Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
On Monday, February 9, people gathered at Nicosia’s old British Military Hospital to remember a chapter of history that’s both heartbreaking and inspiring: the Jewish internment camps that operated in Cyprus after World War II.
Between 1946 and 1949, more than 52,000 Jewish refugees were sent to Cyprus by the British, many fleeing the horrors of the Holocaust. Over 2,200 children were even born in the camps.
The commemoration was held next to the metal canopies that once housed the refugees. One recreated a tiny hospital space; the other showed daily life through photographs and artifacts. Visitors could sign a book as they walked through, leaving their mark alongside the memories of those who lived there. Soprano performances added a touching note to speeches about the camps, their hardships, and the resilience of the people who survived.
Diplomats from various countries attended, including Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus, H.E. Mr. Oren Anolik, whose father-in-law, Alexander Weiss, had spent three months in the camps at age 15. “Seventy-seven years later, we gather to remember,” the ambassador said. “Memory reminds us that these lives matter.”
The ceremony also highlighted the quiet courage of Cypriot families who helped the refugees, stories often forgotten. A descendant of a nurse who worked at the camp shared her family’s experience, and Cyprus' chief rabbi led prayers for those who lived and were born there.
Representing Cyprus’ Ministry of Defense was Stelios Kountouris. The event also marked 10 years since the monument to the Jewish children born in the camps was unveiled, a reminder of the past and a call to keep teaching this history.
