'Mazi' with our Sponsors
February 26, 2026
Kalimera Mazi Readers
Kathara Deftera has come and gone, Great Lent is underway, and this week's newsletter is packed. The world's largest aircraft carrier is docked at Souda Bay as Trump weighs action against Iran, Greece sends two ministers to Washington in the same week, and a Belgian collector pulls Nazi execution photos off eBay after Greece comes calling. A Queens man gets 25 years for pushing his mother out a window, the Kivotos founder gets a harsher sentence on appeal, and foot-and-mouth disease is spreading fast across Cyprus.
On a lighter note: a Greek teenager is starting every game at Harvard, a Greek-American director walked away from Hollywood to shoot his first film in Omonia on 16mm, and Drake Behrakis sits down with us on Kafé & Kouvénta to talk legacy, restraint, and what three generations of a Greek-American family actually looks like.
This edition of Mazi for a Minute is proudly sponsored by North Shore Farms, Limani Restaurant, Divani Collection Hotels, Aria Hotels – La Divina, Sand Castle, Parklane Resort & Spa Limassol, and Ethnikos Kirikas / The National Herald.
Now grab your kafé and let's get into it.
ECONOMIC ESPRESSO
Greece Sends Two Ministers to Washington in One Week
Global and U.S. Market Pulse
Double Play: Foreign Minister Gerapetritis sits down with Marco Rubio as U.S. forces mobilize in the Middle East, while Energy Minister Papastavrou joins a natural gas security summit alongside Chevron and ExxonMobil to advance the Vertical Corridor. It is a rare moment of dual Greek presence in Washington, and the timing is anything but coincidental.
CROSS-ATLANTIC CURRENTS
Greece and the White House Talk AI on the Sidelines of New Delhi
Insights from Greece, Cyprus and America
Digital Diplomacy: Prime Minister Mitsotakis met with the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy at the AI Impact Summit in India, discussing regulatory frameworks, child safety online, and a potential AI gigafactory by PPC in Western Macedonia. The meeting signals Greece's growing ambitions as a technology player within the transatlantic relationship.
The World's Largest Aircraft Carrier Is Docked in Crete
Insights from Greece, Cyprus and America
Position Matters: The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at Souda Bay this week as part of a major U.S. military buildup amid escalating tensions with Iran, drawing a protest in Chania organized by the Greek Communist Party. Greece's strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean has rarely felt more consequential.
Hollywood Could Wait. Athens Couldn't
Insights from Greece, Cyprus and America
In Focus: Greek-American director Adam Christian Clark walked away from Los Angeles to make his first film on Greek soil, shooting entirely on 16mm with an all-Greek crew in the neighborhoods most filmmakers overlook. The bilingual film, featuring some of Greece's finest actors, is headed for a major festival premiere in 2027.
HELLENIC HORIZONS
Drake Behrakis on Legacy, Restraint, and Showing Up
Greek & American Business Highlights
Kafé & Kouvénta: Three generations, from a Peloponnesian railroad worker to one of the most prominent names in Greek-American philanthropy, and Drake Behrakis has thought carefully about what that lineage demands of him. He opens up about learning to say no, stepping off boards, and why his kids' connection to Greece gives him more confidence than any institution could.
A Son of Greek Immigrants Makes Forbes' List of America's Greatest Innovators
Greek & American Business Highlights
Innovation Elite: Peter Diamandis, born in the Bronx to Greek immigrant parents, landed at No. 188 on Forbes' new list of 250 leading living innovators, compiled to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The XPRIZE founder and Singularity University creator sits on that list alongside Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, recognized for his work across space exploration, AI, biotechnology, and longevity sciences.
🇨🇳 Olive Oil, Greek Herbs and a Foothold in the World's Biggest Market
Greek & American Business Highlights
East-West Bridge: A Greek entrepreneur fluent in Mandarin has spent years building business bridges between Athens and Beijing, starting with construction materials and now developing a cosmetics line built around Greek natural ingredients. He finds that China's admiration for ancient Greek civilization gives him an unexpected head start in the boardroom.
From an Athenian Bakery to Five Long Island Kitchens
Greek & American Business Highlights
Table for All: Spiros Dimas earned two American degrees before deciding the classroom wasn't where he belonged, it was the dining room. Forty years later, he and his wife Buffy run five Greek eateries across New York, with a simple founding philosophy: a Greek table for all Greeks, not just those with deep pockets.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Katos Out at Holy Cross
Diaspora in Focus
Presidential Exit: The president of the Greek Orthodox Church's premier theological institution in America has resigned, or more precisely, was advised to. He exits the presidency March 1, heads into a paid sabbatical, and returns in the fall as a professor.
25 Years for an Unthinkable Act Against His Own Mother
Diaspora in Focus
Jury's Verdict: A Queens man who pushed his 64-year-old mother out of a third-floor window in 2024 was sentenced to the maximum 25 years in prison after a jury conviction on attempted murder and assault charges. In court, he blamed his mother for the crime, a claim that did not move the judge.
35 Years, One Vision and One Last Bow
Diaspora in Focus
Passing the Baton: Alexander Lingas built Cappella Romana from a benefit concert among friends in 1991 into the premier ensemble for Byzantine and Orthodox music in the Western world, and after 35 years he is stepping down to focus on scholarship. His final concerts as Music Director take place March 6 and 7, featuring Steinberg's Passion Week in Seattle and Portland.
Munich's Greek Students Finally Have a School to Match Their Ambitions
Diaspora in Focus
Munich Milestone: Nearly 330 Greek students in Munich, split between a primary school and a gymnasium, have moved into a new building after years of advocacy from parents, teachers, and the expatriate community. Greece's Deputy Minister of Education flew in for the inauguration, a sign of how seriously Athens takes the fight to keep Greek language and identity alive abroad.
A Greek Teenager Earning Her Minutes at Harvard
Diaspora in Focus
Ivy Rising: Lydia Chatira left Greece at 18 to join the Harvard women's basketball team, started all 29 games of her freshman season, and was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week before the year was out. The six-foot sophomore guard from Pikermi is just getting started.
How New York's Greek Community Marked Kathara Deftera
Diaspora in Focus
Sarakosti Begins: From Astoria bakeries that baked thousands of lagana loaves to a Michelin-recommended restaurant importing its fagri straight from the Aegean, the city had no shortage of ways to mark Clean Monday. Here are the restaurants and bakeries that made the start of Lent something to look forward to.
Phoenix Hosted One of Greek America's Finest Weekends
Diaspora in Focus
Faith in Action: The 49th Annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival brought nearly 5,000 Greek Orthodox faithful together for four days of competition, worship, and fellowship, and while the dancing drew the crowds, participants also quietly prepared 35,000 meals for those in need. With the 50th anniversary on the horizon, FDF heads into 2027 with considerable momentum.
A Decade of Vision, Now Alive in Color
Diaspora in Focus
A Living Sanctuary: The faithful of St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church in Cherry Hill gathered to mark the completion of their interior iconography, a project born in 2017 and brought to life by world-renowned Thessaloniki iconographer Georgios Giariskanis. Among the most moving moments of the evening was the recognition of the Kousoulis family, whose daughter perished on September 11 and whose mother passed away just days before seeing the finished church she had worked to build.
When Grief Becomes a Medical Emergency
Diaspora in Focus
Our New Medical Column: Broken heart syndrome is a real cardiac condition, not a metaphor, in which a surge of stress hormones temporarily stuns the heart muscle, mimicking all the symptoms of a heart attack with none of the blocked arteries. It most commonly strikes women over 50, and yes, overwhelming joy can trigger it too.
A Week in Kalamata Changed Everything
Diaspora in Focus
Finding Her Voice: A Warner Bros. producer spent years telling other people's stories before a documentary film festival in Greece gave her the confidence to tell her own. Her debut film follows a team of Burbank volunteers racing against California floodwaters to finish a Rose Parade float in the final eight hours before showtime.
500 Kids, 35 Parishes, One Unforgettable Weekend in Philly
Diaspora in Focus
Service & Song: Over 500 young singers and folk dancers descended on Philadelphia for the Metropolis of New Jersey's inaugural Music and Dance Festival, a weekend Metropolitan Apostolos had spent more than a year building toward. The Philly Phanatic made a surprise appearance at the Glendi, and hundreds of youth spent Sunday sewing pillowcases for hospitalized children across the country.
THI's New Podcast Puts the Journey Front and Center
Diaspora in Focus
Diaspora Dialogues: The Hellenic Initiative has launched ITHAKA, a monthly podcast spotlighting prominent Hellenes and Philhellenes whose paths reflect the values connecting Greeks across generations. The inaugural episode features Andrew Liveris, president of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, offering a rare inside look at what it takes to host the world's most ambitious sporting event.
Inside a Divided Synod
Diaspora in Focus
Tense Deliberations: The Eparchial Synod voted 7-to-9 to place Archimandrite Dionysios Anagnostopoulos on the candidate ballot for bishop, but not before a tense debate in which two metropolitans voiced reservations and Archbishop Elpidophoros made clear he would not welcome Dionysios into the New York Archdiocese. The final decision now rests with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.
FOOD & CULTURE
Greece Moves to Reclaim the Only Photos of a Nazi Mass Execution
Tastes and Traditions Explored
History for Sale: Twelve photographs capturing the final moments of 200 Greek political prisoners executed by a Nazi firing squad on May 1, 1944 surfaced on eBay last week, and Greece has already signed a preliminary deal with the Belgian collector to bring them home. The images were part of a larger collection of 262 photographs taken by a Wehrmacht lieutenant during the occupation, and within days of their appearance online, the memorial at the Kaisariani execution site was vandalized.
A Greek-American Author Brings Wartime Crete Back to Life
Tastes and Traditions Explored
Book of the Week: Christopher Cosmos moved to Chania to write his latest novel, living among the olive groves where his characters lived and collecting stories from survivors and their descendants. 'Island of Ghosts and Dreams' releases March 3 and he already has his eye on turning it into a miniseries, a Greek Braveheart with a love story at its center.
Two Ways to Make Lagana, Any Time of Year
Tastes and Traditions Explored
Recipe of the Week: The traditional Clean Monday flatbread is simpler to make at home than most people think, and it doesn't have to wait for Kathara Deftera. Here are two recipes, one with yeast, one without, both yielding the sesame-topped bread that marks the start of Great Lent.
Five Places That Take Their Tzatziki Seriously
Tastes and Traditions Explored
Eva Explores: National Tzatziki Day came and went on February 22, but the city's best Greek dips are worth knowing about year-round. From a Chelsea spot that spent the day serving tzatziki croquettes and tzatziki-crusted chicken to Astoria institutions that have been perfecting their recipe for decades, here are five places that earned their garlic stripes.
Greek Olive Oil Is Dominating the World Rankings, Again
Tastes & Traditions Explored
[Greek] Liquid Gold: Greece earned 881 awards in the 2025 EVOO World Ranking, with a Cretan producer claiming the top extra virgin olive oil spot for the sixth consecutive year. Behind the titles is a consistent philosophy shared across the country's leading producers: chase excellence, not trophies.
The Silence between Generations
Tastes and Traditions Explored
Hidden Histories: A Greek-Australian historian's ten-year work traces how the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian genocides have been remembered, and suppressed, within diaspora families in Australia. Australia's Gallipoli narrative, it turns out, has long complicated the country's path to national recognition.
ECONOMY & SOCIETY
A Crisis that Keeps Spreading in Cyprus
Snapshots of Change
Larnaca Outbreak: Foot-and-mouth disease has now reached more than 5,000 animals across 11 livestock units in the Larnaca district, with authorities investigating whether the virus entered from occupied territories through illegal feed trafficking. A 73-year-old farmer in the area died amid the outbreak, and EU veterinary experts are expected on the ground by Tuesday.
Turkey Quietly Builds a Surveillance Network in Occupied Cyprus
Snapshots of Change
Layered Militarization: Three radar stations set to become operational in July will give Turkey significantly expanded maritime monitoring capabilities across the Eastern Mediterranean, operating from illegally occupied Cypriot territory. Read alongside the military airport in Lefkoniko and the drone guidance systems in Pentadaktylos, the picture that emerges is one of deliberate, layered militarization.
Mitsotakis Takes His Economic Pitch to Flood-Hit Evros
S
Power & Protection: The Prime Minister visited the Evros region Wednesday, touring flood-damaged areas alongside a new natural gas power plant under construction in Alexandroupolis and an upgraded border station at Kipoi. The day closed with a New Democracy pre-conference event where he spoke directly with citizens.
Athens and Nicosia, Now Formally Linked in the Classroom
Snapshots of Change
Beyond Geography: The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens inaugurated its Cyprus Annex in February, with the presidents of both Greece and Cyprus in attendance. For two countries bound by language, faith, and history, the new academic outpost formalizes a connection that has always run deeper than geography.
An Archbishop at Peace with What Comes Next
Snapshots of Change
Beyond the Title: Ieronymos of Athens spoke with rare candor about succession, Church-State relations, and his own mortality, saying his life does not depend on his title. What he does want to leave behind: a Church with fewer problems, settled property disputes, and bishops who love their country.
Limnos Under Water after One of Its Worst Storms in Recent Memory
Snapshots of Change
Streets to Rivers: Torrential rain turned the streets of Myrina into fast-flowing rivers on February 21, sweeping vehicles off roads, flooding homes and businesses, and prompting authorities to declare the city's tap water unsafe to drink. The island is still assessing the full extent of the damage.
The Kivotos Founder Gets a Harsher Sentence on Appeal
Snapshots of Change
Judicial Reckoning: An Athens appeals court more than doubled the original sentence for Father Antonios, founder of the Kivotos tou Kosmou children's charity, finding him guilty of nine counts including inflicting serious bodily harm on minors in his care. Two additional cases against him, involving allegations of sexual abuse and financial misconduct, remain before the courts.
Greece and Cyprus Can't Agree on Where Their Power Cable Project Actually Stands
Snapshots of Change
Cable Controversy: Greece's Foreign Minister said in 2024 that the necessary research for the electricity interconnection cable had been completed, but Cyprus's deputy representative says the critical offshore survey near Kassos was never finished. PASOK is now demanding answers from a government that has gone quiet on the matter.
The Voice That Kept Limnos Connected to the World
Snapshots of Change
A Familiar Voice: For decades, Ilias Kotsalis hosted Radio Alpha FM 96 on Limnos with a devotion to his island that those who knew him say was unlike anything they had seen. He passed away on February 21 at 78, leaving behind journalists, diaspora Greeks, and an entire community who credit him with shaping who they became.
TRAVEL & CONNECTIVITY
Athens Airport Has Been Running on a Broken Radar System for Months
Expanding Horizons
Sounding the Alarm: On February 19, Athens Approach was left operating with one radar instead of three after another communications failure at the Merenda Hill station, the same failure that occurred in August 2025, caused by a spare part that authorities have been deliberating over replacing since May 2024. Air traffic controllers are now warning they may take action if the situation is not addressed.
GOINGS-ON: FEBRUARY 26TH - MARCH 8TH
Spotlighting some upcoming community events:
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL – Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church hosts its 32nd Annual Greek Festival (February 27-March 1)
SOMERVILLE, MA – The Folk Arts Center of New England 37th Annual Balkan Music Night takes place at The Center for the Arts at the Armory (February 28)
ASTORIA, NY – Hellenic Aesthetic NYC is hosting its 4th annual March Bracelet ('Martaki') making party (February 28 & March 1)
GALLOWAY, NJ – Stockton University will host ‘Exploring Hellenism: Magna Graecia – Where Greece & Italy Meet’ bringing together music, culture and regional cuisine to raise funds for student scholarships in Hellenic Studies (March 1)
NEW YORK, NY – Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum (KKJ), announced that the celebration of Greek Jewish Purim starting with Minha and Arvith services, followed by a Romaniote Megillah Reading. Afterwards, attendees will enjoy a Greek Jewish reception with great food. Dress up in your favorite costumes. (March 2)
NEW YORK, NY – A special International Women's Day discussion and reception will be held at the Consulate General of Greece in New York celebrating generations of amazing leaders with a distinguished list of featured speakers (March 6)
DRACUT, MA – The Messinian Greek Dinner Dance takes place at the Four Oaks Country Club (March 7)
NEW YORK, NY – Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum (KKJ) hosts the monthly evening program Torah & Taverna Night (March 7)
LOS ANGELES, CA – Neuroprotective Greek Herbs: Bridging Neuroscience and Cultural Heritage, a seminar organized by Anastasia Tsingotjidou of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, takes place in 314 Royce Hall on the UCLA Campus (March 7)
THIS WEEK IN GREEK HISTORY
February 26, 1906
On this day, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas was born in Athens. A leading Greek Cubist, he studied in Paris and held his first exhibition there within four years. Recognized internationally, his works appear in major museums worldwide. His Athens home is now a Benaki Museum branch dedicated to his life and art.
February 27, 1943
On this day, Kostis Palamas passed away. Born in Patras, he became a central figure in modern Greek literature and the Demotic movement, championing the people’s language. Founder of the New School of Athens, he reshaped poetry, expressing national aspirations through lyricism, history, mythology, and profound philosophical depth.
March 4, 2008
On this day, actress Elena Nathanael passed away at 61. A prominent star of 1960s Greek cinema, she was known for glamorous roles and won Best Actress at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. Later a fashion icon, she withdrew from film, spending her final years in Evia involved in wine production with her partner, and devoted to her family.
Throwback Headlines
The National Herald Archive
Digitalization thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
February 26, 1986
Philippines: Marcos Leaves – Corazon Aquino Takes Office / Reagan Personally Congratulates Her – U.S. Pledges Full Support / Unknown Where Marcos Will Reside / Reagan–Marcos: The Other Side of the Coin
Developments Regarding Gorbachev
Thousands of Greek Workers Go on Strike
Fuel Tank Fire Still Raging
Newspapers Did Not Circulate Due to Strike
GREEK WORDS OF THE WEEK
Ευγενής
ev-yeh-NEESS
"Polite"
-
Κοινωνικός
kee-noh-nee-KOHSS
"Outgoing"
-
Αγενής
ah-yeh-NEESS
"Rude"
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Kites Fill Athens Sky on First Day of Lent
Families gather to fly kites on Clean Monday at Filopappou Hill in Athens on February 23, marking the start of Lent in the Greek Orthodox calendar. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
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