NEO Magazine - January 2020

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2020

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Happy New Year Congress Enacts Eastern Mediterranean Partnership Leadership 100 Conference in Palm Beach

Ronald McDonald Greek Division Celebrates 40 Years NY Heritage Greece Inaugural Fundraiser Oscar-Winning Director Louie Psihoyos

NASSAU COUNTY DA

MADELINE SINGAS

“IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING A MAN OR A WOMAN; IT’S ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO”

Hellenic Classical Charter School - National Blue Ribbon School!

Hellenic Classical Charter School - Park Slope (HCCS-PS) recognized as a Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School . HCCS is among New York State’s highest performing schools and was one of 19 schools from New York State to be recognized and one of the 362 schools nationwide.

The recognition is based on HCCS's school's overall academic performance.

Christina Tettonis, Superintendent, Joy Petrakos, Chief Of Operations, Natasha Caban, Principal of HCCS-Park Slope, Charles Capetanakis, School Board President and Dena Capetanakis, Director of Community and Family Engagement

“This is truly an honor to have our school selected among the best in the nation. This National Blue Ribb on designation acknowledges the hard work and team effort being performed at HCCS-PS by our faculty, staff, students and families” said Board Chair Charles Capetanakis, Esq. Superintendent Christina Tettonis said, "We are thrilled to receive this incredible recognition from The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Our goal is to build upon this success and continue preparing all of our students to succeed at the best high schools in New York City and contribute to the global community as responsible citizens. Our children, families, and faculty are amazing we applaud them for their hard work, team spirit, and dedication. Congratulations to our entire HCCS family".

The culture of our school and philosophy of student learning ensures high-level critical thinking and communication skills. Students in all grades regularly participate in Paideia (Socratic) seminars in which they have conversations developed by open-ended questioning, respecting their peers’ thinking, "We are extremely elated, humbled and building on others' ideas, listening closely, and honored to be a National Blue Ribbon School! responding to viewpoints other than their We will continue to fulfill our promise to own. provide a rigorous learning curriculum in a safe and creative environment for all children" Students study said HCCS Chief of Operations Joy Petrakos. t he language, history, art, and “It is truly an honor to receive this nationwide other cultural recognition validating the teamwork and a s p e c t s o f tireless efforts of our faculty, students and Greece. Middle families. Everyone at HCCS is beyond excited" School students said HCCS-PS Principal Natasha Caban. re c e i v e L at i n l a n g u a g e The Hellenic Classical Charter School Park instruction as Slope opened its doors on September 6, 2005 p a r t o f t h e i r and celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. c l a s s i c a l In addition HCCS successfully replicated and education. We opened its doors to their second school in have initiated an Staten Island in September 2019!

Ancient Greek T h e a t r e HCCS provides students in P r o g r a m i n grades pre-kindergarten which students t h r o u g h e i g h t h w i t h a study Ancient Greek literature and perform rigorous, classical education, Ancient Greek plays. Other enrichment rich in challenging content. programs include a history fair program Our education model uses a where students travel to Greece to research standards-based curriculum, topics connected to the history of Greece and coaching, and intensive annually compete on city, state and national academic support to promote levels. intellectual curiosity and i n d e p e n d e n t l e a r n i n g . Our work celebrates a classroom that is Supported by an exemplary diverse and representative of the district. The teaching staff, students are families of our students are a strong part of our prepared to succeed at the fabric and are highly involved in school events. best high schools in New York City upon graduation.

The entire HCCS Family wishes the Greek communities a Merry Christmas, Joyous Holidays and a Happy & Healthy New Year!

FROM THE EDITOR

:: magazine FOUNDED IN 2005 BY Demetrios Rhompotis Dimitri Michalakis Kyprianos Bazenikas Publishing Committee Chairman Demetrios Rhompotis (718) 554-0308 dondemetrio@neomagazine.com Director of Operations Kyprianos Bazenikas info@neomagazine.com Marketing & Advertising Director Tommy Harmantzis (347) 613-4163 th@radioneo.us ATHENS - GREECE Public Relations & Marketing Director Rita Despotidis rdespotis@gmail.com NEO Magazine is published monthly by Neocorp Media Inc. P.O. Box 560105 College Point, NY 11356 Phone: (718) 554-0308 e-Fax: (718) 878-4448 info@neomagazine.com Check our website neomagazine.com

The Kalanda A cousin sent me Facebook greetings for the New Year and included a recording of the old “kalanda” from some gathering long ago in Chios.

According to Myparea blog, the singing of “kalanda,” carols, goes back to ancient times when “children would carry small boats (“karavaki meaning little ship”) and sing songs honoring Dionysus…Greek Christmas carols date back to Byzantine times.”

And then the kids would be invited in for sweets and refreshment, which happened in Chios, when I was growing up there, especially up in the villages.

And the adults sang as lustily as the kids, and got the same sweets, but stronger refreshments. “Na sta vrontixome?” I remember them asking.

Nowadays, we sing the carols traditionally on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Epiphany Eve on January 5. The kids, and adults, get invited in (usually they’re at the relatives), and the traditional cookies and treats are offered and the celebration might last through visit. In the old days, they used to play the triangle to accompany the singing, or bang a drum (I remember the drumming on a ceramic drum with a skin on top in Chios) and the s o n g I r e m e m b e r m o s t i s “A n t i m i n i a , antihronia…”, which is all I remember of the lyrics.

thundering by accompanying the procession and—shooting guns!: a relic of the past, which I didn’t see even up in the mountains, brought to faithful life today.

But then again the “prokimaia” was also overrun by day tourists from Turkey, who had taken the ferry across for a meal, by tourists from Germany and England and the Netherlands, who occupied most of the resorts during the season, and delivery boys and cashiers who were Filipino—but spoke pretty passable Greek. One of the stewards on the ferry to Chios from Athens, spoke Greek better than I did.

“Afendi,” he said to me, certainly a relic of the past, “the world is a bigger place now!”

I have a cousin in Boston who every year joins his whole family on a round of “kalanda” through his Brahmin neighborhood: I’m sure they don’t sing the old songs from Greece—but they sing the “kalanda” faithfully, and “kalanda” singing is not exclusive to Greece, of course. Every Hallmark movie you see on TV (and we became addicted to them during the holiday as a balm from the usual news of the world) showed the hero and the heroine wearing cute winter sweaters and hats while they joined all the other townspeople of their perfect little town in their perfect little world knocking on doors and seeing happy faces and singing their Christmas carols. Surprisingly, it was very much like the festive mood of the villages and towns back in Greece during the holiday when the singing of the “kalanda” brought everybody together.

Listening to the recording, brought back haunting memories, of a life gone by in many parts of Greece. Happy and Healthy New Year!

The last time I was in Chios a few years ago, there was a wedding going on while we were strolling in the “prokimaia” and men on horseback came DIMITRI C. MICHALAKIS

:: magazine PUBLISHED MONTHLY IN NEW YORK Editor in Chief: Dimitri C. Michalakis info@neomagazine.com Western Region Desk - Los Angeles Alexander Mizan director@americanhellenic.org West Palm Beach, Florida Desk Vassilios Kukorinis skopelitis@hotmail.com Baltimore Desk Georgia Vavas gvavas@comcast.net Photo/Fashion New York: ETA Press fpapagermanos@yahoo.com Los Angeles: Nick Dimitrokalis (951) 764-5737 photobynikos@hotmail.com Graphic Design NEOgraphix.us Adrian Salescu Athens Desk Konstantinos Rhompotis (01130) 210 51 42 446 (01130) 6937 02 39 94 k.rhompotis@neomagazine.com

Historic Times in Washington for Greece and Cyprus the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel, working together with the Senate Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee’s Ranking Minority Member Pat Leahy and Chairman Lindsey Graham, and the House State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee’s Chairwoman Nita Lowey and her staff.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also played an important role.

Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio originally introduced the “Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act” in the Senate. Chairman Jim Risch and Ranking Member Menendez’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved that bill. In the House, Middle East Subcommittee Chairman Ted Deutch, his Co-Chair of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance (CHIA) Caucus Gus Bilirakis and House Subcommittee Member David Cicilline also introduced the “Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act”. The language in that bill lifting the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus has been included in the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020", which was also adopted this week.

PSEKA and the Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH) expressed appreciation for the bold moves taken by the leadership of the US Congress in reaction to Turkish instigated anti-Western tumult in the Eastern Mediterranean. Recently the US Congress enacted legislation introduced earlier last year to strengthen the Eastern Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) of America, Cyprus, Greece and Israel. Proper implementation of the provision of this law by the State and Defense Departments can begin an era of appropriate treatment of the Middle East’s only stable Western democracies that have always been there as American allies – Cyprus, Greece and Israel. The application of this law will be watched closely as Greece, and Cyprus in particular, have experienced a damaging history with the improper implementation of American law. “The International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), has been working on this legislation for two years, stated Philip Christopher, President of PSEKA to NEO magazine. “I express my gratitude to all the organizations, AHEPA, AHI, HALC, the Coordinated Effort and special thanks to AJC (American Jewish Committee) who stood next to us for this fight.

Senator Bob Menendez is the brilliant architect who skillfully guided the East-Med Legislation through the US Senate. We will not stop fighting until we get sanctions on Turkey and Justice for Cyprus.”

This legislative language is intended to require the Executive Branch to report to the Congress Turkey’s violations of Greece’s sovereign air space and Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of underwater resources. It will also establish an Executive Branch strategy to improve energy and security cooperation with our EMP and an Energy Center to contribute to that goal. Additionally, it provides modest financial assistance to Greece and Cyprus for military training, armament loans and the lifting of an arms embargo on Cyprus.

This language was attached to an Appropriations bill that previously only contained for Hellenic benefit Chairwoman Nita Lowey’s language to create an annual summit in Washington to institutionalize the EMP within the American bureaucracy. This new Appropriations language was added through behind the scenes work of the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez. His crucial efforts were supported by the Chairman of that Committee Jim Risch, and 16

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The work of the Greek-American community’s organizations and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) with staff and US Senators and Members of the House of Representatives was instrumental to this accomplishment. A special thanks goes to those working with the key members of the Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs Committees as well as the Senate and House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees.

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Leadership 100 29 Conference to Convene in Palm Beach The 29th Annual Leadership 100 Conference will convene February 20-23, 2020, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, attended by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who will address Leadership 100 for the first time, according to Argyris Vassiliou, Chairman of Leadership 100. Featured speakers will include Michael Kratsios, United States Chief Technology Officer, Tim Tassopoulos, President & Chief Operating Officer, Chickfil-A, Inc, and Rev. Fr. James W. Kordaris, Director of the Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism, Philip Nicozisis, best-selling author and commercial property owner and operator, George Bousis, ecommerce entrepreneur, Doretta Mistras, healthcare investment banker, and Athan Stephanop ou los, dig it a l me di a ne ws executive.

intention to continue with the kind of work he’s been doing for the past two-and-a-half years. “From the start, I united OSTP around a clear mission: ensure continued American leadership in emerging technologies,” he said.

“Our goals are bipartisan. We all want American innovation, built by American workers and underpinned by American values, to lead the world, increasing our prosperity, enhancing our security and raising our quality of life in the process,” something that as U.S. CTO, he “can ultimately chart the path to accomplish this.”

The Opening Forum with Fr. Kordaris will be on Thursday February 20 with a Luncheon and Forum addressed by Tassopoulos. The program on Friday, February 21, will include the General Assembly and a Luncheon and Forum addressed by Mr. Kratsios. Nicozisis will speak prior to the General Assembly on Friday.

The Saturday, February 22 events will include a Brunch and Special Forum at which Bousis, Mistras and Stephanopoulos will serve on a panel, Golf and Tennis Tournaments and Awards, and a Walk/Run event. The Grand Banquet at which the Archbishop lakovos Leadership 100 Award for Excellence will be Tim Tassopoulos presented will take place on Saturday evening.

The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday, February 23 at Saint Tassopoulos began his 40-year career at Mark Church in Boca Raton.

Chick-fil-A as an hourly restaurant team member and was appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2016. He has served as Director of Field Operations, Vice President of Operations, Senior Vice President of Operations, and, most recently, Executive Vice President of Operations. He graduated in 1981 as valedictorian from Oglethorpe University in At lant a, G eorgia wit h a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He received his Master of Michael Kratsios Business Administration from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, in 1983, Kratsios, who has served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy since where he was recognized with the Graduate March 2017, was confirmed by unanimou School Service Award. voice vote by the U.S. Senate on August 1, 2019. During the confrimation hearing, held Fr. Jim was born and raised in Minneapolis, the prior week, Kratsios expressed an Minnesota. At St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox 18

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Church in Minneapolis, under the spiritual leadership of Fr. Anthony Coniaris, he served in many capacities. In his youth he attended Sunday School and served as altar boy. As an adult, Fr. Jim served on the parish council including two years as president. He also served the parish as Bible Study leader, camp counselor, IOCC coordinator, Festival CoChair and Stewardship Committee Chair. He has BA-Psychology (1979) and MBA-Finance (1983) degrees from the University of Minnesota. Following twelve years in the financial services industry, he entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1999. He was ordained to the Diaconate in 1998 and to the Priesthood in 1999. He has served at St. Demetrios Church in Jamaica, NY and Archangel Michael Church in Roslyn Heights, NY. Fr. Jim was appointed Director of the newly formed Department of Outreach & Evangelism in January of 2003. In 2009 Stewardship Ministry was added to his responsibilities.

Philip Nicozisis

Philip Nicozisis, a longtime member of Leadership 100 and best-selling author, who owns and operates a family commercial real estate business spanning five states, is the author of Have Laptop, Will Travel: Memoirs of A Digital Nomad, which was number one in seven countries in 2019. He is also a public speaker and activist on his vegan lifestyle, credentialed as a health educator from the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. His lectures have taken him to 20 countries around the world.

“This year, Leadership 100 has invited three outstanding young members of the Greek American C ommunity to share their experiences as highly successful entrepreneurs and innovators in significant sectors of the business world,” stated Argyris Vassiliou, L100 Chairman, who expressed gratitude to the speakers for this important addition to the program.

Michael Bapis, a member of the Board of Tr ustees and Chairman of the Audit Committee, will moderate a panel at the Saturday Brunch, Februar y 22, 2020,

consisting of George Bousis, Founder and Executive Chairman, Raise and Owner and Chairman, Riot Squad Esports; Doretta Mistras, a Managing Director in the Healthcare Investment Banking Division of Citigroup, based in New York; and Athan Stephanopoulos, President of NowThis, the leading digital media news brand known for producing and distributing short-form video news for a predominantly millennial and Gen Z audience.

George Bousis

George Bousis, a member of Leadership 100, began his career at the age of 14 as a prof e s s i on a l g a m e r f or a v a r i e t y of internationally recognized esports organizations. Following his retirement from competitive esports, he began working at his family-owned business, Cermak Fresh Market which today is one of the leading independent grocers in the Midwest. After a successful tenure in various leadership roles, Bousis went on to found Raise, a leading retail payments and gift card company, that today is the largest exchange and mobile prepaid wallet in the world. Since 2013, Raise has been globally recognized as one of the fastest growing and transformative e-commerce companies.

Under Bousis’ leadership, Raise has generated nearly $4 billion in transactions and saved its millions of customers over $175 million to date. In addition, he has attracted more than $147 million in funding from leading global investors including Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and PayPal. Most recently, George returned to his roots and love for professional gaming by founding Riot Squad Esports, a professional esports organization focused on enabling the growth and advancement of gaming across the world. Bousis is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Leadership 100, a Major Contributor to FWD.us, a recipient of Chicago Business 20 in their 20’s, a three-time recipient of the Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs List, and an esteemed honoree of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List.

Doretta Mistras, also a member of Leadership 100, is responsible for the Health Investment Banking Division of Citigroup’s coverage of

t he He a lt hc are Technology and Outsourcing Practice. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2019, she spent 15 years at Goldman Sachs & Co. in their Healthcare group focused on M&A. Doretta Mistras While at Goldman Sachs, Mistras advised on over $200 billion of M&A transactions for Healthcare companies.

Mistras earned a dual degree from the University of Pennsylvania, receiving both a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Spanish and International Studies. She also serves on the Board of the National Hellenic Society and the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation.

Athan Stephanopoulos, as President, oversees all operations of NowThis -- from sales & Fr. Jim Kordaris revenue, editorial & product strategy, data & audience insights and brand partnerships. America, who has set forth his vision for the NowThis is the #1 video news publisher in the future of our Church. At the 29th Annual world with a singular Conference, His Eminence mission: to make news Arcbishop Elpidophoros will engaging and relevant address Leadership 100 for the first for young adults by time and join us at meetings of the humanizing and Executive Committee, Board of explaining the Trustees and General Assembly. complicated world Our Executive Committee and through insightful and Board have already formally met informative context, and with Archbishop Elpidophoros, delivered directly to the who shared his vision at meetings in social platforms where November in New York. At that these audiences spend time, His Eminence reported that most of their time the Archdiocese is financially stable c onsu m i ng c onte nt . and that efforts to revitalize Today, NowThis has Hellenic College/ Holy Cross and more than 70 million complete the building of St. social followers and Nicholas Church and National generates 2.5 billion Shr ine are ma king prog ress. mont hly vie ws wit h However, he added a word of more than 8 billion Athan Stephanopoulos c aut i on . ' We are f a c e d w it h monthly impressions. As the pioneer of the numerous challenges all around us. We need distributed media model, NowThis has to address these challenges head¬ on, revolutionized how news is consumed and has bolstered by our faith and heritage. The become the trusted news source for young Church needs your honesty, your integrity and audiences. Previously, Stephanopoulos was your fighting spirit!” the founder and CEO of Cliptamatic, a social video distribution platform that was acquired According to Vassiliou, the “Conference will,

by NowThis in 2014. He currently sits on the however, take the next step in offering the board of the publicly traded company Akazoo, support of our members, meeting their a leading global music streaming and expectations for the future. Our Annual technology platform. He has also served as an Conference is primarily the Annual Meeting adjunct professor and board member at at which the grants are approved, annual Fordham University’s Graduate School of financial reports are submitted, and all Business in New York City, where he has c om m itte e s re p or t to t h e E xe c ut ive taught courses on Media Entrepreneurship Committee and Board of Trustees. All actions and Social Media. He resides in Manhattan and reports are then shared with all members with his wife and two children. at a General Assembly. An opportunity is afforded to all members to participate in the In an interview with NEO magazine, L100 General Assembly.” And he concluded by Chairman Argyris Vassiliou said that the pointing out that the conference program “of organization “celebrated its 35th Anniversary inspirational speakers and stimulating at its 28th Annual Conference in February of activities will demonstrate the depth and 2019. In 2020, we entered a new phase in its breadth of Leadership 100 as a fellowship history that fortunately corresponds with the dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.”

Enthronement of a new Archbishop of

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Inaugural Fundraiser for the New York Chapter Heritage Greece a Great Success!

by Demetrios Rhompotis

PHOTO: ETA PRESS

The organizing committee for Heritage Greece Fundraiser: Paul Tsoumpariotis, Nick Pashalis, Demetri Belesis, Steve Spuccess, Nick Katopodis, John Frankis

John Pashalis, Mike Angeliades

Niko & Marilena Katopodis

Andreas Zoitas, George Pantelidis

about Heritage Greece from a past participant,” explained Mr. Frankis to NEO magazine. “She applied and was happily off to Washington DC and Greece that summer.

Unlike her previous trips to Greece, this was an educationalbased trip where she got to learn about politics, history, archeology, language and, of course, Greek dancing.”

The New York Chapter Heritage Greece of the National Hellenic Society recently held its inaugural Casino Night at the Plandome Golf Country Club in New York with great success!

More than $110,000 was raised and as a result this year's number of students visiting Greece will double. In 2019, Heritage Greece celebrated its 10-Year Anniversary and so far The National Hellenic Society has sent over 400 young adults to Greece for a two-week cultural Zach Lountzis, immersion program. The New York event was David Keyser the initiative of Dr. John Frankis of Plandome, NY and a group of dedicated friends who formed the organizing committee that underwote it: Nick Pashalis, Stavros Spucces, Demetri Belesis, Paul Tsoumpariotis and Niko Katopodis.

“In the spring of 2018, while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, my daughter Lia was told

Mike Gerasimou, Thomas Tsamis, Sotiris Tsadaris

George Zoitas, Andreas Zoitas, Chris Ivaliotis, Steve Valiotis, John Venetis, Demetri Belesis

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After speaking to Drake multiple times and learning about Heritage Greece, I decided to form a committee to underwrite a fundraising event. Nick Pashalis, Stavros Spucces, Demetri Belesis, Paul Tsoumpariotis, along with Nick Katopodis, were quick to help. We then held a charity Casino Night that resulted in almost $110,000 being awarded to Heritage Greece.”

According to Frankis, “with Drake Behrakis’ and Art Dimopoulos’ leadership, they were able to double the amount of sessions for this

Frank Bouklis, Christos Papademos, Yianni Stroumbakis

Lia Frankis, David Keyser, Alex Andreadis

More than educational, however, the trip was a wonderful experience in general for Lia and she made sure to communicate it to her parents and friends. “Her happiness and enthusiasm for the program led to my decision to try and give back,” says John Frankis. “As a program similar to Birthright Israel, it seemed unfair that we can only send 60 Greek American kids a year. I reached out to Demetri Rhompotis of NEO magazine, who put me in touch with the National Hellenic Society Chairman Drake Behrakis.

Paul Lountzis, John Frankis

Anna Englezos, Lia Frankis, Tina Spucces

Lee Pirone, Spyros Skokos, Jimmy Gabriel MD

coming summer of college students able to attend Heritage Greece.”

As much of an accomplishment as that is, there is room for the program to grow. And built on the success of the inaugural event, Dr. Frankis plans to continue raising awareness and funds.

“I look forward to all Greek Americans doing their best to help keep our history, culture and language alive,” he says. “This program has been described as 'life changing' and 'an experience they will never forget'. In order to expand and preserve this program we ask for your help.”

The Washington DC-based National Hellenic Society is an association of Greek American leaders, visionaries, and philanthropists who perpetuate and celebrate our rich heritage. The NHS was established to create a lasting network of Greek Americans to preserve our heritage through the sponsorship and initiation of programs that support Hellenic culture, benefit our members and their families, and honor our ancestors. NHS members represent accomplished men and women in the Greek American community, and membership is solely by invitation. As is our tradition, fellowship and enrichment are a prominent part of this society.

Congresswoman Dina Titus Reflects on the Season At the time, the iconographers were turned away at their port of entry for having the wrong type of visa, needed a site visit to verify their legitimacy, and did not have the appropriate IRS designations ready in order to apply for their visas. My office worked tirelessly with Father John Stratos Hondros to help the them obtain the correct visas and file the necessary paperwork with the IRS. After two years, the Greek iconographers made it to Nevada and finished the beautiful artwork in time to celebrate the Church’s 60th anniversary.

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, I encourage you to stop by the Church and see the inspirational new iconography that took a village to complete. I think you’ll agree that it was worth the time and effort.

The organization’s purpose and interest is the perpetuation of those values and ideals that are embodied within the Hellenic heritage—classical ideas associated with ancient Greek democracy, including the pursuit of knowledge, education, the arts and civic responsibility. It also focuses on the promotion and the furtherance of Hellenic ideals through the sponsorship of scientific, educational and charitable programs. The National Hellenic Society coordinates its activities and provides financial support to other tax-exempt organizations sharing common goals.

The Society actively supports programs sponsored by universities, colleges and educational institutions throughout the U.S. that demonstrate a common interest in preserving, promoting and enjoying for posterity, education, the sciences, arts, music, culture, history, philosophy, democracy and related legacies derived from and through the ancient Hellenic era to the present.

Andreas Zoitas, George Patilis

Nick Tsoulos

Angelo N Katopodis, Michael Psyllos, Dennis Karagounis, George Yiachos MD

Nicholas Syris of LH Premium Cigars

George Maragos, Demetri Ziozis, John Stratakis

The new year provides us all with reason to spend some time looking back and some time looking ahead. On the eve of this new year and decade, I’ve found myself reflecting on my family and my heritage. I try to do my best each day to honor their legacy through action.

In 1911, my grandfather came to this country through Ellis Island from Greece.

Arthur Costandinos, for whom I am named, worked in the restaurant business in Georgia his entire adult life. Like so many who came before us, he believed in the promise of America, but never forgot his Greek roots.

The small town I grew up in had no Greek church or school and we would take 100mile road trips to Jacksonville, Florida, just to get olives and Feta cheese. Yet, even at our young age, my grandfather made sure that my sister and I knew that being Greek is about more than what you eat. He instilled in us the importance of helping others, giving back to the community, and getting the most out of life. As the Christmas spirit spreads this time of year, these ideals seem to come to life.

Yet, I have never believed that these values should be seasonal – and I try to follow these principles not only in my private life, but also in my public service. This year in my Congressional district in Las Vegas, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church celebrated its 60th anniversary. It’s a pillar of our Greek Orthodox community in Southern Nevada and as home to the local Greek Food Festival. So, when the Church approached my office for immigration assistance in 2017 after facing difficulties bringing Greek iconographers to finish its artwork, I was eager to help.

In Washington D.C., the year always ends in a flurry as Members of Congress work to finalize must-pass legislation while making sure that our staff get home in time for the holidays. Before the year ended, I’m pleased that we were able to lift the arms embargo on Cyprus, prohibit the transfer of F-35 aircraft to Turkey, establish a new U.S.-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center to facilitate cooperation between the U.S. and Greece, and finally recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Looking ahead, I’m eager to continue working on issues important to the Greek American community. As the only Greek American Congresswoman, I’m proud to serve in the Hellenic Caucus. I know we must build upon the progress we’ve made in strengthening the relationship among the U.S., Greece, and Cyprus; monitoring Turkey’s aggression; and bolstering security in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Now more than ever, the United States must be a steadfast ally to our longtime partners who share our democratic values.

I’ll continue to use my voice and my vote to strengthen the bonds between the U.S. and Greece – and I’ll do so with my grandfather and you all in mind.

As we cut open our vasilopita and hope to receive some good luck, I wish you all a wonderful year of health, happiness, and quality time with loved ones. Let us all spread the Christmas spirit in our communities even as December comes to an end. Please consider me part of the family and call on me any time.

Kala Christougenna kai Kali Chronia! Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Καλή Χρονιά!

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NASSAU COUNTY DA

PHOTO: ANAMNISEIS.NET

MADELINE SINGAS: “IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING A MAN OR A WOMAN; IT’S ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO”

by Dimitri C. Michalakis Madeline Singas just won reelection to be the Nassau County District Attorney in Long Island, New York based on her record: crime went down 25% during her watch, the notorious MS-13 gang in the county was decimated with arrests, and her two-pronged approach to the opioid crisis, combining law enforcement with prevention and treatment, has brought overdose deaths down another 25%.

“I took money, forfeiture money that we seized from criminals, primarily drug criminals, and put it back into treatment,” says the 53-yearold career prosecutor with a 28-year record.

“We opened the first 24-hour, seven-day-aweek treatment center in Nassau County. And that was really significant, because I had been talking to a lot of people whose loved ones were impacted by this crisis. And they had told me, there's nowhere to go.”

She was first elected in 2015 over an established opponent because of her record as a prosecutor and because she made clear just how important and wide-ranging the job of the DA really was.

“Most people don't realize the work that The District Attorney Madeline Singas with a badly abused dog the district attorney named Bella. The dog’s owners does,” she says. “I were charged with animal cruelty was able to demonstrate for them that from the moment you shut your doors at night is your neighborhood safe? Is your home safe? Are your children safe? Everything that you do throughout the day in some way can be impacted by the work that we do. So when people say that, oh, this election doesn't really matter in my life, I would say to them it absolutely matters in your life. That's the work 24

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that we do in my office every day.”

Singas grew up in Astoria, Queens, the daughter of Greek immigrants from Epiros, and got her first job with the Queens DA. She is a graduate of Barnard College and Fordham University Law School.

“I wanted to make sure that I was doing something that had value, that I can be proud of, that my kids can be proud of,” she says of h e r p r o s e c u t o r i a l c a r e e r. “ T h i s i s fundamentally something that I enjoy doing and that's why I keep doing it.”

Why did you become a prosecutor?

I knew that I wanted to be in a field that helped people. And I knew I wanted to be in front of juries and doing some litigation in court. And from the minute I went into court and said Madeline Singas for the people, it just sort of clicked for me and I knew that this is what I would want to do for the rest of my career and I never looked back.

You see the dark of society every day: does that get a little overwhelming sometimes?

It is hard, because every day we see a lot of pain. We see the worst that humanity has to offer. And I often say that people come to us really at their darkest times, when they've been a victim of a crime: it's a dark period and that’s when we see them. But, you know, I think our job is also full of hope and making sure that we can restore dignity to the people who have been victimized. Making sure that people get a fair shake in the criminal justice system, that we protect everyone's rights, including those who have been accused of crimes. Our office is a place full of hope, and there's a lot of very decent people working very hard to make sure that the chaos stays outside our doors and that we bring justice to people.

What are the particular challenges that you face in Nassau County?

We're facing a lot of challenges that the rest of the nation is also facing. So heroin and the opioid crisis has hit Nassau County very hard, as it has the whole country. That's something that we are working to battle every single day.

Our OD’s have finally trended downward in the last couple of years. Since 2016 we've had a

DA being inaugurated by New York State Court of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. Bible held by the DA’s husband, Theo Apostolou

25% reduction in overdose deaths. And that’s a combination of various things. I think, first, strong enforcement: we’ve had the largest seizures of both heroin and fentanyl in the last few months that we've ever had in the county.

It's a lot of work with our law enforcement partners, including, of course, the Nassau County Police Department that we work with every day.

What about treatment?

Without treatment I felt that we couldn't turn the corner in Nassau County, and treatment wasn't that readily available. What we did is in 2016 I took money, forfeiture money, so money that we seized from criminals, primarily drug criminals, and put it back into treatment. And we opened the first 24-hour-a day, seven-day-a week treatment center in Nassau County. We worked with a place called Catholic Health Services New Hope, and we were able to finance them so that they could make their operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So now people had somewhere to go and we could close that treatment gap.

You said prevention is also a big part of this?

We get into schools and reach kids before they start experimenting with these drugs. My prosecutors are in classrooms and schools several times a month talking to kids about opioids, but also talking to kids about a lot of things, including dating violence and Internet safety and drunk driving. That's something that I'm passionate about and something we prioritize to make sure we can influence our young people at a time when we can influence them and make sure they don't go down a path that will lead to criminality.

How big is your department and how many prosecutors do you have?

PHOTO: ANAMNISEIS.NET

Archbishop Elpidophotos of America is giving the invocation at DA's inauguration. From left, Oscar Michelen, Esq, the master of ceremonies, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, District Attorney Madeline Singas, her husband Theo Apostolou and their children Deme & Billy.

I have about 222 prosecutors and the office is almost 400 people. It's one of the largest prosecutor's offices in the state, as it should be.

Cause we represent 1.3 million people in Nassau County. It's the largest law firm, if you will, in Nassau County. We employ a lot of people and we attract the best and the brightest from our law schools.

Are there any particular challenges to being a woman DA? Well, that's an interesting question. I think at this point in my career, no: I wouldn't say that anyone looks at me and says she's a woman DA versus a man DA. They see someone who is an experienced prosecutor. I've been doing this now for 28 years. So people judge me on my record and on my experience. In the beginning, it was very difficult to be a woman in this field. I would often walk into meetings and there'd be hundreds of people there and there'd be only 5% or 10% of us would be women.

How did you cope with that?

You work harder to prove yourself. But once you do, at the end of the day, people want someone with the experience to do the job sitting across from them, whether that's at a meeting, or in some strategy session, or sitting with federal law enforcement partners. They respect the work ethic that you bring in. They respect the experience that you have.

Do you have any idea how many other women DA's are in the US? I think in New York State, out of the 62 elected district attorneys, I believe there are only 12 or 13 women. So, yeah, we're still a very much a minority. And it's the same throughout: if you look at some of the statistics of women who are judges, I think only a third of judges are women.

How are women represented in your office?

My executive staff is probably 60% women.

And the overall percentage of prosecutors in the officer is probably 65% women as opposed to men. So, you know, I make those decisions carefully and make sure that I'm promoting women to positions of senior management that have executive decision making and they have a very visible and active role in my administration.

How would you describe your style? Do you have a particular style?

I feel like I'm very collaborative. In fact, in my office, I have a round table, because I've very consciously asked for a round table to make sure that no one feels they were at the head of the table: so that we could all have an equal voice and we could hear. I like to hear a lot of voices before I make my final decisions. I have a ver y collaborative style. I'm very open to hearing people's opinions and very open to new ideas. But once I make a decision, I'm pretty

authoritative.

And your style as a prosecutor?

I'm very empathetic when it comes to young people and giving people second chances on a lot of nonviolent crimes. And listening: being very open to hearing people's stories and what brought them into the criminal justice system and how it is that we can help get them out of the criminal justice system How did you bring down your crime rate?

Many of our homicides were being committed

by MS-13 gang members. So we brought all resources to bear to make sure that these gang members were arrested and prosecuted and given large sentences so that we can keep our communities safe. And I'm proud to say that this year we haven't had one MS-13 homicide in the county. And that was from a high of something like 35% a few years ago of our homicides were committed by gang members.

And your work affects other parts of the country?

We have pulled together with the FBI and the DEA and our local law e n forc e me nt age nc i e s and put t o g e t h e r b i g o p e r at i o n s , v e r y impactful prosecutions, where we've targeted high level members of the gang. In 2018, where we were able to or investigate over an eight-month period and ultimately arrest and prosecute the highest ranking MST team member in the entire Eastern United States. That was a prosecution that came out of Nassau County and investigation that we did that netted so much information about the gang that people all across the United States are using, including Suffolk County just most recently, where they arrested something like a hundred gang members based on the information that came out of our wire back in 2018--and we were solving crimes and murders that were going on in New Jersey and, preventing drugs coming in from places like Texas that were targeted for Nassau County.

Why do you think there is such a gang presence in the suburbs?

You know, there's a lot of theories on that and I don't think anyone knows for certain: it’s sort of like the immigrant experience: once people find their own they sort of migrate together. A

DA appears with County Executive Laura Curran at Maryhaven Center of Hope to announce partnership to help opioid addicts with Northwell Health, Nassau University Medical Center and Catholic Health Services

lot of immigrants were unaccompanied minors and were being sponsored and then brought into the same areas in Suffolk and in Nassau County. A lot of the workers were farm workers that were working out in the farms out in Suffolk County. And from there pockets of gangs developed. But again, working with law enforcement, we've made an incredible dent: we've basically decimated MS-13 leadership on Long Island. To go to zero MS13 homicides this year in Nassau County is a very significant accomplishment.

Over your years as a prosecutor any particular cases stick out in your mind?

DA Singas, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, County Executive Laura Curran and federal partners announce largest seizure of heroin in Nassau County history

People often ask me that question. It's a tough one: a lot of the years of my work had been devoted to working with domestic violence cases and sex abuse cases and those have impacted me in tremendous ways, because I don't think people can appreciate what it's like to talk to a young child, a six-year-old, an eight-year-old, a 12-year-old who's been raped or sexually assaulted by someone that's supposed to care for them. It's very confusing for a child. At the same time, we work to make so many of these offenders accountable and that's gratifying.

And a range of other crimes you deal with?

Think of a crime like a financial crime: where a COVER STORY

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victim has had all of their savings wiped out, their identities taken, and debt run up. That's devastating for that person. It's a different kind of devastation, but it's still devastation. You know, with drunk drivers: people are just trying to get to work, trying to cross the street

DA is holding up a “ghost gun” at a press conference in October.

These guns can be printed using a 3D printer and are untraceable

to get to the supermarket, and in an instant, the entire community, an entire family has been shattered because someone has been run over by someone who made the selfish decision of drinking too much and getting behind the wheel of a car. And with the elderly, I created an elder crimes unit because our elderly, our seniors, are just being devastated by these scams where people call up and victims are tricked into giving these people thousands upon thousands of dollars. We have to step up our game as well to make sure that we can meet all of these challenges.

In the course of your career were you ever threatened or felt afraid for your safety?

Yes, of course, I've been threatened and I've been threatened as the DA now in my new role. The more dangerous people that you're prosecuting, these people don't want to go to jail and they know that I'm the one who stands between them and a life sentence. So, yeah, sometimes I've received threats, as have a lot of prosecutors. But defendants realize that if it's not me prosecuting them then someone else will step in and do the prosecution. And, thank God, I'm surrounded by a lot of excellent detectives and law enforcement looking out for me, so I feel safe.

You grew up in Astoria?

I was born in Massachusetts. I left there when I was about five or six months old and went to Astoria: my parents moved to Astoria and that's where I grew up.

What are your parents' names?

They're both deceased. My father was Vassili, Bill, and my mom was Eugenia.

Where are they from in Greece?

My dad is a Vorio Epirotis, and my mother is also from Epiros. So we are Epirotes, through and through.

What did your dad do?

My dad owned a pizzeria called Singas Famous Pizza in Elmhurst, Queens. A lot of people know that pizza, a lot of people went 26

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COVER STORY

through that store. My parents were very open, always looking to help people out. So a lot of people got jobs at the store, a lot of people.

They helped a lot of people. They were very big in the community and at St. Catherine's and St. Demetrios in Astoria. My dad was always, and my mom: volunteering in the church festivals, PTA, very much a part of the community, which I think instilled in me this sense of being a part of my community and giving back to the community. I tell people often that my parents didn't have a lot, in terms of material wealth, but they were always giving and generous people.

Did you work at the pizzeria when you were young?

No, my father would not let me work at the pizzeria or my sister. I have an older sister, she's a doctor. She says they wanted us to study.

Even though my parents were not formally educated, they recognized the value and t r a n s f or m at i v e p ow e r of e du c at i on .

Sometimes I think about this and it's amazing to me. My parents grew up, both of them, in these small villages, in Northern Epiros. They did not have running water in their homes.

They did not have electricity in their homes.

Epiros was always occupied. There was a lot of famine and poverty and they had such incredibly difficult and challenging lives. But they came here to turn that all around and then in one generation to do just that with their children: for me to be the district attorney, the top chief law enforcement officer of a county of 1.3 million people, to make that transition in one generation is extremely fascinating to me and I believe can only happen in this country.

Did your parents see your success?

My mom died in 1986. She was only 47 years old. I was 20. I was in college. She died of leukemia, and my dad just died probably six or seven years ago. He had a lymphoma, so he lived into his 80s.

How did he feel about your career?

My dad was very proud of me. You know, he had an incredible respect for law enforcement and the law. I say he had what every Greek father wants for his sons: a lawyer and a doctor he got for his daughters and he could not be proud. I have to say he was probably the first feminist, because he felt that we could do whatever we wanted to do as long as we received an education. And he never stood in our way, and tried to help us as much as he could, at a time when a lot of his peers were looking for husbands for their daughters.

What is your sister's name?

Effie Singas. She's a pulmonologist at North Shore Hospital.

Tell me about your family: your husband's name.

Theo. He's in sales. Successful businessman How long you been married?

We're married almost 24 years.

How did you meet?

Oh, we met in Mykonos. He was there with some of his friends. I was there with some of

my friends. But we both grew up in Astoria-actually on the same street. We both grew up on 24th Street in Astoria, but didn't know each other. I didn't go to local high schools. I went to Bronx Science. You meet a lot of the people in your neighborhood when you go to high school. But we met in Mykonos.

You have twins?

We have twins, 17, a boy and a girl: Vassili, Billy, and Demetra, Deme.

What are they interested in?

Deme likes engineering. She's very much different from me. Her brain is ver y mathematical and problem solving. Billy is not sure yet where he's gonna go: he thinks he wants a career in medicine. But he's also very musical and Billy and some of his friends are going to play music at my (reelection) swearing in, which I'm very excited about. So, yes, I'm very blessed. I have an incredible family and incredible cousins. My first cousins are like my brothers and sisters, cause we all grew up together. My mom had six brothers and sisters and me and my cousins all grew up together in Astoria. We spent every holiday together. We still do.

DA speaking at National Safety Council’s traveling Opioid Memorial

Could I ask your age?

Fifty-three. It's crazy: I can't even believe I've been a prosecutor since 1991--when I can't even remember being a middle schooler! I remember the first years of my career and it’s incredible how it's passed. But, you know what, thank God: everyone's healthy, and we’re also a part of the this community (in Manhasset) Archangel Michael, where my kids grew up and attended Greek school. My son's an altar boy. They're both members of GOYA. Where do you see yourself in five years or 10 years?

It’s hard to know what I’m doing next week, Dimitri! But, you know, again, I see myself doing the work that I love, which is being the district attorney, helping communities, helping people, being a role model for so many of our young people, being part of the Greek community and the larger community. My kids are going to be in college next year, which I can't even believe it!

Are you still going to be the DA? Still going to be the DA for as long as people want me.

100 Scholarships for Greek American College Students The Beginning is the Most Important Part of any Work…

Heritage: a complex word which describes culture, traditions, mores, norms and familiar places. Heritage is something we choose to identify with or discard as being relevant in our lives based on perceptions about ourselves and society. Is Heritage something that can inspire, draw us together, teach and fulfills us, or is it something to forget and focus on other things that are important to us? Heritage can play an important building block in the future we choose to build.

Plato

their heritage. In their own words, the students describe the program as “life-changing” in instilling the importance, impact and breadth of Hellenic heritage.

The National Hellenic Society’s (NHS) strongly believes Hellenic heritage is well worth preserving in vibrant ways. NHS develops and supports projects that advance NHS’ mission to perpetuate, celebrate and certainly pass on the paradosis of Hellenic heritage. How do we do that—through Programs:

Eligible student participants must be of Greek descent, aged between 18-26, enrolled in an undergraduate/graduate studies program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 This year’s Heritage Greece Program will take place in two sessions: June 4-21, and July 9-26. The first session will also provide 15 students the opportunity to participate in an internship program aligned with their career path/course of study.

Interested student participants should apply online at: ht t p s : / / w w w. a c g. e d u / a d m i s s i o n s / s t u d yabroad/heritage-greece/ or on the NHS’ website: www.hellenicsociety.org.

NHS’ Greek Guide to Greatness series was developed and co-produced with National Geographic and made available to 60+ million students on the PBS, NatGeo & Google Classroom Platforms. NHS and NHS members are sponsors of My Greek Table, produced and starring Master Chef Diane Kochilas, in a 13-episodic tour de force of all aspects of the Greek kouzina now in production of Season III for PBS stations nationwide.

The Heritage Greece Program extends beyond the students’ shared experiences in Greece as they become part of the Heritage Greece Alumni Network. NHS continues to provide mentorship, internships and other career advancing assistance as part of our commitment to these extended members of the NHS family. Being selected as a Heritage Greece participant is something the students will benefit from throughout their lives.

These efforts reach millions. However, making a difference means reaching one person at a time. For the past decade, NHS and the American College of Greece have done just that: positively impacted the lives of 500+ students through the NHS’ Heritage Greece® Program. This year, the NHS will provide 100 scholarships for college students of Greek descent on shared experience with students from the American College of Greece. Heritage Greece is a cultural and educational immersion that reconnects students to

Thanks to one grateful parent of a Heritage Greece student, Dr. John Frankis, DDS and several of his close friends that held a recent fundraiser for the Heritage Greece Program, the NHS will sponsor 100 students on this Program this year which increased the supply of available slots for successful candidates. Apply now for early-bird admission on the Heritage Greece Program!

NHS’ work has truly just begun—work that will forever change the course of Hellenic heritage in the Americas!

AHEPA's Chapter 456 Christmas Party and Fundraiser AHEPA Gold Coast Chapter 456 held its Christmas gala event and fundraiser this past December at the North Hills Country Club in Manhasset, NY. Members and their friends came to celebrate another year of activities and to renew the promise for the new year. Located just over 20 miles from New York City, Chapter 456 is the largest on Long Island and the second largest in the state of New York. Members typically meet the last Wednesday of the month at the Port Washington Yacht Club in Port Washington, NY. The philanthropic committee presents the initiatives to be funded to the Board. These initiatives can be anything from raising money to support cancer patients, struggling families, or veterans to raising funds that get matched to build a gym in a church hall or a library in the community. This year finds the chapter with a new Executive Board: Chris Pappas, formerly Vice President of the Chapter, is now President. Gus Constantine is the new Vice President. Ted Malgarinos remains treasurer. Michael Georges is Secretary. With AHEPA’s various chapters throughout the country, Gold Coast Chapter 456 is at the forefront, performing its philanthropic service and duty to Hellenic virtues, values and culture.

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The Ronald McDonald House New York Greek Division Celebrates 40 Years of Service

by Athena Efter

PHOTO: ETA PRESS

blessings is the Ronald McDonald House and I would not have survived without the love of this home. Leonidas didn’t make it and returned home to his heavenly father. Those of you who know me know that my true passion is God and the children, and I urge you to support this meaningful ministry.”

Dr. Spiros Spireas receiving the award from Spiros Maliagros

The Ronald McDonald House New York’s Greek Division held its 24th annual Christmas dinner on December 10 at the New York Athletic Club, celebrating 40 years of offering support to children receiving cancer treatment, and their families. This year’s honorees were Spiros Spireas, Chairman and CEO of SigmaPharm Laboratories and Paulette Poulos, Executive Director of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership Fund, Inc., a membership-based charitable organization whose mission is to support the Greek Orthodox Church in America and promote Orthodoxy and Hellenism. The evening began with a cocktail hour and sit-down dinner with opening remarks given by Spiros Maliagros, Chairman of the Greek Division of the Ronald McDonald House New York, an invocation by Bishop Apostolos of Medeia and House Remarks by Dr. Ruth Browne, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House in New York, followed by speeches on the importance of charitable giving to the children by both honorees.

Spiridoula Katechis, Ruth C. Browne, Paulette Poulos, Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, Dr. Spiros Spireas, Dr. Amalia Spireas, Spiros Maliagros 32

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Paulette Poulos having received the award from Spiros Maliagros and Ruth C. Browne

The honorees, Dr. Spiros Spireas and Paulette Poulos expressed their own sentiments on the valuable work of the Ronald McDonald House charities and its commitment to children in their speeches by drawing upon their own experiences. Dr. Spireas recalled his own frightening experience with his 3-month old daughter who had contracted the flu and was not being properly hydrated: “The worst thing that can happen to a parent is to anticipate that something bad could happen to their child.”

His daughter was able to pull through with the proper treatment, which prompted him to express the value of god-thinking, which he expressed in Greek as theareston. To him it means giving money without thinking about it to help sick children. He drew a correlation between the sub-conscious of religion and children, and how deeply they are connected: “Children are the future. Helping them is the ultimate philanthropy, and this is what we should be doing all the time. Every little bit counts.” He urged us all to continue to give to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

In her remarks, Ms. Poulos humbly expressed her own experience with the children whom she met and were suffering. She recalled the story of a young woman named Markella who was at the dinner and how she donated her bone marrow to her sister, and five years later, to her brother, to save their lives. In her words: “This is the true example of what it means to be a Christian.” Her faith in Christianity, has been, and continues to be, a big source of strength and inspiration in her life: “I felt privileged to attend the annual Christmas party this year at the Ronald McDonald House and was amazed to see the outpouring of love and guidance cared by the staff and volunteers for these children. I recall a young boy named Leonidas whose mother told me one of God’s greatest

In her remarks, Dr. Browne, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House was especially poignant in expressing the value of the work being done to support the children and families who receive treatment, economic support and housing through the the Ronald McDonald House Charities: “Our beloved Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for families at the most critical time of their lives. Our organization is uniquely positioned at the nexus of health and hospitality, and what we are trying to do is create the partnerships that make sure there are no gaps in the services we are able to provide for our families.

We couldn’t do that without the support that you all give us, and we are ver y grateful for t hat. We have saved over 7.5 million dollars in food a n d accommodatio n costs. It’s a true testament to the support we get from the Greek division.

When we think about the Spiridoula Katechis, Petros supp or t that Mamais, Maria Mamais families need to really get through what is such a traumatic time is the peer to peer support. It’s caregiver to caregiver, it’s family to family, it’s child to to child, and that’s really the added value of the Ronald McDonald House. Through wonderful advances in pediatric cancer that allows us to stay, we’ve done a lot to make sure that so many more children are surviving today than ever.

Everything that our clinical partners can provide is saving lives. When our families come from all over the world, from all over the country to New York City, it’s because New York City has the most lifes a v i n g treatment they Jim Ziozis, Fr. John Vlahos can have. So and a guest

many of our families are travelling not only with a sick child but also with the siblings, so a lot of what Ronald McDonald does is to provide the e c o n o m i c assistance, the educational Paulette Poulos, John Catsimatidis s e r v i c e s , t h e transportation to and from appointments, the languages access, the culturally competent programs, and the wellness programs for caregivers. There’s something in our house for everybody. Our goal is to create normalcy for our families. We want our children to feel like children first and not just children with cancer.”

The honorees, Dr. Spiros Spireas and Paulette Poulos, also expressed their own sentiments on the valuable work of the Ronald McDonald House charities and its commitment to children in their speeches by drawing upon their own experiences. Dr. Spireas recalled his own frightening experience with his 3-month old daughter who had contracted the flu and was not being properly hydrated: “The worst thing that can happen to a parent is to

Ted Kusulas, Argyris Vassiliou, Chairman of L100, Fran Karivalis, Justin Bozonelis, Dina Theodosakis

anticipate that something bad could happen to their child.” His daughter was able to pull through with the proper treatment, which prompted him to express the value of godthinking, which he expressed in Greek as theareston. To him it means giving money without thinking about it to help sick children.

He drew a correlation between the subconscious of religion and children, and how deeply they are connected: “Children are the f uture. Helping t hem is t he u lt imate philanthropy, and this is what we should be doing all the time. Every little bit counts.” He urged us all to continue to give to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

her own experience with the children whom remember her warm smile and the hugs she she met and were suffering. She recalled the would give me whenever she came to visit. She story of a young woman named Markella who was a genuine person. When I moved to New was at the dinner and how she donated her York, I didn’t see her much, except in her last bone marrow to her sister, and five years later, years, when I decided to reconnect with her. I’m to her brother, to save their lives. In her words: glad I did. I got to know who she really was as a “This is the true example of what it means to be person. She did something truly meaningful a Christian.” Her faith in Christianity, has been, with her compassion that continues to exceed and continues to be, a big source of strength and inspiration in her life: “I felt privileged to attend the annual Christmas party this year at the Ronald McDonald House and was amazed to see the outpouring of love and guidance cared by the staff and volunteers for these children. I recall a young boy named Leonidas whose mother told me one of God’s greatest blessings is the Ronald McDonald House and I would not have survived without the love of this home. Leonidas didn’t make it and Agatha Louis, Spiridoula Katechis, Michael Bapis, Vasiliki returned home to his heavenly Rentas-Sakkas, Peter Poulos, Paulette Poulos, Bishop Apostolos father. Those of you who know me of Medeia, Fr. Nick Anctil, Spiros Maliagros, Maria Skiadas, know that my true passion is God Andrew Yiannakos and the children, and I urge you to support this meaningful ministry.” her expectations. Her spirit of kindness continues to move through the legacy she left Archbishop Elpidophoros, in his closing behind. It’s a true testament to her work and the remarks, emphasized the importance of necessity of having a home away from home for philanthropy by highlighting the Greek word children undergoing cancer treatment. philoptochos. It means not only a friend of those in need but it’s a person who loves those Richard Martin, Director of Development at in need by being philothei. It means people who the Ronald McDonald House New York, love God. emphasized the importance of community support: “Mrs. Sideris was very close with This evening of gratitude and charitable giving President Emeritus Vivian Harris and they had could not have been complete without a special a vision. Niki and her husband were making expression of gratitude by RMH’s Greek sure families in need of hospitality were coming Division Chairman, Spiros Maliagros, to Spyridoula Katechis for her dedication, loyalty and continued efforts as Coordinator and Administrator of the Greek Division. As the right-hand woman of this charity, she continues to go above and beyond the call of duty to help make all of it happen and continue to grow.

The great work that the RMH Greek Division continues to do would also not be complete without a timeless George Sophocles, Michael Bapis, Consul General of Greece, honor and special mention of the Dr. Konstantine Koutras, Paulette Poulos, Bishop Apostolos woman who started it all. She is no of Medeia, Fr. Nick Anctil, Evelyn Kanellea, Cultural and Public longer with us, but I will never forget Relations Officer in New York Greek Consulate the last words she said to me in her own childlike spirit of innocence and kindness: to stay with us. Niki’s fundraising efforts helped “I love children. Everything I do is for them.” fund the construction of our current location She never had her own children. Niki Sideris on East 73rd Street. There are 370 RMH Houses was someone I admired as a little girl, perhaps throughout the world. If it was just run by the In her remarks, Ms. Poulos humbly expressed for the wrong reasons. When she would come corporation there would probably be only a to visit my family in Boston, I remember handful. They were built from the grassroots thinking I wanted to be just like her. I didn’t up and through community support. The know much about her, other than that she was a corporation understood the importance of beautiful, kind, and fabulous woman from New community involvement.”

York, married to my great uncle Michalis Sideris. My first memory of her was a relaxed To date more than 10,000 Greek families have woman sitting by a window reading a book on received assistance from the Greek Division Cape Cod. I was bored and started talking to since it’s establishment in 1979. All we can do is her, though I can’t remember about what. She continue to give what we can to this meaningful didn’t seem to be annoyed that I interrupted her charity. It’s a critical form of support that can Members of the Kastorian Society "Omonoia" who reading. Instead she put down her book and help save a child’s life and ease a family’s contributed $10,000 for the Ronald Mc Donald engaged me in activity, like a little girl herself economic and emotional burden.

House after organizing a Taverna Night this past fall who wanted to indulge in playtime with me. I NEWS & NOTES

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HELLENIC INITIATIVE GRANT ENERGIZES CHIOS’ ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMUNITY Dallas, of 9AM Media Labs, D a n a i Ko u k o u l o m at i , Founder of Allios Tours, a n d T h e m i s Papadimopoulos, founder of Vistiplaka.gr, shared their thoughts and experience with the event’s p ar t icip ants and w it h students of the Tsakos Enhanced Education Nautical School and with many more stakeholders.

The GreenHouse, created to enhance and promote Greek entrepreneurship, has grown to include GreenHouse Chios, which organized a project in cooperation with the M a r i a Ts a k o s P u b l i c B e n e f i t Foundation–International C entre for Maritime Research and Tradition, and the Chios Chamber of Commerce. The events of the project, which took place November 2226, included a multitude of free-of-charge activities mainly designed for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as high school students.

T h i s ye ar, t h an k s to T H I’s supp or t , GreenHouse has broadened its horizons and expanded its efforts to support entrepreneurship throughout Greece, both geographically and in terms of the project’s overall results. GreenHouse is transforming from a three-day entrepreneurship workshop into a five-day modular activity organized in cities throughout Greece to enhance entrepreneurial action.

The GreenHouse project was created to enhance and prom ot e G re e k entrepreneurship, helping anyone who wants to grow their business ideas regardless of age or range of economic activity. Organized by The Hellenic Initiative in collaboration with the Alba Graduate Business School of The American College of Greece over the past six years it has already hosted events in seven c it i e s i n Gre e c e, At h e ns , Pat r a s , H e r a k l i o n , Kalamata, Corinth, Chalkida and Sparta and has supported 442 entrepreneurs so far.

“Without doubt my participation in GreenHouse Chios, has taught me a lot,” an attendee observed. “Through the workshop, not only did I learn about the whole process of the implementation of a business idea and the importance of working as a team with unknown people with whom I had similar interests and goals, but also, I got the chance to put the theor y into Attendees of Chios’s GreenHouse had the practice. Thank you chance to participate in the two-day GreenHouse for this entrepreneurship workshop, one to one speed life experience!” mentoring sessions, educational sessions on digital media use in business, and discussions According to THI around family businesses. Moreover, B o a r d M e m b e r prominent businesspersons such as Ilias George Svokos, “The Vartholomaios, CEO of OWIWI, Vicky Hellenic Initiative 34

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has been delighted to both witness and contribute to the growth of the entrepreneurial spirit in Greece. While it is most obvious in the big cities, it is crucial that it spread throughout Greece, espeicially to provinces and islands far f rom Athens and Thessaloniki, and that is what GreenHouse does.”

“A f t e r t h e s u c c e s s f u l GreenHouse event at Sparta, it was Chios’ turn to show us how vivid is the interest of Greeks in entrepreneurship across Greece,” stated Michael Printzos, THI's Program Director. “In the Hellenic Initiative we are very happy to see this active response of Greek entrepreneurs to our call and we are committed to bringing similar initiatives to every corner of our country.”

Greek and Romanian companies seek out U.S. Markets via Hermes Expo development seminars, educational panels and a trade show exhibition platform for businesses and professionals seeking to grow and expand. These events attract business l e a d e rs f rom d ive rs e i ndust r i e s and professional services and feature platforms for people and companies to showcase their products and services in front of potential customers face-to-face from the United States and Europe.

The 29th Expo will feature educational seminars, networking opportunities, B2B meetings in all four cities and an Awards Dinner in Philadelphia, PA. The 2020 Hermes Expo will start in Chicago then travel onto Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA with its last stop in New York City.

Prosperity is on the rise in Greece and Greek companies are once again looking for new o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s Marketplace. On April 2-9, 2020, more companies from Greece will participate in the 29th Hermes Expo International Trade Route & B2B pl at for m prog ram t hat helps professionals and companies grow and prosper in the US. The companies will showcase Greek foods & wines, tourism opportunities, investment opportunities, other products and services connecting Greece to American businesses, professionals, consumers, and potential business partners. “ We a r e h a p p y t o a n n o u n c e t h e participation of over 45 businesses from Greece looking for opportunities in America,” says Hermes Expo founder Paul Kotrotsios. The Hermes Expo’s theme, “Trade, Tourism and Investment Opportunities Through Gastronomy” continues to honor the businesses that will be exhibiting from Greece, in addition to the American and Greek-American businesses, participants and exhibitors. Sectors represented: imports/exports, specialty Greek foods, new tech, medical tourism, Greece as a destination 36

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365 days, real estate, finance, legal, investment opp or tunities, wines & spirits, marbles, construction, aluminum p r o d u c t s , Prefectures/Regions & Municipalities from Greece and more.

The Hermes Expo networking platform is a

SCHEDULE

premier destination for businesses looking to network and find new markets in the United States and abroad. The Hermes Expo continues to combine executive and exclusive level networking opportunities, professional

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Thursday, April 2, 2020 – Chateau Ritz in Niles, IL

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Monday, April 6, 2020 – Capital Hilton in Washington, DC

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Wednesday, April 8, 2020 – Arts Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA

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Thursday, April 9, 2020 – 3 West Club Hotel in Manhattan, NY

Sponsors to date: Grecian Delight, Sigmapharm Laboratories, EMBCA, QCC, Green Crown Energy and Cargo 360.

TURKEY’S LIBYA GAMBLE

strategy

στρατηγική

By Endy Zemenides

On November 27, 2019, Turkey closed out a year during which it moved significantly towards “rogue state” status by signing an agreement with Libya purporting to declare new maritime boundaries, despite the fact there can be no maritime boundaries between the two nations, and purposefully ignoring the maritime zones of Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt.

presented Ankara’s idea of a “Blue Homeland,” “stress[ing] Ankara’s right to have maritime zones and a continental shelf west of the 28th meridian (located south of Rhodes), ignoring the Dodecanese island chain in the southeast Aegean and Crete.” Meanwhile, Turkish diplomat Cagatay Erciyes, who is the Turkish Foreign Ministry's Director for border issues, took to Twitter recently to post a map of This “deal” also included a security and Turkey laying claim to a large swath of the military cooperation agreement. In fact, in the Eastern Mediterranean. deal, Turkey is laying claim to maritime boundaries clearly within the purview of Reaction from Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt was Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. As you can see swift. All have decried the Libyan-Turkish from the map below, islands in the Greek deal as contrary to international law on several Dodecanese island chain, the island of Crete fronts. The US State Department followed, and Egypt’s exclusive economic zone are decrying Turkey’s move as “unhelpful and located in between Turkey and Libya, p r o v o c a t i v e ,” n o t i n g t h a t “ [ t ] h e s e preventing any maritime boundary between developments highlight the risk of the Libyan the two. conflict taking on wider regional dimensions and the urgent need for all interested parties to Turkey’s attempt to cut across boundaries work toward a negotiated solution.” clearly belonging to Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus under international law is its latest There are a few traditional cheerleaders of attempt to infringe on the sovereignty of Turkey – Soner Cagaptay and George Greece and Cyprus and to further destabilize Friedman – who have portrayed this deal as a t h e Ae g e a n a n d t h e w h o l e E a s t e r n great power move Mediterranean region. Turkey is also clearly b y A n k a r a . A taking advantage of the conflict in Libya and m o r e a c c u r at e using its leverage over the Libyan government a s s e s s m e n t o f to promote its expansionist claims, which Turkey’s behavior further destabilizes the region by disrupting i n t he E aste r n Libya’s relations with its neighbors. In Mediterranean is addition, the deal — which includes a security t h a t i t h a s and military cooperation agreement — likely transitioned from violates the U.N. embargo against Libya (an a diplomatically embargo Turkey has already been accused of deft actor to a d i p l o m at i c a l l y repeatedly violating). d u m b a n d The area claimed by Turkey overlaps with the dangerous one. part of the sea that is needed for the East Med Pipeline – which Greece, Cyprus and Israel T h e E a s t e r n just recently signed an agreement over. The Mediterranean is East Med Pipeline aims to create a new coming together regional energy hub which will lessen Europe’s as a political and economic region. dependence on Russian natural gas.

The established of Turkey’s deal with Libya is the latest in a series the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum – of provocations meant to completely which includes Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, destabilize the region. It follows in the Italy, Jordan and the Palestinians – laid the footsteps of its continued illegal exploration of foundations for further integration and Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone and its cooperation. Instead of playing a constructive continued belligerence against Greece and its role in a region that is coming together, Turkey near-daily infringements of Greek airspace. is trying to scuttle any consensus and write its The deal also comes against the backdrop of own rules. Ankara seems to think the Eastern recent high-profile claims against Greek and Mediterranean is its terrain and wants to play Cyprus sovereignty. In a letter to the U.N. on the role the US did in the Caribbean or assert November 13, 2019, Turkey’s Permanent itself like China does in the South China Sea. Representative to the U.N. Feridun Sinirlioglu 38

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Endy Zemenides is the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), a national advocacy organization for the Greek American community. To learn more about HALC, visit www.hellenicleaders.com

Erdogan appears to be creating as many flashpoints as possible in order to force regional actors to deal with Turkey on his pre fe r re d t e r ms . B ut h e s p e nt 2 0 1 9 overplaying his hand – his miscalculation over US reactions to his S400 deal with Russia should be recalled – and he may be once again underestimating the downside of his latest machinations.

Time seems to be running out for Turkey’s allies in Libya. A Turkish troop deployment to Libya is not a matter of consensus in Turkey – where the opposition voted against it – or in Libya, where the Libyan parliament – which is in conflict with the internationally recognized government which Turkey struck its “deal” with – voted against Turkish involvement in their country. Logistically, a significant Turkish troop deployment to Libya is not an easy matter.

Erdogan is taking significant political and military risks. Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Italy, France and even the United States will all react in some manner, and those reactions will

most definitely weaken Erdogan’s hands. Can Turkey assume both the Herculean task of propping up its ally in Libya – while Russia, UAE and Egypt support the other side – AND risk naval confrontation with Greece and Egypt or a diplomatic showdown with the EU? Turkey has already gone from a “zero problems with neighbors” foreign policy to a “problems with every neighbor” policy. Now it wants problems on borders it doesn’t even have.

“ORTHODOX MORALITY” ON SEX OR AN ETHICS OF SEX? Part 2 This essay is part of a series stemming from the ongoing research project “Contemporar y Eastern Orthodox Identity and the Challenges of Pluralism and Sexual Diversity in a Secular Age,” which is a joint venture by scholars from F o r d h a m

by Aristotle Papanikolaou U n i v e r s i t y ’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center and the University of Exeter, funded by the British Council, Friends of the British Council, and the Henry Luce Foundation as part of the B r i t i s h C o u n c i l’s “ B r i d g i n g Vo i c e s” programme.

If there is to be consistency in the Orthodox Tradition between theology and ethics, dogma and canon, an ethics of sex must be a theotic ethics; that is, it must be such that the performance of sexual eros is potentially sacramental in the sense that the experience of God is possible through eros, as with all of mate r i a l c re at i on ( St . D i ony s ius t he Areopagite, The Divine Names). God’s material creation is not the enemy of God; it is that which God has made in order for us to experience God. That materiality includes eros. No less than St. Maximus the Confessor has affirmed that eros is the driving engine of nature, the fuel that propels us to union with God when all cognitive functions have ceased as a result of encountering the saturated phenomenon of the divine light. As he says, “When in full ardor of its love (eros) for God the mind goes out of itself . . . through love the mind is ravished by divine knowledge and in going outside of creatures has a perception of divine transcendence” (Four Hundred Centuries on Love 1.10 and 1.12; also 1.19, and 1.100, among many other references). In fact, when speaking about love for God, St. Maximus only uses the word eros. Eros in itself is good, as all creation is good, but it can be misdirected.

It is for this reason that St. Maximus gives detailed analysis and description of the various parts of the soul and their interrelation to one another, more than any other patristic writer in 40

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the Orthodox Tradition. He is trying to give advice on how to reshape the architecture of the soul so that eros is progressively directed to God and not simply to finite objects. This architecture is constituted by various parts that include desire, emotions having to do with such reactions as fear, hatred, anger, courage, and the cognitive/rational activity of the soul.

How any one part of the soul functions depends on its entanglement with other parts, and for one part of the soul to function optimally, the other parts must also function optimally. For example, envy causes our desire to become greedy, which then clouds the way we see (cognitively) the truth of God’s creation, which, in a vicious cycle, can further fuel other destructive emotions and desires. The m e a su re of t h i s opt i m a l f u n c t i on i s participation in God, that is, love for God and neighbor, which includes enemy and stranger and which occurs to a greater or lesser degree.

(For a more detailed analysis of St. Maximus on the soul and theosis, see my article, “Theosis”).

relationship runs throughout the entire relationship, but in terms of sexual eros, a very simple and basic example of an ascetical approach to sexual eros would be to listen and be attentive to what the other is saying about likes, dislikes, fears, and hopes in relation to the sex act.

Is this a “new asceticism” in the sense that the patristics writings do not point to those specific practices? It may be speaking with the Tradition in a way not yet articulated, but it is not a “new asceticism” if asceticism has always been about restructuring the architecture of the soul to shape eros toward God and, thus, in accordance with nature. Asceticism cannot be self-control or self-renunciation for the sake of those acts, which would reduce asceticism to simply rules to follow rather than practices that experience has confirmed are effective in reshaping the soul. Furthermore, there are several ways that one could interpret selfcontrol and self-renunciation: to engage in practices of honesty and vulnerability throughout one’s sex life with a life-long partner can be seen as a loss of self for the sake of finding the self (Mt 16:25). The good news is that the sex act itself, the movement toward the other, is potentially a moment that is sacramental, that is, iconic of the divine presence, while also simultaneously shaping the flow of eros toward God.

It is true that in discussing a sexual ethic within the Church, attention must be given to nature, but in St. Maximus nature is dynamic.

Furthermore, human nature has something to do with the architecture of the soul and the landscape of emotions and desires. The real ascetical struggle is how to optimize the relation of the various parts of the soul so that eros progressively is directed toward God and, There is more, however, to sexual desire than in that sense, is an experience of the divine life. simply movement to the other who is loved. As human beings, we are fallen creatures because What does this mean for an ethics of sex? If the of misdirected eros away from the God who goal of life is union with God, then ethics are created us. As a result of this fall, sexual eros not rules for the sake of rules; they are not rules can be messy, as it is not always clear what is to follow in order to score points with God; involved in the incitement of sexual desire. It they are about principles, practices, and rules can be simply wanting to be close to the other, that are discerned to regulate the architecture but it also might have something to do with our of the soul in such a way that facilitates our genes, our biological and neurological ascent to God, and in so doing affect our infrastructure, how we are feeling at the relation to our neighbor (social ethics). Sexual moment, the time of day, the season, the desire, like all desire, needs an ascetical temperature, what someone was wearing, our structure to maximize its potential for own history. Much more tragically, it may be sacramentality, which means its capacity for knotted to an experience of rape or other forms of violence and trauma. These interlocking manifesting the presence of God. factors often have something to do with the The Church has historically discerned that this presence of fetish or fantasy that may incite the ascetical structure would entail a long-term sex act and even accompany it. committed relationship between a man and a woman. This relationship, however, must be When we pay attention to the details of what’s ascetical in the sense that the human beings possibly involved in sexual desire, arousal, and involved must engage in the ascetical practices the performance of the sex act, it is not so that facilitate the manifestation of the virtues, simple as saying that sex is blessed, pure, made which shape the flow of eros such that it is right, correct, neutral, morally allowed within sacramental. The ascetical nature of this marriage. This claim also forgets that rape has

and does occur within many marriages. Sexual desire is, indeed, complicated, and it is probably because of its complexity that St. Paul said that is was “better to marry than to burn with passion� (1 Cor 7:9). Following St. Paul’s lead, the Church recognized that marriage potentially provides an ascetical structure to erotic desire that does not cancel its complexity, but has the power to shape erotic desire in a way that leads to participation in God even amidst this complexity.

Asceticism does not resolve complexity; it simply does not allow complexity to be definitive in such a way that would lead to objectification, demonization, or violence. And for those who have been traumatized as a result of sexual violence or other forms of violence, research has shown that practices that one might describe as ascetical may be a path toward recovery and healing.

What does all this mean for the experience of homoerotic desire?

First, even though the authoritative sources weigh heavily toward condemning homoerotic sex acts of a particular kind, I have argued that ethical norms, rules, and practices, codified mostly in the canons of the Church, are discussable in a process of ongoing discernment.

Given that, I have tried to provide a framework for discussing erotic desire in the hope of providing discernment for shaping sexual desire so that it leads toward God and not away from God. If marriage is discerned to be, in part, an ascetical partnership, and if part of that ascetical partnership has to do with being attentive to the complexity of erotic desire so as to maximize the sacramental potential of this eros, the question for discussion is this: Is the structure of homoerotic desire different than that of heteroerotic desire? And if not, why is homoerotic desire precluded from the same ascetical shaping and sacramental potential that is affirmed of heteroerotic desire? There is ample evidence that homoerotic desire is shaped in long-term committed relationships in a way in which the virtues are manifest, and if there is to be discussion, then the Church should listen to those bridging voices of experience. * Part 1 was published in NEO's December 2019 edition. * Aristotle Papanikolaou is the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture and the Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University.

Oscar-winning Director Louie Psihoyos: "I make films to change the world”

by Kelly Fanarioti

Oscar-winning filmmaker Lοuie Psihoyos tries to refute the legend - as he calls it - that people consume meat in order to be healthy and strong. "The Game Changers," with executive producer and creator of "Titanic" and "Avatar" James Cameron, is about entirely plant-based nutrition--which is different than vegetarianism that allows consumption of dairy and eggs.

PHOTO: KAREN HUNTT

Researches by leading scientists and doctors around the world have concluded that an entirely plant-based diet can be the ultimate nutrition for living the healthiest. “Take the Island of Ikaria in Greece, which has been called the Island where people forget to die: and that's because it is one of the places where people live the longest. It’s one of the five areas in the world where people statistically live longer than any other: more centenarians on a percentage basis,” Psihoyos told NEO. “In these so-called blue zones, people consume about 95% of their calories from plants. They avoid animal products, mainly because they are expensive, but it’s one of the things that unwittingly keep them living longer."

Several world-class vegan athletes featured in this revolutionary film, including the five-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and world record – holding strongman Patrik Baboumian, who are not only at the top of their game, but also beating global records and currently hold or have formerly held Guinness World Records titles. Other amazing, titleholding vegan athletes include Dana Glowacka (Canada), Carl Lewis (USA), Fiona Oakes (UK) and more.

"I wanted to make a film that shows that the top athletes in the world can thrive on plants. The world’s strongest man, the most accomplished ultra runner, top race car driver, the list goes on, all eat only plants to get all their nutrition and protein," says Psihoyos. “I’m Greek and we used to eat a lot of animal products. I always thought you had to eat animal products to be big and strong, but that’s the most dangerous myth in the world".

PHOTO: KAREN HUNTT 42

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The film was presented a year ago at many documentary festivals around the world and is now available on Netflix. As the director confesses, it has created converts in droves.

"My best friend has lost 20 pounds, his cholesterol is down and he looks 10 years younger in the six months since watching the film. We showed Game Changers in Texas, a big meat eating state, and the whole audience of

country. "Every minute we passed, we were confronted with being arrested; but we consciously decided to move on and reveal the brutality that takes place in Taiji Bay. It was terrible to see the fishermen kill the dolphins in front of our eyes and we couldn't do anything about it. When we then discovered that this meat is being promoted in schools and consumed by the students, we were terrified!"

PHOTO: LYLE OWERKO

400 we surveyed said they were giving up animal products".

Indeed, more and more people around the world choose to become vegetarian or vegan.

According to the Greek-American director, this is due to more and more researches of great scientists that came to light and show that these dietary habits offer health and longevity. "The science is in, if you want to have a healthy heart, arteries and a more active sex life, give up animal products. We showed in the film that a single meal of vegetables over a meat based meal can make a young athlete sustain an erection 350 percent longer with an average of 10.4 percent harder bigger penis. There’s going to be a lot more women serving veggie meals after reading that statement. More people will give up meat to have better sex than to save the environment,” said Psihoyos who stopped eating meat in 1986, after a visit to a slaughterhouse for cows. Since then, and for 30 years, he has eaten only fish and become a pescatarian--until he made the Oscar winning film "The Cove," which involved the eating of dolphins in Japan.

“All dolphins have toxic levels of mercury, anywhere from 5-5000 times more than is considered safe. Mercury is the most toxic nonradioactive element in the world : a doctor showed me the brain of someone who died of it.

Believe me, you don’t want that to happen to you - the brain looks like Swiss cheese - full of holes. I don’t eat dolphin, but I decided to get my mercury levels checked because I ate a lot of fish, and mine were dangerously high, so I had to give up fish because of necessity. Believe me, it was the most shocking thing I’ve ever had happen to me,” he confesses.

As Psihoyos says, he and his team measure a film’s success not by box office receipts but by the impact it creates. “We make films to change the world. When we made 'The Cove' they were killing some 23,000 dolphins and porpoises a year in Japan for human consumption. Last year they killed just 610 dolphins. When we made Racing Extinction, a film about mass extinction, 36 million people saw it the first day and it helped change laws. With 'The Game Changers' we’ll potentially improve the health of millions of people, inspire the best sex they ever had and hopefully save billions of animals in the process. 'The Game Changers' might be one of the most powerful films ever made".

Louie Psihoyos was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1957, the son of a Greek immigrant who left the Peloponnese region (Sparta) after World War II. He took an interest in photography at the age of fourteen. As a teenager, he worked as a photo intern with the Telegraph Herald. During that time he also worked as an extra on the set of F.I.S.T. Psihoyos attended the University of Missouri, majoring in photojournalism. In 1980, at the age of twenty-three, he was hired by National Geographic and remained with the magazine for seventeen years. During this time he married and had two children. He received multiple awards for his photography, including first place in the World Press Contest and the Hearst Award. In addition, he has worked with magazines such as Smithsonian, Discover, GEO, Time, Newsweek, New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Rock and Ice.

Together with Ric O'Barry, Jim Clark and a team of specially selected crew members, Psi hoyos f i lme d t he fe ature-lengt h documentary “The Cove,” released in 2009. On March 7, 2010, “The Cove” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. As well as its Oscar win, the film was nominated for awards at multiple festivals including Hot After that, he was scared he would die because Docs, Sundance Film Festival, Toronto Film he wouldn't have any protein, but a meeting he Festival. had with a vegan woman during the Academy Awards in Los Angeles has changed his life. "I asked her what she ate and she said, ‘everything else. All protein comes from plants!’ That blew my mind!"

For filming "The Cove" both he and his colleagues were equipped with military technology and thermal cameras to collect the necessary material. The film was secretly filmed at night, with the film crew constantly in danger of being caught by the police. Following the release of the documentary, the Japanese government announced it was particularly offensive, and since then Louie Psihoyos is considered persona non grata in the

Olympian Anna Korakaki Wins Gold in Belgrade

Greek Olympian Anna Korakaki recently added another gold medal to her impressive collection by winning the Belgrade Grand Prix in the 10 meter pistol competition, equaling her own world record with 587/600 in the qualifiers before finishing first in the final with 243.6 points.

In a facebook post right after, Korakaki celebrated with the following: “What a great day today!

First place for me at the Grand Prix of Belgrade after a 587 in qualification and 243,6 in final! Unfortunately, I couldn’t compete yesterday due to a technical problem on my new pistol.

BUT I was lucky enough to have people(and spare parts they offered) around me who were more than willing to help and I wanna thank them a lot for that! That’s what makes sports so beautiful❤ So I wanna t h a n k @ b o b a n a . v e l i c k ov i c & @cheredinov for spare parts and @sebicmilenko for the tools and final repair of my new gun! I totally enjoyed shooting with it today for first time.”

Louie Psihoyos before filming underwater PHOTO: LYLE OWERKO

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hellenes without borders Samos, Where Geography is Destiny As the Bicentennial of Greece’s War of Independence approaches, in 2021, I will be highlighting various places, people, and events that played a key role in this seminal event. Today, I will focus on an island.

No, not Hydra.

We Hydriots are justifiably proud of our island, its record in the War of Independence, and its breathtaking beauty. No, I am focusing on another island, in the far east of the Aegean, the closest island, in fact, to Asia Minor, where a tiny strait separates the island from the Turkish mainland. This island is Samos.

Alexander Billinis is a writer and lawyer in Chicago, Illinois. He and his family returned to the US after nearly a decade in Greece, the UK, and Serbia. He writes prolifically on Balkan topics. His books, The Eagle has Two Faces: Journeys through Byzantine Europe, and Hidden Mosaics: An Aegean Tale, are available from Amazon.com.

governing documents, Samos lacked the full trappings of independence, but the island possessed internal autonomy under a Christian governor.

Having distinguished themselves with the sword, they did the same with the pen. The island’s sense of self and pride remained high, and they poured their efforts into civic and educational activities, so much that the island’s general level of e ducat iona l, e conomic, and cultural standards was far higher than the Ottoman Empire’s or that of the Greek Kingdom. Samian graduates went on to distinguish themselves far and wide, and their me n’s and wome n’s s cho ol s attracted the best teachers from Greece.

A relatively small island hideously exposed to Turkish revenge, Samos remained nominally quiescent even as Aegean Islands like Crete, fur ther f rom the centers of Ottoman power and with massive, guerilla-laden peaks, continued revolting against Ottoman rule.

However, Samos was not idle, building a progressive miniGreece. The first iteration of Samian autonomy, until 1849, was very regressive, with high taxes on a population reduced by emigration to Greece and elsewhere, but the Samians pushed for—and obtained—better governance, organizing their small island with Samos did not fall. Ever. a progressive ethos the Greek Kingdom could Despite being a few hundred meters from Asia never achieve. Public works, economic growth Minor, far from the established centers for and diversification were hallmarks of this tiny Greek revolt—the Peloponnesus, Central principality. A good half dozen newspapers point to a literate and an Greece, and the Western Aegean intellectually—as well as Islands—the Samians by land and sea commercially—inclined defended their independence. Even populace. The elegant as Ibrahim Pasha ravaged the public architecture of today Peloponnesus only to be evicted by is testimony to their efforts the Great Powers, the Samians, by and taste. themselves, held out. Like other Aegean islanders, the Samians had a The flag of the Principality of rich maritime and mercantile Samos before uniting with Greece In 1912, as the Greek navy tradition, together with a strong love of inflicted shattering defeats on the Ottoman learning. They would not give up their navy, the various eastern Aegean Islands were enlightened ideals of national unification with mopped up by amphibious landings. Waiting for a Greek landing, the Samians’ leader, Greece.

Themistocles Sophoulis (later to become The first Greek State under Kapodistrias Prime Minster of Greece) is said to have cabled included Samos, but in the London Protocol of Athens, “Do you want us or not?”

1830, which established the boundaries of the Greek Kingdom, Samos was left outside the Samos’ autonomous status ended with its state. Samians again refused to accept this and union with the Greek motherland after the a portion of the island emigrated to the Greek Balkan Wars, and though the Samians rejoiced Kingdom, but e ventually Samos was at joining with their Greek brethren, they established as an autonomous principality could not help but feeling a sense of loss. They were governed from a distant, statist Athens, under a Christian governor. with a governance culture far less progressive For nearly eighty years Samos existed—and than that of the late Samian Principality. thrived—as a semi-independent part of the Further, and most particularly with the Asia Ottoman Empire. According to the various Minor Disaster in 1922, Samos was effectively Like many parts of the Greek world, the Samians rose in revolt in 1821. We sometimes forget that huge swathes of Hellenism participated the Greek Revolution. Crete, Macedonia, Epirus, and even parts of Asia Minor and Cyprus rallied to the revolt, only to be crushed after heroic attempts. The brave Cretans would try another half dozen times before uniting formally with Greece in 1912.

The Chiotes lost a huge proportion of their population to fire, axe, and slavery for their efforts, and the Macedonians also fell under the Ottoman sword, to fight another day.

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cut off from the economy of Asia Minor, of which it heretofore had been a vibrant part.

Notwithstanding, the Samians were patriotic and progressive Greeks, like other Greeks proud of their regional origins and history.

They became the akrites, the frontier guardians, of a Greece locked in perpetual Cold War with Turkey, far closer to Samos than indifferent Athens. The Samians nonetheless persisted, though they must have

The Battle of Samos. Painting done by Zographos at Makriyannis' direction

asked themselves the same blunt question that Sophoulis had asked Athens—“Do you want us or not?”

Samos is a rich island, blessed with a fertile soil and b eautiful climate, together with inhabitants who love their island. In spite of a degree of official indifference and the isolation of a frontier zone, Samos retained its charm and a relative prosperity, together a manageable flow of visitors who appreciated its elegant beauty, a far cry from the kitsch of Mykonos and other islands.

Samos is a case study in geography as destiny, caught between two continents, and the coldand-hot wars of Greeks and Turks, the Samians have always acted honorably, defending their identity and their island notwithstanding the indifference of Athens. In the past decade, the Samians, like all akrites (border) Greeks, took in refugees from Syria with a hospitality Greeks are noted for, and with a view to their own recent pasts—often personal pasts—as refugees. From helping those in need the Samians now contend with a wave of migrants rather than refugees, literally dumped on the island by Turkey, which is now overwhelming the beautiful island that has long stood guard for Hellenism. Geography (partially) insulates the rest of Europe, and indeed parts of Greece, but not the Samians.

Perhaps they should once again ask the question in 2020 that Sophoulis asked in 1912.

Failure to answer this in the affirmative, and to act on it, will indict all Greeks . . . .

Look forward with faith, hope and clearer vision!

by Penny Gallis

PHOTO: ETA PRESS

Arcadian Christmas Party in NY Ahhh New Year’s Eve...that highlighted day on our calendar that we all try so hard to manage. Do we go out and party, stay home and sit with peace, daydream, make a resolution, say fuck it all, cook a delicious meal, dress up, dance, watch the ball drop, grieve, hope, go on a romantic date, enjoy our loved ones, drink til we can’t remember it’s New Year’s Eve, go to church, sit with our thoughts, run away from our thoughts, make space for someone lonely, volunteer for a good cause and on and on. Bottom line... we are here, today on Dec. 31, 2019... yep standing together...all our battle wounds and heart scars, all our smiles and lists of blessings, all our superhero powers and all our trophies and all our memories! Don’t we all look damn good???? We should look forward with faith, hope and clearer vision! All of us are more awakened than we were last year... from the bad and from the good. We know that life is sweet no matter what and we have to find our purpose. Take all your superpowers and make lil meaningful things happen on purpose... for you, for your loved ones and for those that need a helping hand! Be easy on yourselves! It’s ok to rest!

The only resolution to make is to try to be a little better than yesterday! God bless! May it be a beautiful year!

Happy New Year! May the world heal! I love my kids!!!!

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On Saturday, December 28,2019 the Young Adults of Geros tou Morea, the N e w Yo r k M o t h e r Chapter of the Pan Arcadian Federation of America, held their 8th Annual Christmas Party.

The event took place at the Monika’s Cafe Bar in Astoria, New York and it included live music, drinks and a buffet with snacks and traditional Greek pastries. Young members and their friends showed up to celebrate the holiday season and cheer on the New Year.

The guaests included the President of Geros tou Morea, Chris N. Vournas. the 2nd Vice President, Demetris A. Filios, the Secretary General Evangeline Sarafoglou and the Governor of the Eastern District of the P.F.A., George Xerakias.

The party was organized by a Committee, under Dimitris B ougioukos, Chairman of the Young Adults and the 3rd Vice President of the organization.

Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce Elects First Woman President Lambrou, Nicolas Nicolaou, Laura Ne rou l i a s , T he o d ore Kakoyiannis, Maria Pappas, Evis Savvides, J o v a n n a Ta n n o u s i s , Stathis Theodoropoulos.

The Advisory Committee consists of: John Te l e v a n t o s , P h i l i p C h r i s t o p h e r, Pe t e r Kakoyiannis and Vassos Vassiliou.

The Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Membership Meeting followed by Election of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. At the Annual Board Meeting of the Cyprus U.S. Chamber of Commerce, held in New York City on January 6, 2020 Maria Pappas was elected by unanimous vote the new President. The newly ele c te d B o ard Memb ers are: G e orge Alexandrou, Andreas Chrysostomou, Chris Christoforou, Andreas Comodromos, Demetrios Comodromos, Theo David, Maria Hadjidemetriou, Michael Hadjiloucas, Costas Kellas, Nicholas Karacostas, Petroula

Commerce. I would like to thank our outgoing President, Nicolas Nicolaou, for his relentless commitment he demonstrated during his presidency. The Chamber is now a highly visible and recognized organization because of his hard work and also for working so hard to create and build a very strong Young Professionals within the Chamber.“

Outgoing President Nicolas Nicolaou thanked the membership for their support and unwavering commitment to the Chamber.

Nicolaou, in a sincere expression of appreciation said: “I have been very privileged The Board then voted to to have worked with such a distinguished and elect it’s new Executive committed group of Board of Directors for the Committee for a two year past four years as President.’’ term, and its new members are as follows: Maria Pappas, The Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce was President Demetris Comodromos, Vice inaugurated in 1998 by Glafcos Clerides (then President Theodore Kakoyiannis, Secretary President of The Republic of Cyprus) to Petroula Lambrou, Treasurer Nicolas promote and extend commercial, industrial, Nicolaou, Chairman of the Board Peter and economic relations between the Republic Kakoyiannis, Legal C ounsel Andreas of Cyprus and the United States, and works to Comodromos , Honorary Member Founding build strong partnerships between Cypriot President of the Chamber Despina Axiotakis, and American professionals. The Chamber’s Executive Director. m e mb e rs h ip c ompr i s e s hu n d re d s of distinguished entrepreneurs, executives, and The newly elected President, Maria Pappas, professionals in numerous fields including commented: “It is an honor and a privilege for finance, law, communications, energy, me to serve as the 7th President and first engineering, and architecture. woman of the Cyprus US Chamber of

AHIF Student Foreign Policy Trip Participants Describe their Personal Experiences The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) released ten essays authored by participants of the 11th annual American Hellenic Institute Foundation College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Washington, DC, Greece and Cyprus. The students’ insightful essays describe their personal experiences from the trip to Greece and Cyprus held June 18 to July 5, 2019. During the 17-day program, the students were in Cyprus, June 22 to 27, and Athens, June 27 to July 5. Prior to departing for overseas, the students spent four days in Washington, DC, June 18 and 21. They received firsthand experience about the foreign policy issues affecting Greece and Cyprus, their relations with the U.S., and the interests of the U.S. in the region. “For the eleventh consecutive year, the trip provided us with a wonderful opportunity to lead an exceptional group of students to Cyprus and Greece,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “It was rewarding to see them gain firsthand experience about the foreign policy issues that concern U.S. relations with Greece and Cyprus. The AHI Foundation looks forward to offering this program annually as support for it has grown and student interest remains at significant levels since the program’s inception.” Following are two representative essays:

THE ROMANTICISM OF HERITAGE: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GREEK AMERICAN IN 2019

by Alexandra Choate I d on’t qu ite remember the first time I visited the motherland; being only seven, my memories of that first trip are colored by vague hues of Ionian blue and the electric orange of my Alexandra Choate first Fanta. I spent the summer learning curse words from new cousins and building kingdoms of sandcastles with borrowed pails. I was twelve the second time I traveled to Greece; the time after that, I was seventeen, then nineteen, and then twenty-one. Every trip to Greece was a summer-long dream, interrupted only by the start of another school year and preserved through the winter months in over-saturated photographs thumb-tacked above my headboard.

Quickly, and rather recently, I realized I had fallen into a common trap for Greeks raised abroad, romanticizing my heritage – thinking of Hellenism in the sole context of historic events, and reducing the image of Greece to my personal sentiments and vacations. For many first, second, and third generation Americans, “the motherland” is more of a concept than a place, something old and familiar to connect us to our roots. However, the countries in question have evolved since the time our parents and grandparents left them. Greece, in particular, has made unprecedented strides in militaristic and political development, reclaiming its inf luence in t he B a l kans as a minisuperpower.

With the American Hellenic Institute Foundation, I was part of a team of ten college students led by AHI President Nick Larigakis on dozens of meetings with state officials in 48

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the U.S., Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus.

Some stand-out excursions included a br i e f i ng at t he St ate D e p ar t me nt i n Washington, D.C., traveling to former battlegrounds in the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus, and declassified meetings with the officers at Souda Bay Naval Base in Chania, Crete. Through these meetings, we got a firsthand look at the unmatched military power of Greece. The revelation of this power was as amazing as it was unbelievable. Greece – the country with a population of less than 11 million people and a GDP roughly equivalent of Tennessee – has the fifth largest F-16 fleet in the world. Even in the aftermath of one of the worst economic crises in modern history, Greece remains the second largest contributor to NATO defense spending as measured by percentage of GDP. Greece is home to the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center and the NATO Missile Firing Installation, with the Hellenic Airforce employing some of the top-scoring, premier pilots in Europe.

Greece’s military power, however, is not a strong enough deterrent for hostile agents.

The aggressive behavior demonstrated by Turkey includes illegal occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and near-daily airspace violations over Greece’s Aegean islands.

Turkey’s activities over the centuries constitute war crimes, including cases of unlawful deportation, intentionally directing attacks against religious sites, and seizure of property. Herein lies the second revelation of the AHIF trip: The United States does not do enough to condemn Turkey’s offenses against consistent and unproblematic allies. The American Hellenic Institute Foundation links these two revelations, suggesting that it is in the United States’ best interest to re-anchor military allegiance to Greece, and finally c o n d e m n t h e c e nt u r i e s o f h o s t i l i t y perpetrated by the Turkish state. As students on the Foundation’s trip, it is the duality of our identity that allows us to best spread this message. Identity seemed to be a recurring theme during our trip, bleeding into

introspective discussions of what it means to be Greek American.

The interconnection of the two identities was different for every student, and we discussed at length the individual trials of our heritage.

Personally, I feel we exist in the in-between: never quite Greek enough, never quite American enough. Try as we may, one of our identities faced constant question; the burden of proof would then fall upon us to demonstrate our Greekness. See? We’d say to our native-born Greek brothers and sisters, look at our Greek Festivals and our Greek Schools and beautiful Orthodox churches. We are Greek, just like you. Remarkably, the AHIF Student Trip divulged a third revelation: in cases of dual identities, it is not necessary to pick a side. The validity of a dual identity doesn’t stem from approval of either culture.

Instead, it is the blend of heritage and birthright that empowers us. It is a subtle, but nonetheless radical shift in mindset. Without the fear of inadequacy, a dual identity becomes a superpower.

To me, being a Greek American in 2019 means a responsibility to pay attention: to the current political climate in and around Greece, to U.S. treatment of European allies, and to the actions of our own representatives in Congress. We live in a country with enormous international influence. We have the power to vote in a country with enormous international influence. With the interests of our two homelands aligned, Greek Americans should make a unified, conscious effort to strengthen the relationship between Greece and the United States.

Alexandra Choate is pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Queens University of Charlotte in Political Science. She is on track to graduate with the Class of 2020. Alexandra participated in the 11th annual AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation.

Shifting Perceptions: Redefining the Image of Greeceand Cyprus

By Vasili Ioannidis In the fall of 2017, I entered a c r o w d e d Introduction to Wor l d Pol it i c s lecture as a freshman at the Un i ve r s it y of Michigan.

Throughout the s emester, I learned the mechanisms and rules in which the Vasili Ioannidis sphere of world politics operates, from security policy to economic development.

However, through the broad introduction to such a complex and nuanced subject, one recurring theme, which my professor stressed, was that perceptions matter and that they are hard to change. These perceptions are critical because of the uncertainties political actors face globally. Actors may not have a complete understanding of reality, nor know how others may react to a situation. Therefore, perceptions must guide them when making decisions, as they provide a set of possibilities for how others may or should respond.

Two years later, in the summer of 2019, I was able to take the theories I learned in that freshman lecture and witness firsthand how important perceptions are in the sphere of foreign relations. Through the American Hellenic Institute Foundation College Student Foreign Policy Trip to Greece and Cyprus, I found myself face-to-face with top diplomats responsible for shaping foreign policy and projecting the images of their respective countries to the rest of the world.

Through meeting Cypriot officials, their message was clear: The Republic of Cyprus is not defined by only the Cyprus Problem (the illegal military occupation by Turkey of the northern part of the island). It has moved away from this monothematic foreign policy, despite the Cyprus Problem continuing to be the alpha and omega. Instead, Cyprus has turned to trilateral negotiations which many officials praise to be the most exciting aspect of Cypriot foreign policy today. Taking advantage of its geostrategic positioning in the Eastern Mediterranean and new energy discoveries, Cyprus has taken the role as a bridge to the Middle East and has created synergies with its neighbors. These partnerships which involve Greece, also include Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, among others. The overall goal is to connect the region in a partnership to discuss local and global issues that are in the interests of the region.

As a result of employing these multilateral mechanisms in its foreign policy, Cyprus has signaled to the world that it is a producer of stability in a volatile region. In its practice of

good diplomacy, Cyprus has successfully change d it s p e rc e pt i on to t he g l ob a l community that it is a stable, Western-oriented democracy, despite the Cyprus Problem.

This same undertaking has also occurred in Greece. Not too long ago, Greece was being labelled the “black sheep of Europe,� and was in the midst of a crippling financial crisis. Today, Greece is in the process of turning the page and returning to normality after a decade of crisis.

Not only has Greece remained a stable Western-oriented democracy through all of its hardships, but it also has expanded multilateral initiatives in a region of instability.

time in U.S.-Cyprus and U.S.-Greece relations.

Greece and Cyprus have consistently signaled their commitment to the United States and its interests through continuously practicing good diplomacy, respecting international law, and promoting Western values on the fringes of the East. Unfortunately, there are many in the Eastern Mediterranean who still do not believe the United States will come to the aid of Greece and Cyprus if another crisis was to occur.

Greece and Cyprus have used multilateral diplomacy to create a credible perception for themselves. It is now time for the United States to do the same and bolster its support for its true allies in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Vasili Ioannidis is a junior at the University of Michigan. He is majoring in Economics with minors in Modern Greek Language and Culture, and Business. Vasili participated in the 11th annual AHIF Foreign Policy College Student Trip to Greece and Cyprus sponsored Along with engaging with Cyprus and Israel to by the American Hellenic Institute Foundation. de velop trilateral relations in the region b a s e d o n mu t u a l interest, Greece has also reasserted its role as the pillar of stability in the Balkans. It has been one of the very few countries to attempt to resolve regional issues, and has taken the initiative to promote reg iona l cooperation. Despite the historical i nst abi l it y of t he Balkan region, Greece has played a key role in promoting stability and security t h r o u g h i t s multidimensional foreign policy. In doing so, Greece has been able to shed its perception as a crisisprone nation, and redefine itself as a credible ally who is committed to Western ideals.

These new roles of Greece and Cyprus have not gone unnot ice d by t he United States. As a result, the United States has increased the importance of its relationships with the two countries.

Meeting various officials from the three respective nations, everyone we had the opportunity to speak with repeated the idea that this is an exciting

Napa's Fotinos Vineyard: from Lefkada to California

by Maria A. Karamitsos Located in the heart of Napa Valley’s Carneros region, Fotinos Vineyard is celebrating its 50th anniversary of fine wines.

Today, three sisters and their families – the third and fourth generation – are keeping the family legacy alive. I recently traveled to Maria A. Karamitsos Napa to learn more. Their story traces back to the Greek island of Lefkada, where their grandfather, Christos, was born. He immigrated to San Francisco in 1908, ultimately opening a grocery store in the Mission District. Christos and his wife, Angelina, had five children. As the family prospered, they acquired a country house in Sonoma, which included a small vineyard.

They pressed the grapes and made wine in their garage.

sustains it during droughts and helps to maintain consistent yields.

As their children were born, George and Tom put them to work in the vineyard, instilling a love for the vine and the wine. Tom passed away in the early 80s, though his sons maintained a portion of the land until 2014.

great pleasure to produce a wine that would make Dad proud.”

Margaret manages vineyard operations, while her husband, Mike, helps with technology. “I love working on our vineyard,” Margaret added. “it’s part of the fabric of who I am.”

Elaine is responsible for web design, and her husband, Jim, takes care of equipment and facilities. She also shared what the vineyard means to her. “The land was purchased the year I was born. I grew up working alongside my father and sisters,” she said. “Now my three sons love scampering through the vineyard and learning the fine art of grape growing.”

There is no tasting room or winemaking facility on the By 2003, George realized his grounds. Fotinos Vineyard lifelong dream – bottling works with a custom crush Peter Koros, part of the next wine under the family name. generation of the Fotinos Family, facility, where they crush, Following his passing in 2014, pours wine at their 50th destem, ferment, and barrel his daughters – Angela, anniversary celebration. wine – on average 160 cases of Marg are t , and E l ai ne – Pinot Noir every other year. pledgded to continue their father’s legacy. Today, the only grapes they don’t use to make Along with their husbands and their mother, their signature wine are sold to Mumm Napa Vivian, they continue to produce to make sparkling wines. exceptional Pinot Noir. George’s grandchildren – now the fourth The Fotinos Family recently marked 50 years generation of Fotinos winemakers of fine wine with a special celebration held in – are learning the family tradition Burlingame. The fourth generation was on as well. hand to help with catering, serving, On a beautiful packing, etc.

N o v e m b e r d a y, They’ve also Margaret led me on produced a limited a tour of the quant ity of 160 vineyard. It was so cases of a special peaceful among the 50th anniversary vines. The grapes wine. were har vested Three generations of the Fotinos Family at the recent 50th weeks ago, and the Sisters Elaine, (l), Margaret (c), and Their elegant anniversary celebration. The family’s matriarch, Vivian, vine leaves were Angela (r), keep the family legacy alive v intages are a pictured 4th from right, is at the center of it all. changing colors. at Fotinos Vineyard in Napa Valley. wonderful tribute I’m used to seeing Sons George and Tom were fascinated by the vines with verdant leaves, loaded with to their grandfather and father, as well as their grape growing and winemaking. Over the fruit. Nonetheless, the rich fall colors were a family tradition. Fotinos Vineyard is all about years, Christos passed down his secrets on sight to behold, as rich reds and golds the love of family, the best grapes, and the sustainable farming practices. The brothers transformed the landscape with their finest wine. That love shows through in their decided to take things a step further, and in autumnal show. As we walked among the dedication and in every drop of wine.

1969, purchased a 26-acre parcel of land in vines, she revealed stories of growing up in the Carneros, on the south end of Napa Valley. vineyard. “I remember coming to the Y o u c a n This location is ideal for the cultivation of vineyard, my dad teaching us to respect nature p u r c h a s e Pinot Noir grapes, due to the daytime heat for and the value of hard work,” she recalled. Fotinos wines good sugar concentration, combined with the “From a young age, we helped remove the milk on their website evening winds to aerate the tight grape clusters cartons that were placed over the smaller (fotinosvineyar to prevent mold. George and Tom nurtured plants to protect them. As we got older, we d . c o m ) a n d their vines and built their business selling learned to prune the vines with care, and even h a v e t h e m grapes to home winemakers in Marin. In the drove the tractor. Now, we teach our children.” shipped to your door. They’re 1970s, they began a decades-long relationship with Robert Mondavi, who along with several Fotinos Vineyard is truly a family effort, as also served in other wineries purchased their premium every member – young and old – plays an select Napa area grapes. A structural engineer by trade, the important role. Angela and her husband, Ted, restaurants. forward-thinking George made the property coordinate the winemaking. “Our wine’s self-sustainable by designing and building richness and softness aptly represent the Margaret Fotinos shows her beloved their own water source. The large pond built in qualities of terroir which are ideal for Pinot grandfather, Christos’, tractor, the 1980s irrigates the entire property and Noir grapes,” Angela explained. “It gives us lovingly displayed in the vineyard.

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By Royal Proclamation, it's 2020 the year of perfect vision!

It's 2020, the dream year of all ...ophthalmologists! It's also one day longer, as a leap year. May this one be happy, creative, healthy and beautiful because our world once more is turning uglier. Thanks for the support and the vote of confidence through your generous ads. For us it's the mandate we need to go forward. This time, I won't bother you with my New Year Resolutions since they are like the New Year fireworks: impressive but last little. Instead, I will leave you in peace to deal with your holiday bills and the IRS which lurks in the corner. Be strong, we've seen worse!

Tom Hanks officially Greek!

Hollywood superstar and philhellene Tom Hanks became officially a fellow Hellene on December 26, w h e n P r e s i d e nt o f t h e Hellenic Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos signed the papers marking his honorary naturalization. The veteran actor is married to Rita Wilson who is of Greek des cent on her mot her Dorothea’s side.

Hanks is well-known for his longtime love for the nation of Greece and he and his family spend most of their summers in the Greek islands. They are seen especially often on the tiny island of Antiparos where Hanks also helps both financially and by digging himself in the archeological excavations.

is past December, Gabriel Nicolás Katopodis a fellow Leadian, was named Argentina's minister of Public Works! He is a lawyer by profession and before his government appointment he served as mayor in the San Martin area of Buenos Aires since 2011. Both his parents' families originate from Greece's Leada Island.

Congratulations!!!

The iconic American film star has also been among the faithful of the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Los Angeles for many years now, since he joined the Church when he married his wife in 1988.

George Dalaras kicks off his North American Tour at the Famed Apollo Theater in NY George Dalaras begins a series of concert performances at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY on Friday, January 31th 2020. He will share the stage in this tour with Michalis Tzouganakis, Aspasia Stratigou and Alexandros Tzouganakis. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Greek charitable organization “The Ark of the World” (“Κιβωτός του Κόσμου”). The series is produced by Globe Entertainment based in NY.

instrumentalist and his first musical influences come from the main forms of Greek music: the laika (popular), the rebetika (a kind of blues) and the paradosiaka (traditional).

At the age of 16 he made his first public appearance as guitarist and singer. During his long career that spans decades, he was the first artist to take Greek music out of the

George Dalaras, apart from his sensational career as a singer, is also a musician. In this series of performances, along with singing the songs we all love and know, he will highlight his lifelong love of the guitar and other popular instruments. Together with six soloist musicians, he will performs his favorite songs, his greatest hits, and some other less known, hidden gems.

As mentioned above, Michalis Tzouganakis, a composer-soloist in lute and singer, will join him on stage. George Dalaras and Michalis Tzouganakis are connected with a long and constructive cooperation in Greece and Europe and a deep friendship. Joining them is the exceptional Aspasia Stratigou and the very young Alexandros Tzouganakis, Michalis’ son, who continues the tradition.

Aspasia Stratigou

conventional club environment and perform concerts in large venues. When two years later, he recorded his first album, the authentic sound of Greek urban music (based essentially on the bouzouki), enriched by the young artist’s innovative contemporary approach, he won instant critical and popular acclaim. In all, he has released some 95 personal albums and has collaborated in more than 90 others as musician or producer, always expanding his musical horizons with his multi–faceted creativity.

This concert series promises to be original and authentic, enriched with love, nostalgia and of course many surprises. Like in all Dalaras performances, the idea is to bridge the gap between the artist and the audience so that everybody becomes a participant through a During his career, George Dalaras has worked breathtaking experience. with the most important Greek composers, including Stavros Kouyioumtzis, Manos Loizos, “George Dalaras sings in Greek, yet his music, Apostolos Kaldaras, Christos Nikolopoulos, springing from the heart, has a universal Yannis Markopoulos, Stavros Xarchakos, appeal,” stated the French daily Le Figaro in Thanos Mikroutsikos, Eleni Karaindrou and 1993, long after the reputation of this great lyricists such as Lefteris Papadopoulos, Manos Greek musician had reached across the Elefteriou, Nikos Gatsos, Kostas Tripolitis and boarders of his native land. Throughout his others. triumphant tours in Europe, the United States, Canada and every other corner of the world, Since 1981, he has George Dalaras stayed in close touch with his performed in over roots even when embracing other world music 500 concerts outside cultures.

Greece, promoting, Greek music abroad.

Born in Piraeus, the main port of Athens, He has performed at George comes from a tradition of folk and blues some of the most m u s i c . H i s f a t h e r w a s a b o u z o u k i famous concert halls, 54

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such as the Palais des Gongres and the Olympia Theatre in Paris, the Albert and Queen Elisabeth Hall in London, the London’s Wembley Arena (backed by M e l i n a Merkouri and V a n e s s a Redgrave), the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the M a n n Auditorium in Te l Av i v, t h e Notre Dame Basilica in Mont re a l , St .

Alexandros Tzouganakis George's Hall the Kremlin Palace and others. In 1994 he performed at the Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey before an audience of 22,000. In this concert, he received the Kennedy Award from Senator Edward Kennedy in recognition of his humanitarian contribution.

He has also appeared at numerous cultural festivals, including Cuba (1981,1998), the Europalia Festival in Brussels (1982), the Peace Festival in Vienna (1983), the Youth Festival in Moscow (1985), the Aid to Africa Concert in the Stadium of Peace and Friendship in Athens (1986), the unforgettable Amnesty International Concert in Athens with Peter Gabriel, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman and Youssou'n'Dour (1988), the Poznan Jazz Festival in Poland (1999), the Crossing Border Festival in Amsterdam (2001), the Saratoga Festival in USA, with the famous Philharmonic Orchestra of Philadelphia directed by Charles Dutoit (2001).