Thessalonike – a Greek city once known as Madre Yisrael
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ president Jeremy Spinak – recently attended a ball celebrating the the Greek city of Thessalonike.
AHEPA NSW Grand Secretary Dr Panayiotis Diamadis and Mrs Katherine Diamadis with NSW JBOD President, Jeremy Spinak, at the AHEPA NSW Charity Ball. Photo: Yiannis Dramitinos
550 people attended a charity ball in support of the Sydney Childrens’ Hospital hosted by the Order of the Australian Hellenic Educational Progressive Association NSW-NZ at the unique floating Dockside Pavilion at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
The Order of AHEPA NSW and NZ is marking its 80th year in Australia.
In his message to the Ball, His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia hailed AHEPA’s efforts in support of education and philanthropy, stating: ‘To support the Children’s Hospital is a priority before any other. For children are not only our future. They are our present as well.
This philanthropic event will be followed this Sunday with a special event celebrating the multiculturalism of the port of Thessalonike, Hellas’ second largest city, known as ‘The Bride of the North’.
The Sydney Jewish Museum will host this special occasion, held as part of the annual Demetria Festival of Macedonian Hellenism. Keynote speaker, Holocaust and genocide scholar Dr Panayiotis Diamadis, will speak on what Thessalonike means to both Jews and Hellenes.
Yiannis Boutaris
There will also be a message from the Mayor of Thessalonike, Mr Yiannis Boutaris, who wore a yellow star to his inauguration as Mayor in protest at the presence of Golden Dawn members on Council.
The Thessalonike event is this Sunday, 30 November, from 2pm. All welcome.
