There is a Greek word, κοινωνία (koinonia)
It's a hard word to translate, but what it means is "communion by intimate participation"
This is the very definition of Saint Demetrios, a Greek Orthodox community in Jamaica, Queens, founded in 1927 which has, since 1967 provided a parochial school education for grades K-8.
The school is an oasis for people in Jamaica searching for a quality education for their children, built by the Greek Americans who left Greece after the Second World War and the subsequent Greek Civil War and came to Jamaica, Queens. They all came here with one purpose: to create a better life for their children, with church and community and education at the heart; their goal was koinonoia.
These immigrants had children and their children have had children, all educated at the same school that stood by the community for decades. And these children have moved away from Jamaica, and the young Greek community that was once enormous and strong is now elderly diminished.
But the school had opened its doors to the neighborhood, not just to Greeks. Anyone wanting a quality education was welcome. Today the great majority of students at Saint Demetrios are not of Greek descent, but are a mix of people who live nearby, a very diverse mix.
The 2013-2014 enrollment is expected to be smaller than usual, and the church can no longer support the school, and has, in fact, already had a vote and has shut down the school.
The new principal of the school has been in place for a short time; she is a former classmate of mine; she is hard working, determined, and exactly the type of person you would entrust your children with. She needs more time to turn things around. She has made amazing progress and must be allowed to continue, not just for the Greeks but for the koinonoia of Jamaica.
Please help if you can; it would mean a lot to the community.
