Ismini Michaels Honored with the Kyrenia Award on October 10, 2024

Ismini Michaels was born in Nicosia and was a student at the Pancyprian Gymnasium. She graduated from the Academy of Cyprus in 1963. As a teacher for 12 years, she served at San Anthony’s School in Nicosia where she created a children’s choir and organized many cultural events. She was a member of the Choir of the Pnevmatiki Stegi Nicosia. She worked at RIK to present a TV show called Music and Dances of Cyprus in 1975.

Ms. Michaels moved to New York with her family to find a better future after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. She worked at the Metamorphosis Elementary school as a teacher in Corona for three years, and from 1981 until 2022 she was a teacher at the Archangel Michael Greek School in Roslyn, New York. After the untimely death of her beloved husband Stelios in 1996, she decided to continue his work collaborating with the Ministry of Health of Cyprus and the Greenpoint chapter of Deborah Hospital so that children with cancer could come to the United States for treatment without cost to the families.

A great philanthrope, Ismini undertook welcoming and hosting the sick children herself, as well as transporting them to the numerous medical appointments. It was through the persistence, love and care of Ismini that 12-year-old Elpida Hatsivasiliou came to the United States for treatment. Thanks to the relentless efforts and determination of Ismini and her late husband Stelios the community united to provide financial and other forms of support, helping the young child overcome cancer.

Ms. Michaels has been a board member of Kyrenia Opera since its inception; the Women’s Division of the United Cypriots of America; the Women’s Division of the Pancyprian Association of America; the Scholarship Division of the Pampaphian organization; the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations; President of the Pancyprian Choir and the treasurer of the Greek Children’s Fund at the Memorial Sloan Kettering and Schneider Hospitals. Additionally, she was a member of the TV show Our Cyprus with Petros Petridis, with whom she collaborated for many years as an actress in numerous theatrical productions.

Ismini has three daughters, Maria, Andri and Noni, and five grandchildren, Anastasia, Ismini, Nicolas, Stamatis and Stella.