Patrick Comerford
Etz Hayyim, meaning ‘Tree of Life’ (עץ חיים) is a popular name for synagogues. I was writing last week about the reopening of the Etz Hayyim synagogue in Larissa; it is the name of the oldest synagogue in Athens and, closer to home, the name of the synagogue in Milton Keynes. And it is also the home of one of my favourite synagogues, the Etz Hayyim (Ετζ Χαγίμ) Synagogue in Chania.
The phrase is used for the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2: 9). It also found throughout the Book of Proverbs, where it refers figuratively to Wisdom (Proverbs 3: 18) and is associated with ‘the fruit of a righteous man’ (Proverbs 11: 30), ‘a desire fulfilled’ (Proverbs 13: 12) and a ‘healing tongue’ (Proverbs 15: 4).
The plural form Atzei Chaim (עצי חיים) is also used for the wooden poles to which the parchment of a Sefer Torah is attached. In Kabbalah, Etz Ḥayim is the name of a work by Rabbi Ḥayim Vital after the death of Isaac Luria in 1572 and the foundational work for later Lurianic Kabbalah.
The Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania is vital link in Crete’s 2,300-year-old Jewish heritage, and it urgently needs help to buy the neighbouring building on 24 Parodos Kondylaki Street. The building is rented but is integral part of Etz Hayyim as the home to the library, archives, and essential facilities. But now it is at risk of being lost to commercial development.
The synagogue must raise €300,000 by the end of this summer to secure this vital space and protect it for generations to come as part of the historical identity of Etz Hayyim and to protect the synagogue’s cultural and spiritual significance.
Etz Hayyim Synagogue, in the heart of Chania’s historic Jewish quarter, is the last remaining trace of Jewish life on Crete. This space is more than a synagogue – it is a centre for cultural exchange, reconciliation and education. It welcomes over 30,000 visitors annually, offering a unique window into a rich history of resilience and survival.
The building housing the library has been an integral part of Jewish life in Chania for over 15 years. The property is rented and houses the library, archives and the Evlagon Research Centre, as well as an apartment the caretaker and his family.
The building was owned by the Jewish community until 1945. Now it is at risk of being sold and being used for commercial tourism that would pose threats the historical significance and security of the synagogue. Chania is undergoing rapid gentrification, and many properties being transformed into tourist accommodations, eroding the city’s rich cultural fabric.
Losing this building would mean losing the secure location of the library, its archives and the repository of Jewish history in Crete.
The name of the Evlagon Institute for Cretan Jewish Studies honours the memory of Avraham Evlagon (1846-1933), the last Chief Rabbi of Crete. The library originated in the personal collection of the founding director, Nikos Stavroulakis. It also houses 250 CDs of Romaniote and Sephardi liturgical and secular music.
A significant portion of the collection was lost or damaged in arson attacks in 2010, when the synagogue’s archive were also destroyed, including documentation of its renovation in the 1990s.
The holdings on Jewish history in Crete continue to expand. In collaboration with the University of Crete’s library in Rethymnon, the collection is being integrated into the university’s online library catalogue, improving access for scholars and researchers worldwide.
Etz Hayyim’s archive is also a resource for people of Romaniote and Sephardi descent tracing their family histories in Chania and Crete.
Anja Zuckmantel has been the Executive Director of the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania since 2014. She worked with Nikos Stavroulakis for over 10 years in putting in place his vision for Etz Hayyim as an inclusive and inspiring place, ‘a true synagogue’.
Nikos died at 85 on 19 May 2017. Since then the team of staff members and volunteers at Etz Hayyim have been working at maintaining the unique character of Etz Hayyim, expanding its outreach, especially in education, research and a variety of initiatives, preserving the memory of the Jewish community of Crete. At the heart of these efforts is the library, built largely on Nikos’s private collection of books and papers and also including the research library.
However, in an email this week, Anja Zuckmantel has reached out to the friends of Etz Hayyim with an urgent request, saying Etz Hayyim is facing a serious challenge.
She points out that the building is a space that safeguards the memory and history of the once-thriving Jewish community of Crete. But it is now up for sale, and unless the synagogue finds the resources to buy it, ‘the space risks being lost to commercial development and overtourism in Hania. At the same time, the synagogue would lose an important pilar in the security arrangements for Etz Hayyim.’
Etz Hayyim must raise €300,000 by the end of this summer to secure this vital building and preserve its contents for generations to come. ‘Every contribution counts, and even the smallest donation brings us closer to safeguarding this irreplaceable part of our community’s life,’ she says.
A fundraising campaign has started and the urgency of the campaign is further detailed on the crowdfunding page here.
This is not just about a building. It is about protecting the stories, research, and memory of a community almost entirely destroyed during the Holocaust, when the Jews of Crete were deported by the Nazis on the ship Tanais. Tragically, the ship was sunk by a British torpedo – unaware of its human cargo – and the entire community perished.
By the 1950s, Etz Hayyim stood abandoned and in disrepair. But decades later, with the help of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and international supporters, the synagogue was restored and reopened – transforming it into a living monument, a place of worship, and a centre for interfaith dialogue and cultural preservation.
Today, Etz Hayyim welcomes thousands of visitors each year – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – from around the world.
Etz Hayyim commemorated the Cretan Jewish community in Crete last year (2024) with a series of cultural events. A documentary film, The Tanais, by Vicky Arvelaki recently premiered at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, renewing public awareness of this tragic history. You can watch the trailer here.
The fundraising campaign is administered by Etz Hayyim, a legally registered charitable organisation. In her email, Anja Zuckmantel promises ‘all donations contribute to the purpose of the fundraising campaign. We post regular updates on the status of the campaign on our Social Media channels.’
The campaign to ‘Save Our Library, Safeguard Our Future’ can be supported by
• Donating here: https://whydonate.com/en/fundraising/etz-hayyim-hania
• Sharing the campaign with family, friends and networks
• Following the campaign on social media
• Subscribing to the monthly newsletter on Substack
All these links are in available in one place.
Shabbat Shalom, שבת שלום
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