Greeks Honor Their Jewish Compatriots' Holocaust Memories
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The National Herald a b www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 9, ISSUE 434 A WEEKLY GREEK AMERICAN PUBLICATION FEBRUARY 4, 2006 $1.00 - GREECE: 1.75 Euro Archbishop Greeks Honor their Demetrios Jewish Compatriots’ Concludes Holocaust Memories His Historic By Liana Sideri people attended. Special to The National Herald The event featured the exhibit, Cyprus Trip “Hidden Children of Occupied NEW YORK - Two years ago, Greece,” courtesy of the Jewish the Hellenic Parliament officially Museum in Greece, and medal By Neofytos Kyriakou proclaimed the 27th of January, presentations by the Raoul Wal- Special to The National Herald the day of liberation of the lenberg Foundation, honoring Auschwitz concentration camp in four distinguished individuals and LEFKOSIA - His Eminence 1945, as the “National Day of Re- the citizens of Greece who had Archbishop Demetrios of America membrance of Greek Jewish Mar- helped save the lives of Greek concluded his official visit to tyrs of the Holocaust.” Jews during the German occupa- Cyprus last Sunday, January 29 by The horrific events of the Holo- tion. presiding over the Divine Liturgy caust by the Nazi Germany during In his opening remarks about at the Church of the Panagia Pal- its World War II occupation of the Jews of Greece who perished, louriotisa here. Greece sent nearly 60,000 Greek David Dangoor, President of the Speaking after the service, the Jews to their death, according to American Sephardi Federation Archbishop said he experienced “Documents on the History of the with Sephardi House, pointed out “remarkable moments” during his Greek Jews,” a book by the Greek that, before the War, there were stay, and added that the Cypriot Foreign Ministry and the Universi- already two kinds of Jews living in people are standing tall, despite ty of Athens Political Science Greece: the Romaniotes, who the divided island republic's trou- Department. spoke the Greek language, and the bles, and deserve to live in peace COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM IN GREECE The majority of a total of ap- Sephardim, who had settled in and freedom. Visitors at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village are walking through an exhibition proximately 10,000 survivors was Thessaloniki after they moved Demetrios assured the congre- dedicated to the hidden Jewish children of Nazi-occupied Greece last week. The exhibition, courtesy of the largely attributed to Greek Chris- from Spain and Portugal in the gation that the Greek American Jewish Museum in Greece, was part of a ceremony commemorating January 27, Holocaust Remembrance Day. tians who risked their own lives by 15th Century, speaking the Ladino community would continue to offering shelter and hiding places dialect. “The majority of those fight and push Washington “for a to their Jewish compatriots. To who perished during the German peaceful and viable solution for commemorate this special day, the extermination were Sephardic the Cyprus issue.” Hellenic American Chamber of Jews,” he said. The Archbishop was intro- Commerce, the American Friends In his opening greetings, duced by the acting Cypriot Synod AHEPA’s Biennial Banquet in March of the Jewish Museum in Greece, HACC President Andre Gregory President, Metropolitan Chrysos- the International Raoul Wallen- said the Chamber's original mis- tomos of Paphos, who criticized WASHINGTON, D.C. - “An 2006 terms expire. affair. Undersecretary of State for berg Foundation, and the Ameri- sion was to promote and strength- American policies on the issue, inspiring and exciting weekend of “We are deeply indebted to Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns can Sephardi Federation with en economic and business ties be- saying that the United States events awaits,” said AHEPA these two champions of Hellenic and His Eminence Archbishop Sephardi House organized a cere- tween the United States and Government “embraces the per- Supreme President Gus J. James issues,” Mr. James said. “Both Demetrios of America have also mony last Thursday evening, Jan- Greece. “But these days, we try to petrator of the crime and con- II about the organization's 37th men have served their constituents agreed to participate in the pro- uary 26, under the auspices of the broaden our scope by providing a demns the victim. The awful An- Biennial Salute Weekend on with integrity, pride and compas- gram, he added. Greek Consulate in New York, at network for our members to meet, nan Plan was a methodical attempt March 10-12 at the Hilton Wash- sion, and they will be sorely “We are delighted to have Ge- the Center for Jewish History in to 'Turkisize' our land.” ington. missed. The evening will represent orge participate, and we believe he Greenwich Village. More than 300 Continued on Page 6 Speaking at a press conference, AHEPA will honor retiring a salute for outstanding and distin- will add the perfect touch to the the Archbishop pointed out that members of the United States guished public and community ser- evening,” Mr. James said. “Under- the existence of the Cypriot issue Congress Senator Paul S. Sarbanes vice.” secretary Burns and His Eminence is an international injustice and a (D-Maryland) and Representative Mr. James also announced that have been great friends to the historic distortion. Michael Bilirakis (R-Florida). George Stephanopoulos, host of AHEPA family, and we are equally Cathedral School Officials He also said that the Annan This is the last year both men will ABC News' Sunday morning pro- thrilled to have them participate.” be serving their constituents, as gram, “This Week,” will be the Continued on Page 3 they are both retiring after their Master of Ceremonies for the gala Continued on Page 3 Address Financial Crisis By Liana Sideri her husband George, and Lena Special to the National Herald Patouris, Vice President of the Parents Association. Celebrating NEW YORK – In a conference The issue at hand was their Phoutrides: Proud Son of Ikaria meeting at the National Herald’s concern for the Cathedral Greek Letters offices this past Monday, repre- School’s operating deficit (cur- By Steve Frangos American historiography, and not Phoutrides entered the University sentatives of the Archdiocesan rently hovering around $650,000); Special to The National Herald simply for his personal academic of Athens, but after three years, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity’s its academic status; its enrollment Throughout accomplishments. It is also the en- poor health forced him to leave Cathedral School in Manhattan level; and its overall image in the For anyone spending time re- during memory of Phoutrides school. In 1905, he spent time with offered their perspective on the fu- community. The Country viewing the private papers of early bridging two worlds which unques- his married sister Despina in ture of the school. In an article published in The Greek intellectuals in North tionably nurtured an entire gener- Egypt, hoping to earn some money Led by Rev. Dr. Robert National Herald’s January 14 edi- By Stratos Boudouridis America, the sudden loss of Aris- ation of Greek intellectuals in teaching. Within a year, he was off Stephanopoulos, Dean of the tion, some of these issues were dis- Special to The National Herald tides Evangelos Phoutrides is North America. to North America. Cathedral, the group included cussed with Cathedral Board of heard about over and over. Phoutrides was born on April Without speaking a word of Marilena Christodoulou, Chair of Trustees President John Stratakis. NEW YORK – Greek Letters The vivid memory of this man 17, 1887 on the island of Ikaria. In English, Phoutrides enrolled at the Cathedral Board of Trustees’ All at the meeting agreed that Week was celebrated extensively as a friend, scholar, teacher and 1895, Phoutrides left Ikaria to at- the Mt. Hermon School, which is School Committee, Sonia Armaou there needs to be a fast and imme- this year, through a series of events colleague remains undiminished tend high school in Euboia, where still found in Northfield, Mas- Celestin, Acting Director of the diate action to resolve the School’s and awards held in Greek Ameri- for countless individuals. his older brother Neilos was a School, Joanna Koutsos, Treasur- can communities across the coun- Phoutrides is important for Greek priest. After graduation, Continued on Page 5 er of the Parents Association, with Continued on Page 4 try. At the Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn, celebrations kicked off this past Monday with Orthros and Divine Liturgy services. The Papandreou community’s annual Greek Let- Pagdatis Gives Tennis’ Top Player a Good Go ters Award was presented this year New President Eugene Rossides, President & By Luke Buttigieg that plenty of the game's fans knew ment, and also engaged all he came The 2003 Australian Open Ju- Found of the American Hellenic www.australianopen.com little about him. The 20-year-old across off the court, as his excellent nior Boys' Singles champion took Institute, and a former Assistant Greek Cypriot has changed that, adventure came to an end just one it up to the Swiss number-1 seed Of Worldwide Secretary of the United States MELBOURNE - Marcos Pag- though, with two superb weeks at match short, with defeat against for two sets, but the momentum Treasury, and AHI Executive datis arrived in Melbourne as one Australian Open 2006. the world's top player, Roger Fed- shifted when he says he began to Socialist Party Director Nick Larigakis. Mr. Ros- of the rising stars of the tennis Pagdatis played some of the erer of Switzerland, in the Mel- start 'thinking too much' about sides is also a regular columnist of world, but it would be fair to say finest shots seen at the tourna- bourne Park final. winning the title and not just play- NEW YORK – Greek opposi- the National Herald.