WASHINGTON, DC—Armenians young and old from the Washington, DC area joined the Armenian Youth Federation’s (AYF) Ani Chapter at the Azerbaijani Embassy on Sunday to demand justice for Azerbaijani violence – past and present – and promote Artsakh’s security as a free and independent republic.
“The AYF and our community will be out here every year to honor the victims of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Maragha, and Baku, demanding recognition and reparations for these crimes,” said AYF-YOARF Washington DC Ani Chapter Chair Alex Manoukian. “President Aliyev’s ongoing threats and attacks are proof positive that there is no going back – that Artsakh’s safety and security can only be guaranteed by its independence or reunification with the Armenian Homeland.”
Protesters marked the 30th anniversary of the Baku pogroms – the Azerbaijani government instigated week-long rape, torture, and murder of the city’s Armenian population. As a result, hundreds of Armenians were killed or injured and thousands fled the systematic violence. Shouting “We Remember Baku,” protesters commemorated the victims of this horrific event that is still denied by Azerbaijan.
Community members proudly waving Artsakh flags and holding signs supporting fellow Armenians who fight every day to protect and defend Armenian lands, also expressed concerns about increasing pressure on the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh to support the flawed “Madrid Principles.” Greater Washington DC Armenian community members were loud and clear in their message that the only pathway to long-term peace is one that respects the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.
Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, pastor of the Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church in Bethesda MD, leading the community prayer in honor of the victims of the Sumgait, Kirovabad, Maragha, and Baku massacres and all who have perished as a result of Azerbaijani aggression.
Following the vigil, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian of Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church led the D.C. community members in prayer in memory of the victims of the Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and Maragha massacres, and all those who lost their lives during the Artsakh liberation movement.
While members of the community were protesting against Stalin’s decision to gift Armenian Artsakh to Azerbaijan, the National Gallery of Art was hosting a screening of Zangezur, a 1938 Soviet film by Hamo Bek-Nazaryan, that was co-sponsored by the Armenian Embassy. This Stalinist film praises the Bolsheviks who enforced Soviet power in Zangezur and demonizes Armenian Youth Federation founder and Armenian national hero General Karekin Njdeh and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, who fought for Armenian self-determination.
The protest was streamed live by the Voice of America Armenian Service as well as the AYF Eastern Region and ANCA Facebook pages and covered by H1 Television.
Excerpts of video and photos from the protest are available on the AYF Washington DC Ani Chapter Facebook page.
Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.
The Armenian School of St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in conjunction with Cascade Press is proud to present the first-ever Armenian language translation of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series.
This translation project started about a year ago and seeks to set a new standard for Armenian language learning. From February to May of 2019, the upper school classes were engaged in interactive language workshops. During these sessions, these classic children’s books were translated by the students under the guidance of their teachers. In this fashion, the classroom truly came alive. As students sought to find the perfect words to capture the spirit of the original English text, they would often act out scenes from the book. Lively discussions would often ensue about word selection or about striking just the right balance between grammar correctness, colloquial speech/slang, and overall readability.
Since these books are heavy on dialogue, the students had quite a bit of fun as they channeled their inner frog and toad. But more importantly, these students were actively creating in the Armenian language. Through brainstorming, intense use of the whiteboard, and intimately connecting with the source material, the students showed that they too can create in the Armenian language.
Following the initial translation, the texts were first edited by the Armenian school teachers and then passed to Armenia for a second round of editing before yet more proofreading and final editing. The paperback books are now available in both Eastern and Western Armenian. If read out loud by a parent, these stories are perfect for ages two and up. As “easy reader” books, Frog and Toad is recommended for students ages six and up.
The Frog and Toad series consists of four books that chronicle the lives of best friends Frog and Toad. Each 64-page book consists of five stories that capture the essence of their friendship in clear, simple terms. Some examples of the simple adventures that these friends go on include the following:
Learning how to fly kite despite being bullied by some mean birds
Tracking down a lost button
Telling scary stories
Tending to a vegetable garden
Although seemingly simple, each story has quite a bit of depth that will be appreciated by students and parents alike. Themes of kindness, caring and mindfulness are skillfully woven throughout the books. Despite the overwhelming digital distractions that a student encounters today, Frog and Toad shows that sometimes what is most important is listening to your thoughts and truly understanding who you are.
Haig Norian, Ph.D. of Cascade Press recently sat down with the principal of St. Leon Armenian School, Nora Vartivarian Balekji to discuss the translation project in greater detail.
Haig Norian: Where did the idea for the translation project come from?
Nora Balekji: Engaging the true and full attention of the student has always been the goal of the teacher – be it in the newly formed classrooms of our grandfathers and grandmothers that survived the genocide, the schools of our parents throughout the middle east and Europe, or the academies of our children here in the United States. Each generation has had different hurdles to overcome – some much more grueling than others.
It is unfortunate but we have found that the students of the past ten years simply have too many distractions. Armenian school ranks very low on their priority list. Sports practice, music lessons, video games, social media – all of these prove to be very difficult to overcome.
H.N.: So, you had to somehow make Armenian language lessons take priority in the mind of the students?
N.B.: Exactly – students took no pride in learning conjugations and declensions. They were bored as they would bluntly (and often) tell us. So, we needed to make language acquisition something fun. The students needed to feel in control. Not simply learning grammar rules – the students needed to feel that they were creating something themselves – that they were in control of their learning.
H.N.: And how did it go?
N.B.: It was like a dream come true. The students absolutely loved the fact that they were doing something that had never been done before. For many of them, Frog and Toad was a childhood favorite. For them to be translating this book was a true source of pride.
H.N.: Why did you choose Frog and Toad?
N.B.: The reading level of the Frog and Toad perfectly matched the needs of our students. To be honest, there aren’t many new Armenian books being published each year. Those that are being released are either too easy (a few words per page) or too advanced (like some of the translations being released in Armenia). Our students need a stepping-stone to get to the more advanced material. The FROG AND TOAD books are perfect “easy reader” books. Each page has about five to ten sentences and beautiful illustrations. The grammar and syntax are simplified so that the student can master core competency in reading and comprehension. Also – when a student completes a book, it truly is a big accomplishment for them as each book is 64 pages!
H.N.: Do you have further plans for translations?
N.B.: Yes – going forward, we plan to translate two books per year. Now we want to translate children’s picture books. We are considering a publication of RIGHT NOW, written by David Kherdian and Nonny Hogrogian. It’s a very cute book about mindfulness and making the most of the present moment – no matter what has happened in the past and no matter what may come.
H.N.: I like that! Embracing the here and now…which is precisely what you have done with this translation initiative!
N.B.: We have a job to do, and we won’t take NO for an answer. We must teach our students to create. We must give them the confidence to proudly use the Armenian language. We cannot simply wait for an artist/writer/poet to magically appear. As teachers, it is our duty to cultivate the future writers that will keep our language alive for centuries to come.
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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.
Richard Kazanjian died peacefully at his Burlington, Massachusetts home surrounded by his loving family and friends on February 29, 2020.
Born September 8, 1935 in Stoneham, Massachusetts to John and Victoria (Derderian) Kazanjian, Dick spent his youth in Watertown and Medford. After graduation from Tufts University in 1958, he proudly served as an Artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps, with service aboard ship and on land in several countries. Dick and his family lived in Winchester, Mass. for 52 years.
Dick leaves his loving wife of 57 years, Cynthia (Hintlian), son Rick of Chandler, AZ, daughter Andrea Krikorian and her husband Neil Krikorian, and his extraordinary grandsons Vaughan and Cole Krikorian of Tyngsboro, MA. He is also survived by brother-in-law Aram Hintlian and his wife Becky, sister-in-law Nancy Hintlian (Florida), and many nieces, nephews and great nieces. As the eldest of five children, he is predeceased by his brother John Kazanjian and survived by remaining siblings, Barbara Purks, (California), and Robert and Edward Kazanjian (Florida).
Devotion is a word that has best described Dick’s life, whether to his church, his family, or the community. Dick was a devoted member of the First Armenian Church of Belmont, serving as a past chairman of the Board of Trustees and church moderator for many years. After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Dick worked to raise money for the Armenian Children’s Milk Fund (Armenian Missionary Association) He was active in the Winchester community as a capital planning board and town meeting member. Dick was a dutiful Scottish Rite Mason after earlier reaching Master Councilor in the Medford DeMolay, and an Aleppo Shriner.
Dick was a past President of Medford Rotary and was recognized as a “Paul Harris Fellow” by Rotary International. He also served as a Board Member of the Medford Co-operative Bank.
Dick will be remembered as a true friend, for his kind and generous nature as well as his superb barbecue skills on display at numerous First Armenian Church and Holy Trinity Armenian Church bazaars, Men’s Clubs, and Sunday family dinners. He loved golf and played in many benefit golf outings. Dick adored his grandsons and was a ubiquitous presence at their sporting events and other activities, enjoying every minute of them.
Visiting hours at The First Armenian Church, 380 Concord Avenue Belmont, MA from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday March 5. Funeral services will be held at the First Armenian Church at 11:00 AM. on Friday, March 6. Interment will be at the Wildwood Cemetery, 34 Palmer Street, Winchester, MA, immediately following funeral services.
YEREVAN, SANTA MONICA—ONEArmenia (1A) and author Vahan Zanoyan have launched a multi-city US book and Armenian wine tasting tour, in support of 1A’s WineCubes of Armenia project, helping winemaking families in rural Armenia become active players in the country’s booming wine industry.
The book tour revolves around Zanoyan’s latest novel, Waking Noah’s Vines, which tells the tale of a group of adventurous vintners from around the world, who embark on a wine-infused journey to revive the 6,000-year-old wine industry in Armenia after the country gains independence from the Soviet Union. Inspired by the real life revival of Armenian wine over the past decade, Zanoyan, who is a major consumer of Armenian wine, is determined to introduce the country’s ancient winemaking tradition to the world.
All royalties from the book’s sale, and ticket sales from the book and wine tasting tour, are going to WineCubes of Armenia. The project is giving small-scale winemaking families the tools they need to produce high-quality wine, and then showcase it to tourists. That includes access to a state-of-the-art wine making facility in Yerevan, and a WineCube, an elegant tasting room built directly in their vineyard. Armenia’s first WineCube is already up and running in Areni village, where husband-wife duo Nver and Narine Ghazaryan are showcasing their family wine brand, Momik Wines, launched through 1A’s Farm-To-Bottle project in 2018.
Author Vahan Zanoyan
In addition to going over the creative process behind Waking Noah’s Vines during the tour, Zanoyan is diving deep into the history of winemaking in Armenia, and how the predecessors of the Armenian people laid the foundations for the country’s growing wine industry today. “We’d be different today, genetically and culturally, if our pre- pre-ancestors had not begun with the vine,” says Zanoyan.
Zanoyan and 1A will visit the following cities to uncover the secrets of wine, and share a selection of fine Armenian wines with local communities:
New York, NY – March 7, Tufenkian Carpets Showroom
Chicago, IL – March 12, Residence of H. Consul of Armenia
Sunnyvale, CA – March 28, Sunnyvale Community Center
Signed copies of Waking Noah’s Vines will be available for purchase at each stop of the tour. For more information about how WineCubes of Armenia is bringing sustainable wine tourism to Armenia’s rural vineyards, visit onearmenia.org/campaign/wine
About the author: Vahan Zanoyan is a traveler, global energy consultant and anti-trafficking advocate. He has published two volumes of poetry in Armenian and four novels in English: A Place Far Away (2013) and The Doves of Ohanavank (2014), both of which were inspired by a chance meeting with a young victim of sex trafficking, and The Sacred Sands (2016), based on his experiences as an international energy consultant. Waking Noah’s Vines is Zanoyan’s latest novel.
About 1A: ONEArmenia is a nonprofit organization based in Yerevan and Santa Monica, committed to raising the standard of living in Armenia through innovative projects that accelerate job creation in agriculture, technology, tourism and made-in-Armenia products. Since 2012, 1A has crowdfunded for and implemented 21 different projects with grassroots organizations in Armenia that share its values of radical transparency, collaboration and sustainability.
ONEArmenia is a nonprofit organization that funds charitable and philanthropic projects in Armenia. Based out of the U.S. and Armenia, it was founded in 2012 in response to the growing cynicism around donating to charitable causes in Armenia.
Asya Darbinyan and Knar Khachatryan, 2019-2020 Vartan Gregorian Scholarship Recipients
Asya Darbinyan with a research project Armenian Refugees of the War and Genocide and Russian Imperial Humanitarianism and a team of scholars led by American University of Armenia associate professor Knar Khachatryan with their project Urbanization and Socioeconomic Development in Armenia: A Throwback to More Than One Century, were named the new recipients of the Vartan Gregorian Scholarship (Research Grants) Program.
“This is the second phase of the scholarship program, and I would like to note that we have had very interesting research projects submitted. In academic research, it’s all about quality, not quantity: this is the motto we rely on while selecting the best two proposals. Year after year, a growing number of Vartan Gregorian scholarship recipients will help create of new community of scholars involved in the Armenian studies, and this is very good news for all of us,” said Hayk Demoyan, Vartan Gregorian Scholarship Selection Board Member.
Darbinyan is a postdoctoral fellow for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Stockton University. With the support of the scholarship, she will complete her study of Armenian refugees of the Great War and the Armenian Genocide exposing the role of Russian Imperial Humanitarianism during that period.
“This scholarship will provide me with a special opportunity to bring to a successful completion the research and analysis of the extensive, yet understudied, sources on this important aspect of Armenian history and the history of humanitarianism. Considering the financial difficulties emerging scholars have to face, it will be a huge support for my project and for the continuous research in the field of Armenian studies,” says Darbinyan.
The second recipient—a group of young scholars, Aleksandr Grigoryan, Anna Ohanyan, Ara Sanjian led by Knar Khachatryan, Associate Professor at American University of Armenia—will produce a unique systematic study of urbanization and economic history of Armenia.
“We will explore the long-term effects of historic events on urbanization and its impact on the country’s economic and social development. Our research will focus on providing evidence of the disproportional regional development of the Armenian economy over the period of 1900-2015. This scholarship will give us an opportunity to undertake a quality scholarly research on a high priority area for the Armenian economic and social development,” explained Khachatryan.
Aurora announced the Vartan Gregorian Scholarship (Research Grants) Program in the fall of 2018 to support early-career scholars and researchers studying unexplored questions of the 20th century history of Armenia. The annual scholarship program awards up to $30,000 in grants to Armenian researchers under the age of 40 from Armenia and abroad. A total of 29 applications from Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Japan, France, Germany, USA and Canada were submitted for the current phase of the Scholarship Program.
All applications are reviewed and evaluated by the Selection Board comprised of prominent scholars: George Bournoutian, Senior Professor of History, Iona College; Hayk Demoyan, Doctor of Historical Sciences; Hasmik Khalapyan, Lecturer, American University of Armenia; Ronald G. Suny, William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History, the University of Michigan, and Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History, the University of Chicago; Hratch Tchilingirian, Associate Faculty Member of Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford.
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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.
ATP’s Operations Manager Arthur Harutyunyan inspects pine trees planted in the Hrant Dink Memorial Forest together with Forest Summit keynote speaker Anthony Davis of Oregon State University College of Forestry and Omri Bonneh of KKL-Jewish National Fund (Photo: Jason Sohigian)
BELMONT, Mass.—The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is co-hosting a panel discussion titled “Green Revolution: Armenia’s Vision to Fight Global Climate Change” on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 pm.
This event will include a report by Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and Boston area experts who participated in the “Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia” conference at American University of Armenia (AUA) in October.
ATP and AUA Acopian Center for the Environment convened the inaugural Forest Summit from October 20 to 23 in Armenia. Though small in size, Armenia has shown renewed political commitment to protecting and expanding its forest cover. As part of its pledge to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Armenia has committed to double its forest cover by 2050. The Summit brought local and international experts and stakeholders together for the first time to discuss the challenges and opportunities around this ambitious commitment.
The Summit was opened by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who emphasized that forests and environmental issues are a high priority for his administration.
“There was a huge amount of interest in the Forest Summit, from activists to local and international experts who came together to exchange ideas and help chart the way forward to expand Armenia’s forest cover,” noted ATP Executive Director Jeanmarie Papelian. “ATP is excited to be a part of this movement, given our 25 years of experience in this field. And this event at NAASR is the kick-off to report the outcomes on the eve of the International Day of Forests which we celebrate every year.”
“As global citizens concerned about the future of our planet, we are proud that Armenia and NAASR are part of the discussion around how trees can solve pressing issues like climate change,” explained NAASR Director of Academic Affairs Marc Mamigonian. “This event is a wonderful follow up to the panel we held on linkages between the environment and national security, and it brings us up to date by putting it in the context of the Velvet Revolution in Armenia.”
The panel will be moderated by Prof. Anna Ohanyan, professor of Political Science and International Studies at Stonehill College and Papelian. They will be joined by Guy Hydrick, a GIS expert and PhD candidate at Clark University who participated in the Forest Summit. Hydrick’s doctoral thesis is based on ATP’s extensive monitoring data, which is unprecedented in the field of urban forestry.
This event, to be held at the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA, is free and open to the public. Cosponsors include ATP, NAASR and the Greater Boston Nejdeh chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF). It is part of the NAASR/Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Lecture Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues.
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The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.
The Armenian Youth Federation – Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern USA (AYF- YOARF Eastern USA) strongly condemns the selection and screening of the film “Zangezur” (1938) at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington DC. The film, chosen by the Armenian Embassy with the intention to represent the views of Armenia and its diaspora, instead glorifies the repressive Bolshevik forces that brutally forced the First Armenian Republic to forgo its independence and national identity and become a member of the communist USSR. Hundreds of Armenian civilians, intellectuals, political and cultural leaders were killed, jailed, or removed as the Bolshiveks consolidated their power.
It is appalling that the Armenian Embassy and Smithsonian chose blatant communist propaganda in a half-hearted attempt to highlight Zangezur’s cinematography, as well as its utilization of the celebrated Armenian composer, Aram Khachaturian’s, music as the soundtrack. As it stands, however, the film’s aesthetic and musical qualities cannot be separated from the very specific message the film intends to portray – one of explicit support for Communist ideals (and the era of repression that followed) and the overt attempt to slander the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) forces and national hero, General Garegin Njdeh, who were, in large part, the reason why an Armenian Republic exists today. In fact, the justification provided is analogous to supporting an airing of “Triumph of the Will,” a 1935 film celebrating Adolph Hitler and the genocidal, racist, and repressive Nazi party, under the pretense of its “cinematic excellence.” A film’s “quality” is no substitute for a functional intellectual and moral compass.
Zangezur deliberately distorts and slanders the legacy of General Garegin Njdeh (the founder of the AYF) and the Tashnaktsoutioun (the main political party of the First Republic), who fought valiantly to protect the First Republic of Armenia from losing its newfound and hard-fought statehood mere months after the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turks. For 90 years, the AYF has followed in Garegin Ndjeh’s footsteps advocating tirelessly for the freedom and security of the Armenian Republic. The film’s screening is a clear slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of AYF members and alumni in the United States who proudly serve the Armenian-American community, and who wholeheartedly support the Republic of Armenia and the principles of life, liberty, and self-determination. In addition, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres this year, which established the American Mandate of Wilsonian Armenia in modern-day Eastern Turkey, the film instead glorifies the communist takeover of an independent nation, rather than the true American ideals of life and liberty.
The insensitivity of such a screening while dozens of members of the Washington DC Armenian community stood in protest at the Embassy of Azerbaijan to demand justice for the 1988 Pogroms in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and Maragha, is both baffling and shameful. It is an affront to those who perished during the Pogroms and to everyone who has since fallen prey to the decades-long terror campaign perpetrated by Azerbaijan’s oppressive Aliyev regime.
In sum, Zangezur, intended as a representational piece for Armenia and its diaspora, is an affront to both the Armenian people and its diasporan community. We are the descendants of the millions who died during the Genocide, and the thousands more who fought with General Garegin Njdeh in Zangezur, with no food, supplies or support, so that the Armenian nation and its people could survive and be free.
The AYF-YOARF Eastern USA calls on the Armenian Embassy and the Smithsonian to carefully consider the factors and priorities involved in choosing relevant cultural pieces intended as representational of the Armenian community and diaspora. Furthermore, the AYF-YOARF Eastern USA calls on the Armenian Embassy and Smithsonian to apologize for showing this incredibly offensive and insensitive film on March 1st, 2020.
Founded in 1933, The Armenian Youth Federation is an international, non-profit, youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF). The AYF-YOARF Eastern United States stands on five pillars that guide its central activities and initiatives: Educational, Hai Tahd, Social, Athletic and Cultural. The AYF also promotes a fraternal attitude of respect for ideas and individuals amongst its membership. Unity and cooperation are essential traits that allow members of the organization to work together to realize the AYF’s objectives.
Altar servers and choir members surrounding Archbishop Tanielian and reverend clergy (Photo: Berge Zobian)
PROVIDENCE, RI—In a hallmark moment for the local community, the Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church marked its name day on Sunday, February 23 with His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian celebrating the Divine Liturgy and presiding over the ordinations of Dr. Ari Nalbandian, Arees Khatchadourian and Shant Eghian as deacons. The day was filled with joyous songs and was well attended by the entire community, including the Sunday School, Mourad Armenian School and Homenetmen.
Pictured during the ordination service are Dr. Ari Nalbandian, Arees Khatchadourian and Shant Eghian with Archdeacon Hagop Khatchadourian, Archbishop Tanielian and Rev. Fr. Nazarian behind them (Photo: Mark Phillips)
The ordination service began with the three candidates ascending the altar on their knees as Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian asked His Eminence to ordain them. By placing his hands on the deacons’ heads, the Archbishop bestowed the authority to read from the Gospel and present the Eucharistic bread and wine to the Der Hayr during the Liturgy. During the ceremony, His Eminence invoked the memory of Saint Stephen, the first deacon in the Christian Church.
Archbishop Tanielian later presented a sermon encouraging the deacons to continue their lifelong commitment to serving their church and Armenian heritage. Srpazan stressed the virtues of being a Christian—humility and obedience in a life of conscious and joyful service to the Lord. “As the sun shines the light, you also will shine with a virtuous life,” said His Eminence, who also reminded the community of the heroic sacrifice of St. Vartan and his followers by insisting they would never deny their faith. Srpazan emphasized that we must never compromise our Christian values for the false standards of the world, no matter how tempting.
His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian offering his sermon after ordaining the deacons pictured on the right (Photo: Mark Phillips)
After church, the community gathered to enjoy a delicious lamb kebab dinner in the Aramian Auditorium, lovingly prepared and served by the Ladies’ Guild and Mens’ Club. In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jason Simonian extended warm wishes to His Eminence and congratulated the newly ordained deacons, stating, “They are, each of them, the true ‘keepers of the faith,’ and we as a community are the continued benefactors of their collective devotion to the cause of the Lord.”
In addition to the focus on serving the church during the celebration, serving the community was also noted. In accordance with His Holiness Aram I’s declaration of 2020 as “The Year of Armenians with Special Needs,” three members of the community were honored: Manoog Kaprielian for his pioneering work in the field of counseling and mental health in Armenia, Joyce Yeremian for her work with Armenian refugees fleeing the horrors of war and Armand Kibarian for his work with the homeless and needy in the local community, particularly at the Providence Rescue Mission. “Special needs take many forms – physical and emotional/spiritual,” said Fr. Nazarian. “Each of our honorees has made a difference in the lives of people who especially have experienced trauma in their lives.”
Mourad Armenian School older students perform a song for Vartanantz Day (Photo: Berge Zobian)
Keeping with Vartanantz Day tradition, students from Mourad Armenian School, under the direction of music director Raffi Rachdouni, presented a short program of songs and poems commemorating the bravery of St. Vartan and his soldiers, including the Vartanantz day hymn “Norahrash.” Concluding the afternoon’s festivities, Fr. Kapriel offered his congratulations to the newly-ordained deacons and honored guests and extended his gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, thanking him “for always caring for our community with such love.” Srpazan commended the Providence community for its strength and resilience after its almost 80-year existence and then led the gathering in singing “Giligia.”
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Pauline Getzoyan
Pauline Getzoyan is an active member of the Rhode Island Armenian community. Currently, she serves as the communications coordinator of Sts. Vartanantz Church, having been office manager for several years prior. A longtime member of the Providence ARF, she is also a 15-year member of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) and serves as chairperson of the Providence Ani” chapter, as well as a former member of the Central Executive Board. Pauline has been a long-time advocate for genocide education through her work with the ANC of RI, and she was a member of the coalition group responsible for passage of legislation in RI requiring the teaching of genocide in the state’s secondary schools. In this capacity, Pauline is co-chair of the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project, as well as a member of the RI Holocaust and Genocide Education Coalition. Serving as editor of The Armenian Weekly fulfills a lifelong goal of communicating issues of importance to the Armenian community. Pauline holds a BA in Communications from Rhode Island College and an MA in Education from Roger Williams University. She has been an adjunct instructor of developmental reading and writing in the English department at the Community College of Rhode Island since 2005.
WATERTOWN, Mass.—Many of those who gathered in the basement of St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church after badarak on Sunday were not simply Armenian, but rather proud Marashtsi Armenians.
“When two Marashtsi Armenians got together anywhere in the world, they formed a chapter of the Union of Marash in that city…with one mission: to preserve our nation, our mother tongue and our culture,” said keynote speaker and proud Marashtsi Berj Chekijian. “In this regard, Watertown’s Union of Marash Armenians is an exemplary leader,” he continued, commending longtime chair Nevart Kouyoumjian.
Kouyoumjian has been leading the local Armenians of Marash and hosting this traditional hokejash since she immigrated to the US with her family in 1976. Her parents, her grandmother and her uncle miraculously survived the unexpected 1920 Turkish invasion. After a brave attempt by thousands of embattled villagers in the fallen city, the mere hundreds who remained decided to flee their homeland only to face a daunting journey in the dead of winter—an important chapter in Armenian history that was chronicled on Sunday afternoon during a 10-minute preview of Roger Hagopian’s Memories of Marash.
This exodus is an emotional narrative that resonated with many in the room, including Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, who attends this event every year. “We all try to tell our children what happened,” said the grandson of Marash survivors Abraham and Zarouhi Koutoujian, “[but] we don’t do it as much as we should.”
The Union of Marash Armenians, Watertown Chapter has served as a living testimony of the heroic battle, faithfully working to preserve the memories of those martyrs who perished 100 years ago. “This group here clearly has been able to fight and sacrifice to stay close to their roots,” explained Sebouh Arakelian, while recognizing his father Arakel for serving 40 years as treasurer of the local chapter. Mary Bazarian, a beloved and loyal member of the community and a descendant of Genocide survivors, was also honored for her service.
Members and volunteers worked for several days to prepare a traditional Marashtsihokejash—keshgeg ghabakhli (meat and squash stew with wheat pilav), kheyma and tomato salad. Following the hearty meal, two of Chekijian’s grandchildren—11 year-old Lara Chekijian and 12 year-old Saro Iskenderian—participated in the program with a reading of Paruyr Sevak’s poem, “We are few, but we are called Armenians.” Master of Ceremonies Maral Der Torossian introduced her son Shant, a classical pianist who offered Komitas Vartabed’s “Groong,” Charles Aznavour’s “Une vie d’amour” and “La Bohème” by Aznavour and Jacques Plante. The program concluded with vocalist Sevag Khatchadourian, who performed “Kedashen,” “Erebuni – Yerevan” and “Tun Im Hayreni.”
The Union of Marash Armenians, Watertown Chapter has been an exceptional organization in the community, raising funds to support various humanitarian efforts and community organizations including St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, the Syrian Armenian relief effort, the Hairenik Association and St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church. “By the grace of God, the people of Marash re-established themselves 100 years later,” said Kouyoumjian in Armenian. “They worked hard to maintain these sacred traditions so that they can be passed down to the next generation.”
Editor’s Note: The author has close ties to the Union of Marash Armenians, Watertown Chapter and has served as a volunteer in years past.
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Leeza Arakelian
Assistant Editor
Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.
ARS members from Cambridge, Watertown and Lowell (Photo: Salbe A. Photography)
Photos by Salbe A. Photography
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Cambridge “Shushi” Chapter hosted over 170 guests at its sold-out Poon Paregentan Masquerade Ball fundraiser for Syria and Lebanon Relief on Saturday at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Harvard Square in Cambridge. Guests were treated to a Venetian-themed masquerade ball, enjoying culinary treats and sipping on signature cocktails. There was also live art by GP Vahan, accordion and violin musicians and dancing to non-stop music from DJ Rams. The festive evening served its purpose of raising funds for the Middle Eastern Armenian communities in crisis.
“This organization was born out of the strife and struggle of our people,” said ARS Cambridge “Shushi” chapter chair Ani Zargarian during her welcoming remarks. “At a time of complete and utter despair, with the leadership of Edgar Agnouni, the Diasporan community sprang into action to provide humanitarian aid in support of those suffering. One hundred and ten years later, we are still here, larger and stronger than ever, spanning the globe in 27 different countries, 220 chapters with close to 20,000 members strong. We are a large army of volunteers providing our heart and soul to our Armenian communities around the world.”
She continued, “Whether we are attending to our local community needs through supporting our schools, churches, community centers, camps, youth, elderly and any individual in need, or attending to our brothers and sisters in Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, Syria, Lebanon and anywhere else in the world, the ARS is an organization that has always been and continues to be with the people and for the people. Ժողովուրդիս հետ, ժողովուրդիս համար.”
The chapter planned this event in response to the ARS Central Executive Board’s recent call to action and Emergency Appeal to help extend aid to Syrian and Lebanese Armenian communities. Zargarian stressed the Armenian Relief Society’s continuing commitment to Aleppo and Syria as the rest of the world has done little to help. The ARS has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars through its various programs to help those in need in Syria, including providing hot meals to needy families, offering heating assistance during the winter months, and providing for the basic needs for young Syrian Armenian families through sponsorships. She also pointed out the aforementioned emergency appeal immediately enacted by the ARS to meet the Lebanese Armenian community’s increasing needs due to the country’s economic collapse and political instability.
Chair of the ARS Cambridge “Shushi” chapter Ani Zargarian addressing the crowd (Photo: Salbe A. Photography)
In closing, Zargarian made a plea to the community. “We are gathered here this evening, united in our desire to help those struggling. We are gathered here this evening because we are a strong and able community that has always supported those less fortunate. We are gathered here this evening because we would never turn our backs on our brothers and sisters. We are gathered here this evening because we are the descendants of survivors who fled persecution and found solace, peace and new beginnings in Syria, Lebanon and the four corners of this world. Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you, our community here, to join our efforts for this emergency appeal and help us extend our healing hands to our compatriots and the Armenian Red Cross of Lebanon and Syria. Our goal this evening is to raise an additional $5,000.”
Thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, that goal was reached and surpassed with close to $6,000 raised from the event.
The organizing committee pictured from left to right: Seda Aghamianz, Linda Kechejian, Hasmig Mardiros, Nancy Ganjian, Artvine Nekrourian, Ani Zargarian, Betty Dimitian and Meline Berberian (Photo: Salbe A. Photography)
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Armenian Relief Society Eastern U.S.
The ARS Eastern USA has 32 chapters located throughout the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and Southeastern regions of the United States. Please contact the ARS Eastern U.S. Regional Office (arseastus@gmail.com) if you would like more information about a chapter near you.
I was never one to believe in destiny. But, as the Armenian proverb says, you can’t escape it.
Earlier this month, I randomly googled my mother’s maiden name. In the list of search results, “Charles Mooshian” caught my eye.
I never met this man, my grandfather. He left our world more than 20 years before I entered it. And he also left a mottled legacy. From a very young age, I knew one thing: he had been no hero to his family. According to my mother and her relatives, Charles was a workaholic with anger problems. His wife never felt treasured, and his children never felt good enough. My aunts and uncles still carry that pain with them to this day.
Despite his less than stellar parenting record, I was always proud of, intrigued by and thankful for this man. Proud, because I see his sharp wit and legendary productivity in my mother. Intrigued, because I knew that he was an avid writer just like I am. And thankful, because my grandfather is the sole reason I now live in Armenia.
Charles is 25 percent of me. And that 25 percent qualified me to volunteer through the Birthright Armenia program in 2018. Through Birthright, I discovered the Emili Aregak Center for children and youth with disabilities in Gyumri where I now work as its Communications and Public Relations Officer. Our center’s mission is to promote the inclusion of youth with disabilities in mainstream Armenian society through therapy, socialization, training and labor market integration. As you may have read in the Armenian Weekly, we also run Aregak Bakery & Cafe, the first such enterprise in Armenia to intentionally employ young adults with disabilities.
So… back to destiny. When I clicked on my grandfather’s name in the search results, this blurb from a 65-year-old e-book popped up on the screen:
I was thunderstruck. My Armenian grandfather promoted inclusive employment practices in America, and now his American granddaughter is in Armenia doing the same! We are two public relations officers who never met, linked by blood and a cause, yet separated by time and space.
A closer look at the text revealed it to be the May 1954 edition of the publication The President’s Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped. As I eagerly scrolled through the pages, I read of the nationwide effort—of which my grandfather had played a major role on the state level—to integrate people with disabilities into the American workforce. Beautiful passages like these caught my eye:
“…we must create the rehabilitation services and employment opportunities which are required to restore America’s handicapped to useful citizenship, integrate them into the activities of our economic and social life, and show them the dignity which is a birthright of all mankind.”
In my excitement, I could hardly focus on the moving words. All I could think was: Does Momma know?
___
Of course my mother knew, and she was certain she had told me. Whatever the case may be, I was hungry for all the details my family (and Google!) could give me about my grandfather’s young adult life.
In a frenetic search, I found Charles’ name in a countless number of online publications. I saw it in bylines, citations, letters to the editor and articles. I discovered that he started the first official Coast Guard publication for Philadelphia, and I even found his military service noted in a 2015 Armenian Weekly article!
According to my aunt, Charles had studied law but always worked in public relations. When he was my age (25), he met my grandmother Grace at the tail-end of a crazy publicity stunt during his work at Paramount Pictures driving a covered wagon clear across the country from California to Little Rock to advertise the 1938 film The Arkansas Traveler.
Charles and Grace Mooshian with Sarah’s aunt
I also learned that he was friends with William Fulbright and Douglas MacArthur, went on double dates with Ozzie and Harriet, and had monthly meetings with President Dwight Eisenhower during his stint on the President’s Committee on the Employment of the Physically Handicapped.
Amidst all these fascinating facets of my grandfather’s life, I wanted to know what had spurred his passion for people with disabilities. With a growing family, a number of community and church positions and a full-time job, Charles had little time to spare for his demanding volunteer role on the President’s Committee.
According to my family, both Charles’ Christian faith and business savvy drove his work.
“Despite his difficulties as a husband and father, my father’s life was informed by the Bible and his love for Jesus,” my mom told me. “He knew that every person was made in the image of God and had something to contribute to society.”
My aunt agreed, but also added that Charles was adept in communication psychology. He knew that the language of “dignity” alone would not change hearts in the workplace. Thus, his “Hire the Handicapped” PR campaigns portrayed people with disabilities as an important resource that employers were overlooking.
Charles’ interview-style radio and TV show called “Can You Use Me?” was an innovative means of broadcasting the skills of unemployed people through on-screen interviews. The concept of including people with disabilities in this pool of potential workers was very progressive for the 1950s when many employers were hesitant to consider them.
But those who took the risk ended up highly satisfied, according to my aunt’s memories.
“It turned out [people with disabilities] were better workers than most physically able people,” she told me. “They had the best attendance and there were certain jobs they could do that others couldn’t. They were so grateful to have the opportunity that nobody would give them.”
Images and stories used in my grandfather’s campaigns sought to prove this in striking ways.
My aunt recalls the story of the blind factory employee who was able to navigate through the challenges of a power outage. For him, darkness was the norm; for his colleagues, it was a source of panic.
Although she was quite young at the time, my mother was so impressed by one 1950s-era photograph that she could vividly describe it to me many decades later. It depicted a stylish young woman working a telephone switchboard with her feet. She didn’t have arms.
“Her toenails were polished, and she had a bracelet on her ankle and a ring on a toe,” my mom told me. “I imagined that if I were able to talk to her, she would say that there was nothing I could do with my hands that she couldn’t do with her feet!”
Always on the cutting edge of his field, my grandfather was passionate about wielding the power of sound and motion picture to communicate stories like these in an even more compelling manner than the written word. In his 1953 article Films on the Physically Handicapped, he explained the power of film to inspire change, citing examples and outlining detailed PR campaign ideas.
“Showing what the physically limited can do is far more important than the mere telling of it,” he wrote.
That line struck a deep chord in me, calling to mind one of the hashtags we have used in our campaigns at Aregak Bakery & Cafe: #SeeThisAbility.
—
In the midst of all my joyous discoveries about my grandfather’s work, I was somewhat unsettled. They somehow did not jibe with his personal flaws.
My aunt affirmed the conflict in my heart. “He had no idea how to be a father or a husband,” she admitted, “but he did all this.”
As a child, my mother’s siblings often heard how lucky they were to have the father they did. And at my grandfather’s funeral, many people testified to his being a family man.
“We never knew it… that he cared about his family,” my aunt told me.
Although this was a hard pill to swallow, I choose to look at the situation this way: many of the most inspirational, accomplished world-changers have flaws that, when uncovered, tarnished their pristine public appearance. Many even hide their faults beneath the folds of the great good they do.
But two truths remain: 1. The good doesn’t justify the bad we do, and the bad shouldn’t ruin the good. 2. We are imperfect, fallen and human, and each of us is in need of redemption.
In many ways, I hope to grow even more like my grandfather; naturally, I hope I will never exhibit his major flaws. I believe that with faith in God and hard work, we can choose to focus on the good in our genes, just as we focus on abilities, not disabilities.
What I wish with all my heart is that through some warp of time and space, I, with all my good and bad, and Charles, with all of his, could meet on Gyumri’s Abovyan Street. I would ask him to speak his sweet Western Armenian even though I’d only understand a few words. Then we’d switch to English. We’d sigh about the historical twists of fate which led his granddaughter, but never him, to Armenia.
And finally, I’d take him to Aregak Bakery & Cafe and proudly introduce him to my friend Hovo, and to Grisha, Mikayel and Anush, who prove every day that it is their ability, not their disability, that counts.
Currently based in Gyumri, Sarah Stites is a wordsmith and traveler exploring her Armenian roots. With a background in marketing and journalism, she especially enjoys promoting and writing about the work of organizations connected to faith and human rights. She is passionate about literature, puns and couchsurfing, and immensely appreciates Armenian fruit and nature.
On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen wrote in detail about the opposition to a bill requiring that examples of genocide be taught in Massachusetts public schools. State Senator Michael Rodrigues of Westport and State Rep. Jeffrey Roy of Franklin “filed the Genocide Education Act, which would require that schools teach about the Holocaust and other genocides, including but not limited to the genocides of Armenians, the Holodomor in Ukraine, the Pontic Greek genocide, and the post-Holocaust genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Sudan.”
“Nearly half of the 200 members of the state House and Senate have signed on as cosponsors. The bill, however, is stuck in committee…according to Robert Trestan, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL and Armenian National Committee are leading a coalition advocating that teaching about genocide should be mandatory,” stated Cullen.
The coalition of over 25 organizations organized three panels of experts and advocates to testify at the public hearing before the Joint Committee on Education. They included Professor Taner Akcam of Clark University, Watertown Public Schools social studies coordinator Kraig Gustafson, Seda Aghamianz of the Genocide Education Project and former Boston City Councilor Mike Ross. Among the dozen others testifying in support of the bill were Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Dikran Kaligian of the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts.
Rep. Alice Hanlon Peisch, Chair of the Joint Committee on Education (Photo: MA Legislature)
“Many advocates say the bill is bottled up in the Education Committee because the committee chair, Representative Alice Peisch, is not in favor of mandates and doesn’t believe teaching about genocide will reduce hateful acts. Peisch was not available for an interview, but in a statement said her committee is continuing to ‘research and review’ the bill. She said her committee is ‘trying to determine if the legislation as filed is sufficient to achieve the bill’s objective, and will be considering alternative language that could do more to address the concerns of many parents, advocates, and legislators.’”
Citing the phrase “never again,” which has served as a call to action intended to prevent further genocides, Cullen emphasized the need for genocide education by pointing out that “two-thirds of American millennials don’t even know what Auschwitz is and presumably fewer know what happened to Armenians before the Holocaust or Rwandans after the Holocaust.” He also noted, “Teaching about the civil rights movement has not made racists go away, either. But it has produced generations of young people who know who Martin Luther King Jr. was, who recognize that this country used to be segregated and that prejudice and bigotry were codified, generations who reject that kind of hateful thinking.” It is noteworthy that the state’s superintendents and school committees support the legislation.
The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region is part of the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization, the ANCA. Working in coordination with the ANCA in Washington, DC, and a network of chapters and supporters throughout the Eastern United States, the ANCA-ER actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
Sonia Shiragian Blackwell passed away at McLeod Hospice House on March 3, 2020, with her loving family by her side. She was born in New York, NY on February 22, 1928, the daughter of Kayane Ghazarian Shiragian and Arshavir Shiragian.
She grew up as a first-generation Armenian immigrant in Washington Heights, before it became famous as “The Heights.” She enjoyed an idyllic childhood, roaming her beloved Upper Manhattan with cousins and friends, exploring Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters, roller skating everywhere, including to the corner store for a nickel ice cream treat.
After graduating from The Barnard School for Girls and earning the first place Latin Prize in the entire New York City school system, she attended Smith College and graduated in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Her vocational passion was writing, and she worked for The Bergen Record (NJ) newspaper for several years after college where she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She always downplayed the nomination, stating plainly that “everyone is nominated.” She also worked as an Armenian language translator at the United Nations and published a short story in The New Yorker magazine about being Armenian in America. She helped her father Arshavir Shiragian write and translate his memoirs, The Legacy, about his role in avenging the Armenian Genocide, which was published in 1976.
In the early 1960s, she moved to Washington, DC to work with the senator from New Jersey. There she met and married Frederick Blackwell, her loving husband of 53 years, and with whom she started her third, and most fulfilling chapter: mother and grandmother, where her extraordinary goodness, compassion, brilliance and wry humor were always on display.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and a beloved cousin, Robert Pehlivanian, who was like a brother to her. She is survived by her son Dr. Arshavir Blackwell of West Hollywood, CA; her daughter Elizabeth Blackwell Poston (Britt) of Florence, SC; and her daughter Pinky Blackwell Verma (Richard) of Bethesda, MD. She is also survived by cousins, again as precious to her as siblings: Vasken (Karen) Minassian of Bradenton, FL; John (Joanne) Pehlivanian of Bay Head, NJ; and Christine (Dr. Robert) Shamsey, of Sarasota, FL. Additionally, and to her the most treasured, she is survived by her five grandchildren, whom she adored and nurtured so well, and who in turn adored her: Colby and Cooper Poston and Zoe, Lucy and Dylan Verma.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) or to an animal charity of one’s choice to honor her lifelong love of animals. The family would like to express their gratitude for the dedicated and loving care provided by her health care assistants, Jeanette and Amanda, who helped her maintain a wonderful quality of life for many years.
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Guest Contributor
Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.
Dr. David E. Gutman, Associate Professor of history at Manhattanville College, will present his recently published book The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America, 1885-1915 (Edinburgh Univ. Press) at Columbia University, Knox Hall, Conference Room 208, 606 West 122nd St., New York, NY 10027, on Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. The program is co-sponsored by the Columbia Armenian Center, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and Research Institute on Turkey.
The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America, 1885-1915 tells the story of Armenian migration to North America in the late Ottoman period and Istanbul’s efforts to prevent it. It shows how, just as in the present, migrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were forced to travel through clandestine smuggling networks, frustrating the enforcement of the ban on migration. Further, migrants who attempted to return home from sojourns in North America risked debarment at the border and deportation, while the return of migrants who had naturalized as US citizens generated friction between the United States and Ottoman governments.
Gutman sheds light on the relationship between the imperial state and its Armenian populations in the decades leading up to the Armenian Genocide. He also places the Ottoman Empire squarely in the middle of global debates on migration, border control and restriction in this period, adding to our understanding of the global historical origins of contemporary immigration politics and other issues of relevance today in the Middle East region, such borders and frontiers, migrants and refugees, and ethno-religious minorities.
For more information please contact Prof. Khatchig Mouradian at km3253@columbia.edu.
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NAASR
The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.
BELMONT, Mass.—The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and Dadian-Oztemel Chair in Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University will present an illustrated lecture by Prof. Christina Maranci entitled “New Discoveries at Ani Cathedral” on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 7:30 p.m., in Batmasian Hall on the third floor of the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. A reception will follow the program in the Shahinian Solarium.
Hidden for centuries under whitewash, the paintings of the apse of Ani Cathedral, one of the most famous of Armenian churches, were barely known by scholars. Image software technology has now brought many more details of the composition to light, enough to identify the scene as a beautiful Vision of Ezekiel. It has also revealed an apse inscription on the south wall.
The images recovered from Ani Cathedral reveal some of the most elegant wall paintings known from medieval Armenia. The technology used to discover them is, moreover, broadly applicable and accessible; preliminary work with other white-washed Armenian churches at Ani and in the vicinity promises to enlarge significantly the corpus of medieval Armenian art, bringing long-hidden masterpieces to light.
Christina Maranci is Arthur H. Dadian and Ara T. Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art and serves as Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at Tufts University. She has published and lectured widely, having authored three previous mono-graphs and over seventy essays, articles, and reviews, including the books Medieval Armenian Architecture: Constructions of Race and Nation (2001), Vigilant Powers: Three Churches of Early Medieval Armenia (2015), and The Art of Armenia: An Introduction (2019).
For more information about this program, contact NAASR at 617-489-1610 or hq@naasr.org.
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NAASR
The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.
DEARBORN, Mich.—The Detroit Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Azadamard Gomideh chose the party’s 129th anniversary celebration to unveil and dedicate the Armenian Community Center’s new gymnasium on Feb. 29. The space served as a symbol of the venerable organization’s abiding dedication to support and invest in the Armenian Diaspora – in this case, metro Detroit’s Armenian-American community.
“In celebration of 129 years of the ARF and our commitment to the community, commitment to our affiliated organizations and commitment to our national identity, there would be no better place to celebrate this day than in our getron (center) and in this new expansion,” said Azadamard Gomideh Chair Raffi Ourlian in his welcoming remarks.
As Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) “Kopernik Tandourjian” Chapter President Talar Bagdasarian and Detroit Homenetmen (HMEM) Scoutmaster Ara Margosian held the red dedication ribbon for the traditional cutting, those who had been involved in the work that led to the celebratory moment gathered to watch, along with the gymnasium architect and construction team of Gus Pappas, Evans Caruso, Joe Furtado and Bernie Ronnish.
Prayers were offered by St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church Rev. Hrant Kevorkian and St. Vartan Armenian Catholic Church Rev. Andon Atamian, who congratulated the ARF and the community on the milestone moment.
Agop Demirjian and Hayg Oshagan were also recognized for their work co-chairing the Armenian Community Center’s committee to oversee the gym project and the larger project of building a new Armenian Community Center in Novi, Mich., which will establish a home for the community that has already migrated to metro Detroit’s northwest suburbs.
“As ARF members, this gymnasium project brought us closer and made us stronger and tougher,” said Ourlian. “And it prepared us for what is coming next for the Armenian community. Together, we’re going to do it. The best part of completing this gym is that we’re freed up now to focus on one project in Novi.”
Master of Ceremonies Shant Jamgotchian rallied the crowd to rise to its feet for the HMEM Scouts’ presentation of the flags, the singing of the American and Armenian national anthems, and a moment of silence for all ARF members who had dedicated their lives for the Armenian people and Armenian nation.
“It’s not every day we have a moment like this,” Jamgotchian said. “Long live free, united and independent Armenia and always with respect for our martyrs and our holy cause.”
ARF Eastern Region United States Chair George Aghjayan was the guest speaker with a message of ARF pride and humility.
“The ARF is being heavily criticized today,” Aghjayan said. “Some of it is justified. If you are in the game, you will make mistakes. Criticism is confirmation of our continued relevance today. However, you do not last 130 years without doing some things right.
“If you look back at the political landscape that existed at the time of the formation of the ARF and see what is happening today, the ARF remains while others have fallen away or been severely diminished. We accept legitimate criticism and strive to be better so as to deserve the trust of the Armenian people.”
But Aghjayan cautioned the crowd to be wary of critics who disparage the party with negative ulterior motives.
“Some criticism has a much more sinister motivation – to divide us, to separate us from our successes so as not to credit the ARF, to attempt to put an end to the ARF itself. And our successes have been many,” he noted, listing the party’s important contributions to the Armenian diaspora and now, Armenia herself.
“Look at our participation in the liberation movement, both at our inception as well as during the Artsakh war, meting out some measure of justice against those responsible for the Armenian Genocide; the Armenian Youth Federation, formed with the intent to retain our youth and fight assimilation. Generation after generation, the AYF has supplied the core members of our community, serving not only our organizational family, but also outside our traditional sphere.
“The Hairenik newspaper is the oldest, continuously operated Armenian language newspaper in the world. The value of the Hai Tahd work of the Armenian National Committee and our political influence within the United States cannot be denied. We are the largest and most influential grassroots Armenian advocacy organization in the United States.
“We created the Armenian Relief Society which now has extensive humanitarian projects within the United States and around the world, as well as the Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Society which hopefully will soon be expanding into genealogy projects, and the HMEM Scouts.
“And let us not forget that the Prelacy and churches could not have been founded without the support and backing of the ARF in this region. This is not gloating, but on this anniversary of the ARF, as people attempt to minimize or revise the positive contributions the ARF has made and continues to make to our community and nation, we are obligated to respond and remind.”
Haigan Tcholakian, Raffi Ourlian and Taline Margosian
The ARF Azadamard Gomideh’s ARF anniversary celebration traditionally recognizes an AYF member and ARF supporter for their service to the community. This year’s AYF-YOARF Youth Award went to Haigan Tcholakian, while Taline Margosian was recognized with the ARF Hamagir Award.
Deceased ARF members Dajad Godoshian and Apkar Fermanian were remembered with the Gomideh’s Legacy Awards, as family members of those departed ungers accepted a plaque in their memory and honor.
The remainder of the evening was devoted to the singing of Sevak Amroyan of Armenia, whose rendition of national and patriotic songs moved a crowd of young ARF, AYF and HMEM members to the front of the stage to link arms, sing along and move all who watched to rededicate themselves to the Armenian Cause.
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Georgi-Ann Bargamian Oshagan
Georgi-Ann Bargamian Oshagan is a former editor of the Armenian Weekly. After 10 years working in community journalism, she attended law school and is an attorney, but she remains committed to her first love journalism by writing for the Armenian Weekly and contributing occasionally to the Detroit Journalism Cooperative.
ANC of Illinois members (l-r) Hagop Soulakian, Hagop Jehizian and Greg Bedian with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (second from right) at an event hosted by Armenian Americans in support of the Congressman’s upcoming primary campaign.
By Armenian National Committee of Illinois
CHICAGO, Ill. – Armenian Americans from across Chicago gathered on Sunday, February 16, 2020 to express their support for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in his upcoming primary election campaign for Illinois’ eighth Congressional district. The event was organized by a group representing a broad spectrum of the greater Chicago Armenian community.
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, who is in a three-way race in Illiois’ Democratic primary election to be held on March 17, 2020, has been a strong supporter of Armenian American issues during his two terms representing the eighth Congressional district and has been a fixture at the annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration organized by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Illinois.
“Congressman Krishnamoorthi has been outspoken in his support for Genocide affirmation, aid to Armenia and Artsakh, and other issues of concern for the Armenian American community,” stated ANC of Illinois Representative Greg Bedian, introducing Rep. Krishnamoorthi at the event. Bedian noted Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s interview on Armenia’s H1 television channel, which aired the day before. The interview occurred after the Congressman’s participation in the the Capitol Hill commemoration earlier in the week marking the 30th anniversary of the Baku pogroms.
Lisa Esayan, past President of the Armenian Bar Association and former colleague of the Congressman, offered her own personal recollections of working with Rep. Krishnamoorthi at a prominent law firm prior to his election to Congress.
Rep. Krishnamoorthi then addressed the gathering, thanking the Armenian American community for its support. Drawing parallels with Armenian Americans, he touched on his own immigrant experience, noting that his family’s story was similar to that of so many others who came to America seeking a better life. He also talked about combating injustice and mentioned with pride that both the House and the Senate had finally and overwhelmingly passed the Armenian Genocide resolution. He then discussed direct flights between the US and Armenia, Armenia’s economic progress and Artsakh. A short question and answer period closed out the event.
“We are grateful to have the support of such a dynamic figure who is so knowledgeable about our issues in the House of Representatives,” concluded Bedian. “We look forward to working with Congressman Krishnamoorthi on a wide spectrum of issues going forward.”
The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region is part of the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization, the ANCA. Working in coordination with the ANCA in Washington, DC, and a network of chapters and supporters throughout the Eastern United States, the ANCA-ER actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
ELBERON, NJ—The parish council of the Central New Jersey St. Stepanos Armenian Apostolic Church held an International Women’s Day Celebration on Sunday. After mass, parishioners gathered in the church hall where a Lenten luncheon was prepared by the Ladies Guild.
Following Rev. Fr. Daniel Karadjian’s welcome message, guest speaker Haroutune Misserlian presented his bilingual discussion, ““Women’s Role in the Armenian Life.”
Guest speaker Haroutune Misserlian
Misserlian explained that while Women’s Day was created on February 28, 1909, it is now traditionally celebrated on March 8. He also explained the origins of the Armenian women’s movement in Constantinople where a mixture of European and Asiatic cultures coexisted. He focused mainly on the struggle of the first three women writers—Serpouhi Dussap, Zabel Assadour and Zabel Yessayan—to be recognized as authors in a land dominated by male writers.
The talk moved on to other domains: the first Armenian woman astronomer Marie Paris Pishmis (nee Soukiassian married to a Mexican astronomer), the first woman ambassador Diana Apcar from the New Julfa region of Iran (Armenian ambassador to Japan) and to college professors in the US.
The talk concluded with photos depicting International Women’s Day in Yerevan’s Republic Square and a musical concert.
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The logo of the Oxford Network of Armenian Genocide Research (ONAGR)
OXFORD—A new initiative to study the Armenian Genocide and its connections to the world today was launched at Pembroke College with a string quartet concert in the Pichette Auditorium.
The Oxford Network of Armenian Genocide Research (ONAGR), the brainchild of Dr. Meryem Suzan Rosita Kalayci, hopes to foster new research directions in the study of the Armenian Genocide, while making it part of global conversations about human rights, witness and genocide prevention.
“Combining the wealth of Armenia’s multi-millennia cultural legacy, cutting-edge research in genocide and post-genocide reality represents a significant development in Armenian Studies not only in the University of Oxford but for academia in the country and beyond, as well as in wider society,” explained co-founder of the network and Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies, Prof. Theo Maarten van Lint in his introductory remarks.
The world-renowned Chilingirian String Quartet presented a unique program to the diverse audience made up of students, faculty members, college representatives and members of communities in Oxford and London. A selection of Armenian compositions by Komitas, Aslamazian and Mansourian was presented for the first time in Oxford.
“The history of the Armenian Genocide is the history of a war that never ended. The history of a region that never saw peace,” said director and co-founder of the project Dr. Kalayci, appealing to the minds and hearts of those in attendance. She added that not much has changed in the last 100 years. “Even the images [of suffering] we see remain the same: the only difference is that now we see them in colour and on our social media feeds.”
Conflicts in the Middle East—from the Armenian Genocide during World War I to what is happening in Syria today—have resulted in millions of victims and displaced communities. Surviving victims “have witnessed a world that most of us have not begun to face and never wish to,” Dr. Kalayci underlined. “We should remind ourselves that they have paid for our freedom. We owe to them to never look away.” She then called upon everyone “to open the borders of our hearts, minds, houses, colleges, universities and countries to prevent history from repeating itself. There is no other way.”
While a brand new research network, ONAGR has already established partnerships with a number of international institutions in locations such as Berlin, Istanbul, Yerevan, Paris and Los Angeles. In June 2019, ONAGR was chosen as one of three networks to be supported by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH) and has received further funding from the Humanities Cultural Project Fund to create a pop-up Syrian library in the middle of Oxford during Trinity Term 2020. In addition, through extra funding from the John Fell Fund and the British Academy, ONAGR is working with the Oral History Archives at Columbia University (OHAC) to facilitate the digitization and transcription of the latter’s Armenian Oral History Project collection, which is expected to be completed by June 2020.
When asked why should ONAGR should study the Armenian Genocide and its relevance to contemporary times, “It is not for the sake of history,” said Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, a scholar of Armenian Studies in Oxford, “but more crucially to save the future.”
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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) announced Wednesday that it has postponed the second annual Rising Leaders: Career Development and Civic Education program, in order to ensure the health and safety of participants during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The program was originally scheduled for March 22nd to 24th in Washington, DC.
The ANCA, in coordination with cosponsors Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern and Western U.S. and the Georgetown University Armenian Students Association (Georgetown ASA), and program benefactor, the Ararat Foundation Shahinian Educational Fund, will be announcing new dates shortly.
“The health and safety of Armenian American university students participating in our ANCA Rising Leaders Program is paramount, and so, out of an abundance of caution, we are postponing the program,” said ANCA Programs Director Sipan Ohannessian. “We would like to thank all those who have registered for the program and look forward to ensuring your participation at a future time. In the interim, we will continue to work with Armenian American university students remotely to assist in their career development goals and efforts to advance Armenian American community priorities.”
The ANCA Rising Leaders is a three-day Washington, DC program devoted to empowering youth, exploring policy, politics and media careers, and experiencing life in the nation’s capital. Over 30 students from top universities and high schools across the U.S. traveled to the nation’s capital to take part in the inaugural 2019 Rising Leaders Program, which was made possible, in large part, through a generous contribution by the Ararat Foundation Shahinian Educational Fund.
The program included a full day of interactive presentations by the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program Advisory Committee (CGPAC) focusing on career search fundamentals from resume preparation and networking 101 to an overview of the Washington, DC internship and job market. It also featured meetings with policy, politics, and media professionals, including current and former federal agency and Congressional staff, to discuss careers in the nation’s capital. ANCA team members then ran an extended seminar focusing on advancing community priorities, which was capped off with a full day of Capitol Hill discussions with members of Congress and staff on strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties, supporting Artsakh freedom and securing justice for the Armenian Genocide.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. To learn more, visit www.anca.org.
The Armenian School of St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in conjunction with 
YEREVAN, SANTA MONICA—ONEArmenia (1A) and author Vahan Zanoyan have launched a multi-city US book and Armenian wine tasting tour, in support of 1A’s 
The Armenian Youth Federation – Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern USA (AYF- YOARF Eastern USA) strongly condemns the selection and screening of the film “
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) announced Wednesday that it has postponed the second annual Rising Leaders: Career Development and Civic Education program, in order to ensure the health and safety of participants during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The program was originally scheduled for March 22nd to 24th in Washington, DC.