Editorial by Elias V. Messinas 

We have been contacted by people from all over the world concerning Greek Jewry: Brigitte Sion inquired on behalf of a friend from Xanthi who was planning to visit the city after many years; George Gideon contacted us in his effort to create a documentary on the Jews of Greece; Miriam Tuchman conveyed to us her experience in Boston, where she found someone who still has Jewish tombstones in his backyard; Dr. Judith Mazza, who published her travel impressions from Greece in Kol haKEHILA (vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 3-5), was reunited with a distant relative from Ioannina living only blocks away from her house! Manuela Franco contacted us in reference to her research on Portuguese Jews in Greece. Many travelers inquired about Jewish sites, Jewish museums and Kosher food in Greece. 

We realized with pleasure that Kol haKEHILA is becoming a center of Greek Jewish life. Judging from our readers’ response, which is also a direct result from our temporary presence on the web site of the European Sephardic Institute, we felt that it is time for Kol haKEHILA to have a permanent site on the web. So we invested time and energy in improving our infrastructure and the services we can offer to our readers. Starting this month, Kol haKEHILA can be found in its new permanent address www.yvelia.com/kolhakehila. We invite you to visit our new site and send us your feedback and comments. 

In the new site you will find the online newsletter, virtual exhibitions, Greek Jewish genealogy, places in Greece of Jewish interest, books on the Jews of Greece, links to sites of Jewish interest, a bulletin board where our subscribers can share knowledge and information, and much more. More is in the planning for the near future! Kol haKEHILA welcomes your comments and support for this undertaking. 

The restoration of the synagogue at Hania, Crete, is nearly completed; the re-dedication of the building has been scheduled for October 1999. The exhibition "The Synagogues of Salonika: Destruction and Reconstruction" is opening in October in Washington, DC. More travelers enjoy and discover the Jewish sites of Greece in organized tours such as the Kosher heritage tour organized by the Sephardic House, New York, in August 1999. 

In this issue Kol haKEHILA has invited The Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture in New York, to tell our readers about their activity relating to the preservation of the Greek Jewish heritage, and Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos to present the Kahal Shalom synagogue of Rhodes, nominated for the prestigious WMF list of 100 endangered monuments. 

Finally, we thank Prof. Carol Krinsky for her assistance with Kol haKEHILA, all our readers who contributed to this issue, and all our friends who have made this effort possible with their support. 

Kol haKEHILA wishes its Jewish readers Happy New Year 5760, with Peace, Happiness and Health! Aniada buena y alegra para vostros todos i voestras famillias!