Transcription
We are at the Yad Lezikaron Synagogue to speak with Mrs. Daisy Varsano and Mrs. Regina Varsano — mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Present with us is Simón Gerson, coordinator of the Digital Atlas program.
Yad Lezikaron was one of the 30 synagogues that once existed in Thessaloniki. We chose this place because Ino Varsano — son of Daisy and husband of Regina — donated the synagogue’s chairs.
ANITTA PINTO: Mrs. Daisy, are you from Larissa? And Regina, from Chalkida? Could you tell us how holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Purim were celebrated where you grew up, compared to today?
DAISY VARSANO: First of all, we were very united as a Jewish community. We always cared for one another, and we celebrated the holidays with much greater emphasis.
On Hanukkah we lit the candles and sang together. On Rosh Hashanah we sent platikos to every home. The housewives prepared sweets and exchanged them. We children ran around delivering and receiving them.
Rosh Hashanah was always a family celebration. We sat at large tables, read from religious texts, and felt a special joy.
On Yom Kippur we all fasted — even the children. We spent the entire day at the synagogue. It still happens today, but back then there was greater warmth and cohesion.
I remember that when we wanted to prepare chicken, they would give us children the live hen. We took it to the rabbi for slaughter, then brought it back home for my mother to cook. We also made many small meat pies.
Every Friday, my mother prepared the Shabbat table with various dishes. It was a holy day, a day of rest, as the Old Testament says. We observed everything carefully. It still happens today, but not with the same detail or closeness.
I went to the Jewish school. We had wonderful teachers, a choir, and learned Hebrew. We had a clubhouse where we danced so much we almost wore down the concrete floor.
We were like siblings — boys and girls together — no flirting, just friendship. Our parents trusted the boys we spent time with.
I married at 17 and a half, without finishing high school. But thank God we built a beautiful family. My sons were exceptional, and I have two wonderful daughters-in-law. We are like friends.
I always hosted Rosh Hashanah and Purim at my home for both families. Now it is harder without Inakos, but I continue.
REGINA VARSANO: My mother is from Thessaloniki and my father from Chalkida. My mother was Sephardic, my father Romaniote. Different cultures, but the essence of religion is one.
My mother spoke Ladino, and that’s how I learned it too. The community of Chalkida was small — about 150 people — but the religious feeling was strong.
We celebrated all the holidays with the full customs. On the second day of Pesach we gathered at the community clubhouse. Each family brought its Seder plate with the simanim. We sang together.
For us, holidays were joy, play, and togetherness. I have beautiful memories of Pesach, Yom Kippur, Sukkot — all of them.
We tried to pass these traditions on to our children, and thankfully they continue them today.
In Chalkida, everyone participated in WIZO. There were no distinctions. It brought the women closer together — it was warm, close-knit, like a family.
ANITTA PINTO: Let’s speak about philanthropy in Judaism, with Ino as an example.
DAISY VARSANO: My husband was extremely philanthropic. He wanted nothing for himself and gave constantly.
If someone needed a tool and had no money, he would say, “Come, I’ll help you. Pay me back when you can.” The same if someone needed a car.
Inakos learned from that. After work, he would go to Dendropotamos and teach math to children. He never spoke about his good deeds. Only after he passed did I learn how much he had done.
REGINA VARSANO: I met Ino when I was 17. My parents gave me life, but Ino shaped my character. I am grateful that God sent him to me.
He did not approach religion only through the law of the Torah, but through its spirituality. He taught me that we are all children of one God — not different gods.
Our friends were Muslims, Christians. Acts of kindness were done everywhere, without distinction.
He taught me not to judge, to walk in someone else’s shoes. That is very important.
He used to say that the first commandment in Judaism is to be happy. And with the Festival of Lights, he would say: “Let us keep the light of our soul burning and pass it on.”
I am certain he watches over us, rejoices in us, helps us — and guides us.
DAISY VARSANO: There are no words to describe such a person — his humility, his sense of justice.
REGINA VARSANO: Both he and my father-in-law were just men. Ino simply had a gentle way of expressing it — and patience.
We hope to follow their example and keep their light alive.
A heartfelt conversation at the Yad Lezikaron Synagogue in Thessaloniki with Daisy Varsano and Regina Varsano, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, reflecting on Jewish life in Larissa and Chalkida. The synagogue itself, one of the thirty that once existed in Thessaloniki, holds special meaning for the family, as Ino Varsano donated its chairs. They recall how holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Purim, and Pesach were celebrated with strong communal bonds, shared meals, traditional customs, and deep religious feeling. From Ladino-speaking homes to small but united communities, their memories highlight warmth, togetherness, and continuity of tradition across generations. The conversation also focuses on philanthropy and moral values, honoring Ino Varsano’s quiet generosity and spiritual outlook. Through acts of kindness, interfaith friendship, and a belief in shared humanity, his legacy reflects a Judaism rooted not only in law, but in compassion and joy. A testimony about memory, family, faith, and the enduring light passed from one generation to the next.
Transcription
We are at the Yad Lezikaron Synagogue to speak with Mrs. Daisy Varsano and Mrs. Regina Varsano — mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Present with us is Simón Gerson, coordinator of the Digital Atlas program.
Yad Lezikaron was one of the 30 synagogues that once existed in Thessaloniki. We chose this place because Ino Varsano — son of Daisy and husband of Regina — donated the synagogue’s chairs.
ANITTA PINTO: Mrs. Daisy, are you from Larissa? And Regina, from Chalkida? Could you tell us how holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Purim were celebrated where you grew up, compared to today?
DAISY VARSANO: First of all, we were very united as a Jewish community. We always cared for one another, and we celebrated the holidays with much greater emphasis.
On Hanukkah we lit the candles and sang together. On Rosh Hashanah we sent platikos to every home. The housewives prepared sweets and exchanged them. We children ran around delivering and receiving them.
Rosh Hashanah was always a family celebration. We sat at large tables, read from religious texts, and felt a special joy.
On Yom Kippur we all fasted — even the children. We spent the entire day at the synagogue. It still happens today, but back then there was greater warmth and cohesion.
I remember that when we wanted to prepare chicken, they would give us children the live hen. We took it to the rabbi for slaughter, then brought it back home for my mother to cook. We also made many small meat pies.
Every Friday, my mother prepared the Shabbat table with various dishes. It was a holy day, a day of rest, as the Old Testament says. We observed everything carefully. It still happens today, but not with the same detail or closeness.
I went to the Jewish school. We had wonderful teachers, a choir, and learned Hebrew. We had a clubhouse where we danced so much we almost wore down the concrete floor.
We were like siblings — boys and girls together — no flirting, just friendship. Our parents trusted the boys we spent time with.
I married at 17 and a half, without finishing high school. But thank God we built a beautiful family. My sons were exceptional, and I have two wonderful daughters-in-law. We are like friends.
I always hosted Rosh Hashanah and Purim at my home for both families. Now it is harder without Inakos, but I continue.
REGINA VARSANO: My mother is from Thessaloniki and my father from Chalkida. My mother was Sephardic, my father Romaniote. Different cultures, but the essence of religion is one.
My mother spoke Ladino, and that’s how I learned it too. The community of Chalkida was small — about 150 people — but the religious feeling was strong.
We celebrated all the holidays with the full customs. On the second day of Pesach we gathered at the community clubhouse. Each family brought its Seder plate with the simanim. We sang together.
For us, holidays were joy, play, and togetherness. I have beautiful memories of Pesach, Yom Kippur, Sukkot — all of them.
We tried to pass these traditions on to our children, and thankfully they continue them today.
In Chalkida, everyone participated in WIZO. There were no distinctions. It brought the women closer together — it was warm, close-knit, like a family.
ANITTA PINTO: Let’s speak about philanthropy in Judaism, with Ino as an example.
DAISY VARSANO: My husband was extremely philanthropic. He wanted nothing for himself and gave constantly.
If someone needed a tool and had no money, he would say, “Come, I’ll help you. Pay me back when you can.” The same if someone needed a car.
Inakos learned from that. After work, he would go to Dendropotamos and teach math to children. He never spoke about his good deeds. Only after he passed did I learn how much he had done.
REGINA VARSANO: I met Ino when I was 17. My parents gave me life, but Ino shaped my character. I am grateful that God sent him to me.
He did not approach religion only through the law of the Torah, but through its spirituality. He taught me that we are all children of one God — not different gods.
Our friends were Muslims, Christians. Acts of kindness were done everywhere, without distinction.
He taught me not to judge, to walk in someone else’s shoes. That is very important.
He used to say that the first commandment in Judaism is to be happy. And with the Festival of Lights, he would say: “Let us keep the light of our soul burning and pass it on.”
I am certain he watches over us, rejoices in us, helps us — and guides us.
DAISY VARSANO: There are no words to describe such a person — his humility, his sense of justice.
REGINA VARSANO: Both he and my father-in-law were just men. Ino simply had a gentle way of expressing it — and patience.
We hope to follow their example and keep their light alive.