S o C V th ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E 10 0 ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald anniversa ry N www.thenationalherald.com A weekly Greek-AmericAn PublicAtion 1915-2015 VOL. 19, ISSUE 956 February 6-12 , 2016 c v $1.50 Light of 3 Greece’s Tumultuous Trifecta: Strikes, Refugees, a1nd Troika Hiearchs Nation is Embroiled in Revolt and Angst, Glows in No Sight of Light at the End of the Tunnel TNH Staff Schengen Area – 26 European countries that permit travel Jubilation Greece is immersed in a among them without a passport. wave of multiple crises that con - On February 2, the EU’s ex - tinue to impede the troubled na - ecutive Commission adopted a Greek Students tion’s struggle to emerge from report recommending measures its economic crisis: the continu - to ensure that Greece checks all Shine at the Greek ing influx of refugees to its migrants against criminal data - Letters Celebration shores, mounting pressure from bases and shelters them while its lenders to implement re - they are processed, the Associ - forms, strikes and protests be - ated Press (AP) reported. Mi - TNH Staff cause of such proposed reforms, grants who do not qualify for and even the threat of being de - protection must be sent home NEW YORK – The annual “Cel - nied the continued privilege of more quickly, and border sur - ebration of The Three Hierarchs passport-free travel to other na - veillance must be intensified, and Greek Letters” of the De - tions within Europe. with a stronger infrastructure partment of Greek Education WINDOW TO EUROPE and new equipment imple - was held at the ballroom of the In 2015, more than a million mented. Greece has three Archdiocesan Cathedral of the migrants entered Europe, with months to comply or risk being Holy Trinity in Manhattan on already another 50,000 in the ousted from Schengen. January 31. young year 2016. The over - Greek Prime Minister Alexis The celebration commenced whelming majority have fled to Tsipras is due to attend a Syria when Archdeacon Panteleimon escape the conflict in Syria, donors’ conference in London Papadopoulos invited the Arch - where a civil war continues its this week, AP reported, where diocesan Byzantine Choir to deadly onslaught on the nation, he will discuss the refugee crisis chant the apolitikion of the blurring the lines between sol - with German Chancellor Angela Feast of the Three Hierarchs and diers and civilians, creating an Merkel and Prime Ministers the doxastikon of the vespers atmosphere of hopelessness for Mark Rutte of The Netherlands which pay tribute to the lives of present and future generations. and Ahmed Davutoglu of the three great saints. They lit - But as BBC reports, scattered Turkey. erally set the tone for the among the hundreds of thou - REVERSE MIGRATION evening which included a lec - sands of Syrian refugees are mi - Though more the exception ture on the Three Hierarchs and grants from Afghanistan, Er - than the rule, two men re - a dazzling musical program by tirea, and Kosovo, where mained in custody in Alexan - students of the area’s Greek day squalor and rampant violence droupolis in Northern Greece, schools. AP Photo/thAnAssis stAvrAkis permeate, creating conditions of pending trial on charges of at - Cathedral Dean Fr. John Vla - Clashes have broken out between Greek police and protesters in Athens during a 24-hour gen - despair just as real if not as well- hos introduced the event’s or - eral strike in Athens, Thursday, Feb. 4. Seen here, riot policemen try to avoid a petrol bomb. publicized. Continued on page 11 ganizer and Emcee, National Di - Of these million-plus arrivals rector of Greek Education of the to Europe, well over 80 percent Archdiocese Dr. Ioannis enter the continent through Efthymiopoulos, who in turn in - Greece, the vast majority of troduced the featured speaker, SNF Holds Brain Lecture at Columbia those arriving by boat. The rest Great Synod Rev. Dr. Stefanos Alexopoulos, enter through Bulgaria, Cyprus, Assistant Professor at Catholic Italy, Malta, and Spain, but University of America in Wash - TNH Staff and pediatrician at Teachers Col - tendance – and the SNF, Noble those numbers, well into the Venue Moved ington, DC. lege of Columbia University. first turned her spotlight on the tens of thousands but paltry by Efthymiopoulos noted that NEW YORK – The Mortimer B. Over the past decade Noble human brain itself, which she comparison, also sail below the from the Three Hierarchs’ “writ - Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior has devoted herself to research called “the most complex three media radar. Due to Russia ings you can see how deeply Institute at Columbia University on how family income affects a pounds in the universe…and it’s The migrants then exit they were affected by classical hosted the latest Stavros Niarchos growing brain. The lecture’s high - not hard to see why when you Greece to other European coun - Greek literature and thought... Foundation (SNF) Brain Insight light was the presentation of the consider that we are born with tries, ones not struggling with Turkey Strife they enlightened the civilized Lecture on February 2 featuring latest results of a pilot study de - 100 billion neurons and we de - internal economic crises, and world with their teachings… Dr. Kimberly Noble’s presentation signed to investigate whether a velop between 250,000 and that has the European Union By Theodore Kalmoukos working to blend Christian faith titled “Socioeconomic Disparities, boost in monthly income to the 500,000 thousand new one every worried. France’s Prime Minister with the Hellenic spirit and cul - Children and Brain Develop - families of newborns also leads minute in the first two months of Manuel Valls said that if some - The Holy and Great Synod of ture…this union constitutes the ment.” to increases in brain growth and life.” thing doesn’t change soon, “our the World Orthodox Church, greatest achievement of the hu - Dr. Thomas Jessell, who with development. What is critical, however, is societies will be destabilized.” which has been in the works for man spirit and civilization.” Nobel laureates Robert Axel and After thanking Jessel “for that not the number of brain cells but Austria’s criticism was more the past 50 years, will finally be Efthymiopoulos was the first Eric Kandel, is co-Director of the generous introduction” and the connections between them. pointed toward Greece, warning convened from June 16 to 27 at speaker to point out that the ter - Zuckerman Institute, introduced thanking the Zuckerman Institute that Greece, at least temporarily, the Orthodox Academy of Crete rible events of 2015 provided Noble, who is a neuroscientist – Mortimer Zuckerman was in at - Continued on page 5 could be kicked out of the located in Kolympari of Chania. the background for going be - It was decided last March yond their genius to their that it would have taken place courage in the face of personal in Constantinople, the See of the trials including exile and forced Ecumenical Patriarchate. Be - resignation from office. It was a Reflecting on cause of political tensions be - time of upheaval and dislocation tween Russia and Turkey, how - in the Roman Empire that exac - ever, the venue was changed. erbated the plight of the poor, A Bully from Patriarch Kyrillos of Moscow prompting the Three Hierarchs agreed to the change, and he to combine spirituality and prac - told the other prelates at the ticality, including St. Basil’s 75 Years Ago Synaxis in Chambésy, Geneva (Agios Vassilios’) establishment last week that he was unable to of the “Vassiliada,” which Fr. travel to Constantinople because Alexopoulos called “the first ex - By Harry Mark Petrakis of the tensions. tensive hospital and social care After that Synaxis, an official complex in history.” My memory of Lazar (short News Release was issued, which “The life and work of the for Lazaros) Poulos goes back among other things stated the Three Hierarchs constituted a to my youth and our parish ele - following: hymn to the glory of God…turn - mentary school that adjoined “The Primates of the Ortho - ing the profession Christian faith my father’s church. Half our dox Churches convened to final - into praxis,” Efthymiopoulos school day was spent in Greek ize the texts for the Holy and classes and the other half in Great Council. In the framework Continued on page 4 English classes. An integral part of the Synaxis, on Sunday, 24th of our curriculum in both lan - January, a Divine Liturgy was guages were the daily beatings held at the Holy Stavropegic we suffered, slaps across the Church of St. Paul. Along with head and whacks with the rod the Ecumenical Patriarch, who Dow CEO across the legs. presided, Their Beatitudes and Our companions in misery Heads of the delegations of the were the students attending the Orthodox Churches concele - Liveris to Roman Catholic parish school brated the Liturgy, with the ex - across the street from our ception of the Head of the dele - school. Their beatings were ad - gation of the Patriarchate of Step Down ministered by black-cloaked Antioch. white-hooded nuns, equally “During the Synaxis, whose adept at delivering slaps and sessions were held in the apos - TNH Staff smacks. I once saw a nun jerk a tolic spirit of ‘speaking the truth miscreant boy out of a line and in love’ (Eph. 4.15), in concord NEW YORK – Andrew Liveris, deliver a rocket blow across his and understanding, the Pri - Chairman and CEO of Dow head that sent him sprawling. It mates affirmed their decision to Chemical has announced that was a knockout that the then convene the Holy and Great he would leave the company by reigning world heavyweight TNH Religion Editor Theodore Kalmoukos presents the TNH Educator of the Year plaque to Council.