AHEPA Participates at International Conference on Eastern Mediterranean

AHEPA Participates at International Conference on Eastern Mediterranean  Supreme President George E. Loucas provided a welcome address, and Supreme Secretary George Horiates presented as a panelist, at an international conference titled, "New Realities in the Eastern Mediterranean" held yesterday at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishkenot Shaananim, Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies (JISS) and B'nai B'rith International (BBI) sponsored the conference which was held in cooperation with AHEPA and the American Hellenic Institute (AHI). Supreme Secretary Horiates spoke on the topic, "Promoting Mediterranean Awareness in the U.S." read news release AHEPA Happenings | Harrisburg Chapter Feeds Needy   AHEPA Chapter 64, Harrisburg, Pa., distributed 220 turkeys to 12 venues to help feed the needy of the Harrisburg-Carlisle area for the Holiday Season. They distributed the turkeys on December 8.    "Invite 1" Membership Campaign Underway As our year-end membership deadline looms, Supreme President George E. Loucas calls on Ahepans to "Invite 1" to join the Order. Season of Giving | Celebrate the Holidays with a Gift that Makes a Difference During this Season of Giving, the Order of AHEPA invites the community to give a gift that will help to make a difference in people's lives -- with a gift to one of AHEPA's charitable giving entities.  They help AHEPA meet its commitment to philanthropy, a facet of the Order's mission. Over the decades, AHEPA has provided millions of dollars in disaster relief, has supported America's military service members through organizations such as the USO, and has backed researchers searching for a cure to deadly diseases, among many other worthy causes. Recently, AHEPA has administered humanitarian aid to the people of Greece, including public health assistance, through the AHEPA Charitable Foundation. Take Action. Make an online tax-deductible donation today Don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:

Join AHEPA Today! In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us. Join AHEPA Now Upcoming Events & Deadlines   December  13 | U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, State Department, Washington, D.C.  Visit to Saint Basil Academy, Garrison, N.Y. 31 | Membership submission year-end deadline January 4-6 | Epiphany events, Tarpon Springs, Fla. February  1 | Deadline for the spring 2019 issue of The Ahepan Greek American News Digest   Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.     Greece Drags Itself Back Toward Normality Bloomberg (Dec. 7)    As the cradle of democracy, Greece knows better than most countries what politics is all about. Yet, for the last eight years, any discussions between lawmakers from the left and right there have been overshadowed by the country's economic collapse, and the string of rescue programs put together by the European Union and International Monetary Fund.  read more    An exclusive interview with the head of the Greek Delegation, to the Greece-US strategic dialogue Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos Greek News Online (Dec. 9)    On Thursday, December 13, Greek-American relations turn a new page with the inauguration of their strategic dialogue. The meeting will take place in Washington, D.C.; the two delegations are headed by Alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos and the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  read more     Greece's alternate defense minister: Countervailing forces are clashing on the international stage Defense News (Dec. 9)   Defense and security policies are constituent elements of the state's hard core, and as such are resistant to change. This very statement also implies that any change or reshaping of these policies reflects deep and fundamental changes of both national and international essence.  read more  St. Nicholas Feast Day Marks New Beginning for National Shrine The National Herald (Dec. 11) On the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, December 6, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America administered the solemn Affirmation of Office to the first Board of Trustees for the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center (WTC). This historic and emotional moment took place in the Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Paul, and marks a new beginning in the life of this sacred church.  read more For retiring Congresswoman Tsongas, a chance to say thanks in Lowell Lowell Sun (Dec. 10) It took U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas close to an hour to greet everyone who came out Sunday to her celebration. Hundreds of people lined up in the atrium of, fittingly, the Tsongas Center, hoping to catch a moment with the congresswoman and offer warm wishes as she heads into retirement next month. Tsongas stood at the front of the line, embracing friends and supporters who stood by her through more than a decade in office.  read more   Judicial council rejects appeal for release by N17 convict Savvas Xiros Ekathimerini (Dec. 10)   A Piraeus Council of Appeals Court Judges on Monday rejected an appeal by November 17 convict Savvas Xiros to be given early release on the grounds of poor health.  While acknowledging Xiros's health problems, the judges deemed that Xiros, 55, should remain in Attica's high-security Korydallos Prison and serve 25 years of actual jail time before he can be eligible for release.  read more   Miss Greece Parades in Traditional Costume at Miss Universe Pageant The Pappas Post (Dec. 10) Miss Greece Ioanna Bella opted for a complete, traditional version of her nation's national dress for the costume parade at the 2018 Miss Universe competition taking place in Thailand.  read more | video Led Zeppelin Changed the Life of John Varvatos-and It Wasn't the Music Wall Street Journal (Dec. 11) John Varvatos, 64, is a menswear designer and the chairman of John Varvatos Enterprises, which specializes in rock-inspired men's fashion. He also is president of John Varvatos Records in Nashville. He spoke with Marc Myers. I was 18 when I went to my first arena rock concert. I saw Led Zeppelin at Detroit's Cobo Hall in July 1973. The sound of 20,000 people screaming in reaction to the music and the band gave me goosebumps.  read more (subscription req'd)   Lanthimos' The Favourite Nominated for 5 Golden Globes The National Herald  (Dec. 7) The Golden Globe nominations were announced on December 6 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite is up for five of the coveted awards this year. The film is nominated for Best Picture (Comedy), Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Best Supporting Actress  for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, and Best Screenplay for writers Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. read more     War and peace: Pericles' fascinating journey from Greece to the Bronx Riverdale Press (Dec. 9)   What started as a graduate school dissertation turned into a very personal project for Perry Rizopoulos.  Just a few years after graduating as Manhattan College's valedictorian, Rizopoulos started to really think about the life the grandfather he was named for, Pericles Rizopoulos, and what life for him was like during World War II.  Rizopoulos now has something to show for that exploration of the past, with his memoir, "Wheat Songs: A Greek-American Journey."   read more    Feeding NYC's Homeless: Way of Life for this Westchester Community The Pappas Post (Dec. 9)  For a decade, hundreds of volunteers from a Greek Orthodox church have carpooled every month to New York City, where they set up an outdoor dining room to feed dozens of homeless.  read more