Transport from Nea Orestias, Evros, Thrace, Greece to Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece on 04/05/1943

Due to the lack of official documentation, the specific dates and numbers related to this transport are based on survivor testimonies only. On May 3, 1943, members of the SD Special Commando IV B 4 unit, a German anti-Jewish agency based in Thessaloniki, arrived in Didymotikhon, the largest of the Evros communities. The next day, they met with the leaders of the Jewish community, and ordered them to assemble all Jewish men at the local synagogue for a short briefing. After most of them had arrived, one member of the SD Special Commando unit declared that they were all under arrest. The synagogue was put under guard, and the men were required to send notes to their families, asking them to join them as soon as possible, bringing with them all their valuables and a limited amount of necessities. The Jews of Didymotikhon were forced to stay the night at the synagogue grounds. Jacob Jivri recalls that no one around him was able to sleep due to the crowdedness and stress. Marco Nahon relates that the non-Jewish residents of Didymotikhon acquired, prepared, and distributed food among the prisoners. Meanwhile, in neighboring Nea Orestias, the Jews also received an order to report to the synagogue; they were allowed to bring up to 20kg of luggage per person or family. According to Marco Nahon and Nissim Behar, the Jews of Nea Orestias, estimated to be between 160 to 197 in number, arrived by truck at the Didymotikhon synagogue and joined the Jews incarcerated there....