It wasn’t just that though, as the gathering served as an opportunity to celebrate 50 Years of Hellenism in the Public Service by honoring John’s father, the legendary former US Senator Paul Sarbanes. Dr. John Brademas, President Emeritus of New York University and himself a veteran in Washington politics (he served as Congressman from January 3, 1959 to January 3, 1981) was there to honor his friend. Also, activist and entrepreneur Nick Mouyaris paid his tribute as did Dr. George Tsioulias, President of the Hellenic Medical Society of New York, Dr. Chris Ioannides, Director of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies Program at Queens College, John Dimitrakakis, President of Hellenic Business Network, and Ambassador Loukas Tsilas, Director of the Onassis Foundation that owns both the Atrium and the Olympic Tower, among others.

Paul Sarbanes officially entered politics in 1967, when he was elected a member in the Maryland House of Delegates where he served until 1971. The previous year he was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-second Congress. He was reelected to the Ninety-third and Ninety-fourth Congresses (January 3, 1971-January 3, 1977). While he was not a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives, he ran and was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1976 where he served continuously until January 2007 when he decided not to seek reelection, having completed 30 years as US Senator. However, in November 2006, his son John ran at his father’s original congressional district and he won a landslide victory, repeated in 2008.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Congressman Sarbanes has nearly two decades of experience working in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Whle in Congress, John Sarbanes has been appointed to the Energy and Commerce Committee where he serves on the Health Subcommittee and the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee and he is also a member of the Natural Resources Committee with a special focus on parks and federal lands.

Since childhood, Congressman Sarbanes has attended the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore. Over the last eighteen years, John has served as a board member of the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Active with his wife and children in the Bolton Street Synagogue, John brings a special perspective to the Institute's mission of promoting understanding and dialogue among people of different religious faiths.