It’s August 1950 in Nicosia, Cyprus. A young refugee girl writes a letter to one of her favourite Hollywood actresses. She won’t be twelve years old till the following month but changes her age to that of her older sister, presumably to appear more mature: seventeen.
Continue readingTag: Greek community (Page 1 of 2)
On 18 September 2025, I gave a presentation entitled “The Greek Community of Jerusalem until 1948 (Nakba and Diaspora)” in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The presentation was organised by the Cyprus Peace Council (Παγκύπριο Συμβούλιο Ειρήνης) and the Thursday Coffeeshop (Καφενείο της Πέμτης) (a discussion group for members of the Socialist Expression) along with the Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR) which hosted the event.
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The Gaitanopoulos of Jerusalem
~ In Memoriam: John Thorogood (1933-2022) ~
*Note: Since its initial publication, this post has been edited at the request of a family member who wishes to remain private.
On a hot summer afternoon in London I made my way to the Thorogoods. A few months earlier, their eldest daughter, Cathie, who lives in Australia, had discovered this blog and my connection to her grandmother’s family—the Gaitanopoulos—and suggested I visit her parents next time I passed through town. I dropped them a line when I was planning a stopover and they invited me over without hesitation.
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My Jerusalem
A few weeks ago Dorit Naaman and myself were interviewed on the Jerusalem Unplugged podcast, “the only podcast dedicated to Jerusalem, its history and its people.” It kicked off in late January and is hosted by Dr Roberto Mazza, an academic whose focus is the history of Ottoman Palestine. He is also the new editor of the Jerusalem Quarterly (which, however, is not related to the podcast).
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Encounters with the Past (Part 2.2)
Continued from Part 2.1: Touring Israel – Aug 1986
Jerusalem—Aug 1986
Thursday Evening
Back in Jerusalem by early evening, I rushed to the Hilton (today’s Crown Plaza) to meet my mother. She had flown in to Tel Aviv airport and had been transported to the hotel as part of her package tour. It was too late to do anything so we spent the evening in the hotel. Her room was in a top floor, so while it was still light outside we stood on the balcony to survey the area. She was eager to take a look at her hometown but the hotel was at the edge of modern-day Jerusalem so nothing looked familiar. In her days, this part of the city was probably not even developed.
We then went downstairs for dinner. After nearly a week of subsisting on falafel and shawarma, I was glad to be treated to a nice, juicy steak (those were still my carnivorous days). I’d had an exciting time full of fascinating experiences and adventures, and I couldn’t wait to tell Mum all about it.
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