g New Jersey Department of State - NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Skip to main content
Department of State

New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State
New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission

New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission

NJ High School Students of Hellenic descent are invited to submit an essay that will be judged by the NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission and the NJ Department of Education.

The winning author will receive the $2,000 Pericles Scholarship.

The Award will be presented at the NJ Greek Independence Day reception on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.

Submit your response of less than 1,000 words before March 18, 2023.

For further information, please contact: Hellenic.Commission@sos.nj.gov.

New Jersey Oxi Day Commemoration and Panel Discussion, Saturday, October 29, 2022

New Jersey Oxi Day Commemoration and Panel Discussion on Forced Migration and the Global Immigration Crisis to be held on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at the Historic Central Terminal Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. Please join His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, NJ Secretary of State Tahesha Way, the Consul General of Greece Konstantinou and Consul General of Cyprus Firillas for a unique tribute to Hellenic history.

Download the event flyer

NJBPU Welcomes New Commissioner, Dr. Zenon Christodoulou

Dr. Zenon Christodoulou has become the newest commissioner of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), replacing Commissioner Upendra Chivukula.

Dr. Christodoulou has had a long and distinguished career in business and academia. He has been a management consultant in various industries and has owned successful businesses in print manufacturing, graphic design, the restaurant industry, and the media sector. Additionally, he teaches as an adjunct professor at William Paterson University, educating undergraduate and graduate business students in areas as diverse as organizational behavior, innovation, economics, and strategy development. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Raritan Valley College.

He earned his doctoral degree from the Pace University Lubin School of Business in Management Science, his MBA from Fordham University in International Finance and Management, and his BA from Rutgers College in Economics and Philosophy. He also sits on the board of many cultural and philanthropic organizations within the state and nation.

“I look forward to working with Zenon,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “This is an exciting time to be a member of the Board as we move forward with an aggressive clean energy agenda which is aimed at fighting the ravages of climate change.”

Board has been implementing governor’s clean energy initiative with a goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050 to bring the state into a clean energy future. Dr. Christodoulou will join his fellow Commissioners in deciding on the direction of key programs in offshore wind, energy efficiency, solar and electric vehicles as well as the Board’s primary role as the State’s utility regulator.

“This is an extremely important time to be part of NJ’s climate change solution,” said Commissioner Christodoulou. “I look forward to contributing to the many wonderful initiatives the Board is currently undertaking and to those yet to be developed. It is critically important that we remain conscious of the impact that our policies have on New Jersey’s ratepayers, while fostering an environment that supports the clean energy revolution.”

Article from NJBmagazine.com - Read the full article.

NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Greek Independence Day Essay Contest & Leontarakis Family Scholarship Awards Celebration Winners

Katherine Pappas, a senior at Lenape High School in Cherry Hill, and Yorgos Vassiliou, a junior at Bergen County Academy in Hackensack, were named the winners of the second annual NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Essay Contest & Leontarakis Family Scholarship Awards during the Commission’s Greek Independence Day Celebration on March 23, 2022.

The Statewide Heritage Commission challenges the Greek youth of NJ to explore how their Hellenic heritage impacts their lives and are asked to articulate their thoughts through an annual essay contest. This year’s essay topic questioned how cultural treasures and unique artifacts provide memories of the past that help maintain a connection to one’s history and culture: Should cultural treasures, which are a source of national pride, historical legacy and cultural and religious identity, be returned to their country of origin? Examples of such treasures may include the Parthenon Marbles, artwork stolen by Nazi Germany, or misappropriated artifacts maintained in private collections throughout the world.

NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Greek Independence Day Essay Contest
Pictured (left to right): 2022 Award Recipient Yorgos Vassiliou, Hellenic Commission Member Evellyn Tsiadis, 2022 Award Recipient Katherine Pappas, and 2021 Award Recipient Rafaella Lambrinos.

Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou Program: Building Relationships One Phone Call at a Time

The New Jersey Hellenic Heritage Commission is proud to support a new initiative to build authentic and meaningful relationships between younger and elderly members of their Greek Orthodox church communities.

This program has been well-received by St. George GOYANS and seniors in the community. The Heritage Commission would like to see the Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou Program implemented in all Greek Orthodox churches throughout the state.

A goal of the program is to create an opportunity for senior community members to share their life experiences and lessons with younger members.

For more information, please click on the following video and documents, or reach out directly to the New Jersey Hellenic Heritage Commission via Rowena Madden at (609) 633-9627.

Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou Program: Building Relationships One Phone Call at a Time!
Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou Program: Questions

NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Greek Independence Day Essay Contest & Leontarakis Family Scholarship Awards Celebration Winners

Rafaella Lambrinos , an 11th grader at Colts Neck High School, and George Leunes, a 12th grader at Watchung Hills High School who will attend Rowan University in the fall, were named the winners of the first NJ Hellenic American Heritage Commission Essay Contest & Leontarakis Family Scholarship Awards during the Commission’s Greek Independence Day Celebration on March 27, 2021. Watch the awards presentation here:


Oxi Day at Liberty State Park

Secretary Way welcomed the members of the NJ Hellenic-American Heritage Commission, newly appointed by Governor Murphy, and participated in the commemoration of Oxi Day at Liberty State Park. This day represents the critical time when the Axis powers sought to have Greece come into their sphere without war, and the Greek Prime Minister said ‘No.’ The event, hosted by Commission Chair Zenon Christodoulou, featured personal presentations and historical documentation on genocide during the 20th century.

 

Page Last Updated: 06/22/21

 

 


Back
to top