The recipes are an interesting combination of traditional Sephardic cooking as well as important Turkish adaptations. Apart from the recipes the book has a family memoire with photographs of the daily life of this family prior to moving to Istanbul in 1924.

Cookbook of the Jews of Greece by Nicholas Stavroulakis

This book was compiled and published when the author was director of the Jewish Museum of Greece. Since its publication in 1984 it still remains somewhat of a classic. The book contains recipes of all of the Jewish communities of Greece: Sephardic and Romaniote. They are organised according to Jewish holidays as well as recipes that were in daily use in the course of the year. Each section has a rich account of customs, traditions and folklore. The book is heavily illustrated with drawings based on costumes and architecture.

Commemorative Album of Etz Hayyim Synagogue published at its rededication in the year 2000.

This album contains a full textual and photographic record of the reconstruction and renovation of Etz Hayyim Synagogue. The accompanying texts written by the president of the Central Board of Jewish Communities of Greece and Nicholas Stavroulakis provide an overview of the evolution of this project that led to the rebirth of Etz Hayyim Synagogue.

West Cretan Cooking by Nicholas Stavroulakis

A description will be added shortly.

Jewish Sites and Synagogues of Greece by Nicholas Stavroulakis and J. DeVinney

A description will be added shortly.

The Jews of Greece, an Essay by Nicholas Stavroulakis

A description will be added shortly.

The Jews of Crete - Selected articles and essays

Available in volume I, II and III

A description will be added shortly