Copyright thenationalherald
TENAFLY, NJ – The Hellenic Federation of New Jersey honored the 85th anniversary of ‘OXI’ Day, October 28, 1940, with a presentation on November 2 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly. The theme of the event was ‘Greece, Courage and the First Defeat for the Axis Powers’ with Federation President Dr. Panos Stavrianidis as the speaker. The presentation was preceded by the recitation of poems, songs, and a dance program by the students of the Cathedral’s Greek School. In his statements to The National Herald, Dr. Stavrianidis described the anniversary as a day of remembrance, pride and rebirth that marks the beginning of the National Resistance and the determination of the Greek people to defend their freedom. He noted that “however, unfortunately from my experience, many Greeks do not know exactly what happened during that period and my ambition today is with what I will present to refer to the historical side of the events, what we celebrate, what we are taught, what influence it had on the Greek Diaspora, and how we today can feel proud as a people.” The Dean of the Cathedral, Fr. Panagiotis Lekkas, congratulated the New Jersey Federation for the important work it is doing. He said: “Its members regularly go from church to church, organizing national, religious, and cultural events for one purpose only, the promotion and support of Hellenism and Orthodoxy. The money they raise is given every year to scholarships for students and pupils of the Greek Diaspora. They deserve many congratulations. May God give them strength and health to continue what they are doing.” Parish Council President Methodios (Matthew) Nicholas, welcomed the Federation to the parish, congratulated the students of the Greek School who participated in the festive program, thanked the guests for their presence and noted that the Cathedral is always happy to host any event related to national and religious holidays. The school’s music teacher, Olga Xanthopoulou, told the newspaper that through songs and dance, students learn about the traditions, history, customs and traditions of Greece. Finally, it should be noted that all the guests were treated to a meal donated by the James Kourgelis family.
