The Jewish presence in Volos is documented since the reign of King Philippos ΙV (297-221 BCE). Massive emigration of Jews to Volos took place in the 14th century, while the local synagogue was built in 1870.
During the World War II, the city fell in the Italian zone of occupation. When the Germans took over, after Italy’s capitulation in 1943, most of the city’s Jews managed to escape and hide in nearby mountains, with the help of the Resistance and their fellow citizens. However, about 155 members of the community still lived in the city in March 1944, when they were rounded up by the Germans and sent to the extermination camps. Of a pre-war population of 872 people, only 645 managed to survive the war.
The community shrank even further as many of its members emigrated. Today it has about 100 people and the synagogue is open on Friday nights and important holidays.
