AHEPA E-News Volume 15, Issue 28 | Wednesday, September 15, 2021 ICYMI | AHEPA Remembers 9/11 Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas attended a 9/11 Memorial Service and Lighting of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America that was held last evening. Daughters of Penelope Grand President Kathy Bizoukas, Chairman of the Board Nicholas A. Karacostas, PSP, and Daughters of Penelope Executive Director Elena Saviolakis also attended. Supreme President Kokotas also issued a statement in remembrance of September 11. read it here Latest Congressional Push on Varosha Applauded AHEPA applauds a bipartisan congressional initiative to urge United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to act on Varosha, announced Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas. Congressional Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Gus Bilirakis, along with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, led 16 of their House colleagues in a September 13 letter to UNSG Gutteres to urge him to “firmly assert the United Nations’ authority to administer and prevent the resettlement of Varosha, pursue the immediate and full implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions on Varosha, and examine sanctions against Turkish and Turkish Cypriot attempts to illegally and unilaterally reopen and resettle this city.” The legislators added, “We echo the Biden Administration’s condemnation of the Turkish/Turkish-Cypriot provocations and illegal actions on Varosha and we join our Senate colleagues in calling for multilateral sanctions given this violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions and defiance of the international community.    read the letter In Remembrance Events of September 1922, 1955 During September, AHEPA reflects and remembers the catastrophic events of September 1922 (the burning of Smyrna) and September 1955 (the Istanbul Pogrom) and shares the following articles, journal pieces, and other resources with our audience for a more in-depth historical perspective and additional insight: International Association of Genocide Scholars: The Istanbul Pogrom of 6-7 September 1955 in the Light of International Law Article: September 6-7, 1955: Krystallnacht in Constantinople (The Pappas Post) Article: Locals commemorate pogrom against Greeks and Jews in Turkey in 1955 (The Jerusalem Post) Must Read: The Mechanism of Catastrophe: The Turkish Pogrom Of September 6 - 7, 1955, And The Destruction Of The Greek Community Of Istanbul by Speros Vryonis, Jr., Ph.D. Must Read: The Blight of Asia by former U.S. Consul General to Smyrna George Horton Article: September 10, 1922: The Martyrdom of Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna (The Pappas Post) Article: New York Times Recounts 'Turkish Atrocities' in Smyrna 1922; Testimony Based on American Doctor's Account (The Pappas Post) Must Read: Harper Collins Book About An American Minister Who Saved 250,000 Greeks from Smyrna Fire in 1922 (on Amazon)  AHEPA Responds to Call to Action, Opens Emergency Relief Fund Shortly after concluding business at our Athens Supreme Convention, an onslaught of wildfires devastated Greece. Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas immediately opened the Emergency Relief Fund and called on Ahepans from across the globe to mobilize. As they have in the past, Ahepans heeded the call and stepped up to assist in any way possible. As monetary donations continue to pour in, Ahepans also have volunteered their time and resources by donating bottles of water or by contributing to actual fire relief. Stateside, Hurricane Ida came barreling through the Gulf, leaving devastation in her wake in Louisiana and causing severe flooding and tornado damage in the mid-Atlantic up to parts of New England. AHEPA is working with the District 16 AHEPA family to determine how we can assist those affected by the hurricane to help them recover as quickly as possible. Click Here to make a tax-deductible Donation to the AHEPA Emergency Fund Upcoming Events & Deadlines September 16 | Supreme President Kokotas visits Chapter 326, Flushing, N.Y. 24 | Supreme President Kokotas meets with President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades October 2 | Testimonial Dinner for MOA PGP Theodora Ronstadt, Chicago 2-5 | Supreme President visits District 8, Massachusetts November 1 | Deadline: Winter 2021-22 The Ahepan 8-12 | AHEPA Golf Tournament, Daytona Beach, Fla. (For more information, contact Supreme Athletic Director, Chris Atsaves.) 20 | Testimonial Dinner for PSP George G. Horiates, Philadelphia, 6 p.m. The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA (Proceeds to benefit the AHEPA Capital Campaign Fund. Contact 856.986.8972 for information.) Greek American News Digest  Editors Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles 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 In an Ancient Greek Port, a New Cultural Hub New York Times (Sept. 13) The city of Piraeus, just outside Athens, is becoming a haven for galleries and design studios attracted by its abundant warehouses and growing creative community. read more Greek Leader Vows Crackdown Against Migrant Traffickers Associated Press (Sept. 12) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to “break and smash” the human trafficking networks that smuggle migrants across the border from Turkey. read more Climate Change Destroyed a Way of Life on the Once-Idyllic Greek Island of Evia NPR (Sept. 11) Long before the fire, Giorgos Anagnostou could see the pine trees were vulnerable. He spent 20 years tapping those trees in the thyme-scented mountains above his village for resin — his livelihood. read more Greece Forecasts Fastest GDP Growth in 2 Decades, Plans Tax Cuts Bloomberg (Sept. 11) The Greek government raised its growth estimate for 2021, with the country set to repeat the economic performance not seen in about two decades. read more Michael Constantine, Windex-loving dad in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ dies at 94 The Washington Post (Sept. 9) Michael Constantine, an Emmy-winning character actor who played a wry high school principal on the TV series “Room 222” and starred three decades later as the Windex-obsessed, endearingly overbearing dad in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” died Aug. 31 at his home in Reading, Pa. He was 94. read more Celebrating 100 Years of Brotherhood

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