Meet Hellenic Cultural Society of South Florida | Cultural Organization focused on the community we serve

The Hellenic Cultural Society of South Florida started as a group of friends who love all things Greek: the Greek language, Greek history, and Greek culture. Approximately 10 years ago, three of us (Stavroula Christodoulou, Petros Tsingelis, and myself, Malvina Currie) organized a few successful events, such as discussions of history, poetry readings, and the creation of videos with the participation of other community members. Then, however — as is often the case — life pushed us in different directions.

Fast forward to 2020: just before and during the covid-19 pandemic, we all felt deeply isolated and disengaged as though we were drying out from a Greek cultural drought. This experience of scarcity helped us realize and articulate what, exactly, it was that we were seeking. We wanted something different. We wanted to experience the work of artists, scientists, and thinkers that explore Hellenism through time and space, to engage with works that speak not only about what was and what is, but also about what can be. The organization’s mission is to raise awareness about Hellenism, to explore its relevance to our contemporary world, and to enrich South Florida’s cultural landscape.

As the covid-19 pandemic kept on forcing us to reevaluate our priorities, especially as initial promises of financial support evaporated, when many of the restrictions lifted, we decided to continue nevertheless. We continued exploring topics in twentieth-century Greek history, presenting both works of old and those of emerging artists, and diving into the diverse Greek cultural landscape. As we were pursuing what sparks joy, resources started appearing and people started supporting our efforts in multiple ways! Other creative individuals also joined our team, offering their thoughts, enthusiasm, and contributions.

Why should I get involved with the Hellenic Cultural Society?, you might ask. After all, it’s all Greek to me! Beyond, of course, the delicious culinary aspect, our presentations and events touch on common experiences and stories that transcend cultural specificity. We believe that art can help us engage in new conversations in our communities, find new homelands — new senses of rootedness in place and time — in our hearts, and consider current problems in new lights.

For example, our book club (led by Athena Gounis) focuses on Greek and Greek diasporic authors. The first book we read was a story of inhabiting liminal spaces, of living in between: between one’s old and new countries, between languages, between past and present. Our discussion revealed the way in which this is the experience of all immigrants, for you’re an outsider in the place you arrive, and you’re no longer local in the place you came from. As book club participants connected with others through the solidarity of shared experiences, a new and deeper sense of community emerged!

Similarly, our movie showing of “Smyrna, My Beloved” in November 2022 commemorated 100 years from the destruction of Smyrna, the Asia Minor catastrophe, events that marked indelibly Modern Greek history. Many refugees emigrated to the U.S. as a result of these atrocities. Genocides — tragedies such as that of Smyrna, which remains largely forgotten today — continue to happen in our times. As the producers of the movie wrote “Every people has lost a homeland. Every people has its own ‘Smyrna.’” Studying the history of one event, such as the tragedy of Smyrna’s destruction, allows us to access new perspectives and understandings of other events in other cultural and historical contexts.