CHICAGO – Dedicated to holding significant memories of the Greek American experience and Hellenic legacy, the National Hellenic Museum (NHM) announced, on July 24 the launch of the NHM Collections & Archives Portal, which allows anyone to access the Museum’s catalogs online from anywhere by viewing digitized artifacts and archival materials.

With the largest collection of its kind in the world, including a rich repository of over 20,000 Greek-American artifacts, photos, historic newspapers, books, and an archive of over 450 recorded oral histories, the NHM serves as a resource at the center of the community’s past, present, and future.

Visitors may access the free, digital NHM Collections & Archives to view items such as hand-woven textiles from the 1800s, articles of clothing from 1900, historical photographs depicting early Greek American immigrant life, and more at https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/.

“The NHM Collections & Archives Portal showcases the ongoing work the Museum does to protect, catalog, and preserve the historical archives representing the Greek American experience. We are very excited to highlight the important work the National Hellenic Museum does gathering history for all Greek Americans and of course for Philhellenes and scholars,” said Dr. Laura Calamos. “With the launch of the digital archives, everyone will now be able to learn about our storied history and culture from anywhere in the world!”

On the Portal, the NHM Collections & Archives are organized in five sections: Artifacts, which contains a wide variety of three-dimensional items, including religious objects, furniture, textiles, paintings, and ephemera; Library, which is comprised of books in both Greek and English; Oral Histories, which contains hundreds of recorded interviews with Greek Americans (full-length interviews available onsite at the Museum only); Images, a sizeable collection of historic photographs representing Greek American life throughout the 20th century; and Archives, which contains a growing number of finding aids for the processed archival collections donated by Greek American businesses, organizations, churches, and families. The NHM Collections & Archives Portal offers users the opportunity to search for pieces of history by year, language, collection, individuation, material and organization.

“This is just the beginning for the Portal. Every day we continue to add artifacts for online viewing, and we conduct research to add more detail about each item’s place in history. Going forward, we will continue to catalogue and expand the online Portal. With such a great resource so accessible, we encourage everyone to continue to check back often and interact with the NHM Collections online. Now everyone can help build the historical record which will add rich details for preserving the memories of the community,” said Collections Manager Margaret Fraser.

An exciting feature of this digital archive encourages user generated comments for online interactions so visitors to the website have the ability to add information to item records. The NHM Collections, Exhibit and Education Teams then can use such rich community knowledge to add to the Museum holdings and provide visitors with increasingly detailed descriptions of artifacts along with a more intimate understanding of their place in history. While not all comments will appear on the website, such “community tagging” is a great way for individuals to support the Museum and the history it preserves, from anywhere in the world.

The National Hellenic Museum’s Collections & Archives Portal has been made possible thanks in part to a generous donation from the Stathis Family Limited Partnerships.

“The Stathis Family’s contributions to the NHM have been first, to provide a library, at a time when online technology was in its infant stages. Currently, we continue to support the idea of literature and historic preservation by venturing into expansion of the online presence of NHM through its Collections and Digitization Programs to ensure that we keep up with the times technically,” said Georgia Stathis, NHM Trustee and Board Member. “This Museum is not just a museum for the Greek community. Its mission is to preserve, share, and to educate people about Hellenic traditions, history, and culture. It is all-inclusive in terms of people we wish to draw. Regardless of where we go, we now have our history and culture preserved forever on the international global footprint.”

The NHM Collections & Archives represent the Greek experience in America by preserving the items and artifacts that the Greek American community has carried with them, saved, treasured, and eventually donated into the Museum’s custody. The NHM cares for every item in the Collections, providing storage, preservation when possible, and permitting appropriate access to Museum archives for researchers and educators. The NHM accepted the first artifact into its Collections in 1993 – a dowry cedar chest that is currently on display in the core exhibit, “The Greek Story in America”. Since then, the NHM Collections have grown significantly, with the bulk of the Museum’s holdings dating from 1890 – today. These artifacts, and the stories that go along with each one, are used by museum educators, docents and researchers to share learning about Greek American culture and history.

More information on the National Hellenic Museum is available online: nationalhellenicmuseum.org.

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LONDON – The enthronement of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain took place at the Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom (Saint Sophia), Bayswater, London, on July 27.

The ceremony was attended by Metropolitan Emmanuel of France as a representative for His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with hierarchs from all over the world present.

At the end of the enthronement ceremony, the Deputy Minister for Greeks Living Abroad, Antonis H. Diamataris, said, “It is a great honor to represent the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at the enthronement of the Archbishop Nikita of Thyateira and Great Britain. I have followed the Archbishop’s course from my previous position and I can say that he is a capable archbishop who is deeply aware of his ecclesiastical and national mission.

“I would also like to thank and congratulate His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, on the choices he has made. After Archbishop Nikita in Great Britain, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America – who has already made the best possible impression – and Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who has also impressed us, as well as for the upgrading the Metropolis of Canada to an Archdiocese.”

A luncheon followed in honor of the new Archbishop at a central hotel in the British capital.

In his address, the Deputy Minister praised the spiritual, educational, and social work of the new Archbishop and his multifaceted contribution to the American and Hong Kong church and expressed his conviction that he would continue with the same zeal in his new duties.

He said, “From my previous position, that of the publisher-editor of The National Herald, I have closely watched your spiritual, educational, and social work, your morals, your great abilities, your multifaceted contribution to the Church of America and to our large and fine community there. And I am sure that you will also serve this flock with great success and with the same principles that accompany you throughout your ministry.”

Mr. Diamataris also met with leading representatives of the local Greek community associations at a dinner held in his honor, hosted by Greek Ambassador to the United Kingdom Dimitris Karamitsos-Tziras at the ambassador’s residence on the eve of the enthronement. Greek Ambassador to Ireland Aikaterini Simopoulou was also present at the meeting.

The Republic of Cyprus was represented by High Commissioner of Cyprus to the United Kingdom Euripides Evriviades. In his speech, he conveyed to His Eminence the best wishes of the President of the Republic and the people of Cyprus, referring to the historical contribution of the Cypriots to the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Church in Britain. He characterized his election as Archbishop as a “landmark” for the community.

On Sunday, July 28, a Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in London, presided over by Archbishop Nikitas, after which he received the congratulations and best wishes of the faithful at a reception in the Cathedral community center.

Archbishop Nikitas was unanimously elected on June 12 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the recommendation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and succeeding His Eminence Archbishop Gregory, who joined the retired hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Greek-American Congressman Gus Bilirakis was hailed as “Florida’s Most Effective Congress Member” by The Floridian on July 25 following a busy week. Three pieces of bipartisan legislation co-authored by Rep. Bilirakis were passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, The Floridian reported.

Among the three bills was the “Ending One-Ring Scams Act of 2019, the legislation seeks to empower the Department of Justice to stop robocallers from defrauding consumers through a new type of malicious phone call scam that has been affecting Floridians for quite some time,” The Floridian reported, adding that “the legislation was passed as part of the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act.”

Rep. Bilirakis said of the issue, “we all hate the plague of robocalls” and “for some, they are more than a nuisance, as unsuspecting victims suffer financial harm… these bad actors target the elderly and most vulnerable for these crimes. Our bipartisan legislation will help protect the public from these tactics,” The Floridian reported.

Earlier this year, Bilirakis was listed by Vanderbilt University as “the most effective Florida lawmakers based on the number of bills that he has authored and that have become law during the 115th Congress,” the Floridian reported, adding that “Bilirakis prides himself on being able to reach across the aisle to get work done.”

The Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019 and the Fry Scholarship Improvement Act of 2019, also co-authored by Bilirakis, also recently passed the House.

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BROOKLYN – A commemoration of the Battle of Thermopylae and a tribute to King Leonidas of Sparta was organized by the Federation of Associated Laconian Societies at its headquarters in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn on July 28.

In spite of the hot weather, the room was packed and the attendees were riveted throughout the program.

Federation Vice President Elias Panagiotakakos welcomed the attendees of all ages for a program that included lectures and videos, with the contributions of the late Greek academics Dimitris Liantinis (Nikolakakou) and Sarantos Kargakos.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) on July 31 reintroduced the Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act. This legislation would help Medicare beneficiaries live safe and independent lives by creating a five-year national demonstration project administered by the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate the economic impact of allowing reimbursement for low vision devices under the Social Security Act, which are currently excluded from Medicare coverage.

“Medicare coverage of low vision devices would be life changing for seniors with vision impairments. It would give them the ability to partake in everyday activities, whether it be reading a book, watching television or safely crossing the street,” said Rep. Maloney. “With the rising costs of healthcare, we must ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have proper access to any and all necessary medical devices that are currently not covered by Medicare.”

“As a visually-impaired American, I have first-hand knowledge of the difficulties that accompany this condition. Simple tasks can be a significant challenge, and low-vision assistive devices are often required for essential life function. Sadly, many of these products are out of reach for seniors who live on a fixed income, and the devices’ exclusion from Medicare necessitates a difficult choice between extreme financial hardship or disengagement from these vital activities. I view this legislation as a preventative measure that will help seniors stay healthy, active, and self-sufficient for a longer period of time. This is not only better in terms of quality of life for our seniors, but also will result in reduced overall financial cost to the Medicare system. I am hopeful that the demonstration project authorized by this good, bipartisan legislation will help validate this approach,” said Congressman Bilirakis.

“The American Council of the Blind commends Representatives Maloney and Bilirakis for introducing this legislation that will improve access to low vision devices for all Americans living with vision loss. Making low vision devices more affordable is imperative to increasing the independence and quality of life for people who are blind and visually impaired, and ACB and our members urge Congress to support this legislation,” said ACB Executive Director, Eric Bridges.

Original co-sponsors of the bill are Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO).

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VERNON, Conn. (AP) — After worrying for years about the foundations crumbling beneath their houses, hundreds of suburban homeowners in a large swath of eastern Connecticut are getting help from the state to salvage their properties that had been doomed by bad batches of concrete.

The homes are being lifted, propped up into the air and held there as workers jackhammer away concrete that had deteriorated due to the presence of a naturally occurring but corrosive mineral. New foundations are poured and, after six to eight weeks of work, the houses are ready to live in once again. This process is expected to continue for years.

These feats, made possible by financial assistance from the state and a fee on homeowners’ insurance policies, are also rebuilding communities and the lives of residents, including some who considered just walking away from their houses and mortgages.

“Now we’re able to do something,” said Wendy Padula, a retiree who was originally quoted $300,000 to fix her crumbling foundation, which her insurance company refused to cover. The house in the Hartford suburb of Vernon, which she and her late husband bought for $200,000 in 1985, is in the early stages of being fixed thanks to a $175,000 grant.

“Early on when I got my first quotes, I just thought I was going to walk away from the house. There was no way I could afford to fix it,” said Padula, who wistfully recalled how she and her husband were so pleased to buy such a well-built and beautiful home in a nice neighborhood.

“Oh my god. Who would have thought? I mean, this is a beautiful neighborhood and it just is such a shame. What a tragedy,” she said.

Often described as a “slow-moving disaster,” the problem is caused by an iron sulfide known as pyrrhotite, which causes concrete to crack and break gradually as it becomes exposed to water and oxygen. The material containing pyrrhotite has been traced to a Willington quarry used between 1983 and 2015 by a now-defunct concrete company. This pyrrhotite problem is the first of its kind in the United States.

About 700 claims seeking assistance with foundation replacements have been filed so far this year, but Connecticut officials have said the problem could ultimately come in waves, affecting tens of thousands of homes in dozens of towns in the state and as far as southern Massachusetts.

It’s suspected that many with the problem have not yet come forward, and others don’t know they have it yet. State leaders have sought unsuccessfully to obtain federal disaster aid.

“We’re looking at a natural disaster here. A catastrophe,” said Michael Maglaras, superintendent of the private insurance company created by the Connecticut General Assembly to oversee the grant program for homeowners. “This is an insidious problem. It’s gradual. It creeps up through the system and it destroys homes and it destroys lives.”

The Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company, which Maglaras oversees, is funded with $20 million a year for five years in state borrowing and an annual $12 fee on homeowners’ insurance policies. Eligible homeowners can receive up to $175,000 but that often doesn’t cover the whole cost.

More than 40 foundations have already been replaced this year. But it’s unclear how the needs of other affected homeowners will be addressed when the insurance company expires in 2022 and after the money is expected to run out.

Maglaras has urged state lawmakers to extend it beyond 2022. He’s also seeking more money from the state.

“Give me another $100 million … and I will put an end to the first wave of this problem,” said Maglaras, who estimates roughly 2,000 homes will need to be fixed over the next few years. But he acknowledged he “won’t be able to do anything about the second wave” of crumbling foundations, which Maglaras estimates will happen a decade from now.

Several years after the scope of the problem came to light, there has been little progress for efforts to hold anyone accountable.

A 2016 investigation determined the risks of pyrrhotite in residential concrete were not sufficiently known when the concrete was poured, and that the now-defunct concrete company and others were not aware of the problem. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut declined a request filed by homeowners in 2017 to conduct a federal investigation into what state officials knew.

Under pressure to investigate how insurers handled homeowners’ claims, the state’s insurance commissioner, Andrew Mais, said in an interview that the department has not decided whether to look into the denial of claims. Mais said his office is awaiting rulings expected this summer by the state supreme court that could clarify the definition of a “collapse” — an event that standard insurance policies generally cover only when they are sudden or accidental. He’s currently working to convince more insurance companies to donate to a fund to help homeowners pay for costs not covered by the grant.

Meanwhile, a working group created by the General Assembly in 2017 to develop a quality control plan for Connecticut quarries and to study the workforce of contractors repairing and replacing crumbling concrete foundations, has yet to meet, according to Don Childree, a contractor and one of the members. The panel had originally faced a December deadline to report back to lawmakers The General Assembly this session voted to extend the deadline.

Childree, who first came across a crumbling foundation in South Windsor in the early 2000s, has completed over 80 replacements, many of them for homeowners who footed the entire bill themselves. He’s been working seven days a week for months.

“It’s hard to keep up,” he said.

The work involves cutting back the driveway, pulling out the furnace and plumbing, then jackhammering holes into the foundation walls so steel beams can be slid underneath the home.

The house is slowly jacked up using hydraulics and workers hammer away all the concrete before the new foundation is poured.

The region’s real estate market has taken a big hit, residents say, and there is concern about the long-term economic ramifications if people do not get their homes fixed.

Looking around his Vernon neighborhood, Ken Fisher points to one home where the owners “just bailed” and it’s now a rental. Another was sold at a basement-level price.

“The neighborhood is deteriorating, one by one,” said Fisher, who lives in Padula’s neighborhood and is having his foundation replaced at the same time. “It’s just not the way we expected our lives to come to this. It’s pretty heartbreaking. Very heartbreaking.”

—
By SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press

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ASTORIA – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, on July 29, called on NYCHA to prioritize lead testing in the Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Astoria Houses. Testing results were last made public on May 30.

“Parents deserve to know if their children are safe in their homes. Our community cannot afford any more NYCHA delays,” said Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris. “I urge this testing to be completed expeditiously and the results made public thereafter.”

Earlier this year, NYCHA announced a policy to test every apartment for lead, prioritizing developments with the most children under 6 years of age. Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Astoria Houses have among the highest populations of such children in their developments.

Senator Gianaris and the Senate Democratic Majority allocated over $100 million in funding for NYCHA capital repairs earlier this year and advocated for significant oversight of their operations along with this investment. Senator Gianaris believes lead testing is critical and also authored legislation to mandate schools and parks have water fixtures tested for lead on a regular basis.

Senator Gianaris’ full letter to NYCHA’s acting general manager appears below.

July 29, 2019

Vito Mustaciuolo

Acting General Manager, NYCHA

250 Broadway

New York, New York 10007

Dear Mr. Mustaciuolo:

I write to express my frustration with the lack of progress of NYCHA’s lead testing. It was recently reported in the Queens Daily Eagle that, despite promising comprehensive testing and prioritizing developments with the most children, testing did not occur at three developments in my district with large numbers of children – Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Astoria Houses. Testing results were last updated publicly on May 30, 2019.

I am glad NYCHA decided to test for lead in the developments with the most children, but such testing must be executed faster and I urge you to make Ravenswood, Queensbridge, and Astoria Houses top priorities. Testing quickly and then making the results public will ensure families can be confident in their children’s safety and better understand potential dangers they face.

Testing more apartments quickly for lead is a crucial priority. I hope you will address this as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Senator Michael Gianaris

Deputy Majority Leader

The post Gianaris Calls on NYCHA to Expedite Lead Testing in Apartments with Children appeared first on The National Herald.

ASTORIA – Hundreds of faithful from the New York Metropolitan Area, as well as those from as far as Maryland, attended the annual procession of the miraculous icon of St. Irene Chrysovalantou, which took place on Sunday, July 28, immediately following the Divine Liturgy at the Sacred Patriarchal and Stavropegial Orthodox Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presiding.

The Abbot of the Monastery, His Grace Bishop Ierotheos of Efkarpia, along with Fr. Apostolos Manoloudis, Fr. Nikolaos Kalafatis, Fr. Nikolaos Gourdoupis, Fr. Meletios Bougas, and Fr. Ierotheos Markopoulos, among others, also participated in the liturgy.

His Eminence presided for the first time at the celebration as Archbishop and read a message from His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

In spite of the heat and humidity, the faithful waited patiently to participate in the procession which is one of the highlights of the summer for the Greek Orthodox community in New York and commemorates the Feast Day of St. Irene Chrysovalantou.

The procession started from the Holy Monastery of St. Irene on 36th Street, headed to 33rd Street towards Ditmars Boulevard, and then returned along 33rd Street to 23rd Avenue, completing the ritual.

With Sunday’s religious services, the four-day festival at St. Irene Chrysovalantou which benefitted from perfect weather conditions, concluded.

“It is a fact that the pilgrimage to St. Irene Chrysovalantou here in Astoria is a pilgrimage that attracts many people, thousands of people, all year long. They are not only Greeks and Greek Orthodox, but also from other denominations, culminating in this day, which was brightened by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America as the representative of the Patriarchate. There was a great deal of piety and emotion, and there were buses that came in from other communities as well,” Fr. Gerasimos Ballas told The National Herald.

WARM WORDS FROM ELPIDOPHOROS

There was a warm welcome and praise on the part of His Grace Bishop Ierotheos of Efkarpia on Saturday at the Great Vespers, which was also led by Archbishop Elpidophoros.

Bishop Ierotheos emphasized that Archbishop Elpidophoros is a “distinguished Hierarch of the Great Church” referring to the key posts he served at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the recent past.

“With the announcement of your election, everyone’s hearts were overwhelmed with joy and hopeful delight. You are a distinguished hierarch of the Great Church, the Holy Synod entrusting you with the rudder of one of the most remarkable provinces of the throne. Your ministry so far guarantees your continued pastorate. I met you at the Patriarchate when you were a deacon and secretary of the Holy Synod. Then you became Archbishop and, later, Metropolitan of the historic Metropolis of Bursa in Asia Minor, as well as Abbot and Director of the Theological School of Halki, which we hope will soon open its gates,” His Grace said.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, in his speech, conveyed the congratulations of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

“It is very moving to be with you. This is not the first time I have visited this beautiful monastery. I have visited other times. I have visited as a deacon, as a priest, and today God has granted that I visit as a representative of our Patriarch. I would like to express on behalf of our Ecumenical Patriarch the gratitude, praise, and congratulations, in the first place, to your Abbot, Bishop Ierotheos of Efkarpia, for the blessed and great work he is doing, the brotherhood around him, and you, too, who support him,” said Archbishop Elpidophoros.

Among those present at the Great Vespers service was Consul of Greece in New York Lana Zochiou.

The post The Annual Procession of the Icon of St. Irene Chrysovalantou (Vid) appeared first on The National Herald.

NEW YORK – O’Connor & Tate, Astoria’s leading branding & design agency, enjoyed their 5th consecutive year of victory at the Horizon Interactive Awards.

The agency competed against 800 entries from more than 20 countries, and the victory comes as no surprise to the team, who strive to consistently deliver stellar branding campaigns for every type of unique business.

O’Connor & Tate CEO/Owner Sonia Mylonas said, “We are honored for our clients and team who together achieve an experience standard that earns recognition year after year. Congratulations to The Penta Group and Signature Demolition, with the right collaboration, teamwork and vision, great achievements are made possible.”

The silver distinction was awarded to O’Connor & Tate’s team for their innovative branding campaign for The Penta Group, a premier company for construction and restoration in New York City.

“As The Penta Group continues to grow, branding is a necessary and instrumental part of our evolution in the industry. Our brand is at the forefront of our business. Constructing not only buildings but our client relationships as well is something we as a business pride ourselves on; therefore, our Horizon International Award win alongside industry innovators O’Connor and Tate reinforces the level of achievement we strive for on a daily basis,” said Penta Group President and CEO Chris Fillas.

Of course, one win was not enough for the O&T team, as they also dominated in the email marketing category, receiving a third-place win in recognition for their superb work on industry leaders’ Signature Demolition’s email marketing campaign.

“Signature Demolition is proud to accept this award in partnership with O’Connor and Tate for our accomplishments in email marketing, in the construction industry. I believe that email marketing serves as a two-way communication channel with our customers. Our values are reflected with innovation, marketing and branding, this keeps us aligned with our customers and true to our overall vision,” said Joe Pirreca, President of Signature Demolition.

The Horizon Interactive Awards highlight the best in interactive media on an international scale. In 2018, the competition honored outstanding work in categories such as advertising, website, print, videos, mobile applications, and more.

O’Connor and Tate has been a staple of the community for close to a decade in Queens. They pride themselves on customer relationships and community, while building not only their own brand but the brand of each of their clients as well.

The post Greek-Owned O’Connor & Tate Honored at the Horizon Interactive Awards appeared first on The National Herald.

TROY, MI – The 72nd Annual Convention of the Mid-Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians, lovingly nicknamed MEFGOX, was held at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Troy, MI July 25-28.

MEFGOX has served the Greek Orthodox Metropolises of Detroit and Pittsburgh for 72 years.

The organization hopes to continue its record of service with their website, where helpful information is available for priests, chanters, choirs, youth music organizations, and other church musicians: http://mideastern.churchmusic.goarch.org/.

The 73rd Annual Convention is scheduled for June 25-28, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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CHICAGO – The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) will host a conversation with MedGlobal Doctors John Kahler and Peter Houck on the current state of the refugee crisis in Greece on Sunday, August 11, 2-4 PM.

The program is in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition Lives Afloat: The Greek Refugee Crisis through the Lens of Tasos Markou 2015-2017, now on view at the NHM.

MedGlobal has been at the Moria Refugee Camp since November of 2018. Moria is the largest refugee camp on the Greek Islands, located in southeast Lesvos. There are currently about 6,000 people in a facility built to hold 3,000. In conjunction with a sister NGO, Kitrinos Healthcare, the MedGlobal clinic is there to serve the acute care needs of the camp residents. Their work includes attending to acute psycho-emotional needs as well as addressing medical needs such as respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. Dr. Kahler along with Dr. Houck established MedGlobal’s presence at Camp Moria.

Dr. Kahler is a retired board-certified pediatrician who is currently the Chairman of the Board for MedGlobal as well as one of the organization’s cofounders. He has worked in the humanitarian space for 25 years and has been on medical missions throughout the world.

Dr. Houck is a physician from Seattle, WA who has had a long, active career in the medical care of refugees. He spent 28 years as an officer in the United States Public Health Service. He is currently a senior aviation medical examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration, the coordinator for MedGlobal’s Greek operations, and a consultant in public health for civil aviation.

Admission to the public program is: Non-Members: $15, NHM Member $10, Students: $5.

For more information, visit http://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234. Follow NHM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The post National Hellenic Museum to Host Conversation about Current State of Refugee Crisis appeared first on The National Herald.

SANTA BARBARA – CA – The Saint Barbara, California Greek Orthodox Church had a rollicking good time for everyone as it celebrated its 46^th Greek Festival, drawing Greeks, Philhellenes, and people looking to dive into Greek food and culture, which abounded there.

Also celebrated, said Bonnie Carroll for EdHat, were the volunteers who greeted people at the church bookstore book and the bouzouki music that filled the air and made the event even more festive, along with Greek dancers in authentic costumes performing traditional dances.

The weather was warm and the food was hot, the menu including souvlaki, quarter chicken, moussaka, spanakopita, tiropita, loukaniko, horiatiki Greek salad, stuffed grape leaves dolmades, manestra, tzatziki sauce, Kalamata olives, feta, and gooey sweet baklava for dessert, along with a bevy of other Greek pastry treats.

There were gift booths, a taverna and lots of activities for children and everyone was having so much fun they didn’t mind the sometimes long lines.

“From 96-year-old grandmothers to tiny tots in the arms of their parents, it was a fun afternoon under the Oak Park trees,” wrote Carroll, and you can bet there were shouts of Opa! to go with ouzo.

The post Santa Barbara Greek Festival Marks 46 Years appeared first on The National Herald.

ASTORIA – Traditional Greek songs and dances were performed at the Greek Night at Athens Square Park in Astoria on July 30.

Athens Square Committee 2nd Vice President Panos Adamopoulos made sure everything ran smoothly during the most recent Greek Night, which featured the Greek American Folklore Society performing traditional dances along with music by Tasos Papaioannou and Kostas Psaros.

All those present enjoyed the performance in the Greek Night series which is free and open to the public every Tuesday at Athens Square Park in Astoria through September 24.

The post Traditional Songs and Dances at Greek Night in Athens Square Park (Vid & Pics) appeared first on The National Herald.

BALTIMORE, MD – Greek-American Congressman John Sarbanes represents Maryland’s Third Congressional District, which comprises portions of Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel counties, as well as a significant part of the independent city of Baltimore. In an interview on CNN, Rep. Sarbanes addressed the recent attacks on the city made by President Donald Trump and released the following statement on July 30:

“Yesterday, I joined Brianna Keilar on CNN to discuss President Trump’s attacks on Baltimore.

Trump made a strategic error when he decided to come after Baltimore this week. Trump wanted to distract us from his shortcomings by attacking Charm City instead all he managed to do was demonstrate his pettiness and lack of leadership.

Hey Trump, we’re not taking the bait. Baltimore has an agenda for you:

Instead of attempting to defame leaders like Elijah Cummings – how about you make good on that promise to lower prescription drug prices?

Instead of mocking Baltimore for its struggles – how about you get to work on those infrastructure commitments?

Instead of tearing down cities, leaders, and community members in Baltimore – how about you tackle the corruption in Washington and secure our elections?

I’ll take Cummings’ Baltimore over Trump’s America any day.”

The post Rep. Sarbanes Speaks about President’s Attacks on Baltimore appeared first on The National Herald.

A symbolic religious ceremony, to honor and bury the remains of Greek soldiers who fell in Albania during the Greco-Italian war of 1940-1941, was held at the military cemetery of Kelcyre in Albania on Thursday, was announced by the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The ceremony was held with all honours, for the burial of the remains of 85 Greek soldiers who fell in the Greco-Italian war, and whose remains were recovered in the framework of the Greek-Albanian bilateral Agreement of 2009 on seeking, disinterring, identifying and burying the Greek soldiers who fell in military operations in Albania in 1940-1941.

The ceremony, officiated by Metropolitan Dimitrios of Gjirokaster, was attended by representatives of the Greek Ministry of Defence, the Greek Embassy in Tirana, and the Association of Relatives and Friends of the Fallen.

In a statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs “expresses its satisfaction that, almost 70 years after their sacrifice, the souls of the fallen Greek soldiers will finally rest in peace, and welcomes this cooperation with the Albanian side on a very sensitive and humanitarian issue, stressing the importance it attaches to the speedy completion of the fieldwork and the full implementation of this Greek-Albanian agreement.”

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While it seems Greek-Americans are concentrated in cities such as Boston, New York, and Chicago, they are plentiful in smaller places, such as Biddeford, Maine where the annual Greek Festival brought them together again in the unique way Greeks bond.

Biddeford Journal-Tribune columnist Zaffie Hadiaris wrote of the joy the festival brought the community and others who attended, that, “We saw fun, good cheer, pleasure and fullness of life as folks arrived. I glanced around and observed all the activities. My eyes drank in the life and goodness of spirit that came through the door. Families with children of all ages, seniors, the aging, teenagers and friends – we value the warmth of personality and wellspring of joy that you brought to our event.”

Reflecting on the ancient tradition of Greek hospitality, she wrote how delighted friends and relatives were to gather again in a special spot, some from other states who hadn’t seen each other in many years, bringing the tears.

“These qualities bring to mind a clear comprehensive vision of the religious and secular life of the Greek Americans,” she added. They didn’t run out of baklava.

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NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH) announced that the audit of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 has been completed. (See financial statements here).

“The completion of these financial statements confirms that progress in financial accountability is improving as this is the earliest after a year end in over 15 years that audited financial statements have been made available, GOARCH says in its announcement.

“The audited financial statements disclose significant improvement in the financial results of the Archdiocese. The expenditures of the Archdiocese were substantially reduced from prior years in accordance with budget and staff reductions that were implemented in late 2017 and early 2018. Those reductions, together with significant cost controls and a delay in filling budgeted staff positions resulted in an unrestricted excess of revenue over expenses of approximately $3.4 million. This compares to an excess of revenues over expenses of approximately $352,000 in 2017. The excess of revenues over expenses in 2018 is necessary to cover prior period shortfalls. The audited statements also confirm that, as previously announced, all custodial and restricted accounts were restored in 2018 in accordance with donor wishes. The restoration of the funds was completed in June 2018 with bank financing that provided a $5.5 million mortgage and a $3 million line of credit ($2 million of the line of credit outstanding at the end of 2018 and fully repaid at the present time). The bank financing also provided the necessary funds for the Archdiocese to become current on its obligations to creditors, Hellenic College Holy Cross, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Archdiocesan pension plan as is evident in the audited financial statements. Funds of $2.8 million were also advanced to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine by the Archdiocese in order for contractors to be paid in full.

“His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros stated ‘I am pleased that our 2018 financial results were confirmed by the audit. There are unfilled budgeted positions at the Archdiocese and also a reprioritizing of needs that must be addressed. But as we do that, we must maintain a balanced budget and also eliminate the deficits of the past to ensure the Archdiocese remains on firm financial footing.’

“The Archdiocese recently provided to the Executive Committee and Archdiocesan Council internally prepared interim financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, with those statements showing that an excess of revenues over expenses was also generated in the first quarter. (See attached interim financial statements and budget to actual results).”

Source: GOARCH

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CONSTANTINOPLE – Bishop Sahak Mashalian, the newly elected Vicar of the Armenian Patriarchate in the City (Istanbul), visited today, Friday, August 2, 2019, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Phanar.

Bishop Sahak, accompanied by clergy of the Armenian Patriarchate, was received by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with honor and cordiality, and informed him of the ongoing process of electing their new Patriarch.

Source: GOARCH

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CONSTANTINOPLE – In a statement released Sunday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his revulsion and deep shock at the murderous shootings at El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, “which killed and injured many of our fellow citizens,” reads the statement.
Patriarch Bartholomew said he strongly condemns “all acts of hatred, be it racial, religious or social, but also any form of violence and fundamentalism, wherever they may come from.”

“Hate and violence,” he pointed out, “cause a great deal of pain and fear, and are sometimes the cause of further acts of violence in the form of revenge. In the face of this rising, dangerous and bloody phenomenon, every person of good will must display strong spiritual resistance.”

He called on everyone “to work, through dialogue and in a spirit of mutual respect, to preserve peaceful coexistence and cooperation, against practices that boost fear and divide society.”

“The Holy Church of Christ, in faith in the teaching of our Lord, is making strenuous efforts in this direction. The Church prays for the resting of the victims’ souls, and expresses its heartfelt condolences to their families, and wishes courage and speedy recovery to the injured. At the same time, it expresses its sympathy and support for the local community of El Paso as well as Dayton, the US government and people in the US,” said the Patriarchate.

The Ecumenical Patriarch asked the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos to convey the above message of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to local and national authorities and to the people of the United States at large.

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On August 2nd in 1918, the three-day Toronto anti-Greek riot began. Sparked by frustrated Canadian World War I (“War”) veterans who were angered and resentful about Greece’s neutrality during the War and with the number of Greeks in Canada with jobs, the riot caused $1.25 million worth of property damage, sent 25 people to jail, and injured over 160 people.

Over 50,000 people participated in the riot in Toronto’s streets which started when a mob attacked the Greek-owned White City cafe in response to rumors that a Canadian veteran had been roughly treated there. The mob gained more and more members who began looting Greek businesses throughout the city of Toronto.

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