As part of the UW NYHS honors Hebrew curriculum this year, students are translating a memoir The Jewish Martyrs of Rhodes and Cos, written by Hizkia M. Franco, a leader of the Jewish community in Rhodes until the 1930s.
The Jewish Martyrs of Rhodes and Cos details the Jewish community in Rhodes from 1936 to 1944, focusing on the impact of racial laws introduced under Italian rule and the subsequent deportation of Jews. It focuses on laws that restricted the rights of Jews, including revoking their Italian citizenship, the emigration of about 2,250 Jews, and the experiences of those killed or surviving during the Holocaust.
“Deeply moved, I can hardly find the strength to relate the horrors of this tragedy, this terrible ending for you,” Franco writes. “However I know I must because I have undertaken this duty which circumstances have laid on me like a decree from blind destiny; and with a bleeding heart I am resigned to drinking the cup to its dregs, to the last drop.”
Mrs. Tali Rothstein, a Judaics and Hebrew teacher, chose to lead this project because of Seattle’s close connection to the Rhodes Jewish community and the presence of descendants within the local community, as well as among NYHS students and staff. Rothstein emphasized the project’s significance, calling it an act of preservation and remembrance.
“Something that I would call this is avodat kodesh, a sacred work, to preserve the memory,” she said. “They [students] are treating it with absolute sacredness and understanding the responsibility of passing on Franco’s memories and stories of his community to future generations.”
Franco wrote these memoirs in 1947, originally in French, and published them in the Belgian Congo in 1952. His grandson Joseph Franco translated it into English in 1994, adding historical context and personal commentary.
“I have become obsessed with the fact that we Sephardis, whose parents were born in Rhodes, are actually in danger of forgetting our origins, our heritage; where we came from and what indeed was the history of Rhodes,” said Franco in his book. He worries that younger generations are losing touch with their Rhodes heritage and urges them to preserve its memory for future generations.
The project connects to the work of Dr. Naomi B. Sokoloff, a professor at the University of Washington and director of the Modern Hebrew and Israel Studies program. Sokoloff’s research with Yizkor books, which commemorate Jewish communities lost during the Holocaust, inspired this initiative. The finalized translations will be reviewed by JewishGen, a global organization dedicated to Jewish genealogy, and published on their website.
During one Hebrew class, students read Franco’s introduction, where he explains his motivation for compiling the work.
“This [project] is important because we have an opportunity to translate something very special and important into Hebrew, which hasn’t been done yet, and we are doing what he [Franco] asked for,” said sophomore Emely Itzhak.
Rothstein thanked members of the Seattle Jewish community for their support, highlighting Ty Alhadeff and Danny Jassen for sourcing materials on the Rhodes Jewish community and Chacham Aryeh Greenberg for insights into its Halachic (Jewish law) traditions. She also expressed gratitude to Dr. Sokoloff, saying, “I am grateful to Dr. Sokoloff for her mentorship and assistance throughout this process.”
NYHS offers students the opportunity to enroll in an advanced Hebrew course in collaboration with the University of Washington (UW). Along with the UW English course, the advanced Hebrew class is one of two University of Washington-accredited courses available at NYHS.
According to Rothstein, the students’ work will provide future generations with access to the stories, traditions, and legacy of a community nearly lost to history. “This project is very meaningful since it allows students to learn more about Sephardic history and the life of the Jews of Rhodes while preserving something important,” said Rothstein.
