Gratitude Given and Received

                                                                                                                        ב"ה            

27 Heshvan 5772                                                                                                                 November 24, 2011

                                       

                                            Thanksgiving Is Memorable for Caring and Sharing

                Since 1863, and on the last Thursday of November, pursuant of Presidential Proclamation, time is set aside to express public and private gratitude for the bounty of the land, and the manifold blessings around us we constantly enjoy, but take little notice. This autumnal feast coincides with the last harvest, and has been modeled --- as so many examples attest from Pilgrims to Founding Fathers well-versed in the Old Testament --- after the recently-concluded Jewish Festival of Succot (Booths, during which time farmers built temporary shelters in their fields, the better to be prompt in their tasks of gathering their crops).

                The day began before sundown, driving to JFK Airport, Hangar 4, to collect daughter Joy Avitan's mother-in-law Rahel, arriving on Delta's Flight 269 from Tel Aviv, Israel. Later, in the Lucerne building's community room our extended family gathered to fulfill the tradition --- eating turkey, and assessing a year filled with individual accomplishment, enjoying the growth of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (tomorrow, grandson Daniel-Asher celebrates his first birthday)  --- and, for me, reflect on the experience I witnessed at midday, while visiting The Greek-American Homeowners' Association, 23-49 31 Street, Astoria.

                Arriving at the behest of journalist Alexandros Stefanopoulos, http://www.greekamericannewsagency.com/, willing to offer my services, joining in the distribution of 500 plates of turkey, and all its trimmings, I was overwhelmed by the beehive of activity that was ongoing, and was scheduled to end around 4 PM. The tradition of everything free on Thanksgiving Day, I was informed by the group's president George Alexiou, and even chair George Kitsios, began 22 years ago from a story printed in the bilingual National Herald. It related the generous offer of a Greek diner in Long Island to distribute mountains of free food to all comers, especially the needy and lonely, on this special day. The proposal to duplicate this example of generosity was then enthusiastically accepted, and continues unabated, in memory of Konstantinos and Marina Fakiris, Melina Alexiou, and Tom Alafogiannis.

                Kudos to the many volunteer servers, including New York Consuls Evangelos Kyriakopoulos and Koula Sophianou, of Greece and Cyprus, respectively, and resident troubadour Serapheim Lazos, who gave us all much to hum, though the steady crowd permitted no dancing in the aisles. It was good to see businessman/philanthropist Dinos Ralis, photographer Archon Dimitris Panagos, journalist Dean Sirigos, educator/artist Ionas, Federation of Hellenic Societies president Elias Tsekeridis, while the entrance of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios added a spiritual dimension.

                One could not escape the notion that even in this land of good and plenty, there are people who are homeless and go to sleep with fewer than three adequate meals a day. The crisis is more acute for being part a world-wide phenomenon, which has seen the cyclical recession become longer lasting, unleashing waves of new unemployed, and financial uncertainly, and, in some cases, ruin. These thoughts were conveyed to host Manos Tsilimidis, host of the midnight (in Greece) radio program on http://www.realfm.gr/.

                Let us see the day come soon when the condition of freedom from want, insightfully noted by President F.D. Roosevelt in the Four Freedoms, during his annual State of the Union address in 1941, will be eradicated, even as we either conquer of extend the other three: freedom from fear, freedom of worship, and freedom of speech and expression. Amen.

                Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                                Asher

                Prof. Asher J. Matathias

               

312 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                516-374-2958 Mobile: 3605799 AsherJmat@Aol.com

*Asher, May the Ikeji (Thanksgiving in Ibo) remain ever-present in your family and in your heart. I will call when I return from my trip. Sam Chekwas, Lagos, Nigeria

**Dear Asher, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Yours, Christos (Dr. K.), Philadelphia, PA

*Asher: If the better-off could be assured that their tzedukah would go to feed those who are hungry, and not to line the pockets of those who claimed to benefit the downtrodden, and that their contributions were distributed legitimately to the needy, there would be none of our brothers or sisters hungry. All the Best, Adam E., Hewlett, NY

**Dear Asher, Thank you very much for your Thanksgiving message. Esther and I send you our very best (a bit belated) wishes for Thanksgiving to you, and your beloved family. All the best, H.I.,

West Chester, PA

Light at End of Tunnel?

ב"ה                                                                                                                                    

 9 Cheshvan 5772                                                                                 November 6, 2011

                                              That Was the Week That Was:

Sad Days for Greece in Paris and Athens

            The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is a Paris-headquartered 195-member affiliate of the United Nations Organization constellation, which promotes itself as "building peace in the minds of men and women."  Yet, last Monday, Halloween, the unit's perennial animus toward the United States and Israel was in ample display as 107 nations, including, depressingly, Greece (with Arab and most African support, including a divided Europe), unmasked themselves as opponents of direct Israel-Palestine peace negotiations to prematurely support entry of an unformed Palestine into their counsels. While 52 countries abstained, a fabulous collection of 14 nations (including Canada, Germany, Holland, Israel, Sweden, and the USA), opposed this provocative step! The United States, as required by law, promptly withdrew its financial support, leaving UNESCO in limbo to contemplate the considerable, sustained error of its ways, as it continues to be captive of our planet's most aggressively repressive, reactionary, anti-democratic movements.

            This development, as serious as any United Nations misstep in recent years, was clearly overshadowed later in the day by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's ill-considered announcement that a referendum on the recently-concluded bailout deal with Europe will be put to his electorate for an up or down vote. Further, he proposed a Friday eve vote of confidence in parliament that put his leadership of his PASOK Party and premiership in jeopardy, even as the jittery world markets began a tumble, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared miffed, demanding a direct explanation, summoning the Greek leader to Cannes ahead of the planned G-20 summit.

            Under intense pressure, Papandreou relented, cancelling the plebiscite, while nervous opposition leaders, foremost his New Democracy chief rival Antonis Samaras, hastily agreeing to support the bailout plan --- a condition of the lenders for writing off 50% of the Greek debt --- even contemplating a coalition governing formation, but without the incumbent heading it! With such scenarios in the offing the global financial burses rebounded, including my personal IRA with UBS! Then, forty-eight hours ago, well after closing time in the critical New York Stock Exchange, and in cliffhanger that the world was monitoring, BBC broadcast an affirmative vote of 153 for Papandreou, all his PASOK deputies, in the unicameral legislature of 300, staving off an early election.

            Immediately, the republic's President Karolos Papoulias was informed by party leaders of contradictory messages: Papandreou is willing to contemplate enlargement of the government under his leadership; Samaras is ready to enter government, but only on condition of the premier's withdrawal from leadership. Thus, this Greek drama, a tragedy, really, on many fronts, is still unfolding.

            Was the Greek premier's ploy a stratagem to get the necessary wide consensus required by his European backers for the release of the next installment of funds? Did the fear, imminent threat, of financial and political isolation for Greece cause its political class to come to their senses? For too long, both the bailouts, and the inevitable austerity that came along as the condition to induce long-standing social reforms, were burdens carried unilaterally by PASOK, even though much of the blame for the immediate dire economic trouble was the irresponsible proverbial cooking of books by the previous administration.

            Finally, the taboo of the future of the Euro has been broached, even the thought contemplated that Greece may be expelled or withdraw from the Euro Zone, prospects not covered by the enabling instruments of membership. And, if Greece is left to fall from the precipice, can the third largest European economy, Italy, be far behind? How about Spain, Portugal, Ireland? Could one eventually see the Euro Zone contract to just France and Germany? And, Europe remains in the wings, ready to become dependent on nominal Communist China for more than a trillion dollars? Does economics trump political arrangements, after all? Stay tuned …   

            As late night ushers a much-expectant meeting of Papandreou-Samaras with President Papoulias, a glimmer of hope protrudes as agreement is reached on a unity government for the next several months --- until new elections early next year --- without the incumbent premier at the helm, but with tomorrow's European-imposed deadline for a Greek crisis resolution plan met, as the duo promise to flesh out the new Cabinet early in the new week.

            There remain some lasting impressions from this week of experienced trauma for my native land: more than ever, reality has established the notion that the road to economic recovery will be protracted, perhaps the result of a lost decade of recessionary activity; unemployment, hovering around 16% will continue to plague the country, causing its best and brightest to flee in search of opportunity; despair has already seen a steep rise in suicides, a heretofore rare phenomenon for a perennially optimistic, singing, outgoing populace; the nation remains underdeveloped, a third-world country, politically immature, and socially pathetically searching for scapegoats, instead of confronting its own pathologies.

            The role of expatriates, especially in the key region of the United States, leaves much to be desired. One need only to look at the Greek-American community's lack of effective leadership in its Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, repeatedly having failed to forthrightly condemn endemic anti-Semitism. The airwaves, whether the 36-year-old NGTV of Dimitris Kastanas, or the 28-year-old weekend radio Aktina-91.5FM by host Elena Marouleti, are filled with fundamentalist gibberish, stressing unfounded attractions of life in the old country, including Cyprus --- one may wonder why those founder-producers live here --- stunting the progress of Greek-American youth with their diatribes. A recent segment at Aktina-FM fanned the ambers of religious intolerance as an ignorant and unprepared Marouleti, effecting you knows, right heres, and other clichés, employing British diction and style that our cousins across the pond have discarded, sought to engage Tricia Erickson, author of the new book, Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? In contrast, we feel giddy celebrating the daily Cosmos-FM at the same frequency!

            By far more egregious is the Internet www.hellasfm.us, whose 24/7 relentless anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, anti-Israel, anti-Papandreou, never introspective broadcasting under such lesser lights as station manager Ekaterini Livanis, and hosts Yorgos Hadjicostas, the unfortunate returned pseudonym-user Iapetos, Manolis Kouroupakis, Dr. Nikos Papavlasopoulos, imminently to be rejoined by Eleni Gioka regularly dispense ruminations and opinions to make decent people blush with embarrassment, while making us feel the pity and shame visited upon Greece by these exported voices of unvarnished hate.

            In comparison, we hail the bilingual 96-year-old National Herald, as well as the http://www.greekamerciannewsagency.com/ whose unsparing reportage lifts our spirits, keeps a balanced perspective, and regularly feature contrasting views, even warmly, and eagerly seeking this writer's views! Together, with good will, employing the 1940 OXI-NO of dictator Ioannis Metaxas to stop the advance of another dictator, Ile Duce Benito Mussolini of Italy, let us not glorify coercion, or yearn for a junta to set Greece aright; rather, let us gain greater understanding from the proposed grand coalition to realistically face Greece's immediate challenges to forestall our common catastrophe!

            Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                       Asher  

            Prof. Asher J. Matathias

           312

Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                                                                     

           516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com  

        

             

             

Unexpected Welcome

   ב"ה                                                                                                                                          

LONG ISLAND LODGE No. 1353, B'NAI B'RITH

                                                   P.O.

BOX 51, WOODMERE, NY 11598-0051

                                                516-374-2958                           Mobile: 369-5799

                                                www.bnaibrith.org        AsherJmat@Aol.com

19 Heshvan 5772                                                                                                           November 16, 2011

Remarkable Return to Sanity Bodes Well for Mental Health

            One day, when the annals of today's financial meltdown in Greece and elsewhere are written, this evening's much-heralded appearance of the distinguished political scientist Dr. Yorgos D. Kontoyiorgis, addressing "The Obligations of the Political System and the Greek Crisis: Is It Only Economic or Also National?" The venue was Brooklyn's ornate Grand Prospect Hall,

263 Prospect Avenue

, 718-788-0777, run by caterer-owners Alice and Michael Halkias. The program was under the auspices of the Hellenic Organization of University Graduates of America, Inc., and was introduced by author-journalist Ioustini Frangouli, while a friend, Fordham University's Dr. Nick K. Georgantzas served as moderator. The panel included the well-known Cypriot-American Andreas Savvas.

                My initial impulse was to shelve the invitation, prior to tossing it in the circular file, but the insistent remonstrations of controversial Alexandors Stefanopoulos, U.S. chief for  the http://www.greekamericannewsagency.com/, made me brave periods of heavy rain, rush-hour traffic on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and my beloved wife Anna's caution that nothing fruitful can materialize from a Greek-Christian community so historically demonstrably predisposed to an anti-Jewish bent! It soon became apparent how innate good will from this critic can, in time, yield unexpected welcome alteration of perceptions.

                Presenting my car to the valet, and entering the cavernous building, I was warmly greeted by our honored speaker, who effusively complimented my efforts to bring about inter-communal dialogue, assuring me that my commentaries are widely read in Greece, my reputation for fairness and probity, even when critical of my native country, widely acknowledged. As we talked, Alexandros Stefanopoulos, along with Alice Halkias, directed us to her husband Michael's office for a pre-reception chat. Later, and from the podium, in extemporaneous remarks Mr. Halkias singled me out for praise, explaining that I hold dual affections for Greece and Israel, and, when he asked for confirmation, I shouted, to general approval, "America, too!" 

  

                The warmth that I began to experience was repeated in the next several hours, as arrivals intermittently lit up in evident delight at mutual recognition, confident that a better tomorrow can be forged from the ambers of ethnic distrust, and intolerance. As the cocktail hour blossomed, it was nice to encounter, among the select many, journalists Dimitri Fillios and Dimitris Rhompotis, Cosmos-FM manager Joanna Gianopoulou, educators Dr. Sevi Boutos, Dr. George E. Yanulis and Stella Kokolis, philanthropist Bill Stathakos, even erstwhile nemeses Dr. Emmanuel Lambrakis with his sidekick Antonis Valsamakis (their seeming moderation, perhaps, the result of having ended the hate-enhancing Jew-taunting gig at www.hellasfm.us). Moreover, I was escorted and beckoned to sit next to another Hellas-FM personality, Manolis Kouroupakis, and station owner Nickos Filas, the irony of being so proximate to the token Jew smilingly noted!

                As to the multi-messages delivered by Dr. Kontoyiorgis, less remarkable for the content --- similar sentiments exuding trenchant and unsparing analyses have been made by others, and shared by me --- but for the fact that they were voiced by one from the increasing chorus of responsible Greek intellectuals, a group heretofore a depressing absence in serious discussion of the raised issues. To wit, it has long been assumed that Greece's maladies can easily be traced to the dominance of dynastic families, economic oligopolies of corporate cartels, and endemic corruption making effective popular political expression a cynical ploy.

                Political parties, in their Darwinian need for self-perpetuation, sacrifice society's aspirations; there is no effective government oversight, and thievery thrives with impunity, persistently short-changing the state; citizens, believing rules, regulations, and laws are for others to follow, brazenly exempt themselves. SAE, the organization to promote coordination of Greek communities abroad is hopelessly directionless, and its revival, based on his idea of a Hellenic Cosmo-system, can be instrumental in helping Greece recover from its malaise. A discerning audience, during an extended Q & A session, suggested that the continuing merger of Church and State is anachronistic; a civil divorce will release enormous assets for public use, now drained by the clergy, while the creative energy that the move would unleash will spur growth.

                There are several implications to the professor's remarks: Greece, alas, is a third-world nation, in my view, is still not European, even though it is manifestly geographically in the continent. By nuance and determination more akin to the character found in Middle East countries, Greece can exploit the clear advantage of democratic norms, so recently-reestablished when the junta was replaced in 1974. Let not this crisis be wasted, for it is an opportunity for Greece to become modern, competitive, and transparent in all its transactions. For this alone, and with warts, former Premier Yorgos Papandreou should not be pilloried, but admired for having courage, born of necessity when he discovered the depleting coffers, to confront past lies, and the tradition of double bookkeeping.

Signing the Memorandum, with its streamline of stop-gap loans, may yet help Greece avoid bankruptcy. It was necessary, but is not sufficient, to arrest the gallop towards withdrawal from the Euro Zone and economic catastrophe which the country faces. It was an unpopular decision that a popularly-elected government was obliged to make; it was spurious for Papandreou to propose a referendum on whether to accept further austerity as condition for another bailout. Now, a national coalition, headed by a technocrat, confronts further cuts, how about a sizeable reduction in politicians' salaries? Meanwhile, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras balks at the requirement to initial a promissory note to abide by the October 26 agreement with Europe (his ambition to become the next prime minister stumps his devotion to the imperative of national salvation)!

The conversation did not allow for discussion of foreign policy, except for the speaker to note that Greece is dismally weakened as it stares at its perennial antagonist, Turkey, and may not be healthy enough to deal with other provocations --- in Cyprus, the exclusive economic zone, and other issues (Israel-Palestine, Iran). Thus, concluding the presentation, our lecturer was apologetic for being pessimistic. However, such appealing honesty, without searching for scapegoats, but seeing reality with open eyes, with equilibrium and confidence are the ingredients for successful resolutions to problems, personal, national, even global!

Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                Asher

Prof. Asher J. Matathias, Lodge President   

*Asher, as always your experiences are interesting and your comments are insightful.

Everyone knows you are a good American, a good man, a good scholar, and a good Jew. Too few understand that you remain as well a very good and loyal Greek too. David, D.C., Law Offices,  Jericho, NY

**Most interesting piece. Maxine D., New York, NY

*Thank you. G.F., Teaneck, NJ

**How wonderful that Anna's fears were groundless, and you can take much credit for the welcome change in attitude evidenced at this gathering. I thank you for this information;  much more enlightening than what we read, or hear, in all the media. Regards to you, and Anna, and Happy Thanksgiving. F.S., Dix Hills, NY

           

           

Kristallnacht 2011

ב"ה                                                                                                                                             

12 Cheshvan 5772                                                                              November 9, 2011

                               Uneasy Coexistence of the Sacred and Profane

           

In Germany and parts of Austria in 1938, today and tomorrow, a series of attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions and businesses was unleashed --- 1,668 synagogues were ransacked and 267 set on fire, while in Vienna alone 95 houses of prayer were destroyed --- known as Kristallnacht, Night of Broken Glass. A special commemoration was held at the Valley Stream Jewish Center --- jointly with Temple Hillel and the Jewish Community Center of East Hempstead --- hearing from guest speaker, and period victim, Herbert Blum, 85, native of Ichenhausen, Germany. Fortunate he was to emigrate in December 1939, and, when drafted in the infantry of the U.S. Army in April 1944, he saw heroic combat in Belgium as well as in Germany. Professionally successful in his adopted country, Blum practices law and accounting, while being a Manhattan resident.

As usual, for our shared Jewish history, so often tragic, our south shore community continues to offer examples of depressing intra-communal division: the Orthodox Jewish contingent noting watershed events separately, while the local, ill-mannered, and misnamed The Five Towns Jewish Times persists in its twin sins of omission and commission, intentionally remaining indifferent and silent in covering news of Sephardim, along with Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jews! The appeal to area Orthodox rabbis is renewed, for the case of in re FTJT, and its vainglorious publisher-editor, is a matter for them to resolve --- taking the perpetrator to the proverbial woodshed for some dressing down, and, for the sake of our grandchildren, instruction in manners, derech heretz, the proper way to interact. 

This evening at the ECOSOC Chamber of the United Nations, a roundtable discussion ensued on Justice and Accountability after the Holocaust. Greeted by UN's Officer-in-Charge Stephane Dujarric, and moderated by the deputy director of the UNO's Outreach Division Ramu Damodaran, five prominent historians and legal professionals focused on the role of the judiciary in Nazi Germany, and the establishment of the current international justice system after WW II. For this hefty task Cecile Aptel (law professor and co-chair of the International Bar Association's War Crimes Committee), Patricia Heberer (historian with the Center for Adavanced Holocaust Studies at the USHMM), Hon. Irwin Cotler (MP, and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada), and Karen Obada Mosoti (Head of the Liaison Office of the International Criminal Court to the UN) addressed the judiciary's complicity in upholding discriminatory Nazi laws, which culminated in the Holocaust; they also referred to today's role of nations and courts in protecting vulnerable populations, holding war criminals accountable and preserving democratic values.

A short film dramatically illustrated the defense of following orders from superiors, in the advent of the November 21, 1945 Nuremberg trial of surviving Nazi war criminals to be a sham. US Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, lead prosecutor, eloquently demonstrated the Nazi conspiracy to terrorize, prepare, and execute aggressive war, goading its population into silence and indifference as vulnerable minorities --- Jews, in the main, but also homosexuals, Communists, unionists, Roma (Gypsies), the disable --- were systematically exterminated as undesirable.

We need to be aware that all victims had a name: that saving a life, according to a Talmudic dictum, is tantamount to saving the world entire; and the loss of a single life diminishes us all. It behooves us to honor the Righteous Among the Nations --- including the Stamos family selflessly, with imminent danger to themselves, preserved the nascent Matathias unit --- noting that the disappeared Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg has been elevated to mythic status in his attempt to save Jews, becoming an honorary citizen of Hungary, Israel, the United States, as well as Citoyenneté canadienne honoraire (one day, my native Greece, too, will join this distinguished roll).        

Further, we are admonished to adhere to Prof. Yehuda Bauer's addenda to the Ten Commandments, in order to prevent future genocides: thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, and thou shalt not be a bystander. Clearly, we are enjoined to oppose state-sanctioned incitement, and the culture of hate, recently on display again in the UN conference dubbed "Durban III," from which 14 Western nations declared non-participation! The test of every society is how it deals with the powerless in its midst.

In time, there remained time to turn from expert testimony to the audience's comments and questions. The threatening gestures of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, intent on the elimination of UN member, Israel, from the world map confronts civil society with a challenge not yet effectively dealt, much less eliminated; the dastardly episodes of man's inhumanity so graphically and ad nauseaum on display in such locales as Cambodia, Darfur, Myanmar (Burma), Rwanda.

For my part, I was recognized by name from the panel to offer a few observations and pose a question. There was a tip of my hat to the moderator, whom I reminded also so ably chaired the previous United Nations forum, Give Peace another Chance, and the Hon. Irwin Cotler, who persuasively made the case against the fundamentally flawed World Racism Conference Commemoration assessing a decade since its tragic inception in Durban, South Africa. With gladness of heart, I hailed Canada, and its wonderful sons, Messrs. Cotler, and the country 22^nd Prime Minister Stephen Harper!

Getting tough, Canada signed the Ottawa Protocol to combat anti-Semitism, "recognizing it as a pernicious evil and a global threat against the Jewish People, the State of Israel and free, democratic countries everywhere. Further, the prime minister stated, "Those who would hate and destroy the Jewish People would ultimately hate and destroy the rest of us as well." Identifying myself as a Greek-Sephardic-Jew, proudly living in our blessed America, I expressed my acute anxiety that Greece continues to experience anti-Semitic spasms with periodic attacks on synagogues, Holocaust memorials, desecrations of cemeteries, even the Jewish Museum in Athens, with the government willing but unable to secure the permanent safety of the country's remaining 5,000 Jews.                                                                                                                         

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an established forgery more than a century old, continues to be openly promoted and sold; the notorious Kostas Plevris, author of The Jews: The Whole Truth, is a Holocaust denier; while the extremist LA.O.S. Party stands to make advances from Greece's economic and political crises. In a dispatch from Athens, by dear friend and fellow B'nai B'rither Matos Borbolis, we learn that the role of the party's leader, the insidious Yorgos Karatzaferis, was critical in forming the current interim government headed by Loucas Papademos. After the 9/11 attacks in New York, the politician posed the question "why were all the Jews warned not to come to work that day?" before the Greek parliament. On a televised debate with Israel's ambassador to Greece he said: "Lets talk about all these tales of Auschwitz and Dachau"; in 2002 during a parliament session he asked the then Greek prime minister: "Is it true that your daughter secretly married a Jew?"; and during Operation Cast Lead in 2008, Karatzaferis said that the IDF was acting "with savage brutality only seen in Hitler's time towards helpless people."

In a different context, Sir Winston Churchill opined: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. For decent people, let this forum be the start of ongoing dialogue to advance the cause of peace through understanding and tolerance.

Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,                                                          

Asher                                                                                                      

Prof. Asher J. Matathias                                                                                  

312

Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                                            

516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com  

*Thanks for the posting. R.M.B., Atlantic Beach, NY

**Very Interesting. N.F.N., West Falls, CT

*Well written! E.E-P., Cedarhurst, NY

**Thank you. G.F., NJ

*Dear Asher, I am always amazed by your command of history as much as I am by your passion for our Jewish heritage and the future of our people. Thanks for sharing this most learned account with me! It was great seeing you at the polls on Tuesday. What a long but most worthwhile day! I think we definitely should go ahead and set up "Checkers, Chess and Chat" at the Community Enrichment Mini-Center at 1026 Broadway in Woodmere. Please give me a call to discuss. Your friend, Ann (S.S.), Woodmere, NY  

                  

A Different Christmas Story ...

This article was published in English, in the December 2009 edition of Greek-American NEO Magazine, and online www.neomagazine.com.

A different Christmas story…

Without belittling the seriousness of the world economic crisis, nor the contentious debate that rages in our country over the no-brainer issue of providing medical coverage to 47 million uninsured Americans (of course we should), both plainly pale in comparison to the then present mortal danger of living as hunted Jews in Axis-occupied Greece on December 3, 1943. By Asher J. Matathias Tonight, as the first candle of the Hanukkah Menorah (candelabra) is lit, fourteen days before Christmas --- frequently but erroneously thought as comparable: the former is minor in the Hebrew lunar calendar, celebrating the triumph of spirit over ancient oppression; the latter the genesis of the Messiah who defines Christianity --- I reflect intensely how the precious gift of life my parents Jacob and Nina were to give me that very day could have been very brief, ended arbitrarily, perhaps most brutally. The sequence of dramatic events in the Balkans begun with Italy's Mussolini demanding safe passage into Greece from Albania, and the outnumbered, outgunned Greeks writing a brilliant chapter of military history with their thrilling "OXI" the now known "NO" that would derail the Fascist Benito's plan, rekindle Greek nationalism, and divert Hitler's forces from the Caucasus, fatally compromising his dreams for a Reich to last a thousand years! Life under the Italians was preferable, for they shared a Mediterranean joie de vivre, seeking to enjoy wine, women, and song even in wartime, frequently drawing unwelcome comments, earning even contempt from their erstwhile Nordic ally. With Il Deuce's prospects declining, his eventual fate in the hands of partisans and the awaiting hanging tree, the Germans took control and proceeded to systematically end the two-millennia Jewish presence in Greece by prosecuting the Final Solution that would eventually claim 87% of the country's Romaniote (Greek-speaking) and Sephardic (Ladino-speaking) Jews (including my mother's parents and two younger brothers)! Desperate circumstances occasionally evoked uncommon compassion from Christian fellow citizens. One such family was the childless couple Phroso and Yorgos Stamos, who, fully knowing the dire consequences were they to be found harboring Jews, did not hesitate to take them from Volos, in Magnesia Prefecture, to a refuge in a Mt. Pelion cave. The family frequented my father's retail store on Ermou Street, Volos , purchasing the famed Panagos schemes imported from Paris, hand- embroidered by maidens on their way to the altar, and seen in fashionable homes. Their leap to courageous stardom among those called the Righteous Among Nations may be seem the normal expression one would have for the dearest of friends, or business associates. Still, the rhetorical question remains for each of us: given a similar crisis, would we have the fortitude to place our own person and / or family in jeopardy? It was there, in Ayios Lavrendios, that a midwife, traversing the heavily-snowed paths from a nearby village came to help deliver a baby boy. (Years later, I would learn that the ritual circumcision performed on a male eight days after birth was postponed for … eight months!) German troops had first rounded the majority of Jews making up the famed Jerusalem of the Balkans, Thessaloniki, fulfilling the request of their spiritual leader, Rabbi Tzvi Koretz, who had counseled that the crisis facing his flock would be resolved were his people to "get along, by going along," with official orders to report for resettlement. The panic that spread among the remaining Jews upon learning the fate of their brethren, was palpable. There were no transports to America, or a State of Israel to welcome refugees. Thus, with kindness and the befriending of would-be participants in the coming Greek civil war that would grip the nation for additional years after liberation, young Jewish families found respite from flight in the rough mountains that dot the landscape. However, as German patrols began to comb the countryside for hideouts, some crying babies betrayed their parents; in rarer instances, infants' noises were muffled by pillows that unintentionally snuffed their lives. In the event, I have been told, I was heroic by knowing to keep silent. Still, there came a day when my father was absent, collaborating with the underground movement, and Mom was left with her baby as a German patrol discovered our seeming major. Anything could have taken place; deportation, separation of the two (with the child raised German), or instant execution, for their Jewish identity was obvious. Instead, and while staring at the babe, the leader having a flashback of the image of his own boy he left in Hamburg, smiled and demanded all "rouse," "out" never to bother the family again! The irony is inescapable: a virtual Nativity scene, replete with pathos, as his compatriots were getting ready to usher the holiday with prayer, the psalms of praise and salvation, other units were engaged in the inhuman task of genocide! His magnanimity might also be indicative of the troubled psychological state faced by the German adherents of Martin Luther, and the genesis of Lutheranism in opposition to the 1517 doctrinaire and corrupt Roman Catholicism. Surely, the soldier's refusal to participate in rounding up innocent Jews was replicated elsewhere; it is a matter of regret, however, that such examples were not widespread! Wishfully, I have thought of that officer, and how his life might have turned out. Other ideas have made me grapple with notions of collective blame, guilt, even hatred. We now know that Hitler had willing executioners, in Germany and elsewhere, Greece, too, to be able to undertake the colossal, heinous crime that is uniquely called Holocaust. Yet, there were individuals, including that anonymous German officer, whose generous gesture has saved me from hating his people and his country; Further, whenever in Germany, I seek to engage residents of a certain age and pointedly ask: where were you, and what did you do during World War II? It seems I am entitled to the inevitable discomfort my questions engender, don't you think? Yes, the events described are miraculous, days from witnessing my first Hanukkah and Christmas. There would ensue other miracles: surviving the aforementioned civil war, our family intact and growing; and, in the 1950's, the devastating earthquakes necessitating a six-month living arrangement in a tent; culminating in our emigration, and arrival in the blessed shores of America, on January 30, 1956! Fully conscious of such existential experiences, I have embraced Eddie Cantor's immortal link of the two pithy words love / live; switch a single letter, and they are just the same. Is it accident, I wonder, that the two words are almost interchangeable? The author is an adjunct professor of American Government at St. John's University, president of B'nai B'rith in the Five Towns, a columnist, and frequent public speaker. He and his wife Anna live in Woodmere, NY.

*Great story, Asher. May the descendants of the courageous German Officer who spared you and your mother's life that day be happy and healthy and as just and righteous as their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather was to you. Chag Chanuka Sameach, Michael W., Miami, FL

*Nice and inspiring story, but why do you have to keep flogging the health care socialism? … 
I, too, would like to cover everyone, but not with a 2074 page monstrosity! G.S., Lawrence, NY

*You have a loyal audience. Keep teaching it. Professor Steven Bowman, Judaic Studies Department, 508 French Hall West, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0169

*Absolutely beautiful! Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas; the Menorah and Nativity scene will be on display in the Kilcommons House. Peter K., Baldwin, NY

*Asher, You have a wonderful writing skill. Thanks for the history lesson into Greek Jewish matters and your "little" role in it.  … D.D.C., Jericho, NY

*Well written. Happy Chanuka, Dr. F.B., Flushing, NY

*Your question on whether we would have the courage to risk our own lives to protect the life of another reminds me of the theory of the banality of evil. I believe that most of us, just like many people in Europe who did nothing during the Holocaust, could never see ourselves denying a person help who needed it. But it is obvious from the results of the Holocaust that the theory is correct and sometimes people will risk the lives of others to protect themselves and their families. Until we are put in the situation, I don't think any of us can answer that. C.R., Jamaica, NY

*Dear Asher, I loved reading your piece. As you can imagine I can so relate to this posting. You may recall the experience which I write about in my memoir --- how a German soldier rounding up the Jews in our building in Lwow, Poland 1942, spared the life of my mother and me. I was about a year old and it was shortly before we went into hiding --- it may have been around Christmas. So I too owe my life to one of those miracles! Thanks so much for sharing your story with your readers. Warmly, Sophia (Dr. R.), Upper Montclair, NJ

*Incredible Asher ... you were bershert to live and thrive and bloom ... and that you certainly have done ... B"H!!! Take care and I'm so glad that that German officer was led by the hand of G-d to leave you and your mother in peace ... due to his holiday or a Chanukah miracle ... it was a NES GADOL!!! Janice L., Toronto, ON, Canada

* Dear Asher, Very interesting; it was, indeed, a Nes Gadol worthy of Hallel to HaShem. I take it you've written a book and are even contemplating a cinematic presentation. I venture to believe that your family would love that! May you and your family never tire of your amazing life in America. Go for the best as you ALWAYS remember your history. Best Chanukah wishes to your whole family, 

B.S., Woodmere, NY P.S. Did Anna's family have a similar experience or were they more fortunate?

*Excellent! N.F.A., Falls Village, CT

*Very interesting and quite informative!!! I shall send it universally!!! S.R., Valley Stream, NY

*Asher --- What a marvelous story. Thanks for including me on your e-mail list.  Did you receive the book about the Greek Jews during the Shoah, that I sent to you for review? Please let me know. Regards, and Happy Hanukkah to you, Anna and family. Marcia Posner, New Hyde Park, NY

*Asher, I must say: a very moving recount of a unique experience, full of pathos but also of humanity. Kudos! Orestes V., Athens, Greece

*Hello, Asher. Hope you are well. What a compelling story. Well told. You have seen a lot, my friend. After the Nazi regime had stolen her father's umbrella manufacturing business, my mother-in-law and her parents were protected by individual Nazi officers in Berlin before they escaped in 1938, when she was thirteen. When their papers were found to be false, the three of them were refused admittance to Cuba. At the next port, the United States, the immigration officer also saw their papers were false. He told them that because it was Christmas Eve, he would let them in anyway. What a great country the U.S. is! All best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful Hanukkah and a Happy New Year!

Harold M., East Norwich, NY

*Dear Asher, it was very touching. Love, Louiza K-S., Volos, Greece ...