S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek- Americans N c v A wEEKLy GREEK-AMERicAN PUbLicATiON www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 18, ISSUE 894 November 29 - December 5, 2014 $1.50 St. Michael’s Home Will Niarchos-Rockefeller $150 Million Univ. Pledge Move to State-of-the-Art SNF, Founder’s Grandson, to Give Location in Uniondale $75 Million Each By Constantine S. Sirigos cluding the main 90,000 sq. ft. TNH Staff TNH Staff Writer building will lead to the creation of 26 one-bedroom independent NEW YORK - Marc Tessier-Lav - NEW YORK – The St. Michael’s living apartments, at least 50 igne, president of The Rocke - home for the elderly, one of the studios for independent or as - feller University, just announced most beloved institutions of the sisted living, and a dementia two leadership pledges of $75 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of wing and a nursing home wing. million each from the Stavros America, took a giant step into There will be a total of 150 res - Niarchos Foundation and David the future on November 20 idents – the current facility has Rockefeller to launch a major when it closed on the property about 60. extension of the University’s for its new state of the art con - The Board is looking into an - campus on the East River. tinuing care facility in Union - cillary services, including day Dr. Tessier-Lavigne said: dale, NY. care. “These pledges recognize the Archbishop Demetrios was It is estimated that $18 mil - longtime friendship of David present, along with St. Michael's lion is needed to convert the Rockefeller with the late Stavros Director Bishop Andonios of building, which was previously Niarchos and his family. Honor - Phasiane, Board President and owned by Catholic Church. “It’s ing these two remarkable men Vice President Haeda Mihaltses an expensive proposition but we and their exceptional generosity, and Peter Lambros, and other feel it needs to happen. For too for which we are profoundly Board members. long we have not provide our grateful, the new campus will Also present were attorneys elderly with the type of facility be named the Stavros Niarchos for Alma Bank, which provided they deserve. We have so many Foundation–David Rockefeller a $2 million loan to facilitate people scattered in different sec - River Campus.” the purchase of the $7 million ular and non-Orthodox facili - Designed by Raphael Violy property, and the Home’s attor - ties,” Bishop Andonios said, Architects, the project will add neys, of the Ruskin Moscou adding that “it’s time the Greek two acres to the existing 14 acres Faltischek firm. New York State Orthodox community in the Tri- of the campus by building over Senate Majority Leader Dean State area,” had a first rate fa - Vice President Biden Meets Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the FDR Drive, enabling the cre - Skelos, who is of counsel to the cility – “Tis Prokopis” he said in ation of several new buildings firm and has been helpful to the Greek. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed VP Joe Biden to the Patriarchate on Nov. 23. Dur - with state-of-the-art laboratories, Home’s efforts, was also at the It is hoped that everything ing their 40 minute closed-door meeting, they discussed religious freedom in Turkey and the closing. will be completed in five years. Halki school. After the meeting, Biden and his wife, Jill, visited the Blue Mosque. Continued on page 4 The purchase and rehabilita - In addition to the construction, tion of the 11-acre property, in - the time-consuming work of ob - taining two or three state li - censes has to be completed. Currently located in Yonkers, Ellis Island Archivist Tells Greek Saga Greeks Thank the Home was established in 1957 by Archbishop Michael of blessed memory and effectively By Constantine S. Sirigos some family history with The can extract from your family can God, Give Back and humanely meets a vital TNH Staff Writer National Herald. lead you to crucial documents. community need. Tselos is a native New Yorker In this case, the document is Bishop Andonios, who also NEW YORK – Few ethnic and the only federal employee the manifest of a ship named To Community serves as Chancellor of the Arch - groups in the United States are at Ellis Island with a parent who the Ioannina. Dimitri Tselos was diocese, told TNH that “more as interested in their roots as passed through its gates. His fa - listed as a workman, and his in - than a decade ago, the Board of Greek-Americans are, but as ther, noted art historian Dimitri dicated destination was TNH Staff Trustees and His Grace realized memories fade and loved ones Tselos, arrived there in 1915 as Chicago, to meet his older the current facility was not suf - pass away, people end up wish - a teenager from the village of brother who sent him train fare. ASTORIA – Few of the immi - ficient for the community. We ing they knew more about the Arvanito Kerasia in Arcadia. The Statue of Liberty Ellis Is - grant groups in America are as often had a waiting list for lives of their forbears. His father’s story is instruc - land Foundation has a search - blessed as the Hellenes, and rooms but the main concern was George D. Tselos, Supervi - tive. “He could not remember able database for all people Thanksgiving is the year’s that the current license as a res - sory Archivist and Head of Ref - the name of the ship that carried coming through New York at golden opportunity to express idential adult care facility cre - erence Services at the Statue of him, but he knew he arrived www.libertyellisfoundation.org/ thanks, and to share their God- ated issues because it could not Liberty National Monument and Christmas Day of 1915,” Tselos passenger. It is free. given bounty with less fortunate Ellis Island since 1999, shared told TNH. neighbors. Bishop Andonios of Phasiane Continued on page 6 genealogical research tips and Lesson 1: Any fact that you Continued on page 4 Organizations, parishes and even individuals organize events apropos of the day, including communal meals. Some parishes begin Thanks - Troika Talks Community’s Lawyers Showcase Their Hellenism giving with the celebration of the Eucharist, which literally means Thanksgiving. Split Greek By Constantinos E. Scaros Holy Trinity of New Rochelle, NY has participated for decades NEW YORK – At the lavish in an ecumenical event spon - Coalition; Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue sored by the Inter-Religious and 61st Street in Manhattan Council. “It is composed of read - across the street from Central ings from the New Testament, Infighting Park, it was easy on the evening the current president’s procla - of November 21 to determine mation, and excerpts from Abra - which group was comprised of ham Lincoln’s message for the ATHENS – Tough talks with the Greek lawyers. very first thanksgiving,” Fr. Nick country’s international lenders, One flight up from the Anctil told The National Herald. who have drawn a hard line, are Pierre’s opulent lobby led to a The holiday events are often taking their toll on Greece’s large area that contained two linked to year-round philan - coalition government of Prime distinct crowds, and one was thropic activities by groups like Minister Antonis Samaras’ New considerably louder than the AHEPA and Philoptochos, in - Democracy Conservatives and its other. Greeks are loud, and spired by the same spirit. partner the PASOK Socialists. lawyers are loud, and so Greek With the Troika of the Euro - lawyers? It’s not hard to figure Continued on page 5 pean Union-International Mon - out. etary Fund-European Central The loudness in this case was Bank (EU-IMF-ECB) insisting on not rooted in festivity, not con - more tough austerity measures tentiousness, for the Hellenic that Samaras wants to avoid Lawyers Association (HLA) held Kavakos and with his party’s popularity drop - its 26th Annual Dinner Dance ping, PASOK is refusing to back Gala – so the attorneys had changes to union laws that every right to profess their joy Wang Shine would make it harder for work - at the top of their lungs. ers to strike and easier for pri - HLA Advisory Board Chair vate sector employers to fire em - Mamie Stathakos-Fulgieri wel - at Carnegie ployees with fewer benefits. comed the spirited crowd, and New Democracy Secretary the Honorable Nicholas Tsou - Andreas Papamimikos is trying NEW YORK – Renowned violin - to distance the Conservatives Continued on page 3 Hellenic lawyers fill the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan to celebrate their Greek heritage. ist Leonidas Kavakos and Yuja from their partner the Socialists, Wang, a rising young interna - who don’t want more changes tional pianist, thrilled the audi - to union laws after supporting ence that packed Carnegie Hall big pay cuts, tax hikes, slashed on November 21 for a concert pensions, and worker firings. Demetriades: Nick & Voula Manolis Feed 11,000 that was co-presented by the He said that he is in favor of Onassis Cultural Center. adopting a rule requiring labor The audience demanded groups to gather one vote more Muse of the By Theodore Kalmoukos Leonard Faris, presiding priest more after exceptional perfor - than 50 percent of members in of St. George Antiochian Ortho - mances of pieces by Brahms, order to call a strike. DRACUT, MA – Hundreds of dox Church in Lowell, offered Schuman, Ravel and Respighi “Why shouldn’t there be a Music World volunteers from all walks of life the prayer and blessed the vol - and the artists were happy to law that required 50 percent defied the heavy rains and unteers before they began their reward them with an encore of plus one members of a union to strong winds on November 24 deliveries.