Between Greek Thessaloníki and Ottoman Istanbul, 1912–1923 1924 , Namık Kapancı and İbrahim Kapancı addressed the school’s claim for
compensation from the Greek government to the Mixed Commission.^24
The Feyziye school remained open in Thessaloníki, but it is not clear
where or how. Almost all of the Feyziye buildings burned down in the fire
of 1917.^25 According to a complaint filed by Kibar Abdurrahman, among
others, and recorded in the summer of 1924 in the Mixed Commission re-
cords, one of the buildings that had burned was confiscated in the winter
of 1923 in order to be converted into a gendarme station.^26
Despite the damage, the Feyziye school managed to continue to offer
classes in Thessaloníki from 1917 to 1923 , with the Mısırlı and Kibar fami-
lies at its head. Some of the teachers were volunteers who were graduates
of the school. By 1921 , the school had to teach Greek. Yet still it main-
tained “communal” sense. Regulations for students from 1919 – 20 envi-
sion how: rule number four states that because the school is a family, all
students are siblings. Rule number five states that students must love their
teachers.^27 The Dönme schools still had a mission to bond youth together
in an ethno-religious community. The rule list ends on a positive note,
stating that rewards will be given to students who do the best and com-
plete their lessons on time; likewise to the best behaved. Even in troubled
times, morals remained a priority: a reward for virtue and good behavior
and conduct was twice as esteemed as one for schoolwork.
The rules also spelled out a strict disciplinary regimen, which may have
reflected a loss of authority, respect for Dönme leadership, and commu-
nal deterioration in troubled times, as well as the impoverishment of the
Dönme in the wake of the cutting off of the city from its imperial net-
works. The administrator had not felt the need to articulate such rules
before. According to rule number six, students must not speak without
the teacher’s permission. Rule number ten states that students’ hair must
be combed, their hands and faces clean, and their clothes and shoes not
ripped or dirty. If they appeared dirty or unkempt, they would be sent
home to wash. Number eleven demanded that as soon as the bell rang
students must go to the assigned place in order without noise. The fol-
lowing rule declared students had to get in line and enter or exit the class-
room when instructed. Rule thirteen required students to have their own
supplies, and prohibited them from asking to borrow them from other
students, which also reflected the fact that some Dönme families were
hurt by the narrowed economic horizons of the nation-state in which they
found themselves. All infractions to every rule resulted in punishments.