Angel Mairy with Nikos Mania's son Dimitris Manias

Angel Mairy with Nikos Mania's son Dimitris Manias

The Jewish Community of Thessaloniki gave a gold medal to those that saved Jews during the war.

Nikos Manias issued false identities for my brother Albertos and me and helped us to hide in Athens during the war

We were living next to Manias family. They loved us. He wanted to help, especially the children.

So, on 1943, Nikos Manias, the father, came and proposed to my father that for my brother Alberto and me he could issue false identities and send us to Athens.

Manias issued the false identities. Manias had paid 30 pounds for each false identity.

My brother's new name was Nikos Angelidis and mine was Mairy Angelidou. I did not change my name, only my last name was different.

My brother and I we were the first to leave the house. We stayed hidden until it was the time to be sent to Athens.

My parents and my youngest siblings, Jema, Isidor and Renica, left later then us. They went hiding to Chalkidiki.

They could not go far. The Germans would catch them because first of all they did not speak geek except from mysister Jema.

Nikos Manias introduced us to his brother Sergios [who was living in Athens] and asked him to take care of us. Mrs. Katina, Sergio's wife, was afraid to hide us because my brother had the circumcision.

But every Sunday they would invite us to eat meat at their home. On our age we needed to eat meat, but we did not.

The ceremony took place at the University of Thessaloniki on [1995 if I remember well].

On the right is I Mairy Angel nee Karasso giving to Dimitris Manias son of Nikos Manias the golden medal.

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