NEW YORK – The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) hosted their Annual Dinner Gala at Capitale in New York City on May 9. Each year the event gathers over 350 prominent philanthropists, philhellenes and scholars, to celebrate the extraordinary 137-year history of the American School. Founded in 1881, the School provides students and scholars from a consortium of over 190 affiliated North American colleges and universities with the opportunity to explore the full range of scholarly resources in Greece.

The evening began with a cocktail hour followed by dinner and live Greek music performed by the talented musicians Gregory Maninakis on vocals, Kostas Psarros on bouzouki, Glafkos Kontemeniotis on keyboards, and Megan Gould on violin. Their wonderful performance of classic songs was one of the highlights of the evening and gave an added layer to the Greek character of the event.

Another highlight was the awards presentation. The Gennadius Prize was presented to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge of post-antique Greece. “It is an honor to recognize the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and to celebrate, not only their excellence in civic engagement and responsible citizenship, but their commitment in supporting and driving the study and understanding of post antique Hellenism,” said Andreas Zombanakis, Chairman of the Gennadius Library’s Overseers. “We hope that by showcasing their exceptional leadership and vision, we can help inspire the next generation of post antique Greek scholars and Philhellenes.”

SNF Chief Operating Officer Vasili Tsamis accepted the award on behalf of the Foundation. He thanked ASCSA for the honor and for their close to 140 years of excellent efforts to connect, engage, and educate everyone about the glory of Greece.

The Athens Prize was presented to Professor Ronald S. Stroud (University of California, Berkeley) for outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge of ancient Greece. Prof. Stroud could not attend the event but the award was accepted on his behalf by his wife Connie, whom he met while they were at ACSCA in Corinth and then they married in Athens in 1963. In his acceptance speech, via video, he noted the golden years, in Greek as well “ta chrysa chronia,” 1996-99, when he was the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Classical Studies at ASCSA. William T. Loomis, President of the Board of Trustees, “Ron Stroud has been one of the most productive and influential Classical scholars of the past half century. In addition, he has been a mentor, supporter, and inspiration—but also an unsparing critic!—for dozens of students and younger scholars from all over the world. His impact on the field has been immense.”

Videos showcasing the School and the evening’s honorees were also screened as an additional highlight of the event.

A solemn moment was taken to acknowledge the passing of philanthropist Irene Moscahlaidis who was a benefactor of the Gennadius Library and whose daughter, Evee Moscahlaidis Georgiadis, was present at the event. Gennadius Library Director Maria Georgopoulou noted that the first exhibition catalog from the new Ioannis Makriyannis Wing will be published in honor of the late Mrs. Moscahlaidis. The inauguration of the Ioannis Makriyannis Wing is set for June 2, 2018.

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is the leading American teaching and research institution in Greece, dedicated to the advanced study of all aspects of Greek culture, from antiquity to the present. The School remains, as its founders envisioned, a privately-funded, nonprofit educational and cultural institution.

Among those present were Fr. Alexander Karloutsos who gave the opening prayer at the event, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations Ambassador Maria Theofili, Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Cyprus Ambassador Vasilios Philippou, Ambassador Andrew Jacovides and his wife Pamela, Alexander E. Zagoreos- ASCSA Chairman of the Board of Trustees, businessman John Catsimatidis and his wife Margo, and the famous singer Maria Farantouri who will be performing in her concert tribute to Mikis Theodorakis on Saturday, May 12 at Carnegie Hall.

The post American School of Classical Studies Athens Annual Gala in New York appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK (AP) — The governor and Manhattan district attorney are putting aside a squabble over who should investigate abuse allegations against former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. appeared at a news conference Thursday with Andrew Cuomo and the district attorney for Long Island to show support for the probe into Schneiderman.

Schneiderman resigned hours after he was accused of abuse by four women in a New Yorker article published Monday. He denied abusing them.

Cuomo replaced Vance, who has jurisdiction over most of the allegations made in the article, with Greek-American Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. Cuomo, Vance, Singas and Schneiderman are all Democrats.

Cuomo said the move was to avoid a possible perception of conflict because he had earlier ordered Schneiderman’s office to look into how Vance’s office handled a 2015 case against Harvey Weinstein that resulted in no criminal charges.

Both directives are legal — but highly unusual.

Vance strongly objected, and the offices traded sharply-written letters. On Thursday, Vance said his office had already started sending subpoenas in the case when Cuomo removed him and he was merely trying to get an investigation off the ground swiftly.

“Perhaps I was a little frustrated when the ground rules changed,” Vance said. “I completely understand the governor’s decision.”

He said he still has concerns over the process of removing a sitting prosecutor, but his priority is to the victims.

“Process is important, but justice for victims of crime in Manhattan is my top priority and it always will be,” he said. “An extended back and forth about process does not serve victims.”

Cuomo said he had the utmost respect for Vance — but his opinion doesn’t matter, it’s the public perception that matters.

“It’s the opinion of the victims, the opinion of women’s groups, and you don’t want an appearance of or the perception of a conflict,” he said.

Singas said she had dedicated at team of prosecutors who would also look into whether Schneiderman used his position to abuse women within his office — or whether he used it to intimidate women outside of work.

Schneiderman’s attorney, Isabelle Kirshner, issued a statement saying, “Eric appreciates the serious allegations that have been made against him and we will respond to them appropriately at the proper time. We are confident that DA Singas will conduct a fair, thorough and unbiased investigation. While we are confident that this investigation will result in no criminal charges, should charges be brought, we intend to defend our client vigorously.”

The women reported they were slapped, choked and verbally abused by Schneiderman, often during sexual intercourse. They strongly rejected the Democratic politician’s explanation that any abuse was the result of consensual, intimate “role-playing.” Some of the allegations were to have occurred on Suffolk County; District Attorney Timothy Sini is looking into those cases and will help Singas.

Singas asked that any other women should call her office and assured a swift and thorough investigation.

Harvey Weinstein’s criminal defense attorney Ben Brafman said the decision to close the 2015 case “was the absolute correct decision.”

—
By COLLEEN LONG and DEEPTI HAJELA ,  Associated Press

The post Officials Put Aside Squabble over Singas Appointment in Schneiderman Probe appeared first on The National Herald.

RYE, NY – May 6 was a very special, joyful, and historic day for all generations of the parish of Our Savior in Rye, NY. Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America officiated at the Divine Liturgy and blessing of the newly renovated building complex.

The archbishop was assisted by presiding priest (19 years) Fr. Elias Villis,, Archdeacon Panteleimon, Deacon Eulogios of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and good cantors headed by Antonios Papathanasiou, Dean of Students of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC).

Archbishop Demetrios announced that Papathanasiou will be ordained to the Diaconate on May 19 the day of graduation at Holy Cross chapel.

From start to finish – design, approval and construction – the renovation project took five years. During the construction, the Church complex was gutted and rebuilt in a spectacular fashion. The result is a Church that is modern from a utility standpoint but which maintains the historic, architectural, and aesthetic qualities of the original.

The renovation was made possible by the generous donations of Robin and Michael Psaros of $2 million, Theodore and Karen Mathas of $2 million, and John and Joella Lykouretzos of $1 million, with the balance from the Church community.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Demetrios officiated at the Agiasmos Service and the ribbon-cutting for the dedication of the newly renovated buildings.

In an interview with The National Herald he praised the parish and the donors and said “today is a beautiful day. If you knew the old community center, this is a great achievement. They have done a great job. It cost many millions, but there were big donations that made the project possible. Many warm congratulations.”

He added that “it is very good parish. I wanted this project very much to done for another reason also in honor and memory of the late Archbishop Iakovos, who lived in Rye and he came to this church during his retirement years.”

In the brief interview, the archbishop did not comment on other matters, such as the state of the Archdiocese.

Michael Psaros, co-Founder and co-Managing Partner of KPS and manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, told TNH that “this is an epic day for the Church of Our Savior. This day only happens once or twice a century. I am so proud of our priest, Fr. Elias, our Parish Council and our parishioners, who invested five years of our lives and $6.5 million to create a truly 21st century Church complex. We just made an investment in our Church’s future for the next half century and our children’s future. Today is not just a great day for our parish, but for the entire Archdiocese. We are a thriving, growing, and deeply devout parish that demonstrates the vibrancy of Orthodoxy, and the potential for unlimited growth, in all of America.”

Theodore Mathas Chairman of the Board and CEO of New York Life Insurance Company told TNH that “I feel terrific, this is a great day for us; this is a wonderful community; it was very welcoming to us when we first came here, my wife Karen and I, 18 years ago. All three of our children were baptized here; Fr. Elias created an unbelievable energy and spirituality. It was his visions and his passions that Karen and I, Mike and Robin and John and Joella, and our families, were able to get behind it and create the initial enthusiasm, and by doing this the rest of the community followed.”

A third-generation American, Mathias’ mother’s family is from Lesbos and his father’s from outside of Athens.

He said Orthodoxy has been part of his life since the very beginning. “Both of my parents sing in the choir. My dad was the president of the community in Virginia; I was the president of GOYA. The spirituality and the community makes me who I am and how I present myself to the word today.”

He embraces Hellenism “enthusiastically. Greece has been the source of so many contributions to the world to which we live.”

John Lykouretzos, president of the Hoplite Capital Management, told TNH that the renovation “is the product of hard work, of planning, and preparation lead by the Parish Council and Fr. Elias.” A parish member since 2008, he described it as “a wonderful community, very welcoming.”

During the luncheon, Psaros praised Parish Council President Nicholas Balidis
for his hard work and countless hours in overseeing the renovation.

The post Enthusiastic Blessing for Church of Our Savior Renovation in Rye (Vid & Pics) appeared first on The National Herald.

AUGUSTINE, FL – The St. Photios Foundation, Inc. invites the public to participate in activitiesMay 15-19celebrating the 250th anniversary of the first permanent settlement of Greeks in America. The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, an institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, is dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768.

The Shrine consists of exhibits depicting the life of early Greeks in America and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, and the St. Photios Chapel which features exquisite Byzantine-style frescoes of many apostles and saints of the Christian church. Called “The Jewel of St. George Street,” the St. Photios Chapel should not be missed by any visitor. The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located in historic St. Augustine, Florida, on St. George Street between Orange and Cuna Streets.

Activities begin at 6 PM on Tuesday, May 15 with a lecture entitled Greek Music in America, presented by Dr. Tina Bucuvales, in the Flagler Room at Flagler College, 74 King Street in St. Augustine.

The Glendi at the Colonial Oak Music Park, 33 St. George Street in St. Augustine, takes place on Wednesday, May 16, 6-10 PM featuring Ellada Band and Anthea Sidiropoulos. There is a $10 cover charge and food and drinks are available for purchase. Reservations are required: 904-829-8205.

The Turnbull-Duncan Papers and the New Smyrna Colony lecture will be presented by Dr. Dan Schafer on Thursday, May 17, 6 PM at the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine.

Dr. Ann Browning Masters will speak at the Greek Week Celebration of the 250th anniversary of Greeks arriving in America on Friday, May 18 at 6:30 PM. Her talk, entitled Sharing Memories of Our Heritage, will be held at the St. Photios National Shrine.  A wine and cheese reception at 6 PM will precede the program which is free and open to the public.

A St. Augustine native, Masters is a 12th generation Floridian. She is also a Floridana, a descendant of the Spanish settlers who came to Florida during the First Spanish Period, and a Menorcan, a descendant of settlers from the Mediterranean basin who came to St. Augustine during Florida’s British Period. Her Floridano heritage began with the 1602 marriage of Elena Gonzalez and Diego Alvarez in St. Augustine. Her Menorcan heritage includes the Greek, Italian, and Menorcan family names of Cercopoly, Mabrumati, Pacetti, Canova, Rogero, and Pellicer. As part of her talk, Masters will read from her book Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St. Augustine, now in its second printing.

The 250th anniversary celebration concludes on Saturday, May 19, 6 PM, with a Walk with Reenactors from the Shrine to La Plaza de la Constitucion.

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is located at 41 St. George Street in St. Augustine. For reservations, call Shrine Manager, Gina Bingman, at 904-829-8205.

More information is available online at: www.stphotios.org.

The post St. Photios Shrine Celebrating 250th Anniversary of 1st Permanent Greek Settlement in America appeared first on The National Herald.

WEST READING, PA – Gust C. Kraras, 97, passed away May 5, 2018, surrounded by his loving family in his Wyomissing residence.His wife, Stella G. (Dialectos) Kraras, passed away August 13, 2011. They weremarried on April 28, 1946.Born in Terpsithea, Greece, he was a son of the late Christ J. and Ypapanti (Contos) Kraras.

Kraras proudly served in the U.S. Armyduring World War II in the OSS, a precursor to the CIA.A self-educated businessman, Gust was the patriarch of the Kraras family businesses. He was the owner of the former College Inn at 14th and Union Streets across from Albright College. He went on to own The Lorraine Hotel and Restaurant, White Star Motel and other motels and restaurants in Wildwood, NJ. He went on to become the president and owner of White Star Tours, the family travel company based in Reading, PA.

Kraras was a longtime and dedicated member of Sts.Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Reading. His service to the church began soon after he settled in Reading. He was asked to assist as a chanter, which hecontinued until his recent illness. He was first elected to the Parish Council in 1948 and had served as a member, secretary or president of the Council for most of the last 70 years. He has also chaired many important committees throughout the years, including the Annual Food Bazaar (which he initiated) for several years, the Church’s Library Committee, the Stewardship Committee, and the Celebration Committee. He was also the editor of the Commemorative Albums in 1970, 1975 and 1989, the Testimonial for Father Tom and Gus Yatron in 1996, and the Consecration Album in 2001. Kraras also chaired the committee in 1987, which completely renovated the interior of the church. He was instrumental in arranging for the major Iconography project that beautified the church. Kraras chaired the Consecration Committee in 2001 and the Centennial Celebration

Committee in 2014. For over fifty years, he oversaw the decoration of the Epitafio on Holy Friday and in recent years, underwrote the expense of all the floral decoration of the church for Easter and Christmas.

Kraras spent over 60 years in the Wildwood, NJ, area, and was very instrumental with the building, beautification and financial health of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church of North Wildwood, NJ.

In 1990,Kraras was vested with the title of the archon deputatos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by Archbishop Iakovos. He was also a fulfilled member of the Leadership 100. In 1993, he was awarded the Medal of St. Paul by the Archdiocese and the Archdiocese Laity Award. On May 11, 2002, he was given the distinction of being awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Kraras has been a member of the Order of AHEPA for many years. He served as district governor in the Fifth District in New Jersey. In 2010, he was an instrumental force in re-organizing the local AHEPA Chapter. On June 1, 2015, Kraras was surprised at the 90th Anniversary Celebration of the local AHEPA Chapter when the Chapter was renamed Gust C. Kraras Chapter No. 61 in his honor. He was also a member of the Masonic Order.

He is survived by his children: Christ G., husband of Ann (Baxewanis) Kraras; Angel P., wife of Mauro D. Cammarano; and Patricia “Tula,” wife of Bernard Donahue, all of Wyomissing. There are six grandchildren: Dean C., husband of Jennifer Kraras; Marisa C., wife of Scott Hunsicker; Andrew M., husband of Sophia Cammarano; Stephanie M., wife of Gregory Labe; Bernard N. Donahue Jr. and Stavanna C. Donahue. There are also ten great-grandchildren: Mackenzie, Peyton, Christopher and Delaney Kraras, Tommy, Christo and Gram Hunsicker, Isabelle and Joseph Cammarano, and Jack Labe; all who will miss him very much. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, both in the United States and Greece. Three sisters-in-law: Joanne Dialectos, Christine Dialectos and Anna Koumaras also survive him.

Kraras was predeceased by five siblings: John, Vasiliki,Elias, Eleni and Maria.

Services were held Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at 12 PM at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 1001 E. Wyomissing Blvd., Reading, PA 19611. Burial was at Charles Evans Cemetery. The viewing was held Wednesday from 9 AM to 12 PM at the church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Sts.Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church at the above address.Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading, was in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be

recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com.

From the Reading Eagle, published on May 7.

The post Gust C. Kraras, Archon, WWII Vet, Ahepan, Passed Away at 97 appeared first on The National Herald.

PITTSBURGH, PA – The Archdiocesan Council meeting May 3-4 in Pittsburgh, PA, presided by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, focused on the Archdiocese’s finances, the St. Nicholas National Shrine, the Holy Cross Theological School, clergy pensions, and other administrative matters.

PENSIONS

As The National Herald has reported, clergy pensions continue to be a problem because the Archdiocese failed to contribute the required amounts into the fund.

The Clergy Pension fund chairman, Fr. Konstantinos Pavlakos of the St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA, raised the issue one more time. Archdiocesan officials acknowledged that “what has happened never should have happened” with the pension plan, “but we are obligated by law to first pay $3.7 to St. Nicholas. We have already returned $1 million and have $2.7 million remaining.

Meanwhile, there isn’t even agreement on how much the pension fund is owed: differing accounts identify the shortage as $850,000 or $650,000, and the Archdiocese says “first we have to find out the exact amount, and then the Archdiocese will put it in.”

Fr. Pavlakos asked what would happen to the interest that was never paid into the fund, to which Archdiocesan officials responded that after examining the entire matter, whatever hasn’t been paid, the Archdiocese would pay. “We have already deposited a couple of hundred thousand dollars, but that is not enough. We have to put in whatever is owed.”

Those same officials said the Archdiocese has a $1 million insurance coverage against embezzlement, but the policy cannot be paid out regarding the pension fund shortfall unless embezzlement is established.

It was also discussed, as TNH reported in October, there is a box at the Archdiocese filled with envelopes containing issued pension checks that have not been mailed due to a lack of funds.

There was also discussion regarding the metropolises; namely, that they too should be subject to financial audits and regulations of internal controls, as should any entity that receives funds from the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese has acknowledged that due to its financial situation, it had no choice but to apply for a bank loan, using as collateral its New York city headquarters buildings.
Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh announced that the 2020 Clergy Laity Congress would be convened in Pittsburgh.

ST. NICHOLAS

An extensive discussion took place regarding the St. Nicholas National Shrine, and the Archdiocese issued the following press release accordingly:

“On May 4, 2018, Elaine Allen, Chairman of the Standing Audit Committee of the Archdiocesan Council, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, announced the substantial completion of Phase 1 of the St. Nicholas Special Investigative Committee’ s (SIC) investigation into the management and finances of the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine project. The SIC has received PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Phase 1 draft report and is expected to announce its findings to the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Council imminently.
“Among key findings from Phase 1, the amount owed by the Archdiocese to St. Nicholas has been confirmed to be less than $3.7 million, with the exact dollar figure to be finalized in the coming weeks. Moreover, the review found that all other monies raised to fund the St. Nicholas project are accounted for, and that the expenditure of these funds was consistent with donor restrictions.

“As a result of the aggressive financial restructuring efforts undertaken by the Archdiocese over the last year, led by Treasurer Mike Psaros, the Archdiocese has already repaid $1million of the pending total amount it owes to St. Nicholas, and will voluntarily pay interest on the full amount owed to the project. The Archdiocese will also make a voluntary contribution of $670,000 to St. Nicholas. This amount represents the full amount of unrestricted investment returns generated on donations from 2001 – 2012.

“Finally, Ms. Allen announced that the Archdiocese will repay its debt to St. Nicholas with interest. The amount of the interest payment will be confirmed following the SIC’s completion of the findings report, which will include the finalized amount owed by the Archdiocese to St. Nicholas.

“Phase 2 of the SIC’s investigation is also being conducted by PwC. The work is ongoing and includes a review of the St. Nicholas project’s baseline costs and cost increases, a review of design changes, and an analysis of vendor payments with the goal of identifying potential non-disclosed relationships between the St. Nicholas project management team and vendors paid with St. Nicholas funds. The SIC’s findings report is expected to complete within one month.

“Immediately following the completion of Phase 2, Phase 3 of the SIC’s investigation will begin. It will largely be a project management and design exercise intended to finalize construction plans, costs, and a revised timeline for completion of the project.
The SIC is committed to completing its comprehensive and exhaustive investigation into mismanagement allegations around the St. Nicholas project, and to addressing all issues potentially raised in this investigation before construction proceeds.

“The St. Nicholas Church will be a sacred space with its doors open to all. As a National Shrine on hallowed ground, it will stand in memorial to the lives lost on September 11, 2001, as a symbol of reconciliation, and as a spiritual beacon of hope and for generations to come. The Archdiocese remains committed to the completion of this deeply meaningful landmark and spiritual capstone to the World Trade Center site redevelopment effort.”
Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Andonios of Phasiane referred to the letter of the MG McGrath Company that TNH recently revealed, admitting that the Archdiocese has not paid that company as part of the construction of St. Nicholas, and that he met with McGrath officials a week earlier and they required $1.4 million in advance.

HOLY CROSS

It was revealed that the Archdiocese has not sent any money to the School of Theology for over a year now, to which Archbishop Demetrios replied he had no knowledge until he found out about it at a School meeting a week earlier. The School’s president, Fr. Christopher Metropulos, said he does not have the necessary funds to operate the School. Archdiocesan officials said the School is a separate entity with its own tax ID number. Fr. Metropulos said: “why do you say everything is going well when I don’t have money to operate the School?” Fr. John Magoulias also spoke in favor of the School.

Some relatively new officials said they could not imagine the Archdiocese’s state of disarray.

Metropolitans Gerasimos of San Francisco, Evangelos of New Jersey, Isaiah of Denver, and Alexios of Atlanta did not attend the meeting.

The post Archdiocesan Meeting Focuses on Finances, St. Nicholas, Theology School, Pensions appeared first on The National Herald.

ATHENS, GREECE – “Redesigning Educational Systems: From Theory to Praxis”, was the topic addressed in a two-day forum at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens on April 26-27. Organized by the Fulbright Foundation in collaboration with the American Community Schools of Athens (ACS Athens) and the SNFCC, panels of highly knowledgeable educators, business executives and guest speakers were brought together for two evenings of dynamic discussions.

Over 500 participants enjoyed a rich exchange of ideas by speakers who shared the concern of developing educational systems that will enable students to become productive, responsible, civic-minded global citizens, ready to contribute proactively to society. Celebrating Fulbright’s 70 years of educational and cultural exchanges between Greece and the United States, Artemis Zenetou- Executive Director of the Fulbright Foundation in Greece, and Dr. Stefanos Gialamas- ACS Athens President initiated discussions on education and globalization and on developing ethical-minded citizens. U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, gave the welcoming remarks.

The Day 1 panel discussion, led by Dr. Gialamas, encouraged effective thinking and global awareness in a globally-connected world. The Day 2 panel, led by ACS Athens Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Peggy Pelonis, addressed the power that educational institutions have to be agents of change by promoting civic engagement, meaningful learning and the need to shift existing mindsets on teaching methodologies.

The forum culminated with distinguished keynote speaker, Dr. Allan Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education, who referred to Homer’s Odyssey to highlight the importance of educational/cultural exchange as a journey of transformation.

The closing keynote was delivered by Dr. Edward Burger, President of Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, who noted the importance of teaching in ways that promote curiosity and deep thinking. “Content comes and quickly goes, but practices of the mind to think, create, and connect not only last a lifetime, but truly uplift one’s life.”

Panel speakers included:

Elsa Chorianopoulou, Administrator, Montessori School of Athens Maria Goudeli, Greece

Roxanne Giampapa, President of Pinewood Schools, Thessaloniki, Greece

Victor Grey, Social Studies Teacher, Druid High School, Atlanta Georgia & Fulbright Scholar

Maria Kapsokefalou, Vice-Rector, Agricultural University of Athens

Eleni Katsarou, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois & Fulbright Scholar

Haris Makryniotis, Managing Director, Endeavor Greece

Myrto Papathanou, Partner, Metavallon VC

Demetri Sampson, Professor Curtin University, Australia and University of Piraeus, Greece.

The post Fulbright Foundation, ACS Athens, SNFCC Organized Two-Day Educational Forum appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek-American Senator Michael Gianaris issued the following statement about the race for Attorney General.

“I am grateful to the many leaders who are encouraging me to run for Attorney General and intend to give serious consideration to doing so. In the coming days and weeks, I will continue speaking with my supporters and other interested New Yorkers as I decide whether to seek election to the Attorney General’s office this year. This is a critical time in New York and a decision that deserves careful thought. As a result, I will not be participating in the expedited legislative selection process next week.”

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who held himself out as a champion of women and a liberal foil to President Donald Trump, resigned from office after four women accused him of physical violence during intimate encounters.

The state Legislature will fill his seat in the short term and several names already surfaced as possible replacements.

Among them is the NY State Senator Mike Gianaris, “a Queens Democrat (who) was geared up to run for attorney general in 2006, but bowed out to make way for Cuomo. But he never stopped pining for the job or raising money to run for it. As of January, ‘New Yorkers for Gianaris’ had $2.17 million in the bank,” the crainsnewyork.com reported.

“Names immediately began to surface for potential replacements — New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, state Sen. Mike Gianaris, former senior Cuomo aide and one-time superintendent of the Department of Financial services Ben Lawsky and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara,” the POLITICO said, while the “New York Daily News” reported that “likely candidates include City Public Advocate Letitia James; former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara; Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Nassau County); Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout; state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Nassau County Dem who is a former federal prosecutor; state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens); and former Cuomo chief of staff Ben Lawsky.

The post Senator Gianaris to Give “Serious Consideration” of Run for Attorney General appeared first on The National Herald.

ASTORIA – U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, 12th Congressional District, and New York State Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, 36th Assembly District, Astoria, hosted the Annual Women’s History Luncheon at George’s Restaurant, Kaufman-Astoria Studios on May 11 with approximately 50 invited guests. The event honored three Queens women for their dedication to community service. The honorees:

Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, founder and Executive Director of Hour Children; Sadete Mujovic, public school teacher and Public Relations Coordinator for the Muslim American Society of Queens; and Marie Torniali, Executive Director of the Central Astoria LDC and Chairperson of Community Board 1, Queens.

Assemblymember Simotas gave the welcoming remarks noting that this is one her favorite events of the year. She said that the event honors the “remarkable leaders in the community who demonstrate the tremendous strides that we as women can make when we work together.”

“This event,” Simotas continued, “is also an opportunity to celebrate all that women have achieved but also to recognize the need to continue the fight for gender equality, that need motivated me to enter public office and to focus on crafting and supporting legislation to help women, whether it’s fighting to expand access to critical healthcare, close the wage gap, eliminate workplace harassment, ensure justice for survivors of sexual violence or increase financial and educational opportunities for women and girls, we must all do our part to ensure that we improve the lives of all women.”

She then introduced the honorees, noting that “each of these women have made a very meaningful impact on our community. In their own ways, each advances the causes that are important to women each and every day. I have been hosting this event since my first term in office along with one of my mentors in government Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney who is one of the strongest and most effective supporters of women’s rights in the country. Carolyn, thank you for all you do.”

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz noted the importance of educating our children “that right or wrong doesn’t depend on the audience, what’s right or wrong on the outside is also what’s right or wrong inside the home, kids have to know that.” She then introduced Rep. Maloney saying “there is no greater fighter than Carolyn Maloney in Congress” and “she is an amazing legislator and an amazing person.”

Rep. Maloney in her speech noted the contributions of the honorees and their selfless dedication to improving the lives of others and the entire community of Astoria. She said, “It’s wonderful to be here to honor three pillars of our community that help make this wonderful neighborhood what it is,” and mentioned that she already put tributes into the Congressional record for the honorees.

Maloney also acknowledged the contributions of the late George Kaufman, Chairman of Kaufman Astoria Studios, who passed away on February 20 at the age of 89, but left his mark on Astoria with the impressive studio that bears his name.

She highlighted the need for a stop in the Sunnyside yards on the new Long Island Railroad connection to Grand Central for the economic development of the district, adding that the community must speak out about the issue.

The achievements of the honorees were then noted by Maloney who concluded by saying “thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you and don’t forget the primary on June 26, I need your help.”

Hour Children’s mission “is to help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully rejoin the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent, and secure lives.”

Sister Tesa said, “Let’s all keep up the good work for the well-being of the poor and needy in our midst.”

Among those present were Community Board 1 District Manager Florence Koulouris, family and friends of the honorees, and local community members.

Simotas thanked all those present, including Kaufman Astoria Studios and George’s Restaurant manager John Nikach, and wished all the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day in advance.

The post Maloney & Simotas Host Annual Women’s History Luncheon, Awards Presented appeared first on The National Herald.

Artists have been drawn to the light of Greece for millennia. American photographer Robert McCabe captures that light and the spirit of the country in his photographs since his earliest trips to Greece in the 1950’s. McCabe was born in Chicago in 1934 and grew up in Rye, NY.

His father worked for the New York Daily Mirror, and as the result of his father’s gift of a Kodak Baby Brownie in 1939, he started taking photographs when he was five. His first photographs of Europe were the result of a trip in 1954 to France, Italy, and Greece. He returned to Greece in 1955 and 1957 and photographed the Cyclades for National Geographic. His published books cover subjects and locations in Greece, France, Italy, New York City, New England, Havana, China, and Antarctica.

McCabe’s many, and current, projects include books: Portraits of the Greeks 1954-2017; The Greeks and Their Seas (with Margarita Pournara); Mykonos in my Dreams; The Last Monk of the Strophades (with Katerina Lymperopoulou); and an exhibition and book of photographs of Greek archaeological sites in the 1950s, for the 180th anniversary of the Archaeological Society of Athens.

The Archaeological Society of Athens celebrated its 180th anniversary in December 2017 with the publication by Kapon Editions of a collection of photographs taken in the 1950s of major Greek Archaeological sites, most of which the Society has had a role in excavating and studying. The photographs were taken by McCabe primarily during his first two visits to Greece in 1954 and 1955.

The 248-page book in black and white, printed in tritone, has an introduction by Dr. Vasileios Petrakos, the President of the Society, and a preface/autobiographical essay by the photographer. The sites featured include Athens, Delphi, Rhodes, Mycenae, Ancient Thera, Corinth, and Methoni.

The 195 images illuminate some of the dramatic changes that have taken place in the past 60 years in Greece: monuments before restoration and devoid of tourists, Athenian streets just barely recognizable today, and villages transformed by changes in society.

McCabe’s interest focuses often on things that the Greeks took for granted but he was seeing for the first time and wanted to record. Things as simple as the light and shadow revealing the shapes and masses of the ruins, the guard taking refuge from the noon-day sun, the lone figure of a woman on a deserted dirt road under the Acropolis, take on a symbolic meaning in McCabe’s photographs.

Everything holds interest for McCabe and his camera. From the railroad station at Mycenae to the photographer at Delphi and the marble workers with their chisels, McCabe finds inspiration all around him in Greece. His impressive photographs bear witness to a moment in time, capturing the memory with skill and artistry.

“Through his artistic vision, the art of Robert McCabe brings us back to an older Greece, when the light was stronger, clearer, and the monuments appeared to be revealed for the first time,” wrote Dr. Petrakos in an excerpt from the book.

“For me, the most successful photographs represent a form of poetry… Just as a short poem can create a vivid emotional experience, so too can an image,” McCabe said.

For those readers who love ancient history and the remarkable ruins left over the millennia, a great choice to add to your reading list is Mycenae: From Myth to History by Athina Cacouri and McCabe. The book includes a new play by John Guare, commentaries by Lisa Wace French, and a piece on the Mycenaean landscape by Daniel Fallu.

The insights into the search for the city that fought Troy and the archaeological history are fascinating. The highlight of the book is the photography by McCabe. The extraordinary light of Greece is captured in the stunning photographs of the archaeological sites before they were opened to mass tourism.

Robert McCabe’s books are available online.

The post Photography Books by Robert McCabe for Your List appeared first on The National Herald.

ATHENS – AHEPA Solon Chapter HJ04, which is based in Athens, organized and presented a panel discussion about the deepening relations between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. The participants included leading Greek academic figures supplemented by two members of the chapter who were introduced by its president George Malamos.

The informative discussion and Q & A, which was moderated by Solon member retired Major General Taxiarxis Sardelis, took place on May 4 at the Hellenic Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Athens. The speakers illuminated the developing partnership that augments the value of the two Hellenic states in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was noted that as the three strong democracies in the region whose cultural heritage constitute the foundation of Western Civilization, the three countries have much common and even more to share.

By cooperating it is believed that they will boost peace and prosperity in the whole region.

Ioannis Mazis, professor at The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, emphasized the importance of the continued strengthening of the trilateral relationship and Panteion University, Professor and President of the Institute of Foreign Affairs Haralambos Papasotiriou spoke about the importance of the Souda Bay naval base on Crete in the context America’s foreign policy and its presence in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and for NATO.

Prof. Angelos Syrigos of Panteion referred to the importance of maintaining good relationsbetween the three countries and the value of policy continuity through five consecutive Greek governments.

Alexander Drivas, PhD candidate at Panteion, who is also a member of the Solon Chapter,spoke about the strategic balances Greece must pursue, its past foreign policy errors, and the process that led to the corrections entailed by the alliance with Cyprus and Israel.

Chapter VP Christos Fasalis discussed Greece’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the need to make proper use of International Law, and the place of the EEZ in Greek-Turkish relations and in the protection of both Greek and Cypriot rights.

Present were leaders of the Daughter of Penelope Chapter 271 and the Regional Governor of AHEPA Hellas District 25 governor Vassilios Pektides,accompanied by District Secretary Kostas Kouzarakis and Panagiotis Rizopoulos.

Also represented were Greek political and military officials such as Alcibiades Stefanis of the The Hellenic Army General Staff, New Democracy Party parliamentary candidate Alfredo Saltiel representing the Greek Jewish community, New Democracy Foreign Affairs expert George Koumoutsakos, and retired Admiral Vassilios Martzoukos, who is the president of the Hellenic Institute of Strategic Studies.

The event’s sponsors included the Hellenic Armed Forces Officers’ Club, Foreign Affairs Hellenic Edition, and the news outlet Liberal.gr, whose publisher Loucas Katsonis, also spoke of the significance of relations between Greece, Israel, and Cyprus.

The post Athens’ AHEPA Solon Chapter Presents Panel on Greece, Israel, Cyprus Relations appeared first on The National Herald.

Father Alexander and Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos will be honored as the 2018 recipients of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award. The Award will be presented by the Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, at the organization’s annual banquet Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 at the New York Hilton Hotel, according to Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s announcement.

“The Award, established in 1986, is presented annually to a person or organization that has consistently exemplified by action, purpose and dedication concern for the basic rights and religious freedom of all people. It is named in memory of Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, who reigned on the Ecumenical Throne from 1948 until his death in 1972. Prior to his election as Ecumenical Patriarch, he was the second Archbishop of North and South America.

“Past recipients of the Award have included Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, Mikhail Gorbachev, Admiral James Stavridis, Vice President Joe Biden and last year’s recipient, Emilia Kamvisi and Efstratios Valamios, representing the fishermen of Lesbos and the Greek Islands.

“Father Alexander and Presbytera Xanthi have been a true partnership and team well-known throughout the Archdiocese and the Orthodox World. Their advocacy on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is legendary.

“Fr. Alexander (better known as Father Alex) has been an assistant to three Archbishops. Currently he is the spiritual adviser to the Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, and to Faith: An Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenism. He serves as special assistant to the Archbishop working as liaison with heads of churches, the White House, the Congress, state and local officials, Greek American organizations, political action and religious freedom and human rights groups. He is also the Orthodox chaplain for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Together with his son-in-law, Father Constantine Lazarakis, he pastors the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons.

“Father Alex previously served as the executive director of Leadership 100, (1986 to 1992 and 1999 to 2004), and was appointed by Archbishop Iakovos as the first vicar of public affairs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 1985, holding that position simultaneously until 1992 when he was appointed special assistant to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

“He graduated magna cum laude from Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1966. He received a Master of Theology degree, also magna cum laude, from the Holy Cross School of Theology there in 1969. He received a Certificate in Ecumenical Theology from the University of Geneva in 1970. He was ordained a deacon and a priest in September of 1970; respectively by Archbishop Eugenios of Crete and Archbishop Iakovos of America and was elevated by Archbishop Iakovos to Protopresbyter in February of 1984. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew named Father Alexander Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1994, the highest honor a married clergyman can receive in the Orthodox Christian Church.

“Father Alexander first served as an assistant priest at SS. Constantine and Helen in Chicago in 1970 where he was active in youth ministries. He was appointed Archdiocesan Director of Youth Ministry in 1974, moving to the Archdiocesan headquarters in New York. In 1978, he was appointed Archdiocesan Director of the Office of Church and Society where he served until 1980 when he assumed the directorship of the newly established Department of Communications.

“Presbytera Xanthi Karavellas Karloutsos, who has more than 46 years in community service with young and old alike, presently serves the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as executive assistant and coordinator of the Offices of Public Affairs, Faith Endowment and as Office Manager for the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

“Born in Corfu, Greece, she was raised in Washington, D.C. During her high school years, her parents developed a cardiac care and surgery program with the National Institute of Health for children from Greece in need of heart surgery and health care. Upon completion of her high school studies at Montgomery Blair High she studied interior design at the International School of Interior Design. In 1970, she began her career as a Presbytera in the Greek Orthodox Church. Four years after serving the Parish of SS. Constantine and Helen in Chicago, she and her husband moved to New York City to serve the Archdiocese there.

“In 1974, she was appointed as adviser to the Archbishop’s Youth Ministry Office with an acute interest for children with special needs and troubled youth. When her children began attending the Public Schools of Pelham, New York, she devoted her time and talents becoming an active advocate for children’s educational needs by serving two respective terms on the local PTA as co-president of both Pelham’s elementary and high schools.

“In 1989 she accepted the position of director of the Hellenic American National Action Committee Social Services in the Bronx, where she became involved and exposed to the greater community’s less fortunate families and the struggle for disadvantaged children and their parents. Along with her husband, from 1992-1996, they served as personal assistants to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. While Father Alexander served as public affairs officer, Xanthi immersed herself in the needs and educational concerns of the young people of the dwindling historic Rum (Greek) Christian Minority in Istanbul.

“She also serves on the board of the Beau Biden Foundation and Amani Global Works, which focuses on the health needs of children on the Island of Idgwi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on HOPE, a newly established ministry on Long Island’s East End which hopes to address the scourge of human trafficking.

“She, along with Father Alexander, have been instrumental in fundraising efforts for the ministries and beautification of Long Island’s jewel— the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton. They are now involved in efforts towards the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center.

“Father Alexander and Presbytera Xanthi are the parents of three children, Michael, Anastasia, and Olga and have nine grandchildren, Alexander, Konstantine, Xanthi, Luca, Konstantina, Demetrios, Steven, Leo, and Michael.”

The post Father Alex, Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos to Receive Athenagoras Human Rights Award appeared first on The National Herald.

It can be difficult to shop for mom, but books are always a thoughtful gift. From mysteries and thrillers to travel and theatre, there is something for every taste in reading to choose for a Mother’s Day gift or a gift any time of the year. Add the following books to your reading list or to mom’s and enjoy.

The Notary by Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, translated by Simon Darragh, tells the story of a wealthy count on his deathbed, his libertine nephew, an upstanding young clerk, and a scheming notary who stops at nothing to protect his daughter in this iconic tale of suspense, intrigue, love, and murder. The classic mystery by Rangavis, is set on the island of Kefalonia on the eve of the Greek War of Independence of1821. Modern Greek literature’s contribution to the tradition of early crime fiction, The Notary can be compared to works by E.T.A. Hoffman, Edgar Allan Poe, and Wilkie Collins.

Rangavis was born in Constantinople in 1809 and was among many things a poet, author, translator, and historian of literature. He was a prominent figure in Greece, serving as a professor of archaeology at the University of Athens, minister of Foreign Affairs, and ambassador to Washington, Constantinople, Paris, and Berlin. His scholarly works included Hellenic Antiquities (1842-1855), Archaeologia (1865-1866), and the first History of Modern Greek Literature (1877). The Notary was among his collection of fiction. Although he spent a great part of his life abroad, in his later years, Rangavis lived in Athens where he died in 1892. The Notary in English translation and the Greek original are available online.

Walking in Athens with Constantine Cavafy, written by Cavafy after his first trip to the Greek capital with his brother Alexandros. The Alexandrian poet was 38 years old at the time, summer 1901, on vacation from his job.

A fascinating map is included so readers and travelers can compare present-day Athens to the Athens Cavafy describes in the book. Many of the buildings, cafes, and theaters Cavafy mentions did not survive the volatile years 1922-1949, but the general outline of the city center has remarkably stood the test of time. Seeing Athens through Cavafy’ eyes, comparing it to the experience of the modern city, will undoubtedly add layers of interest to the reader’s contemporary Athenian experience, allowing the discovery of a multifaceted city, the cradle of ancient civilization, and a dynamic, modern Mediterranean capital. The book is available at www.etpbooks.com.

The Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Greek Plays (Oberon Modern Playwrights) by various authors includes M.A.I.R.O.U.L.A by Lena Kitsopoulou, translated by Aliki Chapple; Angelstate by Nina Rapi, translated by the author; Wolfgang by Yannis Mavritsakis, translated by Christina Polyxroniou; Hunger by Charalampos Giannou, translated by the author; and Juliet by Akis Dimou, translated by Elizabeth Sakellaridou. The book highlights the work of established and up and coming playwrights who should be more well-known outside of their native Greece. The collection includes a foreword and introductions to each play by prominent academics in Greek contemporary theatre.

The post Gift Ideas for Mom and Books for Her Reading List appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Dr. Theodora Dorina Papageorgiou, assistant professor of neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, always wanted to go into science, she told The National Herald on a recent visit to TNH’s offices in Long Island City. Born and raised in Athens, she now calls Houston home where she lives with her husband, attorney James Cargas, who recently ran for Congress.

He was praised for his campaign by Republicans and Democrats alike for sticking to the issues, though the voters chose another Democrat to move on in the primary. His wife, supportive throughout, is working on some of the most cutting-edge research in neurology. She recently received a grant from the McNair Medical Institute to continue her work focused on investigational targeted brain neuro-therapeutics, including the rehabilitation of visual cortical blindness, speech/motor impairment and chronic pain as a result of traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumor, neurodegenerative disease, and pain syndromes.

Dr. Papageorgiou told TNH about this remarkable work which will undoubtedly change the way many patients are treated for a variety of injuries, disorders, and diseases. Her interest in science and medicine began early on. Her father, Dr. George Papageorgiou, is a physician with three specialties and a PhD, as well. She credits her parents for instilling the passion for education and science in her and her sister, Dr. Angela Papageorgiou, who is a cancer biologist doing pancreatic cancer research at Harvard. Their mother, Olga, studied English literature in England and taught them the English alphabet before they started school. Her parents met at the Red Cross Hospital in Athens where her father was a physician and her mother was a volunteer.

After passing the Greek exams, Papageorgiou said her mother asked if she wanted to study in the United States and she said yes. Accepted to the University of Georgia, she studied psychology and sociology, and then attended Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health earning her master’s in psychiatric epidemiology. Her sister also attended the University of Georgia and went onto earn her PhD at MD Cancer Center. Papageorgiou visited her sister there and was really impressed with the Texas Medical Center. “It’s an amazing place in terms of medicine and science,” she told TNH, “So I went there to the graduate school with a focus on neuroscience, and got my PhD degree in human brain neuroimaging.”

Three fellowships followed, one at MD Anderson, two at Baylor, and a joint appointment at Baylor and Rice University in the engineering department there. Papageorgiou said of Houston, “It’s very diverse, the Texas Medical Center is extremely diverse with people from all over the world.”

About the focus of her research she explained, “Human brain neuroimaging, so we all know what an MRI is, it looks at the structures of the brain, fMRI looks at not only the structures but also the function of the brain, functional MRI, but what we’re doing in my lab very few people in the world are doing this. It’s called real time functional MRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI). So in real time we read the activity in the patient’s brain and we feed it back to re-circuit the brain, but what my lab is doing is very individualized and targeted treatment, potentially treatment, we hope, for patients who have neurological disorders, specifically people who have cortical blindness, so the blindness is not the result of a retinal problem but rather of a lesion in the brain at the location of the brain responsible for vision as the result of a stroke or traumatic brain injury or tumor resection… Using this technology, we capitalize on areas in the brain that are functionally associated with a lesion area but they’re intact, that give us the ability to reorganize pathways which is feasible because there is a lot of redundancy in the brain, a lot of copies so under specific, targeted, and individualized training, we’re finding that we can accomplish this for these types of patients restore visual recovery.”

Papageorgiou also noted that another patient population “we are also looking at people with lower cranial nerve injury, so basically the nerves that control tongue movement are lesioned which has terrible complications because they cannot swallow, they cannot eat, they have speech problems, and so we’re using the same principle to reorganize pathways and try to capitalize on those that maybe have some function still and also in the pain area we are starting a new study on patients who have as a result of cancer treatment, have neuropathic pain and that lingers even after treatment so we want to map the brain to see what happens at the brain level after this treatment they receive and how can we eliminate pain using again the same technology. The lab has a development component, we’re developing the technology and, at the same time, we’re applying it to patients and also we’re looking at healthy people to better understand these pathways and optimize our approach to patients.”

She added that “this method is completely non-invasive, the same way someone lays supine in the MRI scanner, it’s the same thing but they have to engage doing a task.”

“Somebody may wonder if these people are partially blind how can they see, but apparently the brain receives some messages and after a while there is this learning that occurs,” Papageorgiou said.

As the patient performs the task, repeatedly, data is being collected in real time and precise calculations are being made. The results for some patients who return for treatments over time to maintain and improve their outcomes can be life-changing. Papageorgiou noted that this treatment is “not one size fits all, it’s individualized and targeted.”

The post Dr. Dorina Papageorgiou Talks to TNH about Her Life and Work appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Dr. Roy Vagelos, Chairman of the Board of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, was honored by the Hellenic Medical Society of New York (HMSNY) with the Lifetime Achievement Award at their annual Dr. George N. Papanicolaou Award Symposium on May 10 at Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan.

Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, who currently serves as the Given Foundation Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as Obstetrician and Gynecologist-in-Chief and the Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, was also honored at the event with the Hellenic Medical Society Award. Many distinguished guests attended the event, including Consul General of Greece in New York Konstantinos Koutras and Regeneron’s President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. George D. Yancopoulos.

The Symposium, in honor of the late Dr. Papanicolaou’s work and contributions, awards distinguished scientists as well as students who participated in the essay competition “Dr. George Papanicolaou: His work and life and how I feel as a Greek American,” was organized by the Federation of Hellenic Medical Societies of North America, in collaboration with the HMSNY, Weill Cornell Medical College, the Pan-Evoikos Society of America, the Institute of Dodecanese Studies and the Greek Teachers Association “Prometheus.”

The event began with a photo by the bust of Dr. Papanicolaou and a tour for the students, teachers, and guests of the library and the lab where Dr. Papanicolaou invented the Pap test, which remains one of the most valid and more reliable tests for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer. In seventy years since it was introduced, the test has saved the lives of millions of women across the globe.

A reception was held at the Weill Greenberg Center and then all attendees entered the Uris Auditorium where the presentations and the award ceremony were held.

In his welcoming remarks, the HMSNY President Dr. George Liakeas, noted the vision and goals of the society as well as its contribution to young medical students and doctors. He concluded his remarks by saying that he has no words to express his pride in the students who attend the event, for future scientists and researchers who have so much to offer in the field of science.

Then, the MC of the event and President of the Federation of Hellenic Medical Societies of North America, Dr. Spyros Mezitis, presented the life and work of Dr. Papanicolaou, whom he described as “father of cytopathology.” He also mentioned the importance of the Papanicolaou symposium and the role and contribution of the Medical Society. Finally, he thanked all those who contributed to the establishment of the Symposium.

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. P. Roy Vagelos for his many contributions to the field of medicine and to society. In his career, Dr. Vagelos has contributed to the creation of many important drugs, including those for cholesterol, and noted that his scientific achievements are mainly the result of hard work and teamwork.

His acceptance speech was peppered with anecdotes from his personal life and enchanted the audience who gave him an enthusiastic round of applause. In a comment to The National Herald Dr. Vagelos described Dr. Papanicolaou as “Giant,” leaving behind an enormous legacy.

Dr. Chervenak referred to Dr. Papanicolaou’s scientific work and the way the great researcher changed the history of medicine. He presented the research and writing of the great scientist emphasizing his pioneering character. Finally, he referred to the enormous impact of Papanicolaou’s work and his contribution to the health sector.

The essay contest winners were then presented with their awards by President of the Greek Teachers Association “Prometheus” Demosthenes Triantafillou. He congratulated all the students for their academic success and thanked the prize sponsors and the members of the competition committee.

Dr. Triantafillou noted the importance of Dr. Papanicolaou’s work and expressed the wish that his work be more widely known, as scientists as this are healthy standards for the younger generation. He made a moving reference to his late wife Barbara and her wish to financially support Hellenic American Education in America.

The winners of the competition who received the $250 prize were:

Evangelos Zanakis- Thomas Jefferson in Fair Lawn, Alexandros Theofanopoulos – Francis Lewis High School, Martha Christina Karaiakofoglou – Ridgefield Memorial High School, Evgenia Katechis- Demetrios High School, Zacharias Kotronis – Hastings High School, Athanasia Mezitis – Hunter High School, Ioannis Stamatis Melissourgos – St. Demetrios High School, Maria Baltzis – Wayne Middle School, George Panaousis – Francis Lewis High School, Maritina Sardis – Fort Lee High School, and George Fostinis – Francis Lewis H.S.

Sponsors of the awards were: Dr. Vasiliki Saitas, Dinos Rallis, Kostas and Kiki Prentzas, Frederica Sagiani, Dr. John Nathenas (DIAS Prize), the Greek Teachers Association “Prometheus,” Dr. Nicholas Triantafillou, and the newly established Hellenic Academy of Philosophy-Science-Education in memory of Barbara Triantafillou (four awards).

Dr. Demosthenes Triantafillou told TNH that this event is a result of the decision to study and promote the history of the Hellenic American Community and its contribution to Hellenism so that the new generation of Greek-Americans can feel pride in their heritage.

The post Hellenic Medical Society Honors Dr. Roy Vagelos with Lifetime Achievement Award (Vid & Pics) appeared first on The National Herald.

WASHINGTON (ANA/P. Kasfikis) – The Greek embassy in Washington opened on Saturday its doors to the public as part of the annual event organized by the European Union delegation to the United States for Europe Day.

The event was held in cooperation with the embassies of the 28 member states located in the US capital, while for another year the Greek participation proved to be very popular, as it is estimated that almost 2,500 visitors came to the embassy.

Emphasizing on hospitality and using rich audiovisual material to promote the monuments and natural beauties of Greece, the staff of the Embassy as well as volunteers took advantage of the opportunity to showcase Greek tourism, culture and the high quality of Greek products.

The post Greek Embassy in Washington Opens its Doors appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – “I’m on a mission to make people smarter,” Kalliope Barlis said at her talk Inspiring and Educating Women to Make Better Decisions on April 25 at Wells Fargo in Manhattan, hosted by the Hellenic Professional Women.

Bestselling author and top phobia-relief expert Barlis said struggling to make better decisions is not gendered but rather is something both men and women must overcome.

“Every decision is part of a strategy,” Barlis said. “Every strategy is part of a motivation.” Knowing what you want is one of the most important things.” In other words, understanding your own unique, personal motivation both in specific instances and in your broader desires is pivotal to making better decisions. When you’re facing a decision, she says you may want to ask yourself: which option will help you get to where you ultimately want to be?

“The brain works like a GPS. You cannot just put ‘somewhere’ into a GPS and expect to suddenly find yourself in the right place. You need to know where you want to end up.”She explained that when you start to think “on purpose with purpose” you will make decisions that are better for what you want in the long run. She cautioned that not only should you be planning to get somewhere specific, but that you should also ask yourself: “Where are you going after you get it?” Finding long-term success in life is about the “continuum.”

“What is it that you can start doing differently?” Barlis asked the audience of women. The attendees consisted of professions in a wide range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to acting and teaching, who were at various stages in their careers. All were there for different reasons, but what they had in common was the desire for self-improvement. During the Q&A at the end, the audience elaborated that they struggled with such issues as trusting their intuition, making choices when there are many options from which to choose, as well as a range of workplace issues, such as office cattiness and competition among women.

Walking the audience through a variety of exercises, Barlis brought transformation to the inner lives of the audience members. In one exercise designed to empower women to face individuals who seem larger than life, she asked the audience to close their eyes and when they envisioned someone they felt intimidated by to shrink that person down to the size of a quarter. Barlis then asked the audience to do a gut check and see how they felt now that the problematic person was shrunken down. Looking out at the audience, she said she saw smiles spreading across the faces of the women.

In another exercise, the audience members paired off and asked each other a series of questions related to the five senses as they thought first about a purchase they had made in the past that they felt negatively about and then about a purchase that they had made that they still feel was worthwhile. The resulting answers were supposed to be used as guidelines for how to determine feelings surrounding decision-making in the future so that one could be empowered to make better decisions.

“Women especially have a high level of intuition,” Barlis said, explaining that this has to do women having more connections between the two hemispheres of the brain. She encouraged the Hellenic Professional Women audience: “Listen to your intuition.” Learning to understand and trust your emotions is important when it comes to decision making, but it goes both ways: “How you think influences how you feel.”

“If you’re going to walk around weak and act like prey, you’re going to be prey,” Barlis warned the audience. The author and expert in neuro-linguistic programming told a story of how when she was starting out learning to play golf, because she dressed the part and acted confident, she was given access to the same places as the professionals—and it wasn’t long before she too became a pro-golfer. Find your inspirational models. As Barlis said, “You can just mirror what they’re doing.”

Even though she believes that people are ultimately optimists, she says that people’s poor decisions begin because they have limiting beliefs. “If you believe your own BS – Belief System – that’s when you get into trouble.” She advised the audience to “get out of your head” and begin paying attention to what’s going on in the world around them. She particularly called out New Yorkers, saying they take themselves too seriously. “Once you get people laughing at themselves, they’re open to change.”

Barlis encouraged the audience to make wise decisions not just for themselves but for the future generations: “The choice is really yours to make a decision to lead girls into women.” As for her own ambitions: “I’m trying to get to Greece to teach the people there.”

The post Barlis Inspires Hellenic Professional Women to Make Better Decisions appeared first on The National Herald.

Μ: Την Κυριακή είναι η γιορτή της μητέρας.
TEEnkiriaKEEEEne EE yioRTEE TEES miTEras.
On Sunday it is Mother’s Day.

Π: Ναι, γιορτάζουν οι μαμάδες όλου του κόσμου.
NE, yioRTAzoonOLes EE maMAdes TOO KOsmoo.
Yes, in the whole world moms celebrate.

Μ: Τι δώρο θα κάνεις στη μαμά σου;
TEE DOro THA KAnis STEE maMAsoo?
What gift will you give to your mom?

Π: Ένα μπουκέτο λουλούδια και μία κάρτα με ευχές.
EnabooKEtolooLOOdia KE MEEaKArta ME efHES.
A bouquet of flowers and a card.

Μ: Εγώ, ένα μπουκέτο τριαντάφυλλα και μια κάρτα.
eYOEnabooKEtotrianTAfila KE MEEaKArta.
Me,a bouquet of flowers and a card.

Π: Τι θα γράψεις στην κάρτα;
TEE THA YRApsisSTEEnKArta?
What will you write in the card?

Μ: «Αγαπημένημουμαμά,
ayapiMEni moo maMA,
Mybelovedmom,

Είσαι η καλύτερη μαμά του κόσμου.
EEse EE kaLEEterimaMATOOKOsmoo.
You are the best mom in the world.

Σεαγαπώπάραπολύ.
SE ayaPOPArapoLEE.
I love you very much.

Φιλάκια πολλά και μια μεγάλη αγκαλιά.
fiLAkiapoLA KE miAmeYAliagkaliA.
Lots of kisses and a big hug.

Η κορούλα σου.»
EEkoROOlasoo
Your daughter.

Εσύτιθαγράψεις;
eSEE TEE THA yRApsis?
What will you write?

Π: «Μανούλαμουγλυκιά,
maNOOLa moo ylikiA,
Mysweetmom,

Σε αγαπώ πολύ πολύ.
SE ayaPOpoLEEpoLEE.
I love you a lot.

Να είσαι πάντα καλά και χαρούμενη.
NA EEsePAntakaLA KE haROOmeni.
May you always be well and happy.

Ο γιος σου.»
OyiOSsoo
Your son.

BASIC VOCABULARY
Greek word Pronunciation Meaning
ΤηνΚυριακή TEEN kiriaKEE On Sunday
Είναι EEne is
Ηγιορτή EE yioRTEE celebration
Ηγιορτήτηςμητέρας EE yioRTEE TEES miTEras Mother’s Day
Γιορτάζουν yioRTAzoon they celebrate
Ημητέρα EE miTEra mother
Ημανούλα EE maNOOLa mommy
Ημαμά EE maMA mom
Τηςμαμάς TEES maMAS of my mom, mom’s
Στημαμά STEE maMA to mom
Οιμαμάδες EE maMAdes moms
Ημαμάμου EE maMA moo my mom
Ημαμάσου EE maMAsoo your mom
Όλου Oloo of the whole
Τουκόσμου TOO KOsmoo of the world
Τι TEE what
Δώρο DOro present, gift
Θακάνεις; THA KAnis? will you do?
έναμπουκέτο EnabooKEto a bouquet
ταλουλούδια TA looLOOdia flowers
τατριαντάφυλλα TA triaNTAfila roses
και KE and
μίακάρταMEEa Karta a card
στηνκάρτα STEEN Karta on the card
οιευχές EE efHES wishes
με ME with
θαγράψεις; THA YRApsis? will you write?
αγαπημένημου ayapiMEni moo my beloved, my dear
είσαι EEse you are
ηκαλύτερη EE kaLEEteri the best
σεαγαπώ SE ayaPO I love you
πολύ poLEE very, a lot
πάραπολύ PArapoLEE very much
πολλά poLA many
φιλάκια fiLAkia kisses
μιααγκαλιά miAagkaliA a hug
μεγάλη meYAli big
ηκορούλασου EE koROOlasoo your daughter
γλυκιά ylikiA sweet
ναείσαικαλά NA EEsekaLA may you be well
πάντα PAnta always
χαρούμενη haROOmeni happy
ογιοςσου o yiOSsoo your son

EXERCISE
1. On Mother’s Day write a wishes card in Greek for your mom. Complete the sentences.
«Αγαπημένη μου ……..,
Σε αγαπώ …….
Είσαι ……………….
Να είσαι ……….
Φιλάκια …..
Μια μεγάλη ……..
Ο/ Η ………. σου.»
2. Try to answer the questions in Greek.
Πότε είναι η γιορτή της μητέρας;
………………………………………………….
Τι δώρο θα κάνεις στη μαμά σου;
………………………………………………….
Τι θα γράψεις στην κάρτα;
………………………………………………….

PRONUNCIATION KEY
i (ill), ee (beer), e (ever), o (organ), oo (boot), y (yes), h (helium), th (theory), d (the). The capitalized syllables are accented.

The post Our Everyday Greek: On Mother’s Day we Say our Wishes to Mom in Greek appeared first on The National Herald.

BOSTON, MA – Dr. Stefanos Kales, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, delivered the presentation “Traditional Greek Diet: Benefits, Applications to Workplaces and Outreach,” to over 70 attendees at the Consulate General of Greece in Boston. The symposium was organized by The New England Hellenic Medical and Dental Societyheld under the aegis of the Consul General of Greece in Boston, Stratos Efthymiou.

Dr. Kales opened his talk by postulating that much of the current widespread interest in Greek food and “eating like a Greek” derives from the worldwide obesity epidemic, combined with the robust body of evidence developed over many decades supporting that the Traditional Greek Dietas the best overall pattern of nutrition for preventing disease and improving the quality of life. Kales presented compelling historical and medical data to argue that the Traditional Greek Diet of the 1950s and 1960s is the quintessential example of the healthy pattern popularly known now as the Mediterranean Diet.

The key elements of the Traditional Greek Diet are a high intake of extra virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, other plant proteins and fibers (nuts and legumes), unrefined whole grains, and fish; a moderate intake of dairy, eggs and lean meats with moderate alcohol intake of wine with meals; and low red meat and sweet consumption. Kales argued for linkages to Ancient Greece (Magna Grecia), the principle of Pan Metron Ariston (everything in moderation is best) and the natural bounties of the Mediterranean basin to the presence of similar healthy patterns being found in Greece and Southern Italy in the 1960’s. On the other hand, Kales demonstrated that changing economics and lifestyles in Greece have led to dramatic departures in Greece away from the traditional rural diet. This has resulted ina much higher consumption of red meats and saturated fats, a decreased intake of vegetables and legumes and consequently, marked increases in obesity among Greek children.

Closely following the principles of the traditional Greek diet significantly reduces the risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia and other chronic diseases, while increasing the quality of life and longevity. Accordingly, the Mediterranean Diet has been recognized by a U.S. government panel as healthy for Americans and ranked by national nutrition experts as the best overall option for most people and importantly, as the easiest healthy nutrition pattern to follow. Its simplicity is based on the lack of calorie counting; no complicated food restrictions (the ability to eat any food within limits), and its appeal as an indulgent and tasty, but healthy lifestyle. Therefore, Kales emphasized the need for Greeks to view and promote everyday Greek eating as “lots of greens, beans and extra virgin olive oil”, rather than a caricature of the occasional treats of lamb and baklava.

Kales highlighted efforts by his research team to bring traditional Mediterranean eating to American working populations such as firefighters and police officers, as well as various types of outreach to the general population both in the United States and in Greece. This included the successful “hands-on immersion” conference he organized in Halkidiki, Greece with Harvard and other eminent international authorities last October. In this regard, he quoted the observation of renowned expert, Prof. Walter Willett of Harvard: “the traditional Mediterranean Diet is the world’s most well documented eating pattern for promoting a long and healthy life. Experiencing this diet, delicious as well as healthy, in its homeland was an unforgettable experience.”

Accordingly, the evening at the Consulate was completed in the fashion of a true symposium with a delicious array of healthy Greek mezedes and wines, prepared by Chef Petros Markopoulos of Ithaki restaurant of Ipswich.

The post Dr. Stefanos Kales Presents The Benefits of the Traditional Greek Diet appeared first on The National Herald.

LONDON – Another Greek scientist of the diaspora achieved international acclaim for his work and was this year elected a member of the Royal Society in Britain.

Vassilis Pachnis, one of the 50 distinguished scientists who were elected members of the Royal Society this year, is the group leader of a research team studying the development, organisation and functioning of the nervous system at the Francis Crick Institute. The aim of his research is to better understand nervous system-related disorders.

Born in Greece, he graduated from the University of Athens Medical School in 1980 and received his Ph.D. in Genetics in 1986 from the University of Pennsylvania and the Fox Chase Anti-Cancer Center in Philadelphia, USA. After post-doctoral research at Columbia University in New York until 1991, he moved to the UK and has been head of research teams since then, initially at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research and subsequently at The Francis Crick Institute.

Pachnis has also been the director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the Foundation for Research and Technology in Crete. He has authored many research papers and is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

The post Greek Diaspora Scientist Pachnis Elected Member of the Royal Society in Britain appeared first on The National Herald.