Chabad Lubavitch of Greece
Chabad-Lubavitch in Greece: the Athens centre opened by Mendel and Nechama Hendel in 2001, later centres in Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Crete and Mykonos, the Gostijo kosher restaurant, regional rabbinic gatherings, and the 2023 criminal case over an alleged plot to attack the Athens Chabad house
| Chabad Lubavitch of Greece
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| Type | Jewish religious organisation (Chabad-Lubavitch) |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder(s) | Mendel and Nechama Hendel |
| Headquarters | Athens |
| Location | Aisopou 10, Athens 10554 |
| Area served | Greece |
| Services | Synagogue services, Torah and Talmud classes, holiday programmes, Shabbat meals, Greek-language publications, kosher restaurant, help for tourists |
| Key people | Mendel Hendel (head emissary) |
| Website | https://www.chabad.gr |
| Remarks | Chabad of Greece says it worked with Greek Jewish communities for more than 30 years before opening its permanent Athens centre |
Chabad Lubavitch of Greece (Chabad of Greece) is the Chabad-Lubavitch network in Greece. Its permanent centre in Athens was opened in spring 2001 by Rabbi Mendel Hendel and his wife, Nechama, and it has since added centres on Rhodes, Crete and Mykonos.[1][2][3][4] In 2023 Greek police arrested two men accused of planning an attack on the Athens Chabad house and its kosher restaurant.[5]
History
According to Chabad of Greece, Chabad worked with the Jewish communities of Greece for more than 30 years before opening a permanent centre in Athens in spring 2001, run by Mendel and Nechama Hendel. In 2009 it opened a permanent centre in Thessaloniki, run by Rabbi Yoel Kaplan and his wife, Ruth.[1] Chabad headquarters does not list a Thessaloniki centre as of October 2026.[6]
Chabad of Rhodes says it was founded by Rabbi Uri and Debby Medina in 2015.[2] Chabad of Crete runs a Chabad house and kosher tavern in Hersonissos;[3] Chabad headquarters lists Shneor Zalman and Chaya Mushka Turnheim as its emissaries.[7] In May 2025 Uziel Moshe and Shterna Sara Friedland opened Chabad of Mykonos; Chabad.org described it as "the only active synagogue" in the Cyclades.[4]
Activities
Chabad of Greece lists classes in Talmud, Torah, Jewish philosophy and mysticism, discussion groups, holiday programmes, Shabbat meals, Greek-language publications and help for tourists.[1] Its Athens centre houses the Gostijo kosher restaurant, run by Nechama Hendel.[8][5]
In August 2024 the Rabbinical Centre of Europe held its twelfth annual professional forum for European rabbis at Chabad of Athens.[9] In April 2026 the Hendels hosted a regional summit of Chabad leaders on Mykonos; JNS described them as "Greece's regional Chabad leaders".[10]
Alleged terror plot (2023)
This section covers a criminal case in which Chabad was the alleged target. No verdict had been reported as of October 2024.
On 28 March 2023 Greek police arrested two Pakistani men suspected of planning attacks on Jewish sites in Athens. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the Mossad had helped Greek authorities, and that the Gostijo restaurant is housed within Chabad of Athens.[5] Neos Kosmos reported that the target was the Chabad House in the Psyrri district, that the suspects were Pakistani nationals aged 27 and 29 who had first been detained for immigration violations, and that, according to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, a criminal case was opened against them on 28 March; it quoted the minister, Takis Theodorikakos.[11] According to eKathimerini, the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP) was certain of the target – the Chabad House and Gostijo – by January 2023, and the suspects' efforts to recruit others for the attack had failed by the time of their arrest.[12] On 31 March 2023 the two men were remanded in custody.[13]
In October 2024 Newsbomb, reporting a Reuters investigation based on Greek case files, said that a Pakistani man living in Iran had recruited one of the suspects, telling him that an organisation would pay about €15,000 per killing. Both men faced terrorism-related charges and denied wrongdoing. The recruited suspect had been released pending trial under restrictions; he told Reuters he was innocent and that it had been "only words". The alleged organiser, who also faced charges, remained at large.[14]
Centres
Chabad headquarters lists Chabad Lubavitch of Athens at Aisopou 10, Athens 10554, with Mendel and Nechama Hendel, Nossan and Hadassa Hendel, and Menachem Mendel and Hanna Kuperman as emissaries.[8] Chabad of Rhodes is at Leof. Iraklidon 84, Ialysos 851 00,[2] and Chabad of Crete at El. Venizelou 44, Limenas Chersonisou 700 14.[3] Chabad headquarters lists centres in Athens, Hersonissos, Limenas Chersonisou and Mykonos.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "About Chabad of Greece", Chabad of Greece, accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "About and Contact", Chabad of Rhodes, accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chabad of Crete, accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mendel Scheiner, "Reviving Jewish Life on the Beautiful Greek Islands", Chabad.org, 24 June 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Greece arrests 2 men suspected of planning attacks on Jewish sites in Athens", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 28 March 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Greece – Centers", Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters (lubavitch.com), accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ "Chabad of Crete", Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters (lubavitch.com), accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Chabad Lubavitch of Athens", Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters (lubavitch.com), accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ "European Rabbinic Forum Held at Chabad of Athens, Greece", Anash.org, 7 August 2024.
- ↑ "In Mykonos, Chabad leaders map the future of Jewish life across 43 countries", JNS, 29 April 2026.
- ↑ "Greek intelligence foil terror plot targeting kosher restaurant in Athens", Neos Kosmos, 29 March 2023.
- ↑ "Getting on the trail of the terror plot suspects", eKathimerini, 3 April 2023.
- ↑ "Προφυλακιστέοι οι δύο Πακιστανοί τρομοκράτες που ετοίμαζαν χτύπημα σε εβραϊκό εστιατόριο στου Ψυρρή" (The two Pakistanis remanded in custody), Pagenews, 31 March 2023.
- ↑ "Εκτελεστές του Ιράν με δράση και στην Ελλάδα – Νέες αποκαλύψεις για την επίθεση στου Ψυρρή" (Iran's hitmen active in Greece too – new revelations on the Psyrri attack), Newsbomb, 6 October 2024.