AAHA = Amicale Alexandrie Hier et Aujourd'hui : www.aaha.ch

RENCONTRES ET REUNIONS

 

Rencontre de 100 Aghion, Thessalonique, 3-6 mai 2019

 

Sabah el Noor Sandro,
Here is our agenda & list of attendees.
It was a wonderful family reunion, which cemented old connections and created new friendships within the greater Aelion/Aghion family.
We had 100 members who came from 20 countries with ages ranging from 6 to 94 year old, including Moshe Ha-Elion, Auschwitz survivor originally from Thessaloniki. 
Our last family reunion was in 2009 in our original hometown of Ayllón Spain, the next one will be in Amsterdam in 2024. We are following our ancestors' journey through history!

Salamat, Jack, Melbourne, May 2019

 

Aelion Family Convention Agenda

Thursday 2nd May

Dinner & Dance at Ladadika with a wondeful Greek Rebetiko band

for Members already there

Friday 3rd May

Remaining Members arrive & settle at Mediterranean Palace or at Astoria (kosher) hotel next door or at their Airbnb

Conference Registration 14:00 – 17:00 Mediterranean, Lower Ground Floor

Friday Evening

Conference begins with Shabbat Service at Yad Lezikaron Synagogue,

then festive Shabbaton & dinner upstairs at the Jewish Community Centre.

Saturday Morning 4th May

Conference room at Mediterranean Lower Ground Floor

 

·       Presentation by our family historians Michel Danon and Len Yodaiken

·       Jewish History of Ayllón by Andree Aelion Brooks – Politician, Lecturer, Journalist & Author (including new information from our researcher in Spanish Medieval History, Ph.D. Student David Espinar)

·       Coffee Break

·       Presentation on the Jewish History of Salonika/Thessaloníki with information on the Tsvi Shabtai movement by Professor Paul Hagouel – PhD, Researcher, Holocaust Studies and Modern Greek History

·       Results of our Aelion DNA Project - Jack Aghion

 

 Lunch –  ‘Zeus’ Dining Room 7th Floor Mediterranean

Afternoon

·       Group Photo – Grand Staircase – Lobby to Mezzanine Floor

·       Surviving against all odds, Moshe Ha-Elion, by his daughter Rachel Haelion-Meseritz

·       Coffee Break

·       Our members speak of their family history possibly with family heirlooms similar to the 'Show & Tell' of Ayllón in 2014.

Saturday night

Gala Dinner Mediterranean Dining Room, Ladino singing, Mezzanine Floor

Sunday Morning 5th May

Tour of Veroia's old Jewish quarter & ancient Synagogue

Lunch at quaint Vergiotiko restaurant

Then pushing on to Vergina’s Aigai museum & Royal Tombs

Return to Mediterranean Palace hotel in evening

Sunday Evening

Free time

Monday 6th May

Walking tour to include Monasterioton Synagogue, Jewish Museum, Holocaust Memorial, Liberty Square, Modiano Market, and other Jewish sites of interest

Lunch by the sea - Maiami fish restaurant

Afternoon

Bus tour to see Villa Allatini, location of old Jewish Cemetery (present day Thessaloníki University), Old Railway Station (site of deportations) and

Baron Hirsch Ghetto, Villa Bianca, and other points of interest

Return to Mediterranean Palace hotel in evening