official publication of the pancretan association of america KPHTH may 2008 www.pancretan.org THE BATTLE OF CRETE TURNING POINT OF WORLD WAR II Halikoutes the Africans of Crete The blessing of the sheep in Crete ΕΡΩΤΗΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟΥ 2009 2009 CONVENTION QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONAIRE MAY 2008 KPHTH 1
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KPHTH (CRETE) USPS 298-020 Published monthy except the combined issues of July/August and December/January for $20 per year by the: Pancretan Association of America (PAA) 30-48 82nd Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370 NIKOS KATSANEVAKIS Editor in Chief - Business Manager Tel: 718-302-1100 / Fax: 718-679-9516 Email: KPHTH@11211.COM KPHTH (CRETE) 917 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 GEORGE ZORBAS - 11211.COM Publishing Advisor-Reporter Nikos zoulakis Reporter - 11211.COM KONSTANTINA TSEKENIS Art Director - 11211.COM Periodical Postage Paid at Flushing, NY and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send Address Change to: KPHTH c/o PAA 8530 Sharon Dr. White Lake, MI 48386-3472 YEAR 79th - NO 787 MAY 2008 Send your letters, photos, advertisement, news, etc at: KPHTH MAGAZINE: PMB#387, 94-98 Nassau Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222 OFFICERs OF PAA NATIONAL PRESIDENT: EMMANUEL E. velivasakis, P.E. 220 DELHI ROAD, SCARSDALE, NY 10583 Tel. (917) 661-7800 EVelivasakis@TheTTGroup.com FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: john S. sargetis, Esq. Tel. (916) 649-3600 j.sargetis@comcast.net SECOND VICE PRESIDENT: JOHN G. MANOS Tel. (630) 686-0600 jmanos@worldnet.att.net THIRD VICE PRESIDENT: LEFTERIS DRAMITINOS Tel. (714) 606-5051 edramitino@aol.com GENERAL SECRETARY: ERASMIA NOVOTNY 8530 Sharon Drive, White Lake, MI 48386 Tel: (248) 698-8580 Fax: 248-698-8573 Erasmia@aol.com TREASURER: Tom lantzourakis Tel: (909) 614-1416 toml@pancretan.org WOMEN S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: carol travayiakis Tel. (617) 327-5696 ctravayiakis@yahoo.com GENERAL SUPERVISOR: Dr. james saklas Tel. (202) 366-9254 jsaklas@verizon.net LEGAL ADVISOR: JOHN A. KOKOLAKIS, Esq. Tel. (718) 545-1111 john@kokolakis.com AUDITOR GENERAL: ANTONIOS DOGIAKIS Tel. (781) 935-8727 ergotelis@aol.com PYA PRESIDENT: MARIA KIAGIAS Tel. (630) 456-5191 ctngem00@sbcglobal.net YOUTH SUPERVISOR EAST COAST: GREG MANOUSELIS Tel. (718) 336-9430 gmanouselis@aol.com YOUTH SUPERVISOR WEST COAST: GEORGE LIODAKIS Tel. (801) 733-0541 theosone@aol.com DISTRICT GOVERNORS District 1: EMMANUEL SIFAKIS Tel. (401) 499-6770 emmanuel_sifakis@alumni.brown.edu District 2: VASILIS MARANGOUDAKIS Tel. (516) 627-3217 vmarangoudakis@aol.com District 3: JAMES DENNEY, Esq. Tel. (330) 545-4250 aroni@outdrs.net District 4: NICK VERIKAKIS Tel. (419) 474-4287 nverikakis@buckeye-express.com District 5: GEORGE TSOUTSOUNAKIS Tel. (801)467-4779 gtsoutsounakis@aol.com District 6: STAMATIS ZOUMBERAKIS Tel. (562) 923-5750 stamatisz@aol.com District 7: JOHN DATSERIS Tel. (704) 795-0024 krete44@aol.com PAA FOUNDATION: THEODORE MANOUSAKIS (703) 549-3700 Theodore.Manousakis@breadandchocolate.net Culture & Education Chair: takis psarakis Tel. (908) 256-6813 ppsaraki@telcordia.com INVESTMENTS CHAIR: Dr. MANUEL G. RUSSON Tel. (914) 738-4887 mrusson@aol.com SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR: REMA MANOUSAKIS Tel. (703) 549-3700 rtmanousakis@comcast.net IT CHAIR: george kokonas Tel. (718) 460-0527 georgekokonas@gmail.com PANCRETAN ENDOWNMENT FUND CHAIR: MARY VASILAKIS Tel. (412) 421-2110 Pithari@aol.com PHILANTHROPIC FUND CHAIR: ROXANNE KOSTON Tel. (650) 368-7891 roxannekoston@hotmail.com STRATEGIC PLANNING: Dr. MARIA HNARAKIS Tel. (215) 895-6143 mh439@drexel.edu EXTERNAL PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR: KOSTANDIS LAMBRAKIS 31-25 36th Street Astoria, NY 11106 Tel. (718) 626-0303 PAA Convention Coordinator: kostas travayiakis Tel. (617) 327-569 ktravayiakis@yahoo.com For more information please visit our site at: www.pancretan.org contents περιεχόμενα [President s Message] Message from the PAA President Manolis Velivasakis [Letters] Letters from our members [From the Board] Eleftherios Dramitinos PAA 3rd Vice President [Our History] The battle of Crete remembered [Πρόσωπα] Chef Μιχάλης Ψιλάκης [Traditions] The blessing of sheep in Crete [Cretan Heroes] SPYROS KAYALES A hero of the 1897 revolution [Photo Section] [KPI-KPI] News for PYA [Mandinades] [Chapter News] News from our Chapters [Calendar] Chapter events 4 6 8 14 19 21 22 24 26 31 32 37 10 the battle of crete. 16 Zeus & europa the myth that inspired a continent 20 Halikoutes the africans of crete MAY 2008 KPHTH 3
[president s message] PANCRETAN CONVENTION IN CRETE SUMMER 2009 DON T MISS IT! Dear Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, Christ has Risen! I trust that by now, you are already aware that our 2009 National Convention will be held in Crete during the first half of July 09! Our Board of Directors is currently in the final stages of deliberations regarding the actual convention venue. We are actively considering two options: the more usual Landbased Hotel option, and the much more exotic Cruise Ship-based option. For the Land-based Option, we are looking to book a convention headquarters hotel at some place convenient and strategically located, to allow us to travel to all main cities of the island for various social and cultural events. For the Cruise ship-based Option, the main idea is that the Cruise ship will act as a floating hotel, which will visit and dock at all major cities of Crete, where we will be able to disembark and visit local attractions, hold meetings, attend cultural events and receptions and all of the things that we normally do during our conventions. In this, as well as other future issues of KPHTH we will be providing a great deal of details as to the exact itinerary of the trip and program for this extraordinary Convention! Till then however, and in order to wet your palette and appetite, here are some preliminary details: As already mentioned, for the Land-based Option, just as we did back in 1999, the Convention will take place at a Headquarters hotel and the social and cultural events will be spread throughout the main cities of the island. For the Cruise-ship based option after making the round of Crete, we will then set sail for Alexandria, Egypt, where we will have an opportunity to visit the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, and where will be received by our own compatriot, His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II. We will also have an opportunity to visit local attractions, such as the famous library of Alexandria and perhaps even take a trip to the Pyramids. From Alexandria, we will return back to Crete, where we will disembark. Moreover, as mentioned before, we are currently costing both the land-based and cruise-based options to determine which will be the most economical and less risky to the PAA. I want to personally reassure you that we are exerting our best efforts to keep the Convention cost to an absolute minimum. Furthermore, in order to make the Convention more affordable for our Youth, the Board has decided to initiate a special fundraising effort, so that we may be able to subsidize all of our college youths. We have set a lofty target of attracting more than 200 youths and young-adults to this Odyssey to our homeland! During a recent trip to Crete, I have had the opportunity to meet with many high-level public officials in Crete and Athens. Even the first mention of the idea of the Convention being held in Crete, generated quite a bit of excitement and anticipation! They have all shown us their sincere desire to assist us to plan and execute an unforgettable convention, both from the business, as well as, the cultural/entertainment points of view. As the organizing of the 2009 Convention gets into high gear, and although we plan to engage professionals for most of the travel-planning and organizational parts, we most definitely need as much help and we can possibly get from everyone who is willing to assist! Please take this as a call for volunteers to join the Convention Planning Committee! We will appreciate it a great deal. In the meantime, in order to help us make the right choice for the convention venue, we would very much like to have your opinion! We urge you to communicate to us your choice of venue-options, i.e., Land or Cruise-ship based! Please complete the special questionnaire in this issue of KPHTH and send it back to us indicating your choices, or just drop me an email at EVelivasakis@TheTTGroup.com Meanwhile, I urge you to save the dates and to start your own planning to attend the most magnificent event in early July of 2009! No matter what the final venue choice, we promise that it will be one of the most memorable and fun events that the PAA has ever undertaken! Fraternally yours, Manolis Velivasakis PAA National President 4 KPHTH MAY 2008
[μήνυμα προέδρου] ΤΟ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΓΚΡΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΣΑΛΠΑΡΕΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΚΡΗΤΗ ΤΟ 2009 ΜΗΝ ΤΟ ΧΑΣΕΤΕ! Αγαπητά Μέλη, κυρίες και κύριοι, Χριστός Ανέστη. Είμαι σίγουρος πως ήδη γνωρίζετε ότι το επόμενο Εθνικό Συνέδριο μας θα πραγματοποιηθεί το 2009, στην Κρήτη κατά το πρώτο δεκαπενθήμερο το Ιουλίου! Το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο της ΠΕΑ κατόπιν ώριμης και προσεκτικής σκέψης βρίσκεται στην τελική ευθεία απόφασης για το που θα πραγματοποιηθεί το Συνέδριο. Εξετάζουμε δύο επιλογές: την πιο συνήθης και κοινή επιλογή ξηράς, δηλ. Ξενοδοχείου και η δεύτερη επιλογή, λίγο πιο ασυνήθιστη, του πολυτελές κρουαζιερόπλοιου που θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί σαν «πλωτό ξενοδοχείο»! Για την επιλογή της ξηράς, σκεφτόμαστε να «κλείσουμε» ένα ξενοδοχείο σε στρατηγική τοποθεσία που θα μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί σαν ορμητήριο-βάση για τις εργασίες του Συνεδρίου όπου και θα μας επιτρέπει να ταξιδεύουμε σ όλες τις μεγάλες πόλεις του νησιού για να παρευρισκόμαστε σε κοινωνικές και πολιτιστικές εκδηλώσεις. Η επιλογή του κρουαζιερόπλοιου, εμπεριέχει ως βασική ιδέα, το κρουαζιερόπλοιο να χρησιμοποιηθεί σαν «πλωτό ξενοδοχείο», το οποίο θα επισκέπτεται και θα αράζει σ όλες τις μεγάλες πόλεις-λιμάνια της Κρήτης, (Χανιά, Ρέθυμνο, Ηράκλειο και Άγιο Νικόλαο), όπου εκεί θα μπορούμε να αποβιβαζόμαστε και να επισκεπτόμαστε τα τοπικά αξιοθέατα, να παρακολουθούμε πολιτιστικές εκδηλώσεις και δεξιώσεις, καθώς επίσης και να διεξάγουμε τις συνεδριάσεις μας και γενικότερα όλες τις εκδηλώσεις που συνήθως έχουμε κατά τη διάρκεια των συνεδρίων μας. Σ αυτό όπως επίσης και στα επόμενα τεύχη του περιοδικού ΚΡΗΤΗ θα σας ενημερώσουμε λεπτομερώς για το ακριβές δρομολόγιο και πρόγραμμα αυτού του, με εξαιρετικές προοπτικές, Συνεδρίου! Μέχρι τότε όμως, θα σας δώσω προκαταρκτικά μια μικρή γεύση του προγράμματος για να ετοιμάσετε την όρεξη σας: Όπως ήδη σας ανέφερα για την επιλογή της ξηράς, θα κάνουμε ότι είχαμε κάνει και στο συνέδριο του 1999. Το συνέδριο θα πραγματοποιηθεί σ ένα στρατηγικά επιλεγμένο, λόγω τοποθεσίας ξενοδοχείο και οι κοινωνικές και πολιτιστικές εκδηλώσεις θα γίνουν σε διάφορες πόλεις του νησιού. Η επιλογή του κρουαζιερόπλοιου έχει ως εξής, αφότου κάνουμε πανηγυρικά το γύρω της Κρήτης, θα σαλπάρουμε μετά για την Αλεξάνδρεια στην Αίγυπτο, όπου θα έχουμε την ευκαιρία να επισκεφτούμε το Ελληνικό Ορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο της Αλεξάνδρειας όπου θα μας υποδεχτεί ο συμπατριώτης μας Παναγιώτατος Πατριάρχης Αλεξάνδρειας και Πάσης Αφρικής κ.θεόδωρος II. Θα έχουμε επίσης την ευκαιρία να επισκεφτούμε τη διάσημη βιβλιοθήκη της Αλεξάνδρειας και ίσως και τις Πυραμίδες. Από την Αλεξάνδρεια θα επιστρέψουμε στην Κρήτη όπου και θα αποβιβαστούμε. Αναφορικά και με τις δύο επιλογές που υπάρχουν θα ήθελα να σας ενημερώσω ότι προσπαθούμε να αποφασίσουμε όχι μονο ποιά από τις δύο θα είναι η πιο οικονομικά συμφέρουσα, αλλά επίσης να υπολογίσουμε και το «ρίσκο» για την ΠΕΑ. Με κάθε τρόπο, προσπαθούμε να ασκήσουμε την επιρροή μας όπου μπορούμε για να κρατήσουμε χαμηλά το κόστος συμμετοχής του συνεδρίου. Επιπλέον για να κάνουμε το Συνέδριο οικονομικά προσιτό στη νεολαία μας, το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο αποφάσισε να ξεκινήσει έρανολαχειοφόρο αγορά για συγκομιδή χρημάτων ούτως ώστε να μπορέσουμε να χρηματοδοτήσουμε μερικώς όλη τη φοιτητική νεολαία μας. Έχουμε θέσει σα στόχο να μπορέσουμε να προσελκύσουμε περισσότερο από 200 νέους-ες και ενήλικους νέους σ αυτήν την Οδύσσεια στην πατρίδα μας! Κατά τη διάρκεια του πρόσφατου ταξιδιού μου στην Κρήτη είχα την ευκαιρία να συναντηθώ με τοπικούς παράγοντες και κρατικούς λειτουργούς στην Κρήτη και στην Αθήνα. Με την πρώτη αναφορά της ιδέας του Συνεδρίου να πραγματοποιηθεί στην Κρήτη, οφείλω να ομολογήσω ότι υπήρξε υπέρμετρος ενθουσιασμός, υπόσχεση για βοήθεια σ όλα τα επίπεδα και ανυπομονησία! Όλοι έδειξαν πραγματικό ενδιαφέρον να μας βοηθήσουν για τη διοργάνωση ενός αξέχαστου συνεδρίου, από επαγγελματικής και πολιτιστικής άποψης. Καθώς η οργανωτική επιτροπή για το Συνέδριο 2009 βρίσκεται σε πυρετώδη προετοιμασία και παρόλο που σκοπεύουμε να προσλάβουμε επαγγελματίες για να οργανώσουν το πρόγραμμα του ταξιδίου, χρειαζόμαστε όση περισσότερη βοήθεια μπορούμε να έχουμε από οποιονδήποτε θέλει να βοηθήσει. «Ζητούνται Εθελοντές» για να βοηθήσουν την Οργανωτική Επιτροπή του Συνεδρίου! Εκτιμούμε κάθε βοήθεια που μπορούμε να έχουμε. Εν τω μεταξύ θα θέλαμε να μας βοηθήσετε να κάνουμε τη «σωστή επιλογή» για το συνέδριο, εκφράζοντας την άποψη σας! Σας προτρέπουμε να επικοινωνήσετε μαζί μας ποια από τις δύο επιλογές προτιμάτε, π.χ. της Ξηράς, ή του Κρουαζιερόπλοιου! Παρακαλώ συμπληρώστε το ειδικό ερωτηματολόγιο που μπορείτε να βρείτε σ αυτό το τεύχος του περιοδικού ΚΡΗΤΗ και ταχυδρομήστε το πίσω δηλώνοντας την επιλογή σας ή στείλτε μου την επιλογή σας μέσω ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου (e-mail) στην ακόλουθη ηλεκτρονική διεύθυνση EVelivasakis@TheTTGroup.com Κλείνοντας θα ήθελα να σας παροτρύνω να σημειώσετε τις ημερομηνίες αυτές και να ξεκινήσετε να προγραμματίζετε τη συμμετοχή σας σ αυτό το μεγαλοπρεπές γεγονός το καλοκαίρι του 2009! Σας υποσχόμαστε ότι θα είναι μία από τις πιο αξέχαστες εκδηλώσεις που έχει διοργανώσει η Παγκρητική Ένωση Αμερικής μέχρι τώρα! Με αδελφικούς χαιρετισμούς Μανώλης Βεληβασάκης Πρόεδρος Παγκρητικής Ένωσης Αμερικής MAY 2008 KPHTH 5
[letters] AN OPEN LETTER TO PAA MEMBERS Regarding the 2009 PAA Convention in Crete Dear Members and Friends, On behalf of the Board of the PAA, I am writing to update our members on the status of the 2009 Convention in Crete and request you fill out and mail the enclosed postcard. The PAA Board had been working diligently to organize the 2009 Convention in Crete and is considering whether to hold it on a cruise ship or a hotel. In a hotel we would hold our regular business there with events at the hotel and cities around the island. A cruise Convention would be on a luxurious ship for 7-days going around Crete and docking at the major ports with events on ship and land. The last 2-3 days the ship will go to the famous Greekcity of Alexandria to visit the old Patriarchate and our own Cretan-Patriarch Theodore II, as well as ancient monuments and then return to Crete. Hotel Estimated Costs: - Rooms (one or two persons) per night are about 80 to 140 Euros ($130 - $225). In hotels in Greece a third person in a room is charged extra. - Events package per person for adults $200 - $250. - Events package for Youth $100 - $125. The PAA is planning on fundraisers to significantly reduce the cost package for youth and we will also be encouraging all chapters to subsidize the youth. Cruise Estimated Cost: Per person with all events included from $800 to $1200 depending on the room. Please fill out and mail the enclosed card as soon as possible. This Convention will be a once in a lifetime experience for you and your family and we encourage you to mail in the enclosed post card that you will be planning to attend. ΕΡΩΤΗΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΜΕ ΤΟ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟ ΤΟΥ 2009 ΣΤΗΝ ΚΡΗΤΗ Αγαπητά μέλη και φίλοι, Εκ μέρους του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου της Παγκρητικής, σας γράφω για να σας ενημερώσω για το Συνέδριο του 2009 στην Κρήτη και να σας ζητήσω να συμπληρώσετε την εσώκλειστη κάρτα/ερωτηματολόγιο. Το Συμβούλιο της Παγκρητικής δουλεύει επιμελώς για την διοργάνωση του Συνεδρίου του 2009 και εξετάζει να βρει ποιος είναι ο καταλληλότερος χώρος για τη διεξαγωγή του συνεδρίου, το κρουαζιερόπλοιο ή το ξενοδοχείο. Στην επιλογή του ξενοδοχείου, θα χρησιμοποιούσουμε το χώρο του ξενοδοχείου για την διεξαγωγή των εργασιών του συνεδρίου όπως και πόλεις του νησιού. Η επιλογή της διεξαγωγής του συνεδρίου σε πολυτελές κρουαζιερόπλοιο περικλείει μια 7-ήμερη κρουαζιέρα γύρω από την Κρήτη και δέσιμοάραγμα σε διάφορα λιμάνια της Κρήτης όπου θα μπορούμε να παρακολουθούμε εκδηλώσεις στο κρουαζιερόπλοιο και στη ξηρά. Τις τελευταίες 2-3 ημέρες της κρουαζιέρας, θα επισκεφτούμε τη πασίγνωστη Ελληνική πόλη της Αλεξάνδρειας στην Αίγυπτο όπου εκεί θα έχουμε την ευκαιρία να δούμε και το παλιό Ελληνικό Ορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο της Αλεξάνδρειας όπου θα μας υποδεχτεί ο συμπατριώτης μας Παναγιώτατος Πατριάρχης Αλεξάνδρειας και Πάσης Αφρικής κ.θεόδωρος II, καθώς επίσης και άλλα αρχαία μνημεία. Εκτίμηση κόστους Ξενοδοχείου: - Δωμάτιο (ένα ή δύο άτομα) τη βραδιά περίπου 80-140 Ευρώ ($130 - $225). Στα ξενοδοχεία στην Ελλάδα το τρίτο άτομο χρεώνεται έξτρα. - Πακέτο συμμετοχής κατ άτομο για ενήλικες $200 - $250 - Πακέτο συμμετοχής κατ άτομο για νέους $100 - $125. Η Παγκρητική σχεδιάζει να ξεκινήσει λαχειοφόρο αγορά για να μειώσει σημαντικά το κόστος του πακέτου συμμετοχής για τη νεολαία και ενθαρρύνει-παροτρύνει όλα τα σωματεία να επιδοτήσουν τη νεολαία. Εκτίμηση κόστους Κρουαζιέρας: Κατ άτομο συμπεριλαμβανομένου όλες τις εκδηλώσεις από $800 - $1200 σε συνάρτηση με την επιλογή του δωματίου. Παρακαλώ συμπληρώστε και στείλτε το ερωτηματολόγιο το δυνατόν συντομότερο. Αυτό το συνέδριο θα είναι μοναδική εμπειρία ζωής για σας και την οικογένεια σας και σας προτρέπουμε να ταχυδρομήσετε στο εσώκλειστο ερωτηματολόγιο τη πιθανή συμμετοχή σας. 6 KPHTH MAY 2008 Sincerely, Emmanuel E. Velivasakis National President Με εκτίμηση Μανώλης Ε. Βεληβασάκης Πρόεδρος
2009 CONVENTION QUESTIONAIRE PLEASE COMPLETE AND MAIL ΕΡΩΤΗΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟΥ 2009 ΣΤΗΝ ΚΡΗΤΗ Name: Chapter Όνοματεπώνυμο: Σύλλογος: If you are planning or considering going to the Convention do you prefer: Εάν σκοπεύετε να συμμετέχετε στο συνέδριο ποιά επιλογή προτιμάτε: Hotel Ship Cruise Ξενοδοχείο Κρουαζιερόπλοιο IF HOTEL CONVENTION Εάν η επιλογή σας είναι ΞΕΝΟΔΟΧΕΙΟ Planning to go and buy package adults youth (under 25 or in school or college) Σκοπεύετε να συμμετέχετε και να αγοράσετε πακέτο για Ενήλικα(ες) Νέος-α (ους-ες/ κάτω των 25 ετών ή μαθητές σχολείου ή κολλεγίου) OR Considering going adults youth Ή Υπολογίζετε να πάτε Ενήλικας(ες) Νέος-α (οι-ες) If you go will you need a hotel room: yes no. Εάν συμμετέχετε θα χρειαστείτε δωμάτιο στο Ξενοδοχείο: Ναι Όχι IF SHIP CRUISE CONVENTION Εάν η επιλογή σας είναι ΚΡΟΥΑΖΙΕΡΟΠΛΟΙΟ Planning on going adults OR Considering going adults youth. youth. Σκοπεύετε να συμμετέχετε και να αγοράσετε πακέτο για Ενήλικα(ες) Νέος-α (ους-ες) Ή Υπολογίζετε να πάτε Ενήλικας Νέος-α (οι-ες) VIA MAIL TO: Mrs. Georgia Kokkinidou PANCRETAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA c/o THORNTON TOMASETTI 51 Madison Avenue 18th Floor New York, NY 10010 MAIL TO: Mrs. Georgia Kokkinidou PANCRETAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA c/o THORNTON TOMASETTI 51 Madison Avenue 18 th Floor New York, NY 10010 MAY 2008 KPHTH 7
[from the board] Eleftherios Dramitinos PAA 3rd Vice President Lefteris Dramitinos was born in 1956 in a village named Agie Apostoli in the eparhia Amariou Rethemnon. He came to the US in November 1972 as a merchant marine. He is married and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Lefteris was in the restaurant business for over 20 years and has been in the real estate business for the last 10 years. He was the first president of the Cretans Omonoia of Orange County and, over the years, served on their board in many different positions. Nationally, he served two terms as District 6 Governor and is currently PAA s 3rd Vice President. What does your position entail? Membership concerns. What are your accomplishments and/or vision as a PAA board member? I have chaired the most recent fundraising efforts for the fires that took place in Greece last year. The fundraising was very successful thanks to the generosity of our clubs and members. It also gave ne the opportunity to contact all the clubs and listen to different concerns and problems that the PAA is facing today. I believe that overall the experience will help me to be more sensitive to the members concerns. What are the challenges of your position? Getting new members and starting new chapters. What initiatives and tasks are you pursuing during your tenure? Increasing chapters and PAA membership. Who are your favorite Cretans? All the Heroes that sacrificed themselves over the centuries so we can live free today and to be able to call ourselves CRETANS. Crete for you is My homeland and my heritage. 8 KPHTH MAY 2008
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[our history] THE BATTLE OF CRETE TURNING POINT OF WORLD WAR II BY TONY J. KOCOLAS AND JAMES A. DENNEY The Battle for Crete, May 20th-June 1941, was one of the most significant, if subsequently underreported battles of World War II. This last battle for the defense of Greece against the Nazis was critical in leading to the ultimate defeat of Hitler. This battle also emphasized the sacrifice, through selfless bravery, that the people of Crete were willing to pay to defend their freedom. The brutal Nazi war machine had already invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Romania and The Netherlands. Hitler was busy planning operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. In April 1941, after over six months of successfully fighting Mussolini s armies, the heroic Greek army was defeated by the combined forces of Germany, Bulgaria, and Italy. The Greek 10 KPHTH MAY 2008 government fled to Crete, the last bastion of Greek freedom. The capital of Crete, Hania, became the capital of free Greece. Some 19,000 British Commonwealth troops (Apprx. 5,299 English, 6,451 Australian, 7,100 New Zealander, plus 200 Jewish Palestinians) were hurriedly evacuated, leaving much of their armament behind, from mainland Greece to Crete, joining the small Commonwealth force already there and the Cretan army units, which had been previously stripped of much manpower and armament. (An additional 28,510 Commonwealth troops bypassed Crete and were evacuated from mainland Greece to Egypt instead). In Crete, the British Commonwealth troops and Cretans were frantically trying to establish viable defenses on the island, while being incessantly bombed by the Germans who enjoyed total air superiority. New Zealand Major General Bernard Freyberg had just taken command of the Commonwealth forces on the island, which Winston Churchill had ordered be defended at all costs. Though the Nazis had crushed Hellenic and Yugoslav resistance on the Balkan mainland with an army of almost 1.2 million, there was a legitimate possibility that Crete could be held. Greece s ally Great Britain still controlled the Mediterranean Sea, and there was over 100 miles of water between the Greek mainland and Crete. A German attack would have to be by air and/or sea. In addition to the Commonwealth forces, a Greek army was recreated in Crete. This Greek army consisted of the 2,000 police on the island, 2,000
[our history] survivors from the Greek mainland and 9,000 Cretan recruits, mostly boys of 17-20 years in age. The Hellenic force was divided into 11 regiments of 700 to 900 men. The Commonwealth forces had overall command of the defense of Crete, but the Greek units were independent and commanded by Greek officers. Most of the Greek units were poorly armed and had little ammunition. INVASION AND RESISTANCE The elite of the German Army, the paratroop division known as the Herman Goering division, lead the assault which began shortly after dawn on May 20, 1941, first with renewed bombing, then followed by the airborne assault. The Nazi assault had three points of attack, the Western Attack Group Comet, which targeted the Maleme airstrip and Kissamou areas, the Central Attack Group Aris, which targeted Hania, Alikianos, Souda, and east to Rethymnon, and the Eastern Attack Group Orion, which targeted the Iraklion area. However, because of the heavy resistance and resulting heavy losses suf- fered by the Germans at the Maleme/ Alikianos areas, some of the second wave of Ger-man forces that were originally targeted to the east were later diverted to the west to sup-port the attack on the Maleme airstrip, specifically the 5 Gebirgs Division. By evening on May 20th, of the over 10,000 German airborne troops used in the initial assault, only 6,000 remained effective, and all three German attack groups had failed to achieve their objectives. Tens of thousands of waiting Nazi mountain troops were unable to be landed to support the airborne assault. Contrary to the expectations of many Commonwealth officers the Greek Army was very successful against the German assault. As one example, at Alikianos the outnum-bered 8th Greek Regiment successfully charged the German lines with bayonets when their ammunition had run out. The German commander wired headquarters that at Ali-kianios that they were confronting a force of over 4,000 Greeks-but in reality, the 8th Greek Regiment had less than 850 men. This kind of bravery was to be duplicated by Greek units throughout the island. A factor just as important as the success of the Greek army was the resistance by the civilians of Crete to the Nazi invasion. The Battle of Crete was the first battle of World War II in which the civilians fought the Nazis during an invasion. This civilian de-fiance suffered from two handicaps: 1) most Cretans of military age were in the Greek Army on the mainland; and 2) most of the firearms in Crete had been confiscated by the Metaxas government before the war. In spite of these handicaps the civilians of Crete fell on the Germans with a blind fury, and with no consideration to their own safety, Cretan men, women and children fearlessly attacked the Germans with weapons such as knives, rocks and field hoes. Distinguished military historian Anthony Beevor described Cretan defiance: Boys, old men, and also women displayed a breathtaking bravery in defense of their island. The successful defiance by the Greek army surprised the Germans. However, the resistance by the civilians stunned them. World War II historian I.M. Stewart states: Dur-ing a year of unbroken triumph they [the Germans] had known nothing but the cowed submission of their victims. This unexpected defiance by civilian population surprised and angered them. When the Nazis won they were going to brutally punish the Cretan population for its defiance. The British Commonwealth forces also fought bravely in Crete (Approximately 1,500 of them are buried at the Allied War Cemetery at Souda Bay). MAY 2008 KPHTH 11
[our history] After the first day of battle the entire German division had either been destroyed or pinned down by Commonwealth and/or Greek forces. Hitler told his staff that unless an airfield was captured in one day, the entire attack would be called off. Unfortunately, major errors in British Commonwealth command coordination allowed the Nazis to capture the airfield at Maleme, which could have been held. At Maleme, significant German reinforcements, especially the Mountain Division, were flown in and ultimately the battle was lost. The continuing fighting by the Greek Army, especially by the 8th Greek Regiment, allowed the bulk of the British forces to escape. After the main evacuation of the Commonwealth Forces from Sfakia on the south coast of Crete, May 31-June 1, 1941, the resistance of the people of Crete continued for four years, until Crete was free again. Hundreds of Commonwealth troops, left stranded after the evacuation, were sheltered and cared for by the Cretan people at great risk to them-selves. This resistance, which also included sabotage and direct attacks on Nazi forces, forced the Nazis to garrison the Island for the four years with a much larger force than originally anticipated, which in turn reduced the German forces available on the Russian front and in the Middle East and Africa. The British Commonwealth sent into Crete several Special Operation Executive (SOE) officers 12 KPHTH MAY 2008 during this period, who helped coordinate the resistance and gather intelligence. One of the greatest coups of this resistance occurred on April 23, 1944, when a band of Cretan resistance fighters and some SOE ca-dre kidnapped the Nazi General Heinrich Kreipe and spirited him across the mountains, then off the island to Egypt. During the four years of the resistance, the Cretan people sacrificed greatly, and were going to suffer much more from the brutal reprisals of the Nazis (see below). CONSEQUENCES The impact of the Battle of Crete was going to be devastating for the Nazi war effort. Indeed, it may be argued that it was a very shallow victory. Over 5,500 Germans were killed and the overall casualties they suffered were over 25% of the forces they committed. Of these, 4,600 were re-buried at the German War Cemetery on Hill 107 above the Maleme airstrip. This was the highest percentage casualties suffered by the German Army in a single action up to that point in the war. Psychologically it was a Nazi defeat: The Germans who fought in Crete or were engaged in its planning were totally demoralized. They were instructed by their superiors not to discuss the battle with other units in the future. Many historians believe the Battle of Crete, along with the earlier campaign against Greece and Yugoslavia, contributed to a 4-6 week delay of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. This delay was to prove fatal in not achieving German objectives before the winter set in. This position is supported by information obtained by the captured German Naval War diaries, as well as the testimony of German Generals Frederick Pau-lus, Gerd Von Rundstedt, and Alfred Jodl. Also significantly, the Battle of Crete totally altered the course of future battle plans in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hitler was so stunned by the losses that he chose not to use the Herman Goering Division as a parachute unit again. Not having this division available as a parachute weapon would turn out to be devastating for Germany s war efforts in the Middle East. Reflecting on the Battle of Crete, Winston Churchill wrote,: The German losses of their highest class fighting men removed a formidable air and parachute weapon for the forces he [Goering] expended there may have easily given him Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps even Persia. Churchill s analysis is most profound when considering what oc-curred in the Middle East a few weeks after Crete fell. Within weeks of the Battle of Crete there were pro-nazi uprisings in both Syria and Iraq that had widespread popular support. The leaders of both uprisings appealed to Hitler for help. If the Herman Goering Division had been available both uprisings would have
CRETANS KILLED IN BATTLE OR EXECUTED IN REPRISALS (estimates taken from The Battle of Crete, by Panagiotakis ) probably succeeded, with devastating results for Britain. As it turned out, with the utmost of difficulty the British managed to suppress both uprisings. When Nazi General Rommel was launching the combined German- Italian assault toward the Suez Canal, the Commonwealth forces would also have been attacked from the east by a combined German-Arab army, and the Canal would likely have fallen. Loss of the Suez Canal would also have been devastating to Britain. The loss of Iraq would have been even costlier for the Allies. Nazi Germany lacked sufficient petroleum supplies throughout the war. With Iraq in the German camp the Na-zis would have access to an almost limitless supply of petroleum. Transporting it to Germany would be easy it would go through Turkey. It should be remembered that from the outbreak of World War II to November 1944 Turkey, although technically neutral, was a principal supplier of the raw materials for Nazi Germany. Additionally, during the invasion of the Soviet Union there were numerous instances where Soviet forces barely held on; in those situations, having a parachute division to be strategically used could have proverbially broken the camel s back. When reflecting on the Battle of Crete, Hellenes can be proud of the bravery of the Greek Army on Crete, and perhaps even more proud of the poorly armed civilians who fought the Nazi troops. Hellenes can take even greater satisfaction in understanding that the resistance in Crete significantly contributed to Hitler s ultimate defeat. Prefecture Men Women Children Chania 2,220 480 418 Rethymnon 1,897 405 403 Heraklion 2,045 185 129 Lasithi 431 50 20 Total 6,593 1,113 869 ORPHANS Prefecture Fatherless Motherless Both Chania 3,338 1,098 380 Rethymnon 3,320 848 528 Heraklion 3,840 1,772 484 Lasithi 2,017 739 549 Total 12,515 4,457 1,951 There is an area called Germaniko Pouli just outside Hania. In Greek, Germaniko Pouli - Γερμανικο Πουλι - literally translates as German Bird. The area gets its name from a large statue of a diving eagle erected by the Nazis during the Second World War as a memorial to German troops killed in the airbourne assault on Crete. MAY 2008 KPHTH 13
[our history] THE BATTLE OF CRETE REMEMBERED by Anastasios G. Christian On May 20, 2008, we will commemorate the 67 th anniversary of the Battle of Crete; a battle fought by brave souls that undoubtedly changed the course of history for the free world. It is a day to reflect and to be proud of our ancestors and the sacrifices they made so that future generations could live in peace and prosper from their freedom. Hitler s strategic plan was interrupted by a small island in the Mediterranean. It was Germany s first and last airborne assault. As a result of the Battle of Crete and the heavy casualties the Nazi s sustained, Hitler s master plan to invade Russia before the coming of winter had to be postponed. The delay caused thousands of Nazi soldiers their lives as they were not prepared to survive the harsh Russian winter. I am sure that I speak on behalf of many who have ancestors that survived the horrid years of Nazi occupation in Crete and grew up listening to first-hand stories of survival. The stories are priceless and are part of our proud history that we must all preserve by passing them along to our children and our children s children. I recall sitting in a kafenio drinking tsikoudia in our village of Gonies a couple of summers ago listening to one gentleman describe the events of May 1941. Many of the Cretan men had been called to the mainland of Greece as part of the Greek Army to fight against the Italians in Albania. When he found out the Germans had conducted an airborne assault on Crete, he and several of his fellow Cretan compatriots confronted their chain of command and told them they were needed back in Crete. They all had families they left behind in Crete; families that needed them now more than ever. They took their weapons, made their way back to the coast, and hitched a ride on a boat bound for Crete. When they arrived in Crete, they hiked on foot approximately 50 kilometers through the mountains back to Gonies. Once there, they reunited with their families and joined the local resistance group. I also remember walking with my Father through the mountains surrounding Gonies as he explained how he and two other young men were captured by Nazi soldiers that occupied the village. All three eventually escaped their captors. He took me to a former Nazi artillery position that was located in the mountains behind the village. I listened as he described how the Nazi soldiers towed their artillery guns behind trucks on the dirt road/trail that winded its way from Heraklion to Gonies. Cretan men and women that remained in the village were put to work building the artillery position. Remnants of the position are still visible today. My Grandmother (Yia-Yia Vasiliki) use to tell us the story of how Nazi soldiers came knocking on her door one evening searching for my Grandfather (Papou Dimitri). My Grandfather, who had previously fled to the mountains to join the local resistance group (Goniani Andartes), had snuck down to visit his family under the cover of darkness and was in the house. When the door opened, my Grandfather squatted down behind a stack of fire wood to avoid being seen by the soldiers. One soldier looked around and when he didn t see anybody he fired a few rounds from his machinegun into the wood pile. He was satisfied no one was there and departed. Somehow my Grandfather avoided being shot and soon thereafter quickly departed for the mountains to rejoin the Goniani Andartes. For centuries the Cretan people have been known to be fierce fighters and proud defenders of their land. Their bravery and courage is equal to that of the most deserving heroes throughout world history. But freedom and heroism is not achieved without a cost. In resisting the German invasion on Crete, our ancestors paid a heavy price. Thousands of Cretans were executed and killed during the three-and-a-half years of occupation. Despite their heavy losses, the Cretan soul was never conquered. Men, women and children fought and resisted with courage and bravery as they faced death every moment of every day. 14 KPHTH MAY 2008
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[cretan mythology] they went off gathering flowers by the sea. Zeus noticed this charming group, particularly Europa, who was the prettiest of the maidens. Some say that Eros, induced him into action with one of his darts. Zeus appeared to the group as a white bull. A white bull more beautiful then any other. A bull that smefled of flowers, and lowed musically. A bull so obviously gentle that all the maidens rushed to stroke and pet it. The bull laid down in front of Europa. She slid on to its back. Instantly, the bull charged off, plunging into the sea, and began to swim rapidly from the shore. Europa saw that a procession had joined them, Nereids riding dolphins, Triton blowing his horn, even Poseidon. From this she sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, the three of whom became the three judges of the Underworld when they died. According to mythology, her children were fathered by Zeus. Zeus gave her a necklace made by Hephaestus and three additional gifts: Talos, the giant that guarded Crete and threw rocks to anyone approaching the island as an enemy, Laelaps and a javelin that never missed. Zeus later recreated the shape Zeus and Europa The myth that inspired a continent In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in the list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys; the daughter of the earth-giant Tityas and mother of Euphemus by Poseidon, was also named Europa. Sources differ in details regarding Europa s family, but agree that she is Phoenician, and from a lineage that descended from lo, the mythical nymph beloved of Zeus, who was transformed into a heifer. She is said to be the daughter of Agenor, the Phoenician King of Tyre, and Queen Telephassa ( far-shining ) or of Argiope ( white-faced ). Other sources, such as the Iliad, claim that she is the daughter of Agenor1 s son, the sun-red Phoe- nix. It is generally agreed that she had two brothers, Cadmus, who brought the alphabet to mainland Greece, and Cilix who gave his name to Cilicia in Asia Minor, with Apollodorus including Phoenix as a third. The myth of Zeus and Europa has been generally portrayed as follows: One night Europa had a dream. In this dream two continents, which were in the forms of women were arguing over Europa. Asia maintained that since Europa had been born in Asia she belonged to it. The other continent, which was nameless, said that her birth was not important, that Zeus would give her to it. It was early morning, disturbed by the dream Europa did not go back to sleep. She summoned her companions, who were all daughters of nobility and of her age. It was a beautiful day and of the white bull in the stars, which is now known as the constellation Taurus. Roman mythology adopted the tale (also known as The Abduction of Europa and The Seduction of Europa ), substituting the god Jupiter for Zeus. The name Europa probably comes from eurus wide and ops eye, meaning someone who is wide-eyed or with big eyes. Europos means a wide expanse or a homeland. Still, Europa s Phoenician origins are symbolically important, as is the story of her own and her family s settlement of a wide expanse of land to the west of Phoenicia. Europa s earliest literary reference is in Iliad xiv.321ff. Another early reference to her is in a fragment of the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women discovered at Oxyrhyncus.. The earliest vase-painting securely identifi- 16 KPHTH MAY 2008
able as Europa, dates mid-seventh century BC. There were two competing myths relating how Europa came into the Hellenic world, but they agreed that she came to Crete, where the sacred bull was paramount. In the realized that the bull must be a god. She pleaded with him to pity her. Zeus spoke to her and explained his love. After arriving in Crete, Europa had three more familiar telling, the one presented before, she was seduced by the god Zeus in the form of a bull, who breathed from his mouth a saffron crocus and carried away to Crete on his back to be welcomed by Asterion, but according to a more literal version in Herodotus, she was kidnapped by Minoans, who likewise were said to have taken her to Crete. The mythical Europa cannot be separated from the mythology of the sacred bull, which had been worshipped in the Levant. The story of Europa is interesting because it reveals something of the nature of myth. Even in ancient times Herodotus recognized the story as relating to a political act of one culture on another. He thought that Cretans went to Phoenicia and captured a princess, perhaps in a bull-shaped vessel. But archaeology has revealed the importance of the bull to the Cretans. To the Minoans of Crete the bull was a symbol of their religion. And the crocus is of particular interst to young Minoan women. The myth may reveal the transfer of an important goddess cult from Phoenicia. Perhaps Aphrodite, who came from Phoenicia, is implicated. The myth may mean that when Aphrodite came, she dominated the Minoan religion, just as Europa rides the bull. Eventually the Minoan civilization was conquered by the Mycenaeans of the mainland.. But she does produce her effect on the Greek culture, as suggested by the fact that her sons become important components of Greek religion. Europa does not seem to have been venerated directly in cult anywhere in Classical Greece, but at Lebadaea in Boeotia, Pausanias noted in the second century CE that Europa was the epithet of Demeter Demeter whom they surname Europa and say was the nurse of Trophonios among the Olympians who were addressed by seekers at the cave sanctuary of Trophonios of Orchomenos, to whom a chthonic cult and oracle were dedicated: the grove of Trophonios by the river Herkyna....there is also a sanctuary of Demeter Europa... the nurse of Trophonios.. SOURCE: CRETE TODAY [cretan mythology] MAY 2008 KPHTH 17
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chef ΜΙΧΑΛΗΣ ΨΙΛΑΚΗΣ [πρόσωπα] ΠΗΓΗ:ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΤΥΠΙΑ Μιχάλης Ψιλάκης, 38 ετών, Ελληνας σεφ και ιδιοκτήτης δύο εστιατορίων στο Μανχάταν, Νέα Υόρκη, με τρίτο στα σκαριά, και με μισή σελίδα των New York Times αφιερωμένη «στο δαιμόνιό του» -αυτό, που λέμε και πιστεύουμε πως πρέπει, κάπου μέσα στα γονίδιά μας να κατοικοεδρεύει. Μέσα σε 2 μόλις χρόνια έστησε και λειτούργησε τα δύο εστιατόριά του, το «Anthos» και τα «Kefi» ο κ. Ψιλάκης, που ακόμα κι όταν αποφοίτησε το 1991 από το Πανεπιστήμιο Pace με πτυχίο στα Οικονομικά, δεν υπολόγισε τις αντιδράσεις των γονιών του και πήγε να δουλέψει σερβιτόρος σε ιταλικό εστιατόριο του Λονγκ Αϊλαντ, με στόχο και σκοπό να μάθει τη δουλειά και να ανοίξει δικά του μαγαζιά. Ιστορία συνηθισμένη, θα πει κάποιος. Πόσοι και πόσοι άνθρωποι, άλλωστε, δικοί μας, μα και ξένοι, στη χώρα τους ή στην ξενητειά, δεν ξεκίνησαν από «γκαρσόνια» και με δουλειά και πίστη κατάφεραν να γίνουν «ιδιοκτήτες» -και, βεβαίως, δεν μιλάμε μόνο για εστιατόρια. Κάθε ιστορία, όμως, έχει τη... γοητεία της, και αυτή του κ. Ψιλάκη μοιάζει με σενάριο ταινίας με το γνωστό μοτίβο «από τη φτώχεια, στην επιτυχία». Ο πατέρας του, από την Κρήτη, πέθανε πριν από 4 μόλις μήνες. Η μητέρα, από την Καλαμάτα, έφερε στον κόσμο 15 παιδιά -ο Μιχάλης, γιος πρωτότοκος. Εφερε η μητέρα και «όλα τα καλά» της πελοποννησιακής γης μέσα στο σπίτι τους στην Αμερική: το αγνό παρθένο ελαιόλαδο, τις ελιές Καλαμών, το κρασί το Αγιωργίτικο από τη Νεμέα, τα παξιμάδια, το μανούρι, το θυμάρι, τη ρίγανη Η μητέρα του, Γεωργία, είχε και έχει ένα μόνο βιβλίο μαγειρικής, τον Τσελεμεντέ, που έτσι κι αλλιώς χρησιμοποίησε ελάχιστα. «Εμπνευση, και γεύση στην άκρη της γλώσσας» -αυτές ήταν, λέει, οι οδηγοί της. Ο Μιχάλης, τώρα, πήρε όλα τα καλά, παραδοσιακά ελληνικά πιάτα, και τα έκανε... λίγο πιο σύγχρονα. Οπως, ας πούμε, τον μουσακά και τη σπανακόπιτα, τα οποία «αναβάθμισε» προσθέτοντας καινούργιες γεύσεις, από φλούδα λεμονιού, μέχρι και αγκινάρες, μαύρες ελιές, κατσικίσιο τυρί και ξυδάτο σκόρδο. Πολλά από τα υλικά του τα εισάγει από την Ελλάδα. Αρωματικά βότανα από τα βουνά της Θράκης. Τυριά από την Κρήτη και τον Δομοκό. Αποξηραμένα φρούτα (βερύκοκκα, σύκα κ.ά.) από την Αρτα. Οι Αμερικανοί «τρελαίνονται». Και ζητούν τα ελληνικά υλικά. Εχουν γίνει προσπάθειες τα τελευταία χρόνια από τις κυβερνήσεις εδώ για προώθηση ελληνικών προϊόντων διατροφής, «αλλά υπάρχει πολύ έδαφος ακόμα να καλυφθεί», λένε οι Ελληνες σεφ της Αμερικής, «για να βγάλουμε από την Ελλάδα μας και άλλα προϊόντα της περίφημης μεσογειακής διατροφής». Εδώ, ο κ. Ψιλάκης, όπως και ο Πάνος Καρατάσης (σεφ στο «Κύμα», στην Ατλάντα), ο κ. Κώστας Σπηλιάδης (στα εστιατόρια «Μύλος», στην Αθήνα, το Μανχάταν και το Μόντρεαλ), όπως ακόμα και ο κ. Γιώργος Κολομπαρής (στη Μελβούρνη) έχουν αναλάβει έναν σημαντικό ρόλο, ως πρεσβευτές της σύγχρονης ελληνικής κουζίνας στα πέρατα του κόσμου. Ολοι συμφωνούν σε ένα πράγμα: Και η παράδοση θέλει τον εκσυγχρονισμό της. MAY 2008 KPHTH 19
[from the past] Halikoutes, the Africans of Crete Lawyer Charidimos Papadakis, from the village of Selia near Plakias in Rethymno, has spent three years researching the Halikoutes or Halikoutides, the African slaves and economic migrants who came to Crete from the 17th century onwards. Mr Papadakis has travelled extensively in Crete, Turkey and Libya to gather information on the Africans and other slaves of Crete. The cover of his book, The Africans in Crete, Halikoutes, published by Karayiannakis Graphic Arts in Rethymno, shows an African Cretan, Kemal Tucman, who was born in Rethymno in 1922 and died at Ayvalik in 2007. The first Africans came to Crete following the fall of Venetian Heraklion to the Turks in 1669. Slave markets flourished. Black slaves were imported from central Africa via Cairo, while white slaves were brought from the North. Crete became a slave-trading centre, with slave markets held on Noel Street in Chania and in the Meidani, or central market, in Heraklion. Koum Kapi, the district of the Halikoutes in Chania The second mass transportation of slaves was during the period of Egyptian rule in 1830-40. Freed slaves serving in the army of Mehmet Ali founded a village, Koum Kapi, outside the walls of Chania. African economic immigrants also arrived at regular intervals, in search of a better future. Slave markets continued to operate in Crete until the 1890s. The word Halikoutis, Mr Papadakis notes, is little known. It is still heard in some parts of Crete, as a pejorative term, but few people know what it actually means. Halikoutis is derived from the African command Hal il kuti, meaning put the box down, a phrase commonly used among African porters. The African Halikoutides were poor labourers who mainly worked in the harbour, or as fishmongers, slaughterhouse assistants and so on. They were Muslims and spoke Arabic. They were meanly dressed, often barefoot, and lived in small rooms and shacks, which is why the word halikoutis came to mean an untidy or slovenly person, along with the unintelligible language they spoke. It is worth mentioning how the Halikoutides celebrated May Day in Chania. On the first of May they set out from the Ano Koum Kapi neighbourhood and went to the beach of Nea Chora. There they ate, drank and danced. At sunset they danced back home, led by Ali Kogos, a tall, skinny man rhythmically beating a drum. All the inhabitants of Chania, Greeks and Turks, watched the procession which dispersed peacefully when it reached Ano Koum Kapi. During the period of the Cretan State, the procession stopped in front of the prince s palace. To honour the prince, they chanted a song they had made up themselves. However, despite living on the island for three centuries, the Halikoutides were ignored by writers, except for a few chance references, and disappeared. We do not know where their descendants are today or if they remember anything about their ancestors who lived in Crete. The book provides information on the settlement of Africans in Crete, their work, dress and religion. Contemporary travellers and authors are also mentioned. Ali Gogo, Abla, Salis Chelidonakis, were a few of those who chose to stay in Crete until their death. The author also presents some of the modern-day descendants of the Africans of Crete, whom he met in Turkey and Libya 20 KPHTH MAY 2008