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The New York Jewish Week - February 26, 1999

Greeks Fete Two Jews

By Eric J. Greenberg

One of the nation’s top Greek Orthodox events will feature two Jewish speakers. Author Elie Wiesel will be presented with the Athenagoras Humanitarian Award on Saturday night at the Annual Grand Banquet of the Order of St. Andrew.

Wiesel joins former President Jimmy Carter and the late Mother Theresa as past winners of the humanitarian prize.

Wiesel will receive the award from Archbishop Spyridon, the spiritual head of the 1.5 million Greek Orthodox in the United States. Also speaking at the gala will be Yolanda Avram Willis, a Greek Jew saved by Greek Christians during World War II. "We are very proud of our Jewish Greek brethren," said Bob Nicolaides, a spokesman for the order: a national fraternal group that financially supports the church. The order’s national commander, Pennsylvania Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis will speak.

The award honors persons or organizations "who are vanguards in the struggle for religious freedom and humanitarian causes.

"The group cited Wiesel for his support of Soviet Jewry, Nicaragua’s Misquito Indians, Argentina’s "disappearing political prisoners," Cambodian refugees as well as religious and war victims in the former Yugoslavia. Archbishop Spyridon said "the honor in this case is ours. We are eager to receive Wiesel and his message of justice, freedom and truth."

The award is named after the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras: who was the supreme religious leader in Greek Orthodoxy.

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[ The New York Jewish Week
  https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/greeks-fete-two-jews/
  February 26, 1999 ]