Chief engineer of ESJF Grigoriy Arshynov and ESJF national coordinator for Greece Kostas Stathopoulos have begun ground surveys in Greece.

The Jewish cemetery in Chalkida was among the first locations surveyed. The Jewish community of Chalkida considers itself to be among the oldest in Europe, with written testimonies that attest to a Jewish presence as far back as 700 AD, with the town’s first synagogue  built in 1270.

The cemetery is located in the centre of the city, maintained by the municipality. It is a large, fenced burial site containing around 750 matzevot: 500 in the old section and 250 in the new. The oldest preserved tombstone identified during the survey is dated 1716, with the newest dated 2017.