Kosher fetaB'nai B'rith series focuses on Greek Jews

Kosher fetaB'nai B'rith series focuses on Greek Jews: "
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5/9/2007 8:59:00 PM Email this article • Print this article
Kosher fetaB'nai B'rith series focuses on Greek Jews
by Eric Fingerhut

Staff Writer

home : news & features : local news	Thursday, May 10, 2007

5/9/2007 8:59:00 PM

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Kosher fetaB'nai B'rith series focuses on Greek Jews by Eric Fingerhut Staff Writer Oh, I didn't know there were Jews in Greece." Athens native Nina Kaplanides, 78, has heard the comment frequently since she arrived in the United States in 1950. The Potomac resident usually points out that not only are there Jews in Greece, but they have been there more than 2,000 years ‹ as far back as 586 BCE. B'nai B'rith International's Center for Jewish Culture is hoping to educate Washington-area residents about that history with a series of programs about Greek Jews and their traditions. "The Odyssey of the Jews of Greece: A Journey Throughout the Ages" kicked off last month and will continue through June with films, photo essays, cooking demonstrations and other cultural programming. The project is an example of "cultural diplomacy," said Diana Cohen Altman, director of the B'nai B'rith Center for Jewish Culture and the Klutznick National Jewish Museum. "The idea is we're creating bridges of understanding through culture, reaching out across boundaries to make connections," she said. The organization already has connected with the Greek Embassy. Greece's ambassador to the U.S., Alexandros Mallias, said in an interview last week that he was thrilled to be able to cooperate on the "excellent" project. "It is clear ... [that Greeks and Jews] are connected by history, geography ... philosophy ... since the beginning of recorded history," said Mallias, who was honored by BBI for "advancing Jewish-Greek relations" at a luncheon kicking off the series last month. Greece and the Jewish community also have a common interest in maintaining "historical memory" and not allowing "anyone to distort our history," Mallias said, noting Holocaust-denial efforts around the world. Greeks, he said, have encountered their own problems in preserving history, battling "leaders who question the existence of Greek Macedonia." In addition to joining cultures, Altman noted, the program also dovetails with B'nai B'rith's goal of getting Jews more involved in community activities, particularly young adults who find cultural events appealing.