At a major fundraiser for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero, the Ukrainian and American anthems were reportedly played, while the Greek anthem apparently was not. Three days later, virtually no video of the gala has surfaced.
By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team
Another uncomfortable question has emerged from Saturday night’s Beacon of Hope Award Dinner honoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Casa Cipriani: Why wasn’t the Greek national anthem played?
Post-event accounts indicate that the Ukrainian and American national anthems were performed after the FDNY/NYPD/PAPD color guard, yet neither the published program accounts nor subsequent coverage indicates that the Greek anthem was played. The omission is particularly striking because Greece’s Consul General in New York, Iphigenia Kanara, was reportedly sitting in the room. Did she say anything? We are wondering…
It also makes the continuing absence of video more interesting. Three days after the gala, Helleniscope still cannot locate authenticated public footage of the opening ceremony and anthem sequence, the award presentation, the principal speeches, or Zelensky’s prerecorded address. No evidence shows the anthem controversy explains why the video hasn’t been released, but the organizers could cut much of the speculation by releasing the recording.
This was a 9/11 fundraiser
Our previous coverage did not emphasize sufficiently what this event actually was. This was the Beacon of Hope Award Dinner benefiting St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center, the successor to the only house of worship destroyed in the September 11 attacks.
That 9/11 connection is central to the Shrine’s identity, not a decorative detail. AB Elpidophoros himself described St. Nicholas in his Casa Cipriani remarks as “a Shrine for the American Nation” and spoke of standing “upon the ashes of 9/11.”
You can read Archbishop Elpidophoros’ Beacon of Hope remarks by clicking here. In essence, he regurgitates the Western propaganda, avoiding any mention of the FACT that the Russian invasion was essentially provoked by the West trying to fool Russia with the Minsk agreements in order to gain time and re-arm Ukraine. When Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande admit the truth publicly, and you come out with propaganda, you disrespect the faithful… And the audience in the Gala was highly educated and informed. That is one more reason they were disgusted.
That makes the ceremonial choices worthy of scrutiny. Playing the Ukrainian anthem at an evening honoring Ukraine is understandable, just as playing the American anthem at a National Shrine at Ground Zero is entirely appropriate. The unanswered question is why, at a fundraiser for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, the Greek national anthem apparently disappeared from the program.
For some Greek-American leaders, that omission will revive an older controversy involving the same Shrine. Representatives of the Hellenic American National Council (HANC) say that when the rebuilt St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center opened, a HANC delegation personally asked Archbishop Elpidophoros to install a Greek flag outside the Shrine – as it was in the old church that was lost on 9/11. The Archbishop promised that it would be done, but the promised Greek flag was never installed.
The symbolism is difficult to miss. First came a broken promise over the absence of a Greek flag outside St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine; now comes a Beacon of Hope fundraiser for that same Shrine, where available accounts indicate the American and Ukrainian anthems were played while the Greek anthem was not.
With Greece’s Consul General reportedly in attendance, the question becomes even more obvious: Who decided to omit the Greek national anthem, and why?
But in the end we should recognize that it may be a good thing that the Greek Anthem was not desecrated for such a despicable honor to Zelensky… Let’s remind ourselves who Zelenskyy truly is. Take a look at this video – in addition to the human rights crimes he has committed. And we will not even mention him playing the piano with his penis…
Why Zelenskyy—and why wasn’t he there?
Helleniscope readers should not have been surprised by Zelenskyy’s absence. Twice before the Beacon of Hope Dinner, we explicitly raised the possibility that he would not appear, pointing to the rapidly deteriorating wartime situation in Ukraine. On August 21, we questioned whether Zelenskyy would make it to New York at all; then, on September 4—more than three weeks before the gala—we wrote plainly: “I doubt whether Zelensky will even be in New York on September 26.” In the end, despite organizers expecting him to receive the award personally, that is exactly what happened: Zelenskyy remained away and addressed the Casa Cipriani audience by prerecorded video.
Organizers explicitly connected Ukraine’s war with the Shrine’s symbolism of destruction and rebuilding, presenting Zelenskyy as another “beacon of hope.” Whether that analogy belongs at a fundraiser for a Shrine so intimately connected with September 11 is for donors and members of the Greek-American community to decide.
Sources connected with Archons have also told Helleniscope that Karloutsos strongly advocated giving Zelensky the award. We have not independently established that claim and invite Karloutsos and the Shrine to address it publicly. What is established is that Zelensky had been expected to receive the award personally.
Helleniscope, meanwhile, had repeatedly questioned before the dinner whether Ukraine’s deteriorating wartime situation would prevent Zelenskyy from appearing. In the end, he never came.
The organizers themselves now attribute his absence to the war. Elpidophoros’ subsequently published remarks say Zelenskyy “would have been with us in person” but for the ongoing war.
Release the video
There is a simple way to answer many of these questions: release the video of the Beacon of Hope Dinner.
This was a professionally staged gala with a police and firefighter color guard, national anthems, major speeches, and prerecorded messages from Zelenskyy and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Professional photographs are public, yet Helleniscope still cannot locate authenticated video of the opening ceremony, award presentation or complete remarks.
When the guest of honor doesn’t appear, the Greek anthem apparently isn’t played at a Greek Orthodox National Shrine fundraiser, and virtually no video emerges afterward, requesting the recording is entirely reasonable.
Instead of allowing unanswered questions to overshadow a major fundraiser for the 9/11 St. Nicholas National Shrine, organizers can settle much of the controversy themselves: release the video.
So rather than speculate about what happened inside the ballroom, the organizers have a simple way to answer everyone:
Release the video.
One Helleniscope reader reduced the broader controversy to an even simpler question:
“Would Jesus attend this event?”
And finally provide accountability for the money collected and spent!
September 29, 2026, www.helleniscope.com, n.stamatakis@aol.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
