An event took place in Volos (9/5) in the packed with people amphitheatre 'Yiannis Kordatos' of the University of Thessaly,  titled 'MUSICAL ROUTES TO THE MEDITERRANEAN OF GOD AND PEOPLE- about co-existence, tolerance, peace and love, in hard times'. During this event His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias was honored by the Central Israeli Council of Greece as a recognition for his work in favor of inter-religious dialogue and struggle against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

The event was welcomed by the following people:

- Moses Konstantinis, President of the Central Israeli Council of Greece

- George Petrakos, Rector of the University of Thessaly

- Marcel Solomon, President of the Israeli Community of Volos

There were speeches by:

Elias Sabetai, Rabbi of the Israeli Community of Larissa

Kostas Androulidakis, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy and Social Studies, University of Crete

George Kalantzis, General Secretary  for Religious Affairs, Ministry of Education, Research  and Religious Affairs

The honored Metropolitan Ignatius gave a moving speech by referring to his visit a few days ago and participation in the 'THE MARCH OF THE LIVING', taken place annually in memory of the DEATH MARCH in which the Nazi murderers forced the impoverished detainees of the monstrous extermination camps to walk just a few days before their liberation from the marching Red Army, in January 1945. During that march, thousands of people lost their lives, since they were forced to march many kilometres being exhausted, starving, almost naked and hungry in temperatures up to -30˚ C.

His Eminence Mr Ignatius was personally invited by the President of the organizing committee of this event in Poland Mr Aharale Tamer, 'as an indication of gratitude for Your predecessor Ioakim, who worked on the salvation of the Jewish in Volos during the Dark Period 1941-1945'.Also, it is worth noting that at the time of the German Occupation, the Nazi implemented the monstrous 'PLAN FOR THE FINAL SOLUTION TO THE JEWISH QUESTION', inspired by Heinrich Himmler. According to this plan, almost all the Jews of  Greece were transported by closed railway wagons-the sort that transport animals-to the death camps of Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, the horrible Auschwitz-Bikernau, Treblinka, Maintanek, Bergen- Belsen, Dachau, Theresienstadt, Sobibor e.t.c. from which less than 8% got  back. In 1940 approximately 60.000 Jews lived in Thessaloniki, referred to as 'THE JERUSALEM OF THE BALKANS', for more than 450 years. In the death camps 96% of the population was exterminated and after the war the people who went back to Greece was less than 1900!

The number of the people exterminated by the Nazi 'supermen' from 1939 to 1945 ONLY in the death camps is about 9.000.000 from which there were 6.000.000 Jews and the rest were Polish and Soviet prisoners of war, mentally disabled, homosexuals, Polish, gypsies, Jehovah's witnesses and those the Reich viewed as 'not good' or 'potential enemies'. In the camps 1.500.000 children were exterminated from infants to 15 year old children...The average life of those getting there was 1 hour!  

The Greek Orthodox Church with leaders the Archbishop of Athens Damaskinos, the Metropolitan of Zakynthos Chrysostom, the Metropolitan of Trikkis Dionisios and the Metropolitan of Demetrias Ioakim saved thousands of Greek Jews from certain horrible and atrocious death risking their own lives. Greece through its Orthodox Church has the WORLD PRIVELEGE to be the UNIQUE COUNTRY IN THE OCCUPIED Europe which has a Jewish community entirely saved: the Jewish Community of Zakynthos. The Metropolitan of Demetrias Mr Ignatius was invited to light the 1^st of the 6 torches in memory of the victims of the Holocaust in the death camp of Bikernau, honoring in this way the Orthodox Christians who saved thousands of souls following the Words of the Gospel.

In his message in the presence of thousands of young people from 40 countries in a live broadcasting with the bigger broadcasters of the earth he mentioned:

'I come here where millions of Jews and other brothers were brutally murdered, as a humble pilgrim, in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ I wish and pray, that the light of this torch will light everyone's minds and hearts, in order to follow the Gospel, for a world of co-existence, tolerance, love and peace! NO HOLOCAUST EVER AGAIN!'

What is really moving and of international importance for our Homeland and Orthodox Church is the fact that the banner with the Greek flag and the Cross was put honorably in front of the march throughout the way from Auschwitz to Bikernau.