The Nazi regime spared no effort to identify, arrest and murder every Jewish person, from children and elderly to women and disabled people.
Generally, deportations and murders were done in large quantities, but one particular story is often cited to illustrate the barbarism of this regime.
Who Was Daniel Rahamim
Located in the Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Leros counted around 10,000 people during World War 2. The population doubled up during different occupations. For instance, when taken over by Italy, the island received over 11,000 Italian troops.
Daniel Rahamim was the only Jewish resident on the island. Out of more than 20,000 people, Leros only had one Jew.
Working as a wood merchant, he resided in Leros for business purposes. Most of his family was in Rhodes. Initially, he managed to avoid the deportations from nearby islands, but his story proves once again how serious the Nazi regime was.
What Happened To Daniel Rahamim
In the summer of 1944, Nazis were rounding up Jews on the Dodecanese islands. There are 15 main islands in the archipelago, as well as over 100 islets. Most Jews resided in Rhodes and Kos, so that’s where the Nazi focus was.
Around 1,700 Jews were taken from Rhodes and about 120 from Kos. They were meant to get to Athens before being sent to Auschwitz.
On the island of Leros, the only Jewish resident was waiting on the pier with a coat and a suitcase. Most people were in their homes. It was too hot. Two Gestapo agents were keeping an eye on him from the distance, in the shade.
The three ships carrying Jews from Rhodes and Kos made it to Leros to collect the only Jewish resident on the island. Out of this group, around 150 Jews survived. Daniel Rahamim wasn’t among them.
What Daniel Rahamim Means In The Holocaust
Daniel Rahamim was picked up by the final convoy of Jews to be deported from the area. Some scholars believe he was the last deportee of the Holocaust. His deportation occurred in July, 1944. At that time, the Nazi regime was losing the war.
With all this, Germans kept pushing their campaign to eradicate every Jewish person in the world.
Daniel Rahamim’s story showcases the relentless nature of the so-called Final Solution, which targeted everyone, including isolated individuals.