Ethnic Cleveland eNews
February 7, 2023
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Black History Month Flag Raising |
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For 50 years the City of Cleveland has celebrated Black History Month with a Flag Raising Celebration. Despite cold temperatures the crowd marched outside singing and chanting "Ashay" (meaning similar to “Amen”).
Joining in were Mayor Justin Bibb, Community Relations leader Angela Shute-Woodson and Khalid Samad from Peace in the Hood. After witnessing the flag being raised above Cleveland City Hall the crowd went back inside for the rest of the program which included music, speeches, poems, food, community resources and more.
Watch the video below of the Hue People leading the singing of the African Anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at the celebration of Black History Month in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.
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Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Sadly we could report on a natural or man-made tragedy somewhere around the world every week.
On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated large areas of central Turkey and northwest Syria. The death toll has surpassed 5,000 and continues to climb. The earthquake is the worst to strike Turkey this century. Later that day, the region experienced a second magnitude 7.7 quake.
Across affected areas in both countries, apartment buildings and schools have been leveled. For Syrians, the damage took place in areas already devastated by years of war. In Turkey, the airports and the high roads of Anatolia are closed and most hospitals are unusable. Schools have been closed across the country.
There are many legitimate aid organizations but beware of scammers. Two we have been able to vet are Catholic Relief Services who are supporting “emergency relief efforts led by local partners in both Syria and Turkey with Caritas Turkey, Caritas Syria in Aleppo and Lattakia—where extensive damage has been reported—and other local partners. Already in Turkey, Caritas Anatolia, in coordination with authorities, is bringing displaced people to safe, open spaces and distributing hot meals and clothing. The dioceses of Izmir and Istanbul are collecting donations to send to the Anatolia Region. Your gifts will help partners to provide safe shelter, and access to food, clean water and hygiene supplies.
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Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières who “have received many injured and dead people in the hospitals we support in northwest Syria, and our teams have been working since the early hours to respond to the influx. In other locations, we have donated supply kits, and we are in touch with health authorities to provide support."
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A Pierogi by any other name would taste as good (with apologies to Shakespeare) |
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My sister Debbie has always said that almost every heritage has a food that is some kind of dumpling or dough with a filling. It could be empanadas (Hispanic), samosas (India and beyond), eggrolls (Chinese), varenyky (Ukrainian), lumpia (Philippines and Indonesia), cepelinai (Lithuanian), gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese), falafel (Middle East), pasty (British) and so on.
And, of course, the pierogi from Poland. The traditional pierogi is stuffed with potato and cheese or potato and onion or sauerkraut or cottage cheese but there are also sweet fruit-filled pierogi such as apple, prune and apricot and other variations.
Rudy's Strudel & Bakery (5580 Ridge Road in Parma) has been serving terrific Eastern European food since 1948 (75 years!). But pierogi was not on the original menu. Rudy was from Hungary and he sold strudel and penny candy.
After Rudy passed away, current owner Lidia Trempe’s mother (immigrant from Poland) and father (immigrant from Ukraine) took over. One day a bakery customer came in the store and saw them cooking pierogi for the family dinner. He asked if he could place an order and the rest is history.
The pierogis have become so popular that when we asked the visitors to our sister websites to let us know where their favorite pierogis come from the clear winner was Rudy's. We were honored to present them with the Favorite Pierogi award. (photo below)
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Cats, Groundhogs and more Pierogis! |
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Groundhog’s Day was last Thursday but here in NEOhio we have another animal that predicts the weather. John Niedzialek is a weather enthusiast retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Niedzialek teaches Earth Science at Lakeland College in Mentor, Ohio, works part time for the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District, and volunteers at St. Casimir Polish Church.
John rescued an abandoned kitten on the footsteps of St. Casimir Polish Church on Cleveland’s east side at what many are now calling “Cleveland’s Miraculous Polish Church” after it reopened on July 15, 2012. He named it Concord Casimir (as opposed to the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil) and each year since John dons a top hat and has a pierogi ceremony to see what the cat predicts.
John says that it’s all in the way Casimir eats his pierogi (photo above). He reported that “Casimir was flipping his pierogi around today during his annual prediction meal and that can mean only one thing: expect a “flip- flop” end of winter where you will be freezing one week and then shedding your clothes the next. John advises “Keep your Long Underwear (gacies) and your Shorts (krotkie spodenki) handy in the same drawer.”
When asked about a cat predicting the weather John points to Casimir’s long streak of successes and asks, “In any case, why would anyone listen to a groundhog?”
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Waitangi Day is New Zealand's national day. The founding document of New Zealand, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed on Feb 6, 1840. The treaty takes its name from the place on the North Island where it was first signed. The document was signed by representatives of the British Crown and some 500 Māori chiefs to establish British law on the islands. The treaty also created the framework for political relations between New Zealand's government and the Indigenous Māori people. It's considered New Zealand's founding document and a cornerstone in the country's history.
Did you ever watch our Fun with Maps episode on New Zealand? New Zealand is home to the indigenous Maori people, terrific rugby like the All Blacks team, the haka ceremony, the beautiful scenery as the setting of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Milford Sound and much more. Modern technology is allowing us to see more of the huge lost continent of Zealandia underneath New Zealand which is 94% submerged under the ocean. Video below.
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Ethiopian Ambassador HE Aklilu Demessie
As you can imagine, we could never know the 117 or so ethnic cultures represented in NEOhio as well as members of those communities. So we use a team of Ambassadors to assist us. We are honored to welcome our new Ethiopian Ambassador HE Aklilu Demessie.
Aklilu Demessie first came to the US for school and, after a short time back in Ethiopia, returned to the US to live. Mr. Demessie is a U.S Citizen and a board member and Vice President of the Menelik Foundation in Cleveland which helped establish the Ethiopian Cultural Garden, the first garden from an African country. He is an active member of the core group that has helped establish a Sister Cities agreement between the city of Cleveland and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
In 2020 he was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Star of Ethiopia, one of the most venerated decorations of the Solomonic gift. So the HE before his name stands for His Excellency. Read more about HE Aklilu Demessie.
Welcome aboard Aklilu!
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Blast from the Past – Che La Luna
On the Feast of the Assumption 2008 on a street corner in Little Italy in Cleveland, the band Primavera played the popular Italian song 'Che La Luna' for the crowd.
Over 45,000 people have viewed the video (below) so far and many were surprised that this took place in Cleveland. It looks like a movie set.
Yes that’s the late great Tony Ettorre on mandolin. Tony passed away on January 13, 2023 at the age of 95.
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Sponsored Message
It is more important now than ever to make sure that you, your non-profit and/or your small business not only comply with all the complicated tax code but take full advantage of the opportunities the tax laws may provide.
CPA Sam Tanious is a former IRS Agent/Auditor with over 25 years of experience. He is a trusted and skilled CPA and is the volunteer treasurer for the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, the Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization (CAMEO) and other groups.
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As always there is more information and schedule changes (weather cancellations, etc.) on the Calendar of Events.
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Black History Month in the City of Cleveland |
Film about Emmett Till
Wednesday February 8
4 PM
Donahue Auditorium, Dolan Center for Science & Technology
John Carroll University
"'Till' is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world." ~ MGM Studios.
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CAMEO Meeting
Wednesday February 8
6:30 PM
Syriana Restaurant
26920 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake
Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization (CAMEO) Monthly Meeting - Election of Officers.
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Dr. King in Cleveland
Thursday February 9
7:30 PM
Virtual – Zoom
This presentation by Regennia N. Williams, Ph.D., Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture at the Western Reserve Historical Society, will focus on Dr. King's many visits to Cleveland, Ohio in the 1960s, the purpose of those visits, the individuals and organizations that worked with him, and Cleveland's place in the larger history of the Civil Rights Movement in America.
The lecture-discussion will include a consideration of the churches and other local landmarks associated with Dr. King's work.
Zoom information will be provided after you register.
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Peruvian-born and Cleveland-raised theatre artist
February 9-11
Cleveland Public Theatre
6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland
Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is proud to announce Alter by Tania Benites, co-produced with Teatro Público de Cleveland February 9-11, 2023 as part of its popular Test Flight 2023 series that showcases new work on its way to full production, providing both local and national artists with the keys to the theatre and the opportunity to co-produce original work-in-progress.
Tania Benites is Peruvian-born and Cleveland-raised theatre artist. She received her BA in Theatre from Cleveland State University in 2012 with a focus in performance. As an actress Tania has worked at many theatres in Northeast Ohio including Cleveland Public Theatre, Teatro Público de Cleveland, Talespinner Children’s Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, LatinUs, Clague Playhouse, and Rubber City Theatre. As a playwright, Tania’s work has been featured in ¡Obras en Evolución! a festival of new play readings by Teatro Público de Cleveland in 2017 and 2018 where the beginnings of Alter were formed.
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The Underground Railroad in Ohio
Saturday February 11
Noon to 4 PM
Cozad Bates House
11508 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland
Author Kathy Schulz will be at the Cozad Bates House on Saturday February 11. She has written a new book called The Underground Railroad in Ohio. Kathy Schulz has thoroughly researched stories about activists like Addison White and John Parker.
She describes Ohio as a main corridor for freedom seekers. She also identifies the benefits to the state gained from the influx of freedom seekers and their descendants. She will relate her topics to the displays in the Cozad Bates House and will sell and sign copies of her book.
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Lunar New Year Celebration
Saturday February 11
1 - 5 PM
Solon Center for the Arts
6315 SOM Center Rd.
Hosted by the Cleveland Contemporary Chinese Culture Association, Solon Park & Recreation, and Solon Center for the Arts.
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All About Slovenian Folk Costumes
Saturday February 11
1 - 3 PM
Slovenian Museum & Archives
6407 Saint Clair Avenue Cleveland
Have you ever seen the various costumes of Slovenia and wondered why there are so many different styles? Did you know that there are elements to these costumes that are unique to only Slovenians and some even to their own regions, sometimes specific villages? How does the Slovenian National Costume ("Narodna noša") and stylized Dark Costume ("Crna noša") fit into the context of traditional costuming and how did one outfit come to represent an entire country? What makes national or regional costumes "authentic"? How were these costumes originally used and worn and what did they signal to others in the cultural context of their usage?
Slovenian folk costuming and folk dance expert, Dave Antolin, will present an overview of the three original categories of Slovenian costuming: Mediterranean, Alpine, and Pannonian, and show how these different clothing styles differed from one another, evolved and eventually helped to form the nationalistic movement and form of "Narodna Noša".
The seminar will focus on the vast and rich historical clothing culture very few Slovenians actually know. Test your own historic knowledge ... you might even see a few pieces very familiar to yourself. This event is FREE and open to the public; however we kindly ask that you register to attend. Register and more info.
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Kurent Jump
Saturday February 11
5:30 -10 PM
Slovenian National Home
6409 Saint Clair Avenue Cleveland
The Kurent Jump marks the awakening of the Kurents for Cleveland Kurentovanje festival! The Kurent Jump is traditionally the first time that the Kurents appear in public, with their bells loudly ringing as they dance around a bonfire, initiating the Kurents’ mission of chasing away winter to make way for spring.
Doors will open at 5:30PM for this 21+ Adults Only event. Get ready to party with the Chardon Polka Band in the main hall of Slovenian National Home from 6:30PM to 10:00PM. Tavcar's Catering will return this year to provide delicious Slovenian food and treats available for purchase.
We expect that all the singing and dancing should make enough noise to wake up the Kurents around 8PM outside in the courtyard, so bring your winter coats to enjoy this outdoor spectacle.
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Lake Erie Folk Fest
Saturday February 11
Starts 1 PM
Shore Cultural Centre
291 East 222nd St
The seventh annual fest will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 East 222nd St. Free daytime workshops with accomplished instructors for all ages and skill levels will be followed by an evening concert of musicians from near and far. Music fans, culture buffs, and musicians alike will find something to enjoy!
Lovers of bluegrass, old time, Irish, blues, ballads and everything in between are invited to participate in LEFF's free workshops, presentations, and concerts from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. There will also be plenty of opportunity for musicians to jam throughout the course of the day at this community event.
The event will cap off with a 7:30 p.m. evening concert featuring the best in local and international talent.
- Talisk - Award winning Scottish folk band
- Bonnis and the King Trio - Americana, Swing, and Soul
- Hryhory Kytasty Cleveland School of Bandura - Preserving the history and culture of Ukraine's National Instrument (photo below)
- Liz Bullock Joined by Gavin Coe - Indie folk inspired by blues, soul, and classic folk
All Saturday afternoon workshops and concerts are free and open to the public. Tickets for the evening concert are $15 (advance) and $20 (day of show) with 12 and under free.
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The 1956 Hungarian Revolution and America's reaction
Saturday February 11
2 PM
Cleveland Hungarian Museum
The Galleria, Lower Level, in Downtown Cleveland
“We wrote to President Eisenhower urging immediate action.” The American Governmental Reactions to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Refugee Crisis. Presented by Zsolt Máté
The 1956 Hungarian Revolution and America's reaction is part of world history. What lead to America's reaction? What influenced those who made the final decisions? Zsolt Máté will make use of archival sources to take us behind the curtain and look at the background and the different factors that led to America's response to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the resulting refugee crisis.
The program will begin at 2 o’clock and will be in English. We invite you to stay after the program and enjoy refreshments and a chance to talk to the presenter. Registration not required. Open to the public - all are welcome. Suggested donation: $10 for adults, $5 for students.
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Exploring Slovenia
by way of Honeybees
Sunday February 12
1 - 2:30 PM
Online
Tanja Arih Korošec, an Api-Tourism expert based in Maribor, Slovenia will share with attendees the many ways to explore Slovenia's centuries-old heritage of beekeeping -- from learning how to become a beekeeper, to sleeping amongst the therapeutic humming of beehives, to culinary and spa experiences that take advantage of honey products and much more.
Attendees will learn how Api-Tourism is impacting the local economy and the bee-keeping community in Slovenia. The topic of this presentation is especially timely as the world is turning a keen eye to Slovenia's robust apiary culture as UNESCO just awarded Slovenia the notable recognition of the country's tradition of beekeeping as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage in December 2022. Register
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Swedish Plättar Meal
Sunday February 12
2:30 PM
Peace Lutheran Church
3740 Mayfield Rd.
Vasa Order of America Nobel-Monitor Lodge No. 130 Pea Soup and Plättar Meal. $5. Plättar are Swedish pancakes that are very popular in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden and Finland. They are also known as Swedish pancakes. Their particularity lies in their light texture, their rich flavor and the small holes they present on the surface. They are usually eaten for dessert, accompanied by whipped cream and jam.
In Sweden, there is a tradition of eating pancakes with jam on Thursdays at lunchtime. This pancake meal serves as the main meal.
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Cooking with Cleveland Kurentovanje: Poticke
Tuesday February 14
7 - 8 PM
Online
Poticke (pronounced po-teach-keh) are soft and delicious walnut rolls that are mini-versions of the traditional Slovenian Potica. Presenter Mark Tomc will show how the smaller size of the Poticke makes them easier and faster to prepare-- perfect for those who are short on time or perhaps a bit hesitant to take on baking a full traditional Potica. This instructional is especially timely as Poticke would make a beautiful contribution at your upcoming Easter celebration. More Info
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Learn to Dance the Traditional Slovenian Polka & Waltz
Wednesday February 15
6 - 8:30 PM
Slovenian National Home
6409 Saint Clair Avenue Cleveland
Get your dancing shoes and learn to polka in this fun, beginner-friendly lesson led by the Cleveland-based Slovenian folk dance group, Folklorna Skupina Kres. Beginners and those with little or no dance experience are welcome! Attendees will learn the basics of how to dance to classic Slovenian polka & waltz.
Thereafter, a live band will play and attendees can practice their new moves on the dance floor and socialize with others. Attendees should be a minimum of 16 years old and arrive wearing comfortable dance shoes. Beer, wine, soft drinks, and pizza will be available for purchase. Free Parking is available behind Slovenian National Home. More Info
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Fat Thursday Polish Paczki Party
Thursday February 16
6 PM
Polish American Cultural Center
6501 Lansing Ave. Cleveland
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United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio - Cleveland Rotary Award
Thursday February 23 (RSVP by Feb 16)
11:30 Welcome Reception, 12:00 Presentation begins
Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore St.
Join the Rotary Club of Cleveland for International Fellowship Day, Honoring The United Ukrainian organization for the 2023 International Service Award. More Info
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Remember when people had diaries and got mad when someone read them? Now they put everything online and get mad when people don’t.
If you played in the street and remember yelling “Car!” you had an awesome childhood.
OK, OK. I sure talk a lot of smack for someone who tips over when putting on my underwear.
Did you know Bruce Lee had a faster younger brother?
Sudden Lee.
When I was younger, I used to go to the store with a dollar, and come out with a pop, a bag of chips and a pack of gum.
Now, they have cameras.
I wonder if old houseflies tell the younger ones stories like:
"Back in my day, it was Monday".
Have you heard about Big Al's younger brother who was just average?
We called him Norm Al.
Ba da dum
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Postscript: While praying for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria please remember Estonian Garden delegate Erika Puussaar. Her husband passed away a few weeks ago and last week her only child died. A case of “When bad things happen to good people.”
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