The Romaniote is a Greek-speaking Jewish community that has lived in Ioannina since the 14th century. In the early 20th century, the community consisted of 4000 members, representing about 25% of the city’s total population. 

When Greece entered World War II in October 1940, the city of Ioannina was the headquarters and logistical base of the Greek Army. After six months of fighting both Italian and German troops, Greece signed an armistice. 

In April 1941, the country was subjected to a triple occupation by Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. Epirus was ceded to the Italian Zone. In summer 1943, the Italian Army passed over the administration to the Nazi Germany. 

At that time, two Synagogues were operating in Ioannina. The New Synagogue (Kahal Kadosh Hadash) was located outside the Castle Walls. Before the start of mass deportation, it was looted, vandalised and used as a prison by the Nazis. 

The Old Synagogue (Kahal Kadosh Yashan) situated in the Jewish Quarter inside the castle, was saved with the help of the Mayor, Dimitrios Vlachleidis, who convinced the Nazis to host the material of Zosimaia Library of Ioannina in the Synagogue and use the building of the Synagogue as a library. The community hid the sacred vessels in the crypt of the Synagogue where they were found after the war. 

On 25 May 1944, 1870 Greek-Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, only 112 were to return. Inside the Kahal Kadosh Yashan Synagogue, memorial plaques bear the names of those murdered in the Holocaust of the Romaniote Jews of Ioannina. The synagogue also preserves fragments of the marble decorations from the destroyed synagogue. 

A Memorial for the ones that were lost in World War II was also erected at the Jewish Cemetery of Ioannina. In 1994, a Romaniote Jewish Holocaust Memorial was inaugurated in the Jewish Quarter.