The Jews of Thessalonica March Through Time:

It is also interesting to note that the firsts newspaper to circulate in Thessalonica in 1864 is the Jewish ‘’EI Lunar’’. ‘’La Epoca’’ will follow in 1875 and, later, ‘’La imparciale’’, ‘’Le Progrns’’, ‘’Journal de Salonique’’, ‘’La Libertn’’, ‘’Opinipn’’, ‘’L’ Independent’’, the Zionist ‘’La Nation’’, ‘’EI Avenir’’, ‘’Renacencia Judia’’, ‘’La Esperanza’’, ‘’Pro Israel’’, and others.

In 1908, the ‘’Young Turks’’ launch their coup in Thessalonica, and, using the city as their base, overthrow Sultan Abdul Hamit II.

Following the Young Turk revolution, the Zionist movement surfaces in Thessalonica with the creation of the ‘’Bnei Zion’’ society, and the ‘’Maccabi’’ athletic association. Zionism had first appeared in the city in 1899, operating under the cover of societies such as ‘’Kadima’’, which had as its stated purpose the dissemination of the Hebrew language.  

The Jewish Press of Thessalonica

Around the same time (1909), from the midst of the populous Jewish working class of Thessalonica, the socialist workers’ federation is born, better known by its Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) name of ‘’Federacipn’’, that will function independently until 1918, when, merging with other Greek leftist organizations, gave birth to the Socialist Workers’ Party of Greece. The founder and leader of ‘’Federacipn’’ was Avraam Benaroya.  

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