The Jewish presence in the town of Veroia dates back to the 1st century BCE; St. Paul visited the city and preached in its synagogue. It is possible that the community’s presence continued uninterrupted throughout the Middle Ages. In the 15th century it accepted an influx of refugees from Spain and Portugal.
In 1943, the community had 850 members, of whom 680 were killed by the Germans in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Today only two Jewish families live in Veroia.
The remains of the local synagogue and those of the Jewish quarters in the town of Veroia have been recently restored. 460 Jews lived in Veroia before World War II, though only 131 survived the Holocaust.
The synagogue and most of the Jewish neighbourhood’s beautiful old houses have been restored. The community’s cemetery lies about 500 yards away, across a small river, as tradition required.
