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Cleveland Estonians gathered at Faith Lutheran Church in Mentor, Ohio for the traditional Estonian church service led by Pastor Pirn. The organist was Trina Läte Pirn, and guest viola player Lembi Veskimets (Cleveland Orchestra). After the service, we gathered in the adjacent church hall for verivorst, hapukapsad, and jõuluvana (Christmas...

Karl Altau, JBANC As we near Christmas and the New Year, it is glaringly apparent that those of us who support Ukraine’s path to victory against the Russian onslaught will be left with a big chunk of coal in our stockings. Victory will have to wait.The Grinch rejoices today, but...

Vaba Eesti Sõna has an immediate opening for a web support staff person. This is a part-time position, which should require only a few hours per week. The principal task involves coordination with the print editor, receiving from her, via the internet, the articles needing upload to the web edition...

As winter approaches, it is even more important than other times of the year to eat clean food. Clean food is food that is as close to Mother Earth as possible, that has not been stripped of nutrients in industrial processing. Clean foods are foods that have nothing harmful added...

Karl Altau, JBANC Three focal points have dominated in the United States Congress over the past two months:1) The emergence of new House Speaker Mike Johnson.2) Keeping Congress funded.3) Passing the Ukraine supplemental. Congressman Mike Johnson from Louisiana seemed to have come out of nowhere to assume the Speakership after...

In February 2024, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) together with maestro Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor, will again embark on a long-awaited concert tour to the United States and Canada after a five-year hiatus. The 2024 tour is supported by the Estonian American National Council (EANC/ERKÜ), which has been committed to...

The Estonian American National Council (EANC) met with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna last Friday, November 3, to voice Estonian American concerns over the planned closures of the Estonian Consulates General in both New York and San Francisco. During the face-to-face virtual meeting, EANC raised key points such as the...

Cleveland area Estonians participated in the One World Day Festival on August 27 in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The Parade of Flags opened the event and thirteen Estonians represented our group. Overall, 56 ethnic groups were represented by a total of 1,500 marchers. The beautiful weather drew a crowd, estimated...

Siim Sööt, Honorary Consul of Estonia in Chicago This is the first of three articles that explore where people of Estonian ancestry live in the United States. This article focuses on the number of individuals of Estonian ancestry (hereafter called US Estonians) and the recent change in that number. The...

This article represents the first in a series of occasional notes to help our diaspora understand the types of companies coming out of Estonia and heading to the United States. Personally, it is an immensely fulfilling opportunity to bring my two native countries together and see both benefit. This first...