OCTOBER 19-21

LECANTO, FL – Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, 4705 W. Gulf-to-Lake Hwy in Lecanto, holds its Greek Festival October 19-21. Enjoy Greek bakery items, food platters (dine in or take home), jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts, religious items, gyro and souvlaki, live music and dancing. Hours: Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20, 11 AM-8 PM; and Sunday, Oct. 21, 11 AM-5 PM. More information is available by phone: 352-527-0766 and online: stmichaelgoc.org/festival.

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 36 Pinellas Avenue N. in Tarpon Springs, holds its Greek Festival October 19-21. Enjoy Greek food and pastries, wine tastings, folk dancing, Greek band and DJ, various performers, and kid zone activities all weekend. Hours: Friday, Oct. 19, noon-10 PM; Saturday, Oct. 20, 11 AM-11 PM; and Sunday, Oct. 21, 11 AM-4 PM. More information is available by phone: 727-937-3540 and online: stnicholastarpon.org.

CUMMING, GA – Saints Raphael, Nicholas & Irene Greek Orthodox Church, 3074 Bethelview Road in Cumming, holds the 14th Annual Cumming Greek Festival October 19-21. Enjoy authentic Greek food, continuous live Greek music and traditional bouzouki, live traditional Greek dance performances, petting zoo, children’s crafts, and shopping- various gift stores are a shopper’s paradise, filled with a variety of Greek items – authentic Greek sailor hats, clothing, ceramics, copper, books, icons, jewelry, gold, and handcrafted items. Hours: Friday, Oct. 19, 3-9 PM; Saturday, Oct. 20, 11 AM-9 PM; and Sunday, Oct. 21, 12-5 PM. Adults- $2, Children 12 and under- Free. More information is available by phone: 770- 945-2750 and online: cumminggreekfestival.com.

OCTOBER 21

MANSFIELD, MA – Patriots Football Game Viewing Party at St. Gregory the Theologian Greek Church, 1007 West Street in Mansfield, on Sunday, Oct. 21. Join us for a wonderful family fellowship event following the Divine Liturgy and Coffee Hour. We will cheer our hometown team on large screens in our function hall! Patriots vs. Bears, Kickoff: 11:45 AM. Full Football Menu! Nachos, Buffalo Wings/Chicken, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Chill, Bean Corn Salad, Veggies and Dips, and Dessert. Adults: $10. Kids: $5. Please RSVP to skatinas@comcast.net by October 17.

OCTOBER 23

MANHATTAN – HABA invites you to a discussion on Trends in Tech Entrepreneurship, featuring Marina Hatsopoulos, Chairperson of the Board & Investor, Levitronix Technologies LLC, at Wells Fargo Connections, 150 East 42nd Street (between Third and Lexington Avenues) in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6 PM. More information is available at: haba.org. Register at Eventbrite.

OCTOBER 25

MANHATTAN – The Association of Greek American Professional Women (A.G.A.P.W.) invites you to a seminar presentation by attorney Mrs. Varvara Gokea on Wills, Trusts & Asset Protection – Discover How to Best Protect Yours and Your Family’s Assets at Wells Fargo Conference Center, 150 East 42nd Street in Manhattan on Thursday, Oct. 25, 6-8 PM. Sponsored by AGAPW & ALLILONnet. More information at: agapw.org or contact info@agapw.org or 917-405-6833.

OCTOBER 26

MANHATTAN – HANAC invites you to its 46th Annual Gala, Friday, Oct. 26, 7:30 PMhonoring Bruno Frustaci Contracting, Inc. & Carmen Padilla, Volunteer of the Year, at the Mandarin Oriental, 80 Columbus Circle in Manhattan. More information is available at: hanac.org.

OCTOBER 27-28

UPPER DARBY, PA – St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 229 Powell Lane in Upper Darby, holds its annual Greek Festival October 27-28. Experience Greek cultural traditions, food, and entertainment. Enjoy popular Greek foods like gyro and souvlaki and be entertained by the live Greek bands performing nightly with vibrant dance groups in authentic costumes. Hours: Saturday, Oct. 27, 11 AM-11 PM; and Sunday, Oct. 28, noon-9 PM. More information is available by phone: 610-352-7212 and at: saintdemetrios.org/festival/.

OCTOBER 28-DECEMBER 9

TARPON SPRINGS, FL – Workshops in Greek Bouzouki with Leonidas Zafiris and Elias Poulos, Sundays, 2-4 PM, October 28;  November 4, 11, 18, and 25; December 2 and 9, atSafford House, 23 Parkin Ct. in Tarpon Springs. Fee: $5 donation per class requested.The City of Tarpon Springs is pleased to present a series of workshops in Greek bouzouki for youth and adults by Leonidas Zafiris and Elias Poulos.Classes will be divided into beginning (2-3 PM) and advanced (3-4 PM) sections. Students should bring an instrument, and there will be a few bouzoukis available on site for beginning students. In addition, a limited number of bouzoukis are available through a Bouzouki Lending Program at the Tarpon Springs Public Library, 138 E. Lemon Street. 727-943-4922. More information is available by contacting Tina Bucuvalas 727-937-1130 or tbucuvalas@ctsfl.us.Classes are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

OCTOBER 29 

MANHATTAN – The Manhattan Chapters of the AHEPA Family, AHEPA-Delphi #25 and Daughters of Penelope-Evryklea #36, invite you to their Joint Monthly Social & Networking event at Kellari Taverna in Manhattan on Monday, Oct. 29, 6-8 PM. All existing members, those interested in joining, and those interested in networking are invited to attend. Open to ladies and gentlemen – casual business attire. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres – cash bar. More information is available at: ahepa25.org.

OCTOBER 30

MANHATTAN – The Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation presents renowned conductor and pianist Marios Papadopoulos in Concert at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W 67th Street in Manhattan on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Please visit kaufmanmusiccenter.org for tickets.

NOVEMBER 1-4

BALTIMORE, MD – Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Annunciation, 24 West Preston Street in Baltimore holds its Greek Festival November 1-4. Enjoy delicious Greek food and pastries, cooking demonstrations, dining room, outside tent area with food and entertainment, historic and cultural displays, Church tours, vendors, live Greek music Saturday night, dance groups, and dance lessons. Free Admission and Free Parking. Hours: Thursday, Nov. 1, 5-9 PM; Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 AM-9 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 4, Noon-6 PM. More information is available by phone: 410-727-1831 and online: goannun.org.

NOVEMBER 2

MANHATTAN – The Hellenic Lawyers Association invites you to its 30th Annual Dinner Gala at The Pierre, 2 East 61st Street in Manhattan, on Friday, Nov. 2, 7 PM. More information is available at: helleniclawyersassociation.org/events.

NOVEMBER 2-4

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 502 S. Chaparral Street in Corpus Christi, holds its Greek Festival November 2-4. Greek foods, pastries, and more. Admission is free.Live Greek music and dancing. Hours: Friday, Nov. 2, 5-11 PM; Saturday, Nov. 3, 12 noon-11 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 4, 12 noon-5 PM. More information is available by phone: 361-883-9843 and online: stnicholasgoc.net.

NOVEMBER 3-4

LANCASTER, PA – Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 64 Hershey Avenue in Lancaster, holds its Greek Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 3, 10:30 AM-7:30 PM and Sunday, Nov. 4, 11 AM-6 PM. Enjoy Greek pastries, souvlaki stand, crafts, bookstore, church tours, eat in, drive-thru, take out, attic room, gourmet room, Greek music and dancing. Tickets: $12 in advance, $14 at the door. More information is available by phone: 717-394-1735 and online: annunciationorthodox.org.

The post Going on in Our Community appeared first on The National Herald.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The rough-looking young men brought clubs and brass knuckles to the Pechersk Monastery in Kiev , one of Orthodox Christianity’s most important pilgrimage sites, apparently seeking to disrupt worship. Police spread-eagled them against a wall decorated in faded centuries-old frescos of solemn saints, then hauled them away.

On the other side of the dispute, at a small church in the center of Kiev, a dozen men organized round-the-clock guard duty, worried that nationalist radicals might make their third attempt in a year to seize the place of worship.

The incidents a week ago underline the tensions in Ukraine as it prepares to establish a full-fledged Orthodox church of its own. The planned religious rupture from the Russian Orthodox Church is a potent — possibly explosive — mix of politics, religious faith and national identity.

The imminent creation of the new Ukrainian church raises deep concerns about what will happen to the approximately 12,000 churches in Ukraine that are now under the Moscow Patriarchate.

“The question of what will happen to the property of the Orthodox churches existing in Ukraine after the emergence of a single local church is key and could be one of the most painful” issues of the Orthodox split, said Volodymyr Fesenko, an analyst at the Ukrainian think-tank Penta.

Since the late 1600s, the Orthodox Church in Ukraine had been a wing of the Russian Orthodox Church rather than ecclesiastically independent — or “autocephalous.” Many Ukrainians chafed at that arrangement, resenting its implication that Ukraine was a vassal state of Russia.

Schismatic churches formed under their own Ukrainian leaders, but they were not recognized as canonical by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the so-called “first among equals” of leaders of the world’s Orthodox Churches.

That is about to change.

The Russian Orthodox Church, furious at the move, announced it would no longer recognize the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It also fears it will lose deeply cherished sites including the Pechersk Monastery, the seat of the church’s Ukrainian branch and a major tourist destination renowned for its richly decorated churches and labyrinthine caves holding the relics of holy men.

It’s not exactly clear when the autocephaly will be formally granted. The two schismatic Ukrainian churches must meet to decide who will be the patriarch of the unified church. Once that decision is made, Constantinople is expected to grant the independence order.

In recent years, about 50 churches in Ukraine that were under the Moscow Patriarchate have been forcibly seized and transferred to the Kiev Patriarchate, according to Metropolitan Antony Pakanich of the Moscow-loyal Ukrainian Church.

“People have been forcibly dragged out of our temples, the locks have been sawed off,” he told The Associated Press. “People in camouflage and balaclavas, with insignia of radical organizations, have come and beat our believers and priests.”

Some believers say they will forcefully defend their right to stay.

“The creation of a local church will push for a new round of confrontation … we, who are supporters of canonical Orthodoxy, will defend our interests here,” said Ilya Bogoslovsky, a 28-year-old who came with his wife and daughter for a service at the chapel of the Tithes Monastery, where the guards had been deployed.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has hailed the creation of the full Ukrainian church as “a guarantee of our spiritual freedom,” has pledged that there will be no action taken against parishes that choose to remain under the Moscow Patriarchate.

Similar promises have come from Patriarch Filaret, head of the largest of the schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox churches, who said “creating a single Orthodox Church in Ukraine does not mean that the Russian Orthodox Church does not have the right to exist on our territory.”

But some Ukrainian nationalists appear ready to use force. In September, radical right-wingers broke into a church in western Ukraine, beat up a priest, drove parishioners away and locked the building.

A leader of the ultranationalist C14 group, whose adherents have twice attacked the Tithes church in Kiev, sees the presence of Moscow Patriarchate churches in Ukraine as a form of propaganda by an “aggressor country” since the Russian Orthodox Church has close ties with the Kremlin.

The Tithes church is “the Kremlin’s political tool,” Serhiy Mazur said.

The war between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, which began in 2014 and has killed at least 10,000 people, has also sharply increased the hostility toward the Moscow Patriarchate churches.

Father Sergii Dmitriev, a chaplain in the Ukrainian army, was once part of the Moscow church but switched to the Kiev Patriarchate after the Russia-linked church began to refuse holding funerals for Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.

“To be in the Moscow Patriarchate is to take part in the murder of Ukrainians,” he told the AP. “Not only those who pull the trigger are responsible, but those who bless the pulling of the trigger.”

With such passions on both sides, the cleric feared that more violence between the two uneasy neighbors lay ahead.

“The birth of a new Ukrainian church is taking place amid throes for which everyone should be prepared,” he warned.

The post Birth of a New Ukrainian Church Brings Fears of Violence appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – Greek Orthodox Theological Scholars Drs. Aristotle Papanikolaou and George Demakopulos, professors at and co-Directors of Fordham University’s Center of Orthodox Christian Studies, recently spoke with the National Herald about their work and the current state of Orthodoxy. The interview follows.

TNH: Please tells about the Orthodox Christian Studies Center’s structure, mission, and contribution to theology and theological scholarship.

AP/GD: The program in Orthodox Christianity began at Fordham University officially in 2004 with the inaugural Orthodoxy in America Lecture, which was given by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios. Since then, through the support of the Administration, especially the President, Fr. Joseph M. McShane, SJ, we were able to establish the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, which is primarily a research center, and has expanded its programming to include conferences, faculty, and dissertation fellowship, the Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies, and the Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought book series for Fordham University Press. Our mission is to advance knowledge of Orthodox Christianity at the academic, ecclesial, and public levels, and to offer a space for discussion of questions and concerns that are normally difficult to address at a parish level.

TNH: What is it like to have an Orthodox academic center in the very heart of a prominent Roman-Catholic university?

AP/GD: Since Vatican II, the Roman Catholics, and especially the Jesuits (Fordham is a Jesuit university) have very good friends to Orthodoxy, even if Orthodox Christians have not reciprocated. The Jesuits have been very good to us at Fordham, and it is telling that after His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, visited Fordham in 2009, we were told that the Jesuits commented on how the ecumenical gathering in the University Chapel that celebrated the bestowal of an honorary doctorate on His All Holiness was “Fordham at its best.”

TNH: Is it just an academic learning vehicle or it is also a witness of the Orthodox faith, tradition and thought?

AP/GD: It is both. There is really very little understanding of Orthodoxy, even though there is much desire to know about it in the wider Christian world. So, there is definitely witness of Orthodoxy, but also we promote and encourage critical academic engagement with Orthodox theology, and with the sometimes rigid ways that Orthodoxy is perceived. This critique is both external and internal in that many Orthodox Christians perpetuate false claims about their own faith. For example, many Orthodox claim Orthodoxy has never changed in 2000 years. That is absolutely false.

TNH: What does theology have to offer to contemporary digital world and today’s men and women who view the faith mostly as an ideology and less as a personal relationship with God? How do you describe the ontology of faith?

AP/GD: The challenge is to convince people that being “religious” is about a personal relationship with God. That is very difficult today, when people are declaring that they are “spiritual and not religious.” The question we must answer, and which our Center attempts to address, is “why be Orthodox?” We believe that the reason that people are rejecting religion in general, and why our own people are leaving the Church, is that Orthodoxy is often portrayed as a religion of simply rules to follow to get to heaven. What is often forgotten is that Orthodoxy has a rich spiritual tradition of thinking and learning to realize theosis in our life, which, if God is love, means to be more loving in the world. Our tradition is like any tradition in the arts: it is one of learning and cultivating the practices that allow one to become Orthodox, not simply claim it as an identity. Much like a dancer needs practice to become a dancer, our Church is a training ground where we engage in practices to become Orthodox, which is deification, which is becoming more loving. Our Center attempts to uncover and amplify these forgotten aspects of our faith and tradition, which we feel can meet the challenge of those who are leaving the Church or claim religion is simply an ideology.

TNH: Can you name some unique programs and activities that the Center does in order to engage in dialogue other Christian Affiliations or even the fundamentalism aspect of Christianity?

AP/GD: Most of our programs have an ecumenical component to them, from the Orthodoxy in America Lecture, to the Solon and Marianna Patterson Conference on Orthodox/Catholic Dialogue, to the Orthodoxy and Human Rights project funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. One of our most unique programs is our online publication, Public Orthodoxy (publicorthodoxy.org). It is here especially that allow engagement with issues that many in Orthodoxy feel should not be discussed, such as ordination of women to the diaconate and the impact of fundamentalism in the Church.

TNH: Who takes your courses at Fordham?

AP/GD: Mostly non-Orthodox students, who love to talk about theology and love to learn about Orthodoxy. We have a minor in Orthodox Christian Studies, and were the first to establish this program of study in the United States. Hopefully, we’ll see more of it at other colleges and universities.

TNH: Has the Intuitional Church anything to do with Theology today in theory but most especially in practice?

AP/GD: The institutional Church is always living a particular theology; the question is whether it’s living the theology of the Church. There are those, even bishops in the Church, that criticize theologians, often making it seem that we engage in speculations that have no real practical impact. This is a false impression. Theology is everywhere, and we are all theologians. The challenge is to embody a theology that is faithful to the logic of the Incarnation. For example, the Russian Orthodox Church often engages in actions that are not consistent with the ecclesiology of Orthodox theology. That is why theology is important—its role, in part, is to critique the actions of the institutional Church.

TNH: Sometimes we get the impression that the salvific message of Christ is lost in the Institutional structure of the Church with all that magnanimity, fanfare, and ethicism?

AP/GD: It does, and that is unfortunate. That is why we need more Centers for Orthodox Christian Studies at many universities and colleges around the United States. These Centers can project the beauty of the Orthodox faith in a way that is disentangled from the dysfunctionality we see in the global institutional Orthodox churches.

TNH: How does mainstream America see Orthodoxy? How does the theological intelligentsia view the Orthodox Church today with all those ethnic divisions, which became more vivid before and after the Great Synod in Crete two years ago?

AP/GD: Mainstream America knows very little about Orthodoxy, but its main source of knowledge really is what it learns about the Russian Orthodox Church in the media, which is not a good representation. Once, however, mainstream American students read and study the liturgy, texts and traditions of our Orthodox faith, they see its beauty and power to bring us into a closer relationship with God.

TNH: What was the real message that the Great Synod conveyed to today’s world and especially to younger generations?

AP/GD: That the Orthodox Churches can and should meet to discuss and provide guidance for the challenges the Church faces. It was good for our young people to see our Orthodox leaders meet and engage in conversation over difficult issues. It was unfortunate that some Churches did not show, but that did not detract from the very positive fact that there was a global meeting, the first in centuries.

TNH: How deep is the religious war in today between Christianity and Islam?

AP/GD: Not deep at all. More manufactured in the media than reflecting the real relations between Muslims and Christians around the world.

The post Fordham’s Orthodox Center Scholars Speak with TNH appeared first on The National Herald.

The late George Kokines, internationally recognized artist, is receiving a long overdue hometown salute. On September 20, 2018, the National Hellenic Museum opened its “George Kokines: Layers Revealed,” exhibition, the first ever retrospective of the artist. Employing a mix of loaned objects along with those from the NHM Collections, this exhibition traces Kokines” artistic development and accomplishments both in the terms of Abstract Expressionism as well as the artist’s lifetime journey to embrace his Greek American identity.

Kokines was born in 1930 in Chicago to Greek immigrant parents. While never finishing high school Kokines nonetheless studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, earning a BFA in 1960 piece graduation, Kokines won the Art Institute’s Frank G. Logan medal and prize for emerging artists for his piece, “Embracement No. 1.” With this award came $2,000 giving Kokines not only the confidence but the very means to devote himself full-time to his art.

In 1963, Kokines was invited to exhibit work at the Whitney Museum’s Annual Contemporary Painting Show. Two years later, the removal of his colorful abstract paintings from a show at the Chicago Cultural Center started a media debate on censorship and taste. “In 1965 after the main library’s chief librarian removed eight of his abstract paintings, deeming them too suggestive (Chicago Tribune December 7, 2012).” But this controversy included supporters of Kokines as well as critics. “After the Chicago librarian pulled his paintings, Mr. Kokines won support from nuns at Barat College in Lake Forest (IL), who exhibited 20 of his paintings , and also from his former employer, Hugh Hefner, who brought the eight paintings the library had found too provocative (Chicago Tribune December 7, 2012).”

In 1966, Kokines moved to New York City in 1966 while continuing to show in Chicago. For nearly 40 years Kokines continued to paint. Kokines and his family first moved to Greenwich Village where they lived throughout the 1970s. Kokines maintained a studio in SoHo while working at two SoHo artist bars, the Broome Street Bar and Fenella’s. Kokines “was in on the original happening of SoHo, during a time when the area was still mainly factories, and just beginning to be wildly creative, and the Broome Street Bar was the epicenter of the young art crowd. Robert Mapplethrope was a regular, along with Robert Jacks, Ken Tisa, Robert Boyles, George Kokines and many other talents who formed an exciting, entertaining and encouraging clique of artists (The Villager, April 3, 2014).”

It was while Kokines was in New York that he “increasingly used textured surfaces, and, during a residency in Italy, began constructing cement surfaces which he incised and painted. These pieces were shown in Ferrara, Italy, Chicago, and New York. He also continued to produce extensive works on paper, including small accordion books and the Etudes series, a return to free-form organic shapes. Kokines taught periodically throughout his career, holding artist-in-residence positions at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and teaching classes at NYU and RISD. He also served as a guest lecturer at schools around the city (georgekokines.com).”

Then, in 1993, Kokines traveled through Greece, making stops at his parents” hometowns. “Orthodox Mythological” is among his art works inspired by this visit (Independent Press-Telegraph, April 26. 1964). Various writers have noted that this extended visit Kokines markedly reconnected his personal and family history (and so artwork) to ancient Greece.

Kokines” later studios were located in Long Island City and lower Manhattan, where he witnessed firsthand the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This event affected his life and his work for the remaining years of his life. “Kokines was two blocks from his lower Manhattan studio, having coffee across the street from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He witnessed the falling towers and was turned out of his home and studio for several months (georgekokines.com).” As he recalled for the press later, “That’s my studio,” says the 70-year-old Chicago-born and schooled Abstract Expressionist painter, pointing to a converted loft building once at the foot of the World Trade Center. Inside are more than 200 paintings and drawings, a lifetime of work that may not have survived the attacks, and a home that’s still virtually off-limits weeks later (Chicago Tribune, October 16, 2001).”

In 2005, Kokines returned to Chicago moving to the Rodgers Park neighborhood “quickly becoming a part of the neighborhood’s arts community (Chicago Tribune December 7, 2012).” With Kokines” return to Chicago, he began work and completed his “September 11” pieces. About these works, he said, “People who know how to read the code will understand it and those who don’t will never understand it.” This installation was first exhibited in Elgin, Illinois in 2011 (georgekokines.com).” Of special note to Greeks and Greek-Americans is that the current NHM exhibition includes the painting “Agios Nikolaos,” representing the small Greek Orthodox church that also stood at Ground Zero.

George Kokines” standing as an international recognized artist can, in part, be documented by the number, variety and locations where his art has been exhibited or held by public institutions. A representative number of Kokines” solo exhibitions includes: the current National Hellenic Museum, Chicago September 2018; Centro Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2001; Brooklyn Brewery 2000; Gruen Gallery, Chicago 1993, 1999; Rosenberg Gallery, New York 1985; Musei Civici d’Arte Moderna, Palazzo dei Diamante, Ferrara, Italy 1982; Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago 1965, 1967, 1968, 1972; Richard Feigen Gallery, Chicago 1962, 1964 and the John Gibson Gallery, Chicago, 1962.

A selection of Kokines” group exhibitions includes, but is not limited to the O.K. Harris Gallery, New York 1998; Rosenberg/Kaufman Gallery, New York 1995; Andover Gallery, New York 1994; Blondie’s Gallery, New York 1991, 1994; Arts Club of Chicago 1963, 1966; Richard Feigen Gallery, Chicago

Henry Gallery, Seattle; B.C. Holland Gallery, Chicago 1960, 1961; Allen Frumkin Gallery, Chicago 1960, 1961; John Gibson Gallery, Chicago and the Hyde Park Art Center 1959, 1962.

A selection of Kokines” museum exhibitions would have to include the Art Institute of Chicago, Local Artists 1959 – 65; Walker Museum, Minneapolis 1965; Tacoma Art Center, Tacoma 1965; Krannert Museum, Champaign, Illinois 1963; and the Whitney Museum, Annual Exhibition, New York 1963.

A short list of the public institutions that hold various examples of George Kokines” artwork includes the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; National Hellenic Museum, Chicago; Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, Massachusetts; Michigan State University/Broad Museum, East Lansing, Michigan; Musei d’Arte Moderna, Palazzo Massari, Ferrara, Italy, Ferrara, Italy; New York Public Library, Prints and Artists Books Collection, New York City.

On November 26, 2012, it was announced that George Kokines died of leukemia at his home in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. “George Kokines: Layers Revealed,” now showing at the National Hellenic Museum is a partnership project presented also as part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art exploring Chicago’s art and design legacy, with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. The works in this exhibition exemplify Kokines” improvisation and the textural and large-scale style of his work. Demonstrating his mastery of abstraction, this exhibition reveals the brilliance and skill of George Kokines. Showcased during this year-long exhibition is George Kokines” largest art-installation of his career, “September 11.” Clearly, this is a major exhibition of an international recognized Greek-American artist. Complementing the art are the related educational programming, docent-led tours and field trips for school children that will be offered throughout the year.

The post George Kokines: a Local Artist of International Fame appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America released information concerning the report on St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. The full text of the news release follows:

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, keeping with her on-going commitment to transparency and accountability, has posted on its website, the results of Phase II of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC (“PwC”) investigative report (the “Report”) regarding the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine (“St. Nicholas”).

On October 16, the Special Investigative Committee (SIC), authorized by the Archdiocese to conduct an independent review of the St. Nicholas project, released Phase II of the Report to the Archdiocese along with a summary communication based on the Report. (See below for links)

As reflected in the Report, after extensive investigation, it has been determined that:

• There is no evidence that St. Nicholas funds were improperly paid to any individuals employed by or associated with the Archdiocese.
• There is no evidence or allegation that fraud was committed in connection with the St. Nicholas project.

The SIC has recommended that the St. Nicholas rebuilding effort be spearheaded by a new legal entity, which will do the fund-raising and overseeing of the project, that may be affiliated with, but is independent from the Archdiocese, with separate bank accounts and an appropriately qualified board.  Incorporation documents for a new legal entity, the “Friends of St. Nicholas,” have been prepared and will soon be filed.  More information on the Friends of St. Nicholas will be available in the coming weeks.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America expresses his enormous gratitude to the members of SIC and to Mr. George Stamboulidis of BakerHostetler, counsel to the SIC, and Mr. David Daly of PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC for their tireless efforts in compiling this Report.

Please see these links:
The results of the Phase II Report
The SIC’s summary communication regarding Phase II, is available at this link.
The earlier Phase I Report is posted at this location.

The post Special Investigative Committee Releases Phase 2 Saint Nicholas Report appeared first on The National Herald.

John A. Catsimatidis made his fortune – some $3.1 billion now – with a vision of small supermarkets that paid off and now has Ocean Dreams – the name of a 425-unit luxury rental complex overlooking the Atlantic in Coney Island, towering over the mostly poor and moderate income 50,000 residents who inhabit a place known for a carnival park and hot dogs.

Catsimatidis, 70, who unsuccessfully ran for New York Mayor in 2013 and has parlayed a smart strategy of buying land in what seems undesirable areas and sitting on it until the time is right to development, has now added Real Estate King to his title an triumphs.

While grocery stores have shrunk to less than 2 percent of the assets of the Manhattan-based Red Apple Group, real estate development in New York City now represents about 15 to 20 percent of his many dreams company, the New York Times wrote in a feature on his gambits that are paying off big time so far.

Ocean Dreams, two 21-story structures that will give residents that precious view of the Atlantic, will open next summer but Catsimatidis, itchy for more successes, has plans to expand his vision of luxury rentals looking toward the water and away from the drearier aspects of Coney Island, a long way from the Roaring 20s Boardwalk Empire and still more like the down-and-out home of The Warriors, the 1979 film in which a gang caught in the Bronx had to fight their way home.

Catsimatidis knows what he’s building. Ocean Dreams comes after he built four luxury buildings on Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene, naming three of them after his wife, daughter and son, brick reincarnations of neighboring structures and a soaring glass building he called the Eagle.
He can see so far ahead of others in business he’s a double visionary and now he’s looking at rebuilding and rebranding Coney Island and adding more waterfront towers– could it become a tony address and lure the young?

“We tamed Myrtle Avenue,” Catsimatidis told The Times. “Now we’re taming Coney Island.” He knows New York too, having lived in the city since his Greek parents brought him here as an infant.

It looks like gentrification instead of taming and the buildings are drawing some complaints from residents who worry about traffic and a change in their neighborhood.

He has been approved for an 11-story luxury rental near Ocean Dreams but said he hopes to revise it to 21 stories to match the others, and add another where residents were hoping a closed complex that once housed a social-service agency that’s set to be demolished might become a community center: he envisions instead two more towers and is maneuvering like Nucky Thompson, the fictional character of Boardwalk Empire.

He wants others to share what he sees in what real estate can do, for residents as well as the developer, and work is proceeding on two towers with angled sides to increase the number of apartments with ocean views, as well as terraces and balconies.

Three-quarters of the apartments will be studios and one-bedrooms, with the remainder mostly two-bedrooms. Although rents won’t be set until closer to the start of leasing in the spring, Catsimatidis said that a two-bedroom might be priced at $4,000 to $5,000, “depending on the floor.” A 24,000-square-foot common terrace on the second floor will include a bocce court and a putting green, among other goodies.

In the rear of Ocean Dreams, the Coney Island boardwalk will be widened and outfitted with exercise equipment, benches, and plantings, while the front facing Surf Avenue will have ground-floor retail space earmarked for a grocery store and a pharmacy, the paper said.

With the nearest subway station on Stillwell Avenue a mile away, Catsimatidis said he’s going to run a shuttle bus that looks like San Francisco cable cars and says his buildings will have 301 parking spaces, sparking neighbor’s concerns about traffic.

He’s betting he’s going to be right again and that Coney Island, which draws revelers in the summer, will grow with him. It’s an expensive move: Ocean Dreams could cost as much as $280 million but he thinks people will see what he does.

“When you’re up there and you open the balcony doors and breathe in the ocean air,” he said, “you’ll live 10 years longer.” Don’t bet against him.

The post Supermarket King Catsimatidis Turns to Rebuilding Coney Island appeared first on The National Herald.

DETROIT – “Gathering the ‘Lost Sheep’: How can I help my family and friends actively return to the Church/Faith?” will be the subject of a talk Monday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 43816 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48302.

The speaker will be the Rev. Gabriel Bilas of St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church, Fenton.

The presentation is sponsored by Orthodox Christian Women of Michigan (OCW). It is free of charge and open to all members of the public.

Also see OCW’s Facebook page.

OCW was founded in 1993 to provide spiritually enriching and educational presentations and activities, to promote Orthodox unity, to provide opportunities for Inter-Orthodox fellowship, and to perform charitable works. All women who are members of Orthodox Christian parishes in metropolitan Detroit are invited to become supporting members and participate in the organization’s activities.

The post “Gathering the Lost Sheep” Talk at St. George Church, Bloomfield Hills appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – We last featured Nomiki Konst on the front page of our March 19, 2016 edition (“Nomiki Konst: the Face of 2016 Politics on TV”) when in the heat of that year’s presidential campaign, the Arizona-born New Yorker with roots in Northern Epiros, Kefalonia, and Kalymnos (the family name was originally Konstantakis), a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter, was working to help her candidate capture the Democratic presidential nomination (he ultimately fell short after a very strong challenge), and she was featured on numerous national television networks throughout the race.

Two years later, the 34-year-old committed corruption fighter is running for a seat that exemplifies her professional passion: New York City Public Advocate. To that end, she recently spoke with The National Herald about that campaign, as well as her thoughts on the Democratic Party, political reform, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and 2020. The interview follows:

TNH: Please tell us about the position for which you are running, NYC Public Advocate. Give us a job description and please explain: why are you interested in this position and why do you think you are a good choice to serve in that capacity?

NK: The office of the NYC Public Advocate was created to be the independent voice for all New Yorkers; an important check on the lawmakers of New York. We know that effective city government is accountable city government; it is not a matter of intentions, but a matter of results. This is not a job for machine-owned politicians or a stepping stone to Gracie Mansion. This is a watchdog position tailor-made for a communicator who knows how the levers of power work, but doesn’t stand to benefit from pulling them. It’s vital – given the history of corruption in this city – that the office of public advocate be removed from political machines and special interests. Through my career as an advocate against corruption, investigative reporter, and activist, I have proven my ability to pursue truth, accountability, and justice in face of influence peddling and machine politics. I have the courage and the ability to exercise the unique office and powers of the Public Advocate’s office to its fullest abilities and to create meaningful positive change. I hope to make my campaign a model for how I would develop the position of Public Advocate and show, not tell, the changes we need to make life better for all New Yorkers.

TNH: You have been referred to as a “democratic socialist” by some, and even though it is becoming more of a mainstream term among Democrats, many still associate it with unfavorable past historical events. How do you define “democratic socialist” and do you consider yourself one?

NK: Terms like “Democrat,” “Republican,” “liberal,” “conservative,” “capitalist,” “socialist” and others mean different things to different people. To me, democratic socialism is the idea that more democracy in our economy will lead to better outcomes and move us towards a more moral, efficient and prosperous society. Giving Americans power and protection in the workplace and giving working families a voice in government has time and time again produced more effective businesses and more effective government. As Greeks know too well, the American left/center-left/center-right/right is not the same as the worldwide left-to-right spectrum. The recent normalization of the term democratic socialism in the United States is eclipsing the cold war hangover – in that language and political labels have blocked everyday people from asking for, let alone receiving, vital services for their families. But I am also cognizant that some extremists will use this moment to paint reasonable policy with provocative Soviet illustrations. But as a Democrat who feels that we have lost our way as a party, I think it’s important for us to recognize that working people have either been on the sidelines or left the party for other choices because we became too focused on national stars and big dollar fundraising, then the crises facing communities, like ours in NYC. When I think of what Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the group, represents and can do: it’s the values that bring working people back into our party, which was once the working person’s party. To quote the late Senator Paul Wellstone, someone who would have proudly called himself a democratic socialist today, “we all do better when we all do better.” It is simple in principle but in practice requires discipline and determination. Additionally, I would say that with more democracy comes more transparency. It is the idea that transparency is not only as quoted by Justice Louis Brandeis “the greatest disinfectant” but also the greatest incubator. New York City is a world-class forward-thinking city that needs an equally forward-thinking government to keep it the indispensable city of the 21st century.

TNH: Tell us about the initiatives you have taken to help reform the Democratic Party. Why do you think it is in need of reform, what reforms have been made, and what are some of the most pressing challenges the Party still needs to reform?

NK: I spent the last two years on the DNC’s Unity Reform Commission. I was one of 21 members appointed by Secretary Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Chairman Tom Perez to travel the country, investigate our party structures, problems, mistakes and seek solutions. It’s no secret that since 2008 the Democratic party raised more money than ever but somehow lost 1,000 seats, taking it to its weakest point since 1929. As Van Jones said, “the Democrats lit a billion dollars on fire in 2016.” The Commission dealt with reforming the presidential primaries and caucuses, the superdelegate system and the internal structure of the DNC. We ended up passing the most sweeping set of reforms the party has ever seen: eliminating superdelegates on the first ballot, opening up primaries and making caucuses more democratic and inclusive and adding more fiscal transparency. Do I think we need to reform more? Absolutely. Especially around transparency and accountability. But this two-year process toward reform was historic and I am very proud to have been on this commission which will transform the party at this historic moment.

TNH: You were a national surrogate for Bernie Sanders in 2016 during the primaries and later for Hillary Clinton, whom you supported in the general election. Please elaborate on those two candidates.

NK: I am a Democrat. I am a millennial. And I am and activist. While I initially supported Secretary Clinton’s and even VP Joe Biden’s potential run, I was moved by the solutions being presented by Sen. Sanders on income inequality, when no one was talking about bold solutions. As a member of the generation that will likely do worse financially than their parents, I witnessed young people turn out in thousands responding to Sen. Sanders’ platform. And when Secretary Clinton won the primary, I moved on to endorse and campaign for her across the country and on television. We have much to learn from 2016, and our party needed to remember that it was built off the backs of working immigrants, like our Greek community. Somewhere along the way the party became about big business, trying to compete with Koch Brothers, I suppose. But we lost our base. I’m eager to see how we grow. Because we need more New Deal values and less Big Business values.

TNH: You are also a strong critic of Donald Trump’s presidency. To the extent, however, that you favor political reform as opposed to politics as usual, and to the extent that Trump, like Sanders, is to a considerable extent outside his party’s establishment, and since you so strongly support one but oppose the other, at what point do you draw the line where you are not willing to support an anti-establishment candidate, and for what reasons (political, character, etc.)?

NK: I worry about the state of our republic and the role foreign oligarchs are playing in cities across the world. We have a housing crisis in New York that started as Donald Trump made a name for himself. My mentor, the acclaimed late investigative reporter Wayne Barrett, was the first to expose the real estate corruption of Donald Trump. He went on to write an award-winning book on him (Trump: The Deals and the Downfall, 1992), a clear warning of what was to come. Let’s be totally clear: Trump’s use of populist messaging, especially on manufacturing and trade, was coached by folks like extremist Steve Bannon, and cultivated as early as the late 70s by former Roy Cohn aide Roger Stone. Anti-establishment was his gimmick, and it was being offered at a time when our Democratic Party invested fully with the emblem of establishment politics and stopped funding local parties and its own base. When the Democratic “workers’” party stopped investing across the country, there were vacuums left where a messenger who speaks to voters had appeal. This is why Democrats need to be inclusive of working people’s values, understand their pains, have solutions and invest in every part of the country. When they don’t, someone who speaks the right words capitalizes. Donald Trump spoke the language, but clearly was in bed with the worst of the .001%. Sen. Sanders, by contrast, has a long track record of accomplishing things for working people, from his time as Mayor of Burlington to his current tenure as one of the leaders of the Democratic Party. His “outsider” strategy is based on adherence to principles rather than blind application of power. I believe profound reform is needed in our city and in our nation but the genius of our system is that it provides the opportunity for change however messy it may be at times. There are many role models for how to be a leader in these times, I don’t believe Donald Trump is one of them.

TNH: What type of strategy should the Democrats use to try to defeat Donald Trump in 2020? Which should they go after harder, his personality or his policies? Do you have any ideal candidates in mind?

NK: I am looking forward to supporting any candidate in 2020 who isn’t afraid to run a message based campaign steeped in the concerns of actual people and movement organizing. If healthcare, infrastructure investment, and education aren’t at the top of any candidate’s list, I will likely move on. But to more directly answer the question, they need to go hard after the oligarchs capitalizing off of a broken and manipulated political system. It is vital to remember that what we are seeing across the country is the natural conclusion of 40 years of policy, not the aberration of one misinformed nihilist in love with the sound of his own name and little else. I think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are both potential candidates with a strong level of consistency that the electorate deserves, but am also excited to see a vigorous primary take shape that maybe highlights some less known, outside the box and younger candidates, and just as importantly brings the ideas of younger, more diverse working class candidates to the fore. The lack of a developed “bench” on the Democratic side is about to become crippling as the Democratic leadership becomes elderly. And this is a result of a generation of Democratic leaders overly invested in the institution of the party and not the results of the party. We must always be reaching for the stars, but holding a hand out to bring those up below us. That’s what responsible and wise elders do, if anything, to protect their legacies.

More information about Nomiki Konst’s candidacy for NYC Public Advocate is available at nomikikonst.com.

The post Nomiki Konst, Anti-Corruption Champion, Runs for New York City Public Advocate appeared first on The National Herald.

This year’s Original Greek Festival in Houston was held at the newly renovated Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and was a feast of Greek food, music, dancing and culture.

One of the most popular features of the festival is the food, of course, Houston Food Finder noted, especially the traditional favorites of souvlaki, spanakopita and baklava.

“The recipes are ones we’ve used for the last 50 years,” said Dana Kantalis, who is a member of the Original Greek Festival board. “These are our tried-and-true creations, and they represent what we think are great expressions of Greek cooking. These foods have become what so many people think of when they think about Greek and Greek-American cuisine.”

Kantalis and Mike Koinis, the wine guy, take pride in the work they and their fellow volunteers do for the festival all the time.

The post Don’t Mess With Texas: Houston’s Greek Festival Roars On appeared first on The National Herald.

The Order of Saint Andrew issued the following statement decrying Israeli bill allowing for confiscation of church lands:

“The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, notes with sorrow and dismay that the Israeli Knesset is once again attempting to pass a law that would allow for the confiscation of Church owned-lands.

“The implications of this discriminatory bill cannot be overstated. The “Proposed tenant rights law on leased land that was sold,” introduced by Member of the Knesset Rachel Azaria, exclusively effects lands own by Churches, not Jewish- or Muslim-owned lands. It is scheduled to be discussed by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation this Sunday, October 21.

“This bill is a new version of a previous bill introduced by MK Azaria last February, which led the heads of the Churches in Jerusalem to order the closure of the world’s holiest site for Christians, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, as an act of protest.

“At that time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to head a new committee to deal with this matter, and assured the Churches that “during the work of Minister Hanegbi on this subject, all legislation shall be suspended.” On July 3, Netanyahu personally reiterated assurances to Church leaders that such legislation would be halted.

“The introduction of this bill in its new form and its pending consideration this Sunday constitutes a flagrant disregard of the Prime Minister’s decision to halt the passing of the bill. It also contradicts assurances that Minister Hanegbi gave to the Churches, and stands as a threat to the relations between the Churches and the State of Israel, as well as to the Status Quo governing the various Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem.

“As Theophilus III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, and Nouran Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, noted during the crisis over this initial bill last February: “The systematic campaign of abuse against Churches and Christians reaches now its peak as a discriminatory and racist bill that targets solely the properties of the Christian community in the Holy Land is being promoted….This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe. This systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land severely violates the most basic, ab antiquo and sovereign rights, trampling on the delicate fabric of relations between the Christian community and the authorities for decades.”

“The same can be said of this new version of the bill. The Order urgently requests that Prime Minister Netanyahu abide by the assurances that he and Minister Hanegbi previously gave to the Churches. We ask that the discussion of the bill this coming Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation be canceled. Above all, we request that all relevant Israeli authorities issue a definitive assurance to the Churches that legislation of this kind will be definitively and permanently rejected, and the property rights of the Churches respected.

“Such an assurance is vital to protect the freedom and vitality of the world-historical and all-important Christian holy sites of Jerusalem, and the peaceful relationship between the Churches and the State of Israel.

“Together with all the Churches in the Holy Land, we stand united, firm and resolute in our determination to protect our rights and our properties. May the Holy Spirit answer our prayers and bring a resolution to this historic Crisis in this venerable Patriarchal city of our Church.

Anthony J. Limberakis, MD
Archon Aktouarios
National Commander”

The post Order of Saint Andrew Decries Israeli Bill Allowing Confiscation of Church Lands appeared first on The National Herald.

The letter Ε, ε and the diphthong ΑΙ, αι are both pronounced as the letter ε = e (-e-nergy). Are there any slight differences in their pronunciation? Are there any grammatical rules for the use of and in the words?

Though the diphthong ΑΙ, αι is composed of two vowels, Α, α and Ι, ι these letters haven’t kept their original sound, but they are pronounced as one, e. Ancient Greeks had the short Ε, εand the long diphthong ΑΙ, αι. That means that while speaking, the duration of the sound e in the long diphthong ΑΙ, αι was almost the double compared to the short Ε, ε. The only exception was, when ΑΙ, αι was found in the ending syllable of the words. Then it was also a short e. For example, in ancient Greek the ending of the feminine grammatical gender words in the plural was αι, as well as the feminine gender article in the plural: αιωραίαι (E oREe= the beautiful), αιαρχαίαι (E arHEe= the ancient), αινέαι (E Nee= the young). In modern Greek we say instead: οιωραίες (EE oREes), οιαρχαίες (EE arHEes), οινέες (EE NEes).In modern Greek we haven’t kept these values and we keep the same duration for both Ε, ε and ΑΙ, αι.

SPELLING TIP
Ε, ε is more common in the Greek words than ΑΙ, αι. Therefore, if you are puzzled about the spelling of a word, just write it with Ε, ε, if the e is inside the word and not in the ending syllable. Nevertheless, there are a few cases, regarding the ending syllable of the verbs, that you need to take into consideration.

GRAMMATICAL RULE ONE
The ending syllable of the first (I), the second (you) and the third (he/she/it) person in the singular number of the verbs’ passive voice, as well as the ending syllable of the third person plural (they) are always written with αι.(All Greek verbs ending in -μαι are considered as passive voice verbs.)

Greek phrase Pronunciation Meaning
Εγώπλέν-ομαι eYOPLEnome I wash myself
Εσύπλέν-εσαι eSEEPLEnese You wash yourself
ΗΜαρίαπλέν-εται EE maREEaPLEnete Maria washes herself
Ταπαιδιάπλέν-ονται TA pediAPLEnonte The kids wash themselves
Εγώκοιμ-άμαι eYOkiMAme I am sleeping
Εσύκοιμ-άσαι eSEEkiMAse You are sleeping
ΟΠέτροςκοιμ-άται O PEtroskiMAte Petros is sleeping
Ταπαιδιάκοιμ-ούνται TA pediAkiMOOnte The kids are sleeping

GRAMMATICAL RULE TWO
In the first- and second-person plural (we, you), both in the active and passive voice the ending syllable is always written with ε.
Greek phrase Pronunciation Meaning
Εμείςπλεν-όμαστε eMEESpleNOmaste We wash ourselves
Εσείςπλεν-όσαστε eSEESpleNOsaste You wash yourselves
Εμείςκοιμ-όμαστε eMEESkiMOmaste We are sleeping
Εσείςκοιμ-όσαστε eSEESkiMOsaste You are sleeping
Εμείςκάν-ουμε eMEESKAnoome We are doing
Εσείςκάν-ετε eSEESKAnete You are doing
Εμείςθέλ-ουμε eMEESTHEloome We want
Εσείςθέλ-ετε eSEESTHElete You want
Εμείςτρώ-με eMEESTROme We eat
Εσείςτρώ-τε eSEESTROte You eat

GRAMMATICAL RULE THREE
In the Past tenses, both in Simple Past and in Past Continuous, in the active and passive voices, Greek verbs usually begin with an ε in front of the first syllable.
Present Tense
Τρέχω (TREho= I run), γράφω (YRAfo= I write)
Past Continuous Tense
Έ-τρεχα (Etreha = I was running), έ-γραφα (Egrafa= I was writing)
Simple Past Tense
Έ-τρεξα (Etrexa= I ran), έ-γραψα (Egrapsa= I wrote)

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.

ΗαρχαίαΣπάρτη (EE arHEaSPArti) (= Ancient Sparta).

The post Our Everyday Greek: Spelling Tips for the Greek e’s: ΑΙ,αι, and Ε,ε appeared first on The National Herald.

A foundation that received a $500,000 donation from the late Greek-American real estate developer and entertainment businessman John Santikos of Texas to do charitable work in the United States and Greece was awarded the Medal of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite by Archbishop Ieronymos.

The award was presented to the President and COO of The San Antonio Area Foundation, Rebecca Brune, in memory of Santikos, who died in December 2014, leaving his business assets to the charity, estimated at around $600 million.

That included the half million dollar gift to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), which is using the money to offer food assistance to vulnerable families in Greece via the Archdiocese’s Apostoli charity.

“It is an honor and a duty for the Athens Archdiocese to pay tribute to the memory and the charitable example set by a great Greek,” Ieronymos said.

The post Archbishop Ieronymos Honors Late Philanthropist Santikos appeared first on The National Herald.

ASTORIA – The Cretan Association Omonoia NY celebrated its 100th Anniversary on October 20 at the Kritiko Spiti in Astoria with traditional music of the iconic Cretan artists, Nikos Zodakis and Manolis Kontaros. The “Omonoia” Association, founded by expatriate Cretans in 1918, currently has over 700 members, of which at least 350 are active, heading into the 4th generation of New Yorkers, who will take over the reins in a few years and will continue the efforts of this dynamic association.

The program began with the prayer led by the presiding pries of St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria, Fr. Nektarios Papazafiropoulos and Nicoletta Papoutsakis singing the Greek National Anthem.

“I congratulate you, because your presence is necessary in the Diaspora and continue to pass the culture and your traditions to your children. That was the purpose of the Association, when it was founded 100 years ago,” said Fr. Papazafiropoulos.

Maria Koudellos acted as presenter of the program and Omonoia Vice President Panagiotis Rodamis gave the welcoming remarks. The Association’s Secretary Manolis Christodoulakis, presented the history of Omonoia highlighting the important moments of the Association, from its founding in 1918 up to the present.

Pancretan Association of America President Lefteris Dramatinos praised the members’ efforts to keep the Association not only vibrant but also prolific for 100 years.

New York State Senator Michael Gianaris also expressed his deep appreciation of Omonoia, as well as the Cretan Omogeneia, noting that his first pre-election appearance 18 years ago was at an Association event, at their Broadway premises.

New York State Assemblymember Aravella Simotas received a warm round of applause when she said that “we are all Cretans tonight,” urging the members of Omonoia to continue to maintain their customs and traditions from generation to generation.

Omonoia presented a Cretan knife as a commemorative gift to the two Greek-American elected officials, with the hope that “they are not forced to use them.”

During the annual dinner-dance, the Board of Directors of Omonoia presented four awards: The “Venizelio” for the president of the Association, George Digenakis, The “Daskalogiannio” to Eleni Mouzourakis-Nakis, as well as honorary distinctions for two young expatriates with a charitable contribution: Evangelos Kouridakis and Stella – Nicole Frangoudakis.

Mr. Digenakis was honored for his contributions to the association with the “Venizelio” but was unable to attend the event due to serious health issues.

Visibly moved during the presentation, Rodamis asked Digenakis’ four children, George, John, Anthoula, and Sofia to accept the honorary plaque on behalf of their father.

“My father treated the Association better than his home, and you all know that. The Association has taught us many things. As children of Omonoia, we were born and grew up here. This is why Omonoia is 100 years old and will continue to exist. Even the controversies are for the sake of the Association,” John Digenakis said.

Eleni Mouzourakis-Nakis, the first woman to be awarded the “Daskalogiannio,” gave thanks for the honor, while the other two honorees, Evangelos Kouridakis and Stella Frangoudakis received a warm round of applause.

The traditional feast followed, as well as traditional dances performed by Omonoia’s corresponding sections.

The post The Cretan Association Omonoia NY Celebrates 100th Anniversary (Vid) appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – The New York Greek Film Festival Tribute to Dan Georgakas took place on October 20, at the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) Florence Gould Hall in Manhattan. Journalist Vicki James Yiannias, Prof. Peter Bratsis, and film producer Frosso Tsouka discussed Georgakas’ contribution to the presentation of Greek Language films in America. A film screening of A Girl in Black (1956) and a Q&A with Georgakas followed the discussion.

Yiannias noted in her introduction, “Author, educator, historian, and film scholar, Dan Georgakas is one of the founders of the New York City Greek Film Festival. Since the 1980s, he has played a key role in the promotion and exhibition of Greek film in America. He has written extensively about Greek films in newspapers, magazines, film anthologies, film guides, and academic journals. As an editor of the acclaimed Cineaste film quarterly, he established a relationship between Cineaste and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.”

He is Director of the Greek American Studies Project at the Center for Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies at Queens College and has taught film courses at Columbia, New York University, Queens College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of Oklahoma.

Yiannias gave the welcoming remarks and introduced Tzobanaki who thanked Georgakas for his “devotion to the Hellenic ideals and culture, on behalf of the Greeks who love and respect the arts,” and shared “their deepest appreciation for your contribution.”

Tzobanaki continued, “I want to thank you on behalf of all the Greek filmmakers for the wisdom with which you have presented and promoted the art of cinema and last but not least, I want to thank you for all that you have done and that you will do in the future.”

Noting that she first met Georgakas in 2007, at the 3rd Annual NYCGFF, Yiannias said that the discussion they began then, which lasted for hours, continues every time they talk, and she always comes away with new insights and knowledge.

Prof. Peter Bratsis said it was an honor to be honoring Georgakas, a significant historian and ethnographer of labor, Greek American and immigrant labor, cinema, and also a poet whose work has appeared in numerous anthologies of Greek-American poetry. Bratsis also noted that Georgakas was a founder in the East Village of the anarchist group Black Mask in 1967 which eventually evolved into the much more infamous group Up Against the Wall Mother F-ers. “He is important because Dan represents a great evolution in the Greek American life and sensibilities because Dan comes out of the working class like many Greek-Americans, embodies this deep appreciation for the creative capacity, to be human is to create. Dan also understood very early that political action is not only marching in the streets… but first and foremost through art one can have a political impact, and Dan’s poetry is certainly a testament to that and his work in the cinema is influenced by that idea not that everything one does is part of a narrow political project, but the creative capacity expressed in cinema also has political dimensions and that is to be understood and appreciated and studied. The image of Greece and Hellenism could be extended through cinema and the view of Greeks in America changed dramatically following Zorba the Greek and Never on Sunday.”

Tsouka noted Georgakas’ generosity, “sharing everything he knows about the Greeks in America, it’s a lot, the actors and filmmakers from people that do really big productions like Maria Iliou, to someone like me who does a very low budget production, have benefitted from his generosity, and although most of us here know how well-known Dan is in the United States and how much work he has done for films in America, we are not aware of what he has done in Greece and how well-known he is in Greece. I was amazed when I was screening our documentary in Greece to see among the audience, how many knew Dan’s work through the internet and practically every documentary about Greeks in America has an interview with Dan in it and they have been shown on Greek TV and screened in various places. Lately, he has become even more well-known because of the Greek translation of his book on Detroit and for a film that was made in 2014 by Costas Vakkas, screened widely in Greece, called Dan Georgakas: Diaspora Rebel.”

A short clip of the documentary was then screened, in which Georgakas spoke about Cineaste and the future of Hellenism in America. Georgakas’ introduction followed to one of his favorite Greek films: A Girl in Black (1956) directed by Michael Cacoyannis.

A nominee for the Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival, 1956, and winner of Best Foreign Language film at the Golden Globe Awards, 1957, A Girl in Black examines sexual attitudes in Greece, a theme Michael Cacoyannis carries forward from his 1955 film Stella. This time the focus is a small island of Hydra rather than Athens and a provincial community rather than a taverna subculture. Entry to the traditional society is provided by two middle-class Athenians, Antonis (Notis Peryalis) and Pavlos (Dimitris Horn), who arrive on the island for a brief vacation. Rather than staying at the town’s small hotel, the two men rent rooms in a private home, a common summertime practice in the islands. Pavlos falls in love with Marina (Elli Lambeti), the oldest sister in the family, but complications ensue.

Following the screening, Georgakas led a Q&A session with the audience. He told The National Herald that his next book will soon be published, early in 2019.

The post Dan Georgakas Honored at NYC Greek Film Festival Tribute appeared first on The National Herald.

DES PLAINES, IL – The United Hellenic Voters of America (UHVA) held its annual dinner dance Sunday, October 21 at Fountain Blue Banquets and Conference Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, celebrating the achievements of the Greek-American community and friends. The event commenced with a live Greek and American national anthem performance by Lori Theodore, followed by a words from UHVA National Supreme Chairman Kiki Whitehead.

“At a time when our country is at its most divisive, it is heartwarming to see all of us come together in a nonpartisan environment,” Whitehead said. “As Hellenes and philhellenes, we are able to put the political rhetoric aside and rally as one community,” she added.

Present during the evening dinner was Governor of Illinois Bruce Rauner, who said he will travel to Athens next year to foster “trade and investment and tourism…between the people of Greece and the people of Illinois.”

“The Greek community is so vibrant because you have leaders in every walk of life…in education, arts, culture, in business and healthcare,” Rauner said. “The Greek community is involved in entrepreneurship, in starting and running small businesses, and I am a strong advocate for our small business owners.”

Legislator of the Year was Cook County Commissioner and Chairman of the Cook County Law Committee, Peter Silvestri. First Assistant of DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, Joseph A. Ruggiero, was honored with the Excellence in the Field of Criminal Justice plaque, while the Mayor of the Year Award was presented to Angelo “Skip” Saviano, mayor of the city of Elmwood Park.

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathaniel of Chicago was honored for his service as one of this year’s UHVA Most Distinguished Greek-Americans, in the category of religion.

“We shouldn’t just think about our own needs, that’s not being Hellenic. It’s not being Orthodox just to care about ourselves. It’s not right for us to just care about our 401ks and stock portfolios, but we should care about the tens of thousands of people who can’t find jobs or can’t afford to buy the basic necessities or send their kids to school,” Metropolitan Nathaniel said.

“We shouldn’t just care about lowering our taxes, but making jobs accessible to people. We should not just vote for people who help those who have the means of seeking justice…the elite… those who have prominent names, but actually allowing the low man, the no-name to seek justice. We shouldn’t just seek religious freedom for the Orthodox Church, but for all faiths, and even the right of people to have no faith, he said.

Sotiris Rekoumis was awarded a Most Distinguished Greek-Americans plaque for the category of news and media, while attorney Georgia Loukas Demeros received the award in the category of law.

“In addition to working with the Hellenic Bar Association, preserving the Greek language, our culture and our faith, has been another priority for me,” Loukas Demeros said. “The Greek language is a language that has never ceased to be spoken, and our culture is one that is admired and envied all over the world,” she added.

The Pythagoras Children’s Academy was awarded as Most Distinguished Organization for 2018. Restaurant of the Year was the newly-established Briki Cafe. Inducted into the UHVA Hall of Fame was UHVA Board Chairman Nicholas Pappas, while the UHVA Service Award went to UHVA National Advisory Council Chairman and Village of Addison Trustee, Harry Theodore.

Founded in 1974, the United Hellenic Voters of America is a nonpartisan grassroots political organization serving the Greek-American community in the Chicago metropolitan area with chapters in several other parts of the country. The UHVA addresses issues vital to Greek-Americans by participating in political and community affairs, and by establishing relationships with elected officials.

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NEW YORK –This year’s NYU Langone Musculoskeletal Ball is celebrating the recent accomplishments in research, education, and care and building additional momentum behind the faculty’s pioneering work. The event will be held on November 1 at the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. An established leader in musculoskeletal healthcare, NYU Langone is ranked among the nation’s top 10 for its rehabilitation, rheumatology, and orthopedics programs. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach and prioritizing the early mobilization of rehabilitation services, NYU Langone helps patients heal more quickly and completely so they can return home sooner. The rehabilitation team has been recognized for its efforts to increase access to cutting-edge care, with clinics serving communities throughout New York City.

The 2018 Musculoskeletal Ball will celebrate trailblazers in musculoskeletal medicine and raise critical funds to help them move their field forward. All support will directly enhance programs at Rusk Rehabilitation, NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, and NYU Langone Orthopedic Center. This year’s honorees are Dr. Christopher Kyriakides and Dr. Jonathan H. Whiteson.

Dr. Kyriakides is a distinguished member of NYU Langone Health’s medical staff, founder and medical director of New York Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and co-founder and medical director of Health East Medical Alliance, a multi-specialty practice and ambulatory surgery center. Beyond his clinical work, he has spearheaded ventures in academia, serving as chief executive officer of a publicly-traded biotechnology company. During his tenure as CEO, Dr. Kyriakides successfully collaborated with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a patient-specific immunotherapeutic vaccine for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma. He was able to include NYU in this endeavor which became crucial in their recertification as a comprehensive cancer center with the NCI. He currently serves as managing director for two other biotechnology companies involved in drug discovery; Anaplasi Pharmaceuticals and Trixogenesis.

Dr. Kyriakides completed his undergraduate education at NYU, medical education at NYCOM, and is a proud graduate of NYU Rusk Institute for his residency training. He and his wife of 31 years, Anna, have four children. He remains dedicated to medical education, mentorship, and patient care.

Dr. Jonathan H. Whiteson is an associate professor in NYU Langone Health’s Departments of Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine. A highly respected leader within the institution, Dr. Whiteson serves as vice chair of clinical operations at Rusk Rehabilitation and director of the Joan & Joel Smilow Cardiac Rehabilitation & Prevention Center. As an investigator, he has spearheaded research into the rehabilitation of patients with advanced heart and lung disease and congenital heart disease; examined patient outcomes following Left Ventricular Assist Device implantation and trans-catheter aortic valve replacement; and studied methods for promoting heart-healthy lifestyles in outpatients and for preventing the re-hospitalization of individuals with congestive heart failure.

Dr. Whiteson earned his medical degree at University of London, and he completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as a fellowship in cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation at NYU Langone. He has published and lectured widely on cardiac and pulmonary health, rehabilitation, and physical medicine.

More information is available online: nyulangone.org/give/events/nyu-langone-musculoskeletal-ball.

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NEW YORK – As The National Herald recently reported, the Archdiocese of America reinstated Archimandrite Gerasimos Makris at the Holy Cross Church in Brooklyn, after he had been removed pending allegations by a woman of his “improper behavior” of a sexual nature. TNH has now learned that the Archdiocese ignored the decision of its Spiritual Court, which recommended that Fr. Makris not be defrocked but not be reappointed, either.

TNH has learned that the Court convened on September 5 at Archdiocese headquarters, and was comprised of the following three priests: Archimandrite Eugene Pappas, Presiding Priest of Three Hierarchs in Brooklyn; Rev. John Lardas, Presiding Priest of the Archangel parish in Port Washington, NY and President of the Clergy Association of the Direct Archdiocesan District; and Rev. Nikiforos Fakinos, Presiding Priest of St. Demetrios in Merrick, NY. All three declined to comment to TNH, citing the policy of confidentiality on Court matters. Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Andonios of Phasiane did not respond to TNH’s request for comment.

Makris testified before the Spiritual Court, though his accuser did not. TNH has learned that she did not testify because she was not given enough notice and she could not attend on the specific day on which the Court convened. She requested to appear on alternate dates, TNH has learned, but the Archdiocese did not respond to her request.

Priests spoke with TNH on the condition of anonymity, explaining that in March they raised the issue with Bishop Andonios, telling him that Makris is a man of God – innocent, philanthropic, and ascetic, but that Andonios told them it was not their business to inquire and that the Archdiocese was investigating the matter, about which he said there was a file and the matter “goes back some time.”

A Holy Cross parish official knew about the Court session, because the next day he called Andonios’ then-assistant, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Panos, who told him that Makris would be able to return to Holy Cross on the weekend of September 8 and 9, because a decision would have been reached by September 7. Panos also disclosed to the official the three individuals who comprised the Court.
Panos was recently appointed Chancellor to the Chicago Metropolis by Metropolitan Nathanael, and was replaced at the Archdiocese by Fr. Panagiotis Papazafiropoulos.

Makris eventually returned to Holy Cross on October 14, one month after the parish expected him back, on the Church’s feast day (September 14). He was received warmly: the nave was filled to capacity, with many proclaiming “Axios-Worthy!” He joined their annual luncheon at Terrace on the Park.
During his absence, the usually-filled church pews had emptied.

TNH has learned that the issue involving Fr. Makris has reached the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

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NEW YORK (AP) — An ex-New York state Senate leader convicted on public corruption charges wants leniency to spare him from years behind bars.

Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, are set to be resentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood.

Their original convictions were rejected on appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed public corruption law.

They were retried and convicted in July of extortion, wire fraud and bribery.

Prosecutors say the Republican should get at least 6 ½ years in prison.

That would equal what Wood gave his son after 2015 convictions.

Defense lawyers requested no more than two years for the 70-year-old grandfather.

Lawyers say the strain of two trials has caused a rift between the elder Skelos and his son.

Adam Skelos’s lawyers say he is a changed man.

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CHICAGO (BUSINESS WIRE) – BDO USA, LLP, one of the nation’s leading accounting and advisory firms, today announced that Maria Karalis, Karen Stone and Ted Vaughan have each been elected to three-year terms to the firm’s board of directors. Ms. Karalis is a new director, replacing Joe Johnson who completed the maximum two consecutive terms, while Ms. Stone and Mr. Vaughan were re-elected to new terms of service. These changes are effective November 1.

“I want to welcome Maria to the board and look forward to the valuable insight she will bring to the governance process. Karen and Ted have already made valuable contributions in their previous board service and we are pleased that they will continue to do so in the future,” said Wayne Berson, CEO of BDO USA. “I’m proud to see that women now comprise nearly 40 percent of our board. This represents clear evidence of our firm’s commitment to inclusion by providing leadership paths for all professionals.”

Maria Karalis is the managing partner for assurance services in BDO’s Stamford, Connecticut office. She also serves as the leader of the firm’s Cyprus, Greece and U.K. country desks. Maria began her career with the firm in 1994, providing audit and business advisory services to domestic and multinational private and publicly held companies that operate in a variety of industries. During her tenure at BDO, she has been involved with companies undergoing initial public offerings and private placements as well as domestic and international mergers and acquisitions. Maria was admitted into the partnership in 2001.

Karen Stone is a partner in the Charlotte office and serves as the managing partner for tax services in the Atlantic region. During her more than 25-year career in public accounting, she has served clients in multiple industries with a focus on the tax consulting and reporting needs of real estate, manufacturing, consumer business and healthcare companies. Karen has extensive experience in all areas of taxation working with closely held businesses, large publicly traded companies, portfolio companies of private equity firms, as well as high-net worth individuals. She regularly assists her clients with an array of tax specialty areas including merger and acquisition issues. Karen previously served as co-chair of BDO USA’s Women’s Inclusion Strategy Group.

Ted Vaughan is the managing partner for assurance services in BDO’s Dallas office. With more than 25 years of public accounting experience, Ted provides assurance and consulting services to numerous retail, e-commerce and consumer products companies. Vaughan serves both privately held and publicly held companies, assisting with private offerings, initial public offerings, public debt offerings, and merger and acquisition transactions. As a national leader for the firm’s Retail & Consumer Products practice and an integral member of the firm’s Natural Resources practice, he focuses on the accounting and reporting issues facing companies in these industries.

About BDO USA

BDO is the brand name for BDO USA, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm providing assurance, tax, and advisory services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. For more than 100 years, BDO has provided quality service through the active involvement of experienced and committed professionals. The firm serves clients through more than 60 offices and over 650 independent alliance firm locations nationwide. As an independent Member Firm of BDO International Limited, BDO serves multi-national clients through a global network of more than 73,000 people working out of 1,500 offices across 162 countries.

BDO USA, LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is the U.S. member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. For more information please visit: www.bdo.com.

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GROSSE POINTE FARMS, MI – Dr. Harry N. Kotsis was born in Detroit, MI on June 23, 1937. He is the son of Nicolaos and Vasiliki Kotsis, both of whom immigrated to the United States from Greece (Epirus) early last century. His family owned the Athens Grocery in Greektown, Detroit, and he worked there through college with his father, his older brother (the late) George, and his younger brother (the late) Tom. He also has a sister Johanna Soulimiotis of Thousand Oaks, CA, and a sister Chrysoula (who died when she was a toddler).

Dr. Kotsis graduated from Detroit’s Denby High School in 1955 and was accepted to the University of Michigan on a Regent’s Scholarship that same year. He graduated in 1959 with a BA in History and a Minor in Anthropology with highest honors.

In 1959, Dr. Kotsis was accepted into the Wayne State Medical School in Detroit and graduated in 1963. He was then drafted by the U.S. Army and served as a Captain in the Medical Corps. From 1964-1965 he was stationed in South Korea on the DMZ. There he helped establish an orphanage (Sae Sak Orphanage, located at Woon Chun-ri Imjim-myon) and was commended by the Korean government (Office of Paju-Gun Association, Korean National Council for Social Welfare Federation) and by the U.S. Army for his work. From 1965-1966 he was stationed at Arlington, VA where he served in the Honor Guard. He was a military physician for President Lyndon B. Johnson that same year. Also, he volunteered his services at Fort Knox, KY, Ireland Army Hospital to treat a meningitis epidemic (he was the only physician who volunteered to go).

After his honorable discharge (August 5, 1966), Dr. Kotsis resumed his residency in Urology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

For more than 40 years, Dr. Kotsis held a private practice in Urology and worked primarily through Bon Secours Hospital in Grosse Pointe, MI, were he served as both the President of the Medical Staff (Chief of Staff) from 1984-1986 and as Chairman of the Board of Directors (1994-1996 – the first physician in the hospital to hold that position – originally appointed to the Board by the Sisters of Bon Secours). Dr. Kotsis served as Chief of Surgery as well as Secretary of Surgery. He also has served on the Medical Executive Committee, Medical Staff Bylaw Review, Long Range Planning Committee of the Medical Staff, and served as chair of the Quality Assurance Committee. He was a charter member of both the Human Values Committee (addresses ethical issues of health care) and the Medical Manpower Development Committee (insures hospital medical staffing needs are met). Before Bon Secours was acquired by Beaumont, Dr. Kotsis was also a member of La Société de Bon Secours, the philanthropic organization of Bon Secours of Michigan Health Organization, and of the Friends of Bon Secours, which raised funds for Bon Secours Hospital. While working at Bon Secours, Dr. Kotsis also participated in the local high schools’ “Medical Biology Program” (mentoring students interested in biology and the medical profession) and through his close association with the Sisters of Bon Secours, taught human reproductive education at two local high schools (Regina and Notre Dame). He also was on staff at St. John Hospital in Detroit and Cottage Hospital in Grosse Pointe. Further, Dr. Kotsis helped many patients from Greece and other countries come to the U.S. to receive medical care and surgery.

The families of Dr. Kotsis and of Katherine Williams knew each other for years, having grown up in the Detroit Greek community and having attended the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral downtown. After returning home from the U.S. Army, Dr. Kotsis and Katherine began their formal relationship and married in the spring of 1973. Together, they raised four children, Fr. Nicolaos, Philip, Dr. Damian, and Dr. Andrew, and taught them the values and skills necessary to establish careers, honor their wives, raise children of their own, make homes, support the Greek Orthodox Church, and to be charitable especially to those in need. For 45 loving years, Dr. Harry and Katherine devoted themselves to each other, their family, and their Church; never leaving each other’s side.

In 1977, Dr. Kotsis and his family joined the St. John Greek Orthodox Church (then in Fraser, Michigan). In 1978, he joined the parish council and served as its president from 1982-1984 and from 1985-1990 and was one of the parishioners who helped Fr. Nicholas Kyritses lead the construction effort for the present church. Dr. Kotsis and nine other stewards pooled their resources, purchased the land on which the church now stands, and donated it for the building process.

Dr. Kotsis continued to serve on the council until 2002. In October, 2005, he was selected by Fr. Nicholas Kyritses to be one of the “godparents” of the newly consecrated church of St. John the Baptist.

Dr. Kotsis was an active supporter of many philanthropic and professional organizations. With the recommendations of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas and His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, he was made an Archon “Hypnomnematografos” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2006. In 2007, Dr. Kotsis was asked by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas to serve on the Metropolis of Detroit Council, serving from 2013-2018 on the Metropolitan Council as the Vice-Chair. He also served on the Archdiocesan Council.

In his spare time, Dr. Kotsis enjoyed family vacations, fishing with his sons and grandchildren, gardening, and stamp collecting. He was also an avid reader and had a phenomenal retention of knowledge. With a strong appreciation for the arts, he was especially fond of classical music. More than anything, Dr. Kotsis loved spending time with his family; continuously inspiring them and imparting to them his wisdom and his love for life.

He was the beloved husband of Katherine and dear father of Fr. Nicolaos Kotsis (Sandra), Philip Kotsis (Ann), Dr. Damian Kotsis (Anastasia), Dr. Andrew Kotsis (Irene). Dr. Kotsis was the loving grandfather of Harry, Vasiliki, George, Katherine, Thomas, Luke, Katerina, Jon, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexander. Brother of Johanna Soulimiotis (the late Stanley) and the late Chrysoula, George (Doris) and Thomas.

Visitation Wednesday 2-8 pm with Trisagion 7 pm at the A. H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Avenue at Vernier Road, Grosse Pointe Woods.

In state Thursday 9 am until time of service 10 am at St. John Greek Orthodox Church, 11455 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights 48312. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John Greek Orthodox Church or St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 3109 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

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