DAYS AT ETZ HAYYIM...a Photographic Diary Project manager: Vassiliki Yakoumaki Photo's by Christos Varvantakis and text by Nicholas Stavroulakis

Ben Lerner to the left and his father Tony Lerner (second from the right). The Lerners are from London and firm supporters of Etz Hayyim. Tony Merner is the Director of the HANADIV Foundation in London. The gentleman in the white shirt is Mr Josie Ventura now of Athens but born in Hania just prior to the last WW. Mrs. Cathy Lerner and Rachel Lerner.

It is usual that we invite one of the congregation to make Kiddush and yet another to make the Beraha over the bread. As a rule after prayers we spend some time talking perhaps about the parashah of the week. Ben Nahson of Israel made the blessings on this occasion.

On most occasions we have a common dinner after services. As we do not have kashruth facilities in Hania we do have friends in the nearby Konaki Restaurant that is built on the site of the old Beth Shalom Synagogue. At times such as these we have our own cutlery and plates and the meal is vegetarian invariably with fish grilled in tinfoil so as to offend no one - yet another challenge at Etz Hayyim.

Though we have had few incidents of anti-semitism despite the fact that our doors are open from 8:00 Am until 12:30 and again from 5:30 - 8:30 in the PM...we have had considerable difficulty with an adjacent restaurant that has been aggressively negative despite using the name of the Synagogue on its logos etc.. It appears to us to be quite an anomaly that their signs boast 'Synagogue Cafe' and about it are arranged boards advertising 'pork chops, pork souflaki...' This year

someone went so far as to partially mutilate our own sign - 'Shalom and welcome to Etz Hayyim'. We have thus far in two months collected some 870 signatures of Jewish and non Jewish visitors to the Synagogue who feel that the use not only of the name Synagogue but also the appropriation of space around our own sign is offensive. Persons who wish to support our concern over this may contact the Synagogue through its e-mail.