Astoria's View of Greece in Crisis SNF Large Donation for St. Demetrios
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S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ nd W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald 10 2 N anniversa ry www.thenationalherald.com A wEEkly GrEEk-AmEriCAN PuBliCATiON 1915-2017 VOL. 20, ISSUE 1019 April 22-28, 2017 c v $1.50 Astoria’s SNF Large Donation View of for St. Demetrios HS, Greece St. Michael’s Home in Crisis TNH Staff of the Greek language for future generations, an important objec - NEW YORK – The Stavros Niar - tive of the High School, which is Pity, Anger, chos Foundation (SNF) has in - led by Superintendent Dr. Anas - formed The National Herald that tasios Koularmanis and founder but No Apathy for it will make a significant donation and School Board President Nick of several million dollars both to Andriotis. the Homeland the St. Demetrios High School in St. Michael’s new home will Astoria – which is the only Greek be a 90,000 square-foot building By Andy Dabilis high school in the United States on an 11-acre property, which will – and toward the construction of also include assisted living apart - ASTORIA – Attorney Leah Pap - a new St. Michael’s Home in ments for the elderly. pas stays in touch with her Uniondale, NY. The official announcement re - cousins in Greece, has spon - The exact amount was not dis - garding the donations is expected sored one of the many young closed, but a key SNF executive before the end of the academic who have fled the crisis-torn told TNH that the “very signifi - year. country in search of work and a cant” amount to be donated was The Stavros Niarchos Founda - better life elsewhere, many discussed at a board meeting and tion (www.SNF.org) is one of the never to return, but frets for her it would be unprecedented in the world’s leading private interna - homeland, like many here. history of the Greek-American tional philanthropic organiza - Astoria, still the heart of the community. tions, making grants in the areas Greek community, is a destina - Both St. Demetrios and St. of arts and culture, education, tion of choice for many Greeks Michael’s meet the criteria estab - health and sports, and social wel - seeking family or friends and lished by Stavros Niarchos, re - fare. The Foundation funds orga - comfort with their native tongue garding the provision of essential nizations and projects that are ex - and surroundings that remind services to children and the el - pected to achieve a broad, lasting them of the life they’ve left be - derly. and positive impact for society at hind because they had no With over $2 million in dona - large, focusing on vulnerable choice. tions to date, SNF is St. Demetrios groups such as children and the “My heart goes out to them High School’s top benefactor. But elderly, and also exhibit strong … they are desperate to leave TNH/COSTAS BEJ the forthcoming donation will be leadership and sound manage - the country,” she told The Na - President of the American Friends of the Jewish Museum in Greece Solomon Asser at the instrumental for the preservation ment. tional Herald from her law of - podium encouraged all to visit the museum and support its educational and cultural programs. fice where she was with her son, Constantine, thinking of their family too, one side on the refugee-overrun island of Chios Jews of Greece Event in Manhattan near the Turkish coast. Pappas returns for visits often but says she can’t bear to be in By Eleni Sakellis Judeo-Christian culture. The Both the program and the re - Athens too long and that she history of Romaniote communi - ception were free of charge. blames politicians mostly for NEW YORK – The Hellenic- ties and their traditions and cus - Among those in attendance making Greece dependent on American Cultural Foundation toms were discussed as well as at the event were Consul Gen - the international loans that (HACF), the Hellenic-American the influence from their non- eral of Greece in New York Kon - came with brutal austerity mea - Chamber of Commerce (HACC), Jewish neighbors in the devel - stantinos Koutras, Consul of sures that have crushed the life and American Friends of the opment of a unique culture. Greece Manos Koubarakis, Per - out of many and as the rich, tax Jewish Museum of Greece pre - Tragically 86% of the pre-war manent Representative of cheats and privileged prosper. sented Jews of Greece: 25 Cen - Jewish population of Greece Greece to the UN Dr. Catherine “I talk with my cousin and turies of Continuous Presence at perished during the Holocaust, Boura, Rabbi Dr. Martin Cohen, they say you’re laughed at if you the offices of Norton Rose Ful - including the Jews from the Ro - Nicholas Kourides, Esq.- Chair - pay taxes,” she said, a prime bright in Midtown Manhattan. maniote communities. man of HACF, President of the reason why Greece had to es - Dr. Mimis Cohen, a founding Dr. Cohen was born and American Friends of the Jewish sentially beg for 326 billion eu - member of the American raised in Athens after the Sec - Museum in Greece Solomon ros ($349.26 billion) in three Friends of the Jewish Museum ond World War. His parents sur - Asser, Brian Devine- partner of bailouts after years of runaway of Greece and a professor at the vived the Holocaust in Athens the firm Norton Rose Fulbright spending and patronage job University of Illinois at Chicago thanks to the courage of Greek and President of HACC, James handouts in return for votes. gave the presentation on the Orthodox friends. A reception Stratakis- President of HACF, With Greeks suffering record early interaction of the Greek with Dr. Cohen followed the James DeMetro- HACF Board of unemployment, deep poverty, and Romaniote Jewish commu - program. Directors and New York Greek spiked suicide rates, and a sharp nities around the Eastern The event was well-attended Film Festival Director, Amalia TNH/COSTAS BEJ decline in births because people Mediterranean, including the with over 300 people present Cosmetatou- Executive Director Town Hall Meeting on Immigration fear they can’t afford raising cross-fertilization of ideas which while about 140 people had to and Cultural Director of the families, Greece is in a mess that has had a significant and long- be put on a waiting list due to Onassis Foundation, and Ioannis Lourdes Rosado, NY State Senator Michael Gianaris, Rep. will take decades to fix, a sor - lasting impact on Western civi - the building’s security require - Carolyn Maloney, and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas row not lost on Astoria’s Greeks. lization and became the basis of ments. Continued on page 3 attended the event in Astoria to help immigrants. Walk up and down the streets and you’ll see Greek names festooned businesses and restaurants, Greek flags flying as proudly as those of the The Faithful Attend Holy United States. But there’s still the tug of Greece in the hearts of many. Week and Holy Pascha “It’s going to be an excruci - atingly slow process,” for recov - ery, said Pappas. “My cousin Celebrations thinks it will take 25-30 years to revive …. You have nobody paying taxes.” TNH Staff www.ekirikas.com and Stavroula Orkulas, manager www.thenationalherald.com as NEW YORK – The Greek Ortho - well as on Facebook are a testa - Continued on page 6 dox Churches of America and ment to the reverence and Canada on the night of the solemnity with which the Anastasi were filled with the Greeks participated. faithful who attended the ser - While the priests chanted the vices with devotion and rever - “Come Receive the Light” the Fresno to ence and sang aloud Christos flash of cellphone cameras Anesti (Christ is risen from the added to the illumination at the dead.) The bells rang out across ceremonies. Remember the globe as Christians cele - The photos with the greetings brated the Resurrection of Jesus of Christos Anesti through smart Christ. phones crossed the Atlantic to Genocide The National Herald’s corre - Greece, Cyprus, Northern spondents and collaborators Epirus, multiplying the light and By Vasilis Papoutsis from the Metropolitan Area in joy of the Resurrection. Holy Sat - New York, New England, Los urday and Easter weather con - FRESNO, CA – On May 19 in Angeles, Pennsylvania, Florida, ditions in the Northeast of the Fresno, CA, the Greek community and Montreal, Canada, reported United States were perfect for will commemorate the victims of on the excellent attendance at this time of year when it can be the Greek Genocide known as the the Holy Week and Easter ser - cold and damp. The Greeks fol - Asia Minor Disaster. vices this year. Besides the many lowed the traditions of the Res - The event will take place at TNH/COSTAS BEJ photographs and videos that urrection, taking the Holy Light the Fresno City Hall and Mayor Holding the Holy Light at the Resurrection services with Metropolitan Evangelos presiding, the have already been posted on the Lee Brand, the entire City Coun - parishioners of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly, NJ proclaimed Christos Anesti! newspaper’s websites Continued on page 4 cil, along with the Chief of Police and the Board of Supervisors will attend. There will be a flag raising ceremony, a performance by the Kamari dancers of the Fresno’s Greece’s Low Birth Rate Adding to Crisis Parish Council St. George Greek Orthodox Church, and a historical presen - Treasurer tation of the Greek Genocide. TNH Staff feature that found the phenom - Greece is putting more people dictions from the ruling Radical Event organizer Paul Dictos, a enon causing near-grief over the in the ground than in cribs and Left SYRIZA-led coalition that Fresno County Assessor-Recorder, ATHENS – Greece’s crushing decisions to not conceive and the trend looks to continue as it’s bringing recovery at the Excommunicated said that “this is the first time the seven-year-long economic and even a surge in single-child par - high anxiety over financial woes same time it’s doubling down Central Valley will have the op - austerity crisis is taking its toll ents asking doctors to destroy has taken precedent over con - on more pension cuts and taxes portunity to honor survivors and on the population – by decreas - their remaining embryos.