Home Community EMBCA Presents “The Life and Times of Aristotle Socrates Onassis” Panel Discussion

EMBCA Presents “The Life and Times of Aristotle Socrates Onassis” Panel Discussion

NEW YORK – The East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance (EMBCA) presents “The Life and Times of Aristotle Socrates Onassis” Panel Discussion on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 2 pm EST/ 9 pm Athens EEST.

The event will be in Association AHEPA’s National Hellenic Cultural Commission.

The panel will be moderated by Lou Katsos, EMBCA’s President and AHEPA National Hellenic Cultural Commission Chairman, and will include Professor Ismini Lamb the Director of The Modern Greek Program in the Department of Classics at Georgetown University; Author / Writer Lou Ureneck Professor of Journalism (retired) at Boston University; Author / Poet Nicholas Alexiou, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College; Writer / Producer / Actor Anthony George Skordi; Director Dikran Tulaine; and Assistant Director George Zouvelos.

“This year is the 100 Year Anniversary of the Burning of Smyrna and EMBCA will have a few panel discussions on it, and its effects and consequences”, says Lou Katsos, noting that “the Burning of Smyrna (in the Hellenic – Καταστροφή της Σμύρνης) refers to the deliberately set fire four days after Turkish forces entered and captured the port city of cosmopolitan Smyrna in Asia Minor, which completely destroyed its Hellenic and Armenian quarters. The fire was started September 13 and extinguished September 22 in 1922”.

“The estimated Hellenic and Armenian deaths resulting from the fire range up to 100,000. Approximately up to 400,000 Hellenic and Armenian refugees were in the city from other parts of Asia Minor, to escape the Turkish Troops and irregulars, crammed its waterfront and quays to escape from the horrific flames. Eyewitness reports describe panic-stricken civilian refugees diving into the water to escape the flames and that their terrified screaming could be heard miles away”, he added.  

The Onassis Story

According to Mr. Katsos, the Onassis Story, one of the tens of thousands stories of survivors of the Smyrna Genocide, is a story that must be told. “In his case, Onassis, a product of the Smyrna catastrophe became one of the most famous, richest and most fascinating charismatic men in the 20th century.

“Born in Smyrna, he fled the city with his family to Greece in 1922 in the wake of that burning of and the last phase of the 30 Year (1894-1924) Hellenic/ Christian Genocide. He never forgot that during this period, he lost three uncles, an aunt, and her husband and their daughter, who were burned to death in a church in Thyatira where 500 Christians were seeking shelter during the Smyrna burning. With the Onassis family’s substantial Asia Minor property holdings lost, he and his family become refugees and Aristotle hell bent to succeed . He arrived from Greece at age 17 in 1923 to Buenos Aires, Argentina with a Nansen passport (originally and officially stateless persons passports from 1922 to 1938) virtually penniless. The rest is history and a history this panel discussion will explore”, Mr. Katsos says.  

The panel will also explore the new Off Broadway play ONASSIS on his life written, produced, and acted by Anthony George Skordi. The play will open March 3rd and runs through the 20th, 8pm. at The American Theatre of Actors, 314 West 54th St., NY, NY.

More information is available online: https://embca.com/.