The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS) honoured the memory of Moses Elisaf, Greece’s first Jewish mayor, who passed away in February 2024.
Elisaf was born in 1954 to parents who had escaped to Tel Aviv before returning to Greece after the war. He graduated from the University of Athens in 1979 and worked from 1993-94 at the Sackler medical school at Tel Aviv University.
He became a professor at Ioannina Medical School, and his 2019 mayoral run was his first foray into politics. While campaigning as a centrist independent, rivals tried to claim he was “connected to the Mossad or the Israeli embassy.” He beat the city’s incumbent in a tight runoff with 50.3% of the vote.
“Despite antisemitism and the rise of racism in our times, the citizens have elected a Jew as their mayor, evaluating my personality, our plan for the city’s future, our candidates, our ethos during the election campaign,” said Elisaf when he was elected.
The commemorative event for Moses Elisaf took place on March 13, 2024, at the Old Parliament, in the presence of his widow, Cleopatra Hatzigiannis – Elisaf, and the representative of the Prime Minister and the Government, Minister of the Interior Niki Kerameos.
Also in attendance were Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou, representatives of various political parties including ND’s Anastasios Hatzivasiliou, SYRIZA’s Sokratis Famellos, PASOK – KINAL’s Ioannis Tsimaris, New Left’s Meropi Tzoufi, Plefsis Eleftherias’ Makis Mavrakis, Deputy Regional Mayor of Epirus Agni Nakou, President of KEDKE Lazaros Kyrizoglou, Mayor of Ioannina Thomas Begas, the late Mayor of Ioannina Dimitris Papageorgiou, special envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for combating anti-Semitism Chrysoula Aliferi, MPs, professors, friends, relatives, and associates of the late Moses Elisaf from Ioannina, President and Presidium of KIS, President of the Jewish Museum of Greece Mikis Modiano, President of the Athens Jewish Community Albertos Taraboulous and members of the Board of Directors, President Markos Batinos and members of the Board of Directors of I.K. of Ioannina, Rabbi Gabriel Negrin of Athens, Rabbi Isaac Mizan, presidents and representatives of Jewish Organisations, and a large number of people.
The event was curated and presented by the Secretary General of KIS, Victor Eliezer, who chose to portray Elisaf’s personality, principles, and thoughts through Elisaf’s own words from an interview conducted when he was elected mayor. Structured in separate sections dedicated to each of M. Elisaf’s areas of activity, the presentation alternated with characteristic videos from his life and interventions from the speakers.
David Saltiel, President of KIS, welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the “unfilled void that Moses Elisaf left in Greek Jewry, in the Jewish community of Ioannina, the void in science, the void in his beloved city of Ioannina, and above all the void he left in us… in the souls of all of us who were lucky to have walked beside him.” Saltiel described Elisaf as “light and emitted light,” highlighting his uniqueness as a teacher, thinker, doctor, and motivated citizen. He noted that “for KIS, Moses Elisaf was not just the Vice President of the Board of Directors. He was a LEADER in every sense of the word.”
