WORCESTER, Mass.—The Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale presented its annual special Christmas concert last month in the Sanctuary of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church. The program consisted of Christmas carols and songs in Armenian and English. The Chorale is under the direction of Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, Artistic Director and Conductor, with organ accompaniment by Mari Panosian.
The guest soloist was Mezzo-Soprano Gohar Manjelikian (nee Khandanyan), a native of Yerevan, Armenia, who began her singing career in 1981 as a member of Armenia’s State Academic Chorus. She graduated in 1986 from the Arno Babajanian School of Music and completed her requirements for a master’s degree in Voice Proficiency at the Gomidas State Conservatory of Yerevan 1993. She has performed with various theater groups as a leading player and soloist, becoming a member of Armenia’s State Symphony Orchestra Chorus as a soloist until December 1995 upon coming to the US, singing in many Armenian evangelical, apostolic and Catholic churches, American churches and Jewish synagogues as well as appearing in several concerts throughout the country. In 1997 Gohar participated in the New Jersey Verismo Opera Society voice competition and sang as a soloist during their gala performance concert. Her extensive repertoire includes a wide range of European, Russian and Armenian operas, classic, romantic and sacred music. She lives in Cranston, Rhode Island and is married to Rev. Hagop Manjelikian, Pastor Emeritus of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Cranston, RI.
A reception and fellowship provided by the Chorale preceded the concert and included a lecture presented by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, Worcester Chapter: The Armenian Legionnaires – Sacrifice And Betrayal In World War I by Dr. Susan Pattie, Honorary Senior Research Associate, University College in London, England.
The traditional carol Oh Come, All Ye Faithful,beautifully performed by the Chorale, opened the concert followed by Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Ave Maria (by 16th century Italian composer Giulio Caccini), Winter Wonderland, Carol Of The Bells and Silent Night. Armenian songs included the following: Park Ee Partzoons (Gloria In Excelsis) by Movses Kertogh from the sixth century; Ov Zamamanalee (How Wondrous) by Grigor Pahlavuni from the 12th century with solo by Deacon Vazken Yaghmourian; Aysor Dzaynum Hayragan (Today, The PaternalVoice) by Hovhaness Yerzngatsi from the 13th century. The Chorale also presented its signature piece, Yegeghetsin Haygagan (The Armenian Church) by Vahan Bedlian and Vahan Tekeyan. In honor of the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan, the capital of the Republic Of Armenia, the group sang Erepornee Yerevan by Edgar Hovhannisian.
Selections by guest soloist Mezzo-Soprano Kohar Manjelikian included Aysor Don Eh, arranged by R.Grigorian); Diramayr by Maestro Konstantin Petrossian; and O, Holy Night. The last was the classic Christmas carol which brought much applause from the audience for her thrilling rendition.
The free concert was enjoyed by parishioners, friends, and guests who gave the performers a well-deserved standing ovation following the conclusion of the final numbers: Joy To the World and the Hayr Mer. Board Of Trustees Chairman George Aghjayan of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church (which co-sponsored the event) congratulated Maestro Petrossian, the members of the Chorale, organist Mari Panosian and soloist Mezzo-Soprano Kohar Manjekilian for the wonderful holiday season performance. He thanked the audience for their attendance and encouraged them to continue to support the Chorale, noting the importance of preserving and promoting the rich musical heritage of the Armenian people.
For information regarding membership in the Chorale, please call 508-963-2076. All are welcome.
This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.
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NEW YORK — With the Armenian flag raised over New York City’s historic Cunard building, 400 guests attended the sold-out 15th Annual Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Holiday Gala held on December 15th at Cipriani 25 Broadway. COAF announced a record fundraising total for its 2018 Gala with over $4 million raised, making the total amount raised by the organization $44 million since 2003.
President Armen Sarkissian’s recent visit to COAF SMART Center campus.
The purpose of the event was to fund innovative programs in education, healthcare, social services and economic development throughout rural Armenia. This will include the completion of the state-of-the-art COAF SMART Center campus, which will reach over 150,000 people. President Armen Sarkissian recently visited the campus.
“It was a spectacular evening, and we are delighted by the support from the Diaspora as well as our global family who have demonstrated a deep sense of commitment to COAF’s mission over the last 15 years,” said Dr. Garo Armen, Founder of COAF. “We are energized by the evening’s outpouring of generosity and will be expanding our reach, which now includes 44 rural communities impacting over 75,000 lives to over 100 communities impacting 150,000 lives. Furthermore, the peaceful revolution in April underscores COAF’s core values to bring about democracy and freedom to allow citizens to define their future. All this will result in accelerated innovation and economic growth. We feel a moral responsibility to provide the next generation with the tools, skills and infrastructure to advance what has already started.”
A significant component of the evening was a live art auction guided by Gala Honorary Chair Tony Shafrazi, one of the art world’s most prominent figures. Shafrazi, an Iranian-born Armenian, rose to fame managing artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Donald Baechler and Kenny Scharf. Renowned auctioneer Simon de Pury once again masterfully conducted the auction.
Actress Andrea Martin hosting 2018 COAF Gala
COAF ambassador Andrea Martin once again hosted this year’s gala. The Andrea Martin Performing Arts Auditorium, located in the COAF SMART Center, was named after the Emmy and Tony Award-winning Armenian-American actress in appreciation of her love and support for the children of Armenia.
Celebrity guests included Grammy-nominated singer Melody Gardot and Emmy-nominated actor Victor Garber. Gardot, a proponent of music therapy for children, learned about COAF’s work after performing at the Francophonie Summit held in Yerevan this year. Victor Garber, a past COAF award recipient who has taken part in several COAF galas, led the evening’s special tribute to the late French-Armenian iconic entertainer Charles Aznavour.
COAF Humanitarian Award recipient Vartan Gregorian
COAF’s Humanitarian Award was presented to Vartan Gregorian (president of the Carnegie Corporation) and his late wife Clare Gregorian, who was a founding COAF board member. Nine college scholarships were established for COAF youth in Armenia in appreciation of Clare Gregorian’s dedication.
Vartan Gregorian has served as an adviser to the COAF Board for several years. Prior to his current position, which he assumed in 1997, Gregorian served as the president of the New York Public Library, and later as the president of Brown University. He has been decorated by various governments, including over seventy honorary degrees.
Musicians Armen Puchinyan and Armen Daghents from Armenia with COAF beneficiary Marina Mirzoyan
Attendees also heard an inspiring speech from a young teenager by the name of Marina Mirzoyan from the COAF-supported village of Hatsik. Marina is currently a study exchange student in Colorado and has excelled in English language programs offered by COAF at her local school. She spoke on gaining confidence and not being afraid to fail as a result of COAF’s impact on her life. The evening also featured performances by two teenage musicians from Armenia. Armen Puchinyan (piano) and Armen Daghents (saxophone) moved guests with both classical and popular pieces.
ABOUT COAF
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2003, aimed at empowering young Armenians living in rural communities. COAF’s community-based, comprehensive approach to reducing rural poverty prioritizes education, healthcare, and economic development programs. The organization has impacted the lives of 75,100 beneficiaries and completed 110 infrastructure renovations in 44 villages in rural Armenia.
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This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.
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WATERTOWN, Mass.—St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) is preparing for several exciting, upcoming events that will benefit the school. It will host its annual traditional luncheon on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 1 p.m. after badarak at the church hall (Artsakh Street, Watertown). Donation: $40, at the door: $45, students: $20. For information and tickets, please call Brenda Barsoumian (617) 869-0805 or Tamar Berejiklian (339) 970-1714.
Then, on March 2, 2019, SSAES invites the community to join them for an evening of food, drinks, art, music and fun. This event is 21 and over. Tickets are $100 and available on EventBrite.
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WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Hairenik Press has announced the first ever publication of the English translation of Andranik Tzarukian’s long-form poem Letter to Yerevan («Թուղթ առ Երեւան» “Tught ar Yerevan”).
The translation was a collaborative effort between the former director of the ARF and First Republic of Armenia Archives and former editor of the Armenian Review Tatul Sonentz-Papazian and former editor of the Armenian Weekly Rupen Janbazian. It features an in-depth introduction by another former editor of the Armenian Weekly and the volume’s English editor, Vahe Habeshian, as well as six original illustrations by Yerevan-based artist Meruzhan Khachatryan. The Armenian language republication was edited by Yeprem Tokjian of Toronto, Canada.
The publication of Letter to Yerevan is the first of several initiatives planned celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Hairenik Association. All the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Hairenik Association’s Newspaper Digitization Project.
Written in 1944 in response to Soviet Armenian writer Gevorg Abov’s «Մենք չենք մոռացել» (“Menk chenk moratsel,” “We Have Not Forgotten”), and published the following year, «Թուղթ առ Երեւան» (“Tught ar Yerevan,” Letter to Yerevan”) made Tzarukian a prominent voice in the Armenian Diaspora almost overnight—from the Middle East to Europe and the Americas.
The poem was republished more than a dozen times in various Armenian communities—including in Syria, the United States, Lebanon, and Cyprus—up until the early 1990s, and as a result became a source of inspiration for tens of thousands.
“Letter to Yerevan (1945) is urgent and timeless. It may seem easy to turn the page on an oeuvre penned in a political context that no longer exists. Yet Andranik Tzarukian’s powerful poetic rebuttal continues to resonate. When, as in the aftermath of the Velvet Revolution in Armenia, ‘Dashnak dogs’ and other Abov-esque tropes are unleashed, Tzarukian’s Letter is the best antidote. Hence its urgency.When history is distorted and ‘alternative facts’ are tossed around, Tzarukian’s Letter is highly relevant. Hence its timelessness,” said Columbia University professor and member of the ARF Bureau Dr. Khatchig Mouradian on the occasion of the book’s publication.
The English translation of Tzarukian’s poem was announced on May 28, 2017—the 99th anniversary of the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia (1918-1920)—and published in book form on Dec. 24, 2018—74 years to the day that Tzarukian sent his lengthy rebuttal to Abov’s publisher in Soviet Yerevan.
Translators Rupen Janbazian and Tatul Sonentz-Papazian
“Translators Sonentz-Papazian and Janbazian, two generations apart, are themselves testament to the enduring power of this work that reaches English-language readers on the 100th anniversary of the First Armenian Republic,” added Mouradian.
Parts of Sonentz-Papazian and Janbazian’s translation were periodically published in the Armenian Weekly between 2017 and 2018.
“Making foundational texts like Tught ar Yerevan available in English can only create opportunities for such text to be read not only by Armenians but also by others. In translation, those texts can again inspire, becoming for English-speaking readers what they were for previous generations of Armenians,” Sonentz-Papazian and Janbazian said about the book, which also includes their translation of Abov’s “We Have Not Forgotten.”
The original Armenian version of the poem will also accompany the English translation in the 119-page book, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com and soon at the Hairenik Bookstore in Watertown. “We also hope that our humble attempt might prompt Armenian youth to engage with and learn Armenian, the language of the original text. That is why we found it integral to include the original Armenian—which has not been republished in decades—along with the translation,” the two added.
One hundred percent of book sale proceeds will be donated to the Hairenik Association’s Newspaper Digitization Project, through which, the archives of the Hairenik Daily (Armenian), Hairenik Weekly (English), the Armenian Weekly (English), and the Hairenik Weekly (Armenian) will be digitized and made available to the public.
“The translators, editors, illustrator, and designers have all graciously donated their time and efforts to making the publication of this book a reality and for that, we are extremely grateful,” the Hairenik Association said in a statement.
Established in 1899, the Hairenik Press is the publishing division of the Hairenik Association of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) of the Eastern United States. Its headquarters are located in Watertown (80 Bigelow Ave. 02472).
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass—As part of a series of fundraisers for the Grolier Book Shop, which has been a cornerstone of Boston literary culture since 1917, Peter Balakian and Susan Barba will be reading and discussing their works in the Mount Vernon Ballroom at the Sheraton Commander Hotel on January 25 at 7 p.m.
Balakian, who is a Grolier board member, is the author of seven books of poems, most recently Ozone Journal, which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, as well as the memoir Black Dog of Fate and The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He is a Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities in the English department at Colgate University.
Susan Barba is senior editor for New York Review Books and the author of Fair Sun, which won the 2017 Anahid Literary Prize from Columbia University’s Armenian Center. Her poems have appeared in The New York Review of Books, Poetry, The Hudson Review and Yale Review and her translations from the Armenian language have appeared in Ararat and Words Without Borders.
“We will read from our work and reflect on poetry and its relationship to trauma, collective memory and the poem’s engagement with history,” wrote Balakian and Barba. “For us, as for so many poets, the Grolier has been a vital location, and it has been for the past ninety years, a temple to poetry and the most historically important bookstore of its kind. Because poetry is the cutting edge of language and a singular force in probing human experience, the Grolier remains essential to American life.”
Both the Grolier and The Sheraton Commander, which was founded by the Guleserian family, were established in 1927 and have been important Cambridge institutions that have preserved the history and culture of Harvard Square. General Manager Michael Guleserian has been generous in his support of the evening.
For further information, please reach out to Francine LaChance, consultant for the Grolier Foundation and Forums Trust. Donations can be made to the Grolier Poetry Foundation and Forums Trust in lieu of attendance. Please note “Balakian Barba reading” in your contribution. Tickets can also be purchased online. A light menu will be included with the ticket; there will also be a cash bar.
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Our mother was born in Yerevan, Armenia. She was named Ziazan, which means rainbow—a symbol of new beginnings and new hope since she was born the day after the anniversary of Armenia’s independence: May 28, 1920.
She was the first child of Arshak and Vartanoush Saroukhanian. Her father was an active member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and worked toward the independence of Armenia. Her mother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. As a military family, they had to constantly relocate. Her life began in Armenia; during the Russian occupation, her family was sent into exile in Astrahan, Russia on the Caspian Sea. The family fled for freedom to Tabriz, Iran.
Ziazan, 14 years old – Tabriz
Mom was 15 years old when her father was assassinated. Her formal education was interrupted as she needed to help care for her three brothers and support the family. Mom was hired as an apprentice in a friend’s compounding pharmacy, where she would follow recipes to prepare formulations for headaches and manually fill tubes of toothpaste. Then she picked up tailoring and took lessons from a local Armenian seamstress to sew dresses for herself as a hobby. This became mom’s creative outlet as well as her profession.
Newlyweds in Abadan, 1953
Mom met Dad, Galust, at a private party in Tehran, Iran. After three months of courtship, they were married on September 16, 1953. They had two daughters, Lida and Edna. Mom and Dad were loving parents, who remained married together for 65 years.
Mom came to the US in 1970 with her family. She attended night school for English as a second language. She was interested in world politics, and she would read both the Armenian Hairenik newspaper as well as local papers. She also took sewing classes to learn pattern making, refined tailoring methods and couture design, all using industrial machines, and thereby making herself employable in a new country. Her sewing métier was quite marketable; she was hired as a sample maker for several boutiques in Manhattan’s Fashion District.
Mom was a dedicated and supportive parent. She made many school uniforms and tailored many of her daughters’ clothes from her patterns. When Edna was a graduate student, Mom took the train from New York to Philadelphia to stay with her and help her adjust to life away from home for the first time. Mom enjoyed meeting her daughters’ friends from elementary school years up to graduate school years. Her benevolent heart continues to be appreciated to this day by one of Lida’s graduate school friends, who Mom housed and nurtured during a difficult time. Mom had a soft spot for vulnerable people and gave them new beginnings and hope.
Mom was loving, empathetic, sincere and bright. She was a polyglot and spoke Armenian, English, French, Russian and Farsi.
We appreciate all the sacrifices you have made for our family, Mom—raising us and then taking care of our children as we built our own lives. We love and cherish you always.
Ziazan Antonian is survived by her husband Galust Antonian, daughters Lida and Edna, brothers Haroutun and Kayzer, and grandchildren Charlotte, Emily, Andrew and David. She was predeceased by her brother Hamayak.
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ST. LOUIS, Mo.—More than two dozen delegates representing 13 of the region’s chapters from the Armenian Youth Federation —Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) Eastern Region USA recently gathered in the mid-west for its 85th Annual Convention. The five-day December convention took place in Clayton, Missouri from December 26 to 30. Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) representatives included unger Hayg Oshagan of the ARF Central Committee and ARF adviser to the AYF Central Executive, ungerouhi Sarine Adishian.
In his remarks, unger Oshagan discussed how the ARF Eastern U.S invests in its youth and its many programs, not only overseas but also in our own backyards. Unger Oshagan also discussed the significance of maintaining the AYF’s successful programs, strengthening new directions and possible changes that could take place. In her address, ungerouhi Adishian stressed that the organization’s agenda is the convention’s to create and said adapting to change is fundamental to the AYF-YOARF.
Other guests included ungerouhi Janet Haroian of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Eastern Region USA, Baron Dave Hamparian of AYF Camp Haiastan, Daron Topouzianof the AYF Olympics Governing Body, yeghpayr Garo Tashian of the Homenetmen Eastern US, unger Dikran Khodanian of the AYF Western US, and unger Alek Ohanian of AYF Canada.
The delegates of the Annual Convention, the highest legislative body of the organization, reviewed and analyzed the work carried out by the chapters and committees of 2018, discussed new objectives for the organization, and adopted resolutions for the organization’s 2019 regional and international agenda.
The group discussed the Velvet Revolution, the 85th Anniversary of the AYF-YOARF, the 100th Anniversary of Armenia’s First Republic, the Armenian Cultural Association of America (ACAA) Artsakh Fund’s Arajamugh redevelopment project, the AYF Internship in Armenia, the current state and future of Javakhk, membership, AYF junior members, AYF Camp Haiastan, ANCA, the importance of the Western Armenian language and more.
Each day during the convention, delegates started their meetings at 9:15 a.m. and ended past midnight in an effort to accomplish their goals and conclude the convention’s detailed agenda. As part of tradition, money money that was raised from fines were donated to a non-profit organization or cause; this year over $1,800 will be donated to the Women’s Support Center in Armenia. Support from local organizations included a dinner at the Saint Gregory Armenian Community Center hosted by the ARS Granite City “Rubena” Chapter.
The 85th Annual Convention presented the AYF-YOARF with new resolutions and goals to accomplish in the region and in Armenia.
The newly elected 2019 AYF-YOARF Central Executive consists of Kenar Charchaflian (Worcester, MA), Nareh Mkrtschjan (Providence, RI), Aram Tramblian (Washington, DC), Meghri Dervartanian (Greater Boston), Garin Bedian (Chicago, IL), Vrej Dawli (Chicago, IL) and Vartenie Kachichian (New Jersey).
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.
YEREVAN—The 33rd World Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation will be held from January 16 to 24 in Artsakh, with more than 100 delegates from all regions of the organization, as well as guests from around 30 countries.
World Congress, which is the highest body of the party, will hold its inaugural session at 11 a.m. at the Artsakh National Assembly.
The ARF World Congress will discuss the activities of the party during the past four years, determine the strategy and plans for the party for the upcoming four years.
At the end of the meeting, the World Congress will elect a new ARF Bureau, the highest governing body of the organization.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Donald Trump has signed the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, a ground-breaking genocide prevention law, overwhelmingly adopted by the Senate and House, which codifies earlier measures, including those implemented by the Obama Administration, and puts in place a set of clear policies and processes to prevent new atrocities.
“The ANCA welcomes the President’s signature on the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, and thanks all the legislators who spearheaded and supported this landmark bipartisan genocide prevention measure,” said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “As Armenian Americans – descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide – we are particularly gratified to see a measure signed into law that speaks to transitional justice, criminal accountability, and the moral imperative to apply the lessons of past genocides in seeking to prevent new atrocities.”
The genocide prevention measure was spearheaded by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in the Senate and by Representatives Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Joe Crowley (D-NY) in the House during the previous Congress and received broad bipartisan support. It enjoyed broad-based support from genocide and atrocities prevention organizations with the Friends Committee on National Legislation at the forefront along with over 70 grassroots groups, including the ANCA and In Defense of Christians.
The law states that the US must regard the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes as a core national security interest and moral responsibility. To that end, it calls for the creation of a task force to strengthen State Department efforts and assist other agency efforts at atrocity prevention and response. The law also calls for the training of Foreign Service Officers “on recognizing patterns of escalation and early warning signs of potential atrocities, and methods of preventing and responding to atrocities, including conflict assessment methods, peacebuilding, mediation for prevention, early action and response, and appropriate transitional justice measures to address atrocities.”
As part of the new provision, the President is required to transmit a report to Senate and House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations, offering a review of countries and regions at risk of atrocity crimes, the most likely pathways to violence, specific risk factors, potential perpetrators and at-risk target groups.
The law also calls on the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to support programs and activities to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen foreign challenges and complex crises overseas, including potential atrocity crimes.
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ANCA
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.
TERRACE ON THE PARK, NY—Hundreds of admirers of the new Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, were in attendance at a long-awaited, sold out gala. Guests came from Massachusetts, Chicago, Detroit, Canada, Paris and Lebanon to celebrate Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian.
The beloved Prelate, elevated from Bishop to Archbishop in an encyclical by Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, had celebrated the Holy Badarak at the St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York that morning to an overflowing assemblage.
At the banquet hall following a sumptuous reception, the attendees filed into an elegant ballroom decorated with white and lilac flowers gracing the tables, the colors symbolizing the clerical rank of the Prelate.
Archbishop Tanielian voiced the invocation, after which Susan Chitjian Erickson, Secretary of the Executive Council and Chairperson of the Banquet Committee warmly welcomed the guests and led a celebratory toast to the honoree.
Mistress of Ceremonies Karen Jehanian, Vice Chairperson of the Executive Committee, introduced the honorary guests and recognized the members of the Prelacy staff.
What was especially impressive about this event was that there was no head table. The more than a dozen priests present each sat at separate tables with the people, a directive of the Prelate, symbolizing his closeness to the faithful.
The Very Rev. Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan representing the Eastern Diocesan Primate and the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan read the Primate’s inspiring message.
Calling Srpazan “a fellow churchman and longtime friend,” the Diocesan Primate expressed his respect and admiration for the many honors and achievements of the Prelate. “Your devotion to the Christian mission of the Armenian Church is plainly evident in the personal integrity and humility which are the abiding characteristics of your ministry.”
Recounting the recent elections of both the Eastern Primate and Eastern Prelate, Fr. Daniel Findikyan said he “sensed the hand of God” behind these simultaneous developments.
HEAL THE BODY OF OUR CHURCH
“I pray that it signals that the Divine Physician is ready to heal the body of our church, restore its ability to breathe freely with both lungs, beckoning us forward with the promise of a new sunrise, heralding a new day, so that our entire people may be revived by the unifying grace of the Holy Spirit,” the Primate said. This prophetic message garnered a huge ovation.
Dr. Ara Chalian, speaking on behalf of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), Hamazkayin, Homenetmen and the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) recounted the endearing and inspiring qualities of “young Anoushavan, the people’s hoviv” who like Nersess Shnorhali “went on a journey of introspection.” “Where are we today? And where will we go?” he asked.
“Our church, our organizations and our families will not survive on their own. It is our responsibility,” he said with special emphasis.
GIRD UP YOUR LOINS
In a message replete with symbolic images, the 30-year Chairman of the Religious Council Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian stated that Srpazan Tanielian, “our fifth Prelate will follow the suit of our four previous Prelates in successfully keeping our churches and communities afloat.”
Having known Srpazan for more than half a century, Der Nerses stated with confidence that there is only one direction for the honoree, and that is forward. “No difficulty can slow him down, no obstruction can hamper his course. He is always focused and determined to carry on. So fasten your seat belts. This driver is not your average driver.”
“And for this Prelate, there is only one timeline – NOW,” Der Nerses continued. “Whether it is midnight or early dawn, the good ideas should be incarnated right away. And as the prince of the church, he always presents himself like the ideal servant portrayed in the Gospels who ‘girded up his loins’ and was ready to go. So gird up your loins if you want to keep pace with him,” he instructed the audience. “Diligence and devotion are his brothers, and humility is his sister,” said Der Nerses to thunderous applause.
Chairman of the Executive Council Jack Mardoian, Esq., paid tribute to the “new spirit” in the Prelacy even though the work is the same. “I see a joy that cannot be replicated, a love that Srpazan shows for all Prelacy communities, a spirituality and a mission for all of us to go forward together.”
In a passionately recited poem which she created for this occasion, Seta Balmanoukian extolled the many attributes of Srpazan to a loud ovation.
And to the delight of the audience, New York City’s well-known soloists Vagharshak Ohanyan and Anahit Zakaryan sang several songs, with Archbishop Yeghise Tourian’s “Yete Zis Danis” being a special favorite. Also sharing her musical talent was violinist Svetlana Mkrtchyan.
Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to the USA Robert Avetisyan shaking hands with Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian
Artsakh Representative Robert Avedissian, stated that “in this crucial period for the Armenian people, we are blessed to have someone like Srpazan who spares no effort to make Armenia, Artsakh, our community and our church strong and proud.”
“The room was full of love and respect for the Srpazan,” said long-time community activist Hagop Kouyoumdjian. “His new position as Prelate is an important event for our community.”
And Karen Bedrosian Richardson called the recent elections of “two mild-mannered” religious leaders an “historic opportunity for potential cooperation and unification.”
FIRE OF LOVE
In an emotionally delivered spontaneous message, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian spoke of his focus on “love in action.” “Wherever there is love,” he said “there is paradise discovered. We are not starting anything new. What is new is our approach, our understanding.”
“I will approach my mission with a new dynamism of the successful work of my predecessors with faith and prayers,” declared the Prelate with emphasis.
“I want to bring the fire of love into our daily life, and especially focus on the youth, work for our people’s sustenance of a healthy mind and body and rediscover our identity as Americans, Armenians and Christians.” The singing of Giligia by all present ended the joyous and celebratory occasion.
The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will name its new headquarters in Belmont, Mass., after Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President of the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York, fulfilling the request of the building’s principle benefactors, Edward and Pamela Avedisian of Lexington, Mass. The new building’s official name will be the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building.
Dr. Vartan Gregorian and Edward Avedisian (Photo courtesy of NAASR)
Gregorian has had a distinguished career as an academic, scholar, historian, philanthropist, and visionary. Born in Tabriz, Iran, Gregorian received his elementary education in Iran and his secondary education at Collège Arménian in Beirut, Lebanon. He was awarded a PhD in history and humanities from Stanford in 1964. After an academic career spanning two decades, Gregorian served as president of The New York Public Library from 1980 to 1989. In 1997, Gregorian assumed the presidency of one of the country’s oldest grantmaking foundations, Carnegie Corporation of New York. His philanthropic work and scholarly accomplishments have been recognized with more than 70 honorary degrees and dozens of significant awards. He is known for his leadership in support of democracy, human rights, and civic engagement, and his efforts have been recognized with honors from numerous nonprofit organizations.
“Vartan Gregorian embodies the values at the heart of NAASR’s mission. He has dedicated his entire life to educational advancement and the pursuit of knowledge, engaging in public service throughout his career, and working to better the human condition. We are grateful that we can acknowledge and memorialize his tremendous accomplishments by naming the institution’s new headquarters the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building,” said Edward Avedisian, a NAASR Board member.
“I am overwhelmed by this most generous and selfless offer and accept it with humility, and with gratitude,” said Gregorian. “I thank NAASR for bringing Armenian history, culture, and values to life through its programming and collections, now visible and accessible to anyone.”
“We are proud to recognize Gregorian’s distinguished life of service and dedication through our new global center,” said Yervant Chekijian, Chairman of the Board. “He is an inspiration for generations to come. We are also sincerely grateful to the Avedisians for their generosity and vision.”
NAASR’s new headquarters, designed by a talented team from the architectural, design and engineering firm of Symmes, Maini and McKee, led by Ara Krafian, will be a stunning three-story building with a soaring glass façade, allowing natural light to illuminate the interior. A variety of Armenian features are incorporated into the design, including a hand-carved wooden door, which a master artisan in Armenia is carving, and an Armenian Alphabet Wall.
The general contractor, Altair Construction, anticipates completion by the fall of 2019. “We invite everyone to attend our Grand Opening next year on November 1 through 3,” said Chekijian.
Topping Off Ceremony raising the final structural steel beam on January 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy of NAASR)
The building will have many welcoming spaces for the public to gather as well as a secure environment for NAASR’s rare book Mardigian Library, one of the top five Armenian libraries open to the public in the diaspora. It will soon total 40,000 books, with some dating back to the 1600s, and rare periodicals dating back to the 1800s, as well as the unique personal archives of prominent scholars, early Armenian-Americans, and religious leaders.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has given full support with a capital grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund and MassDevelopment of $225,000 awarded in 2017, for installation of an elevator, other accessibility features, and fire suppression.
The NAASR staff is working in temporary offices at the AGBU-New England headquarters on Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown and continuing its programming and bookstore on-site and online at www.naasr.org.
Founded in 1955, NAASR is one of the world’s leading resources for advancing Armenian Studies, connecting scholars of Armenian Studies and the public, and preserving and enriching Armenian culture, history, and identity for future generations.
To date, NAASR has financial commitments for more than $6 million of the $6.5 million needed to build the new center. The nonprofit invites the community to become a lasting part of this inspiring center, with opportunities to contribute at all levels.
This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.
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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 National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is pleased to announce that Dr. Tara Andrews of the University of Vienna has been awarded the 2018 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prizes for Excellence in Armenian Studies.
NAASR’s Aronian Book Prizes were established in 2014 by the late Dr. Aronian and Dr. Geoffrey Gibbs, to be awarded annually to an outstanding scholarly works in the English language in the field of Armenian Studies and translations from Armenian into English. The 2018 award was for a book published in 2017.
Dr. Andrews was given the prize for her monograph Matt’eos Urhayec’i and His Chronicle: History as Apocalypse in a Crossroads of Cultures, published by Brill as part of their “The Medieval Mediterranean” series. The book is the first ever in-depth study of the history written by Matteos, also known as Matthew of Edessa (also called Urfa or Urha), around the turn of the twelfth century and an eyewitness to the First Crusade and the establishment of the Latin East.
In announcing the Aronian Award, NAASR Director of Academic Affairs Marc A. Mamigonian remarked that “we are very glad to bring greater attention to Dr. Andrews’ important contribution,” and that “it is especially meaningful for NAASR as we have long been aware of the great value of Matthew’s Chronicle to scholars.” NAASR was the co-publisher (with University Press of America) of the first English-language translation, by Dr. Ara Dostourian, of the Chronicle, published in 1993 as Armenia and the Crusades: The Chronicle of Matthew of Edessa and republished by NAASR with revisions in 2014. “It is exciting to see this important historical source being explored in such a rewarding manner,” noted Mamigonian.
Dr. Andrews, via email, commented that “it is gratifying, not only to have the recognition of the significance of Matthew’s Chronicle, but also to have the attention drawn to his time and place. I hope, through this book and through ongoing work, to bring to light the sometimes underrated influence that the Armenians had (and continue to have!) on the world around them, even while maintaining their distinct culture and identity through a time of tumultuous change.”
Dr. Tara Andrews became University Professor of Digital Humanities at the Institute for History at the University of Vienna in 2016. With a Bachelor of Science in Humanities and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1999), and the degrees of Master (2005) and Doctor (2009) of Philosophy in Byzantine and Armenian studies from the University of Oxford, her dual scientific training as well as her professional experience in the software industry has provided valuable and rare perspectives on the use of digital and computational methods in humanities domains. Andrews’ fields of expertise include the history and historiography of the Christian Near East in the tenth to twelfth centuries, the application of computational and statistical methods for reconstruction of the copying history of ancient and medieval manuscripts (stemmatology), and reflection on the implications of employing digital media and computational methods in humanities contexts.
This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.
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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.
Merdinian Board members and faculty with Mr. Arayik Harutyunyan and the guests
During a recent trip to southern California, Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science visited Merdinian School in Sherman Oaks. Arayik Harutyunyan was accompanied by the president of Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) John Shirajian, the president of the alumni association of the Polytechnic Institute of Armenia Jirayr Abrahamyan and Dr. Vardan Gevorkyan.
RA Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan addressing Merdinian studentsRev. Serop Megerditchian escorts Arayik Harutyunyan, RA Minister of Education and Science
Merdinian students greeted Harutyunyan singing the song “Dukhov.” After principal Lina Arslanian’s welcome message and Armenian language teacher Alin Shirajian’s introduction, Rev. Serop Megerditchian, Merdinian Board member and Pastor of the Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church of Pasadena, talked about the significance of the educational work and the mission of the Armenian Evangelicals worldwide – in the Diaspora and in Armenia, highlighting Armenian Missionary Association of America’s (AMAA) Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Yerevan. Minister Harutyunyan addressed the students and answered questions regarding the education and the school system in Armenia. He concluded his remarks emphasizing the importance of the Armenian schools in the Diaspora. The students presented a few patriotic songs dedicated to Yerevan, which was greatly appreciated by the Minister.
Established in 1982 by the AMAA, Armenian Evangelical Union of North America and local Armenian Evangelical Churches, Merdinian is the only Armenian Evangelical School in the United States supported by the AMAA. The School offers a broad-based curriculum that fosters academic excellence, high moral values and spiritual enrichment in the Armenian Evangelical tradition. Merdinian School strives to create a safe and nurturing environment, where every student receives personal attention to become a successful and responsible individual.
This article is a press release submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our community news section as a courtesy. If your organization has news it would like to submit to the paper for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Please note that this service is reserved for organizations that engage in not-for-profit or humanitarian work in the Armenian community. Publication is not guaranteed.
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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.
Many Armenians of the diaspora ended up in California. Another group settled on the east coast. My destiny was in Minnesota.
In 2009, at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, I won an academic exchange fellowship to study in the U.S for a year. I didn’t have a choice of host university or state; just a month before my departure, I learned that I would be going to Minnesota to attend Minnesota State University-Mankato.
I spent a year in Mankato, a small college town ninety minutes south of Twin Cities. I don’t know if it was the deer hanging out under my dorm room windows, the charming nature trails, or the friendly academic community and cheerful strangers, but I quickly fell in love with my new habitat.
During my time in Mankato, I managed to explore a little bit of Minnesota. My friends and I visited a few national parks, attended the annual Mahkato Pow Wow festival, learned about Native American tribes, and watched a hockey game—a popular sport in the state. Of course, we also experienced the real ‘Minnesnowta’ winter and even managed not to freeze to death.
Upon the completion of my academic year, I returned to Armenia and continued my education there. A few years later, I went to Illinois as a graduate student, and somehow, I fell in love with a guy who happened to be from Minnesota. I knew before we married that we were going to move to Minnesota shortly after my graduation. I’ve learned that most Minnesotans are very patriotic when it comes to their home state, and even when they move out of state, their return is just a matter of time.
The more I have learned about the real character of this land of 10,000 lakes, the happier and more comfortable I have been living here as an Armenian expat. I’ve even found a lot of similarities between Minnesotans and Armenians (at least, the Armenians I know). For example, Minnesotans, like Armenians, have long goodbyes. Each time we visit family or friends, I know we should start putting shoes on at least half an hour before we need to leave. Minnesotans have a habit of starting new conversations during this time, and that’s exactly what saying goodbye to an Armenian family or friend is like. Those farewells can last forever (especially if you know my grandpa).
Minnesotans are also incredibly polite. They don’t take the last piece of anything. A few weeks ago I noticed that someone left half of the last piece of pie in my office kitchen—they just left it sitting on the counter to die in loneliness and neglect! In Armenia, we also live in such a communal way, where we are taught from birth to save the last bite of anything for someone else.
Armenian immigrants have been coming to Minnesota for over a century now. Like many other parts of this country, we have contributed to this state’s history and development, including its railways and bridges. We have launched commercial endeavors and funded philanthropic projects such as Cafesjian’s Carousel in Saint Paul’s famous Como Park. There is now an Armenian church in Saint Paul, St. Sahag, with a wonderful pastor and community leader, Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan.
The Cafesjian Carousel in Como Park (Photo: WCCO, CBS Minnesota)
There are about 200 Armenian families currently living in this small and intimate community, where everyone knows each other. There are enough of us here now that there is always something going on, like festivals, Christmas dinners, bake sales and church events. These opportunities bring us together to remind us of home and help share our culture with others.
Minnesota’s Armenians celebrate everything together. Whether it is a baby shower, a graduation, a house warming party or a wedding, everyone comes together to help with organizing and supporting the events. My husband and I are actively involved in the Armenian church and community. I am fortunate that my community helped me adjust to Minnesota so easily and make me feel like I am truly at home.
I also love it here because, just like in Armenia, people maintain certain traditions (though those traditions are somewhat different from one another!). For example, in Minnesota, people are dedicated to watching Vikings’ football games (and if you happen to be a Green Bay Packers fan, you will be marked a traitor).
There is also a tradition of eating lutefisk dinners (dried and lye-soaked white fish with a jellied texture) every November and during Easter time. It reminds me of my own Armenian tradition of eating khash (cow foot soup) every winter. Hunting is also a common tradition in Minnesota that brings people together. Most Minnesotans I know, including my husband, spend at least a few days hunting ducks, geese or deer during the fall. It’s something they always look forward to, and the roads are filled with pickups, campers, trailers and ATVs each weekend.
Finally, Minnesotans have their own ‘dialect,’ so to speak. No, they don’t speak like the characters in “Fargo” (that television show, by the way, is actually very annoying to some people here). It is funny how sometimes, even I start speaking Minnesotan without even noticing it. I catch myself more often saying ‘uff-da’ when I express relief or disbelief. I even sometimes say “You bet” instead of “You’re welcome,” even though I prefer the latter.
So at this point, I don’t know if, as an expat, I would feel this comfortable living in any state outside of Minnesota. I love that my state has its own unique character, culture and tradition. And one thing I know for now is that, East or West, Minnesota is best.
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Emma Ohanyan
Emma Ohanyan-Tri was born and raised in Yerevan. She moved to the US in 2013 and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a
master’s in Communication Studies. She currently lives in Saint
Paul, MN and works as a Marketing Automation Analyst at Minnesota Public Radio. Emma enjoys traveling, meeting new people, exploring natural parks and writing for her personal blog Diasporina.com.
Armenian-American university students from across the U.S. are invited to the nation’s capital for “ANCA Rising Leaders: Career Development and Civic Education 101.” This is the latest installment in a series of ANCA national and regional programs devoted to expanding youth engagement and empowering their exploration of careers in policy, politics and media in Washington, DC and across the U.S.
The ANCA has teamed up with the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Eastern and Western Regions and the Georgetown University Armenian Students Association (Georgetown ASA) in hosting this inaugural student-focused event.
“The ANCA Rising Leaders initiative is a natural extension of our landmark Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program and Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship Program, offering an intensive three-day primer on effectively advancing community priorities and learning about the incredible career opportunities Washington, DC has to offer,” said ANCA Programs Director Tereza Yerimyan, who will be leading the seminar. “We are particularly proud to partner up with the AYF Eastern U.S. and Western U.S. and the Georgetown ASA in an event that will give a first-hand look at the ANCA’s work in DC, promote personal career growth, and hone civic involvement skills.”
The seminar begins on Sunday, March 10th with 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. The next day, students will be invited to meetings with policy, politics and media professionals on careers in the nation’s Capital followed by an extended session with ANCA team members on advancing community priorities on the federal, state and local level. The seminar will be capped off with a full day of Capitol Hill discussions with legislators and staff on strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties, supporting Artsakh freedom and securing justice for the Armenian Genocide. Throughout the program, ample opportunities will be provided to explore Washington, DC and make new friends.
“The AYF-YOARF Eastern Region sees this collaboration and seminar as a great opportunity to foster awareness in support of the Armenian American community along with exposing all our members to various careers in policy, politics, or media,” stated the organization leadership. “We’re excited and prepared to take on its responsibilities alongside the AYF Western US, ASA and ANCA in raising the next generation of leaders, connecting Armenian American youth and continuing our fight for justice for the Armenian Cause.”
AYF Western US Chairman and ANCA Western Region Communications Dikran Khodanian concurred. “The AYF Western US is excited to partner with the AYF Eastern Region and the Georgetown ASA for this three-day Washington, DC training seminar spearheaded by the ANCA,” said Khodanian. “Given the current political climate, it’s vital that young diaspora Armenians are engaged in Hai Tahd in order to better serve their respective communities while taking advantage of the ANCA’s numerous opportunities.”
The three-day seminar will take place at a variety of DC community and historic venues, including Georgetown University. “We couldn’t be more excited to provide a platform for a discussion on modern era Hai Tahd in the middle of the nation’s capital,” said Georgetown University ASA President Nareg Kuyumjian. “Our goal with is to bring the AYF, ASA and ANCA communities together to have a fruitful discussion on student leadership and civic engagement.”
Registration for “ANCA Rising Leaders: Career Development and Civic Education 101” will open shortly. For more information, email: risingleaders@anca.org for program details and participation fees. Financial aid will be provided based on need and availability.
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ANCA
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.
French-Armenian award-winning jazz musician and pianist Michel Legrand has died. He passed away at his home in France on Saturday, January 26. He was 86 years old.
Legrand started his musical education at a young age, studying at the Conservatoire de Paris with the renowned piano teacher Nadia Boulanger (who also taught such notable musicians as Phillip Glass and Aaron Copland), but irked his classical teachers when he began tuning his attention towards jazz and popular music.
Legrand eventually made quite a name for himself across the popular music, jazz and film industries, gaining notoriety early on for his arrangements for French stars like Édith Piaf and Yves Montand. Over the course of his life, he was the recipient of three Oscars, five Grammys and two awards from the Cannes Film Festival. He was known for composing prolific scores including “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”; “The Windmills of Your Mind,” an award-winning piece for the film The Thomas Crown Affair; and “You Must Believe in Spring” (of the 1977 film The Young Girls of Rochefort, which was later featured on the final album of the same name, by legendary jazz piano player Bill Evans).
Legrand was born to a French father, Raymond Legrand, a composer and actor who studied under Gabriel Fauré, and an Armenian mother, Marcelle (née der Mikaelian). He maintained a profound interest in his Armenian heritage all his life, and traveled to Armenia several times. His most recent trip was in 2012, for Yerevan’s 6th International Music Festival, in which he described his affinity for the country: “Armenia holds a special place in my heart. My Armenian grandpa died in 1942. As I lived for 10 years with him, I learnt much about Armenia. He used to show the chords on piano to accompany Armenian national music instruments. His love toward Armenia was filled with sorrow. When I visited Armenia for the first time in 2009, I met with my extended family members I had never heard before. I have equally suffered along with Armenians for past grievances.”
Legrand’s Armenian family is descended from Genocide survivors, who escaped the Ottoman Empire to France at the turn of the century, and it was a dream of his to voyage back to Western Armenia to visit his family’s village and he even applied for a visa to Turkey to do so. However, in 2010, the Turkish government, which still denies that a Genocide was ever committed against the Armenian people, rejected Legrand’s visa application.
Since news of his death, Armenians around the world have been paying tribute to the late composer. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tweeted in Armenian, that Legrand would “always stay with us in our hearts with his masterpieces.”
Հսկայական տխրությամբ ստացա Միշել Լեգրանի մահվան լուրը։ Հայ և ֆրանսիացի ժողովուրդների մեծ զավակը իր գլուխգործոցներով միշտ կմնա մեզ հետ, մեր սրտերում: pic.twitter.com/UW5TRaizoi
French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote also expressed his condolences on Twitter. He wrote, “Melodies of Michel Legrand will be heard from all cafes and houses of Armenia to show [that] no one has forgotten the Armenian roots of this universal artist, and everyone is proud of his world fame.”
Musician and colleague Claire de Castellane told the Los Angeles Times, “Performing right up until the end ‘was a very beautiful way to say goodbye.” Legrand was ‘not afraid of death… it made him nervous—like the nervousness performers feel before going on stage — ‘but it didn’t frighten him.’”
Legrand continued to perform into his sixty-plus career year; he was scheduled to go on tour in France later this year.
When someone asks you this rather straightforward question, many of us can come up with a place name based on our family’s oral traditions – Keghi, Evereg, Kharpert, Dikranagerd, Aleppo, Bardizag, Bitlis, Kars, whatever. But can we actually find that place on a modern map or prove the family’s origins with primary documentary evidence?
The first challenge is defining the geographic term “Armenia” in the context of the 1800s through, say, 1930. Are we talking about the boundaries of the current Republic of Armenia (as we find it on today’s maps), or historic Armenia, which also included a much larger area encompassing parts of today’s Turkey, Iran and various countries in the Middle East? At the time of the onset of World War I in 1914 (and the Armenian Genocide, which soon followed), there was not a country (recognized by other nations) called Armenia. The traditional Armenian homeland was distributed across three Empires – the Ottoman Empire (throughout eastern Turkey and the region of Cilicia near the Mediterranean coast), the Russian Empire (in the Caucasus region) and the Persian Empire (in the northwestern part of today’s Iran). The First Republic of Armenia, established by a decree of independence on May 28, 1918, was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle Ages. In the tumultuous years following this decree, state boundaries would shift, resulting in the loss of the Kars region to Turkey. (Battles over the Artsakh region continue to this day.)
An Armenian immigrant born prior to 1918 living in the diaspora in later years might refer to their place of origin as Armenia, but they were referring to a region, not an actual state in existence at the time of their birth. Within this region, there was a mix of ethnic groups living interspersed with each other – Turks, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Greeks, Jews, Russians, Persians, etc. You might have a predominantly Armenian village on a hillside overlooking a river with a predominantly Kurdish village on the opposite hillside on the other side of the river. A town would often be partitioned into neighborhoods, or quarters, with an Armenian church in the Armenian quarter and a mosque in the Turkish quarter. The military and administrative structures in this region called Armenia were controlled by the central government – Russian, Turkish or Persian. But, to our immigrant ancestors, this was their Armenia.
How can you use primary documentary sources and oral traditions to pinpoint the actual village, town or city where they were born?
Geographic Place Names & Administrative Structures
A place in historic Armenia might be known by a number of different names depending on the time frame, whether you were using the traditional Armenian name or the name given by the then-ruling empire (Ottoman, Russian or Persia), and to what level in the administrative hierarchical structure you were referring.
If someone said, in later years, that they were from Kharpert (Խարբերդ in Armenian), they might have been referring to a city of that name in Turkey that would appear on most maps of that time under the Turkish name Harput. In the 1800s, much of Kharpert (located high on a hill) was moved downhill to another nearby location called Mezeré. (In the 1920s, the Republic of Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk would rename this city to Elazig, along with wholesale name changes to most other traditional Armenian places.) On the plain to the south of Kharpert (Mezeré) were dozens of small villages. An Armenian from one of these small villages might have given his birth place as Kharpert/Harput or might have used the actual village name.
The Ottoman Empire divided its realm into a hierarchical administrative structure. At the top of the hierarchy, the empire was divided into vilayets (what we in the United States or Canada would call states or provinces). Each vilayet was then divided into sanjaks (subprovinces), typically three or four sanjaks per vilayet. Each sanjak was divided into a number of smaller areas called kazas (districts). Kazas were further subdivided into nahiyes (subdistricts). Kazas are roughly equivalent to counties, with nahiyes as townships.
A map is helpful in illustrating this structure. In the early 1890s, a French geographer and ethnographer named Vital Cuinet published a four-volume work entitled La Turquie d’Asie – Géographie Administrative, Statistique Descriptive et Raisonnée de Chaque Province de l’Asie-Minor (Asiatic Turkey – Administrative Geography, Statistical Description & Catalog of Each Province of Asia Minor). While the veracity of the statistics themselves proved problematic to Cuinet and his critics, the maps and descriptions of the administrative structures of each Ottoman vilayet are very helpful to researchers of Armenian genealogy and immigration history. Many of Cuinet’s maps can be found here.
Here is Cuinet’s 1892 map of the vilayet of Mamuretulaziz (where Harput is located). (The place names in these maps are the French version, which again illustrates the variability of the place names in historic Armenia.)
In the key to this map, we can see the administrative hierarchy to this vilayet. It was divided into three sanjaks and 18 kazas. The sanjak colored in yellow in this map is Kharpout-Mezeré (Harput). Within this sanjak were four kazas, one of which had the same name (Harput). The city of Harput and its nearby villages were all located within the kaza of that name.
Kaza of Harput
That’s the problem. When someone said they were from Harput, were they referring to the city (Harput/Mezeré, now Elazig), one of its dozens of nearby villages, the kaza or the sanjak? And the vilayet of Mamuretulaziz was also referred to by another name – Harput! In order to figure out which Harput they were referring to, it is often necessary to analyze many different types of primary records for an individual (more on this later).
As another example, let’s turn to a different vilayet – Ankara (Angora) (from Cuinet’s 1890 map), and look at the sanjak of Kayseri (Césarée) in its southeastern corner.
There were several kazas in the sanjak of Kayseri. One of these (in its northeastern section) is the kaza of the same name, which contains the principal town (you guessed it – Kayseri). If someone said they were from Kayseri, were they referring to the town, the kaza, or the sanjak?
Kaza of Evereg
Another kaza in the sanjak of Kayseri (in its southeastern section) was Evereg (Everek), enclosed in red in the map above. Its principal town was Evereg. To the northeast of Evereg (the town) was a village called Tomarza (Tomarzou). Many immigrants from Tomarza came to America.
Someone born in the village of Tomarza could have stated their place of birth in several different ways: Tomarza (the village), Evereg (the kaza), Kayseri (the sanjak), or Ankara (the vilayet), all of which were correct. If you were to look for a Tomarza native in primary source records in the United States (ship manifest, World War I and World War II draft registrations, naturalization applications, passports, etc.), along with oral family traditions, you would probably find each of those places mentioned. You might conclude that they lived in different places and moved around a lot, when in fact they remained in the village of Tomarza the entire time before immigrating.
A common mistake by researchers of Armenian genealogy is to assume that a place name refers to the town or city, when it could refer to the kaza, sanjak, or vilayet. The Ottoman practice of giving the same name to the vilayet, sanjak, kaza, and principal town of the kaza was pervasive in that timeframe. Examples include the vilayets of Erzurum (Garin), Van, Bitlis (Paghesh), Diyarbekir (Dikranagerd), Sivas (Sebastia), etc.
There were a few areas in Ottoman-era Turkey that are a bit different. Marash and Urfa were autonomous sanjaks (not tied to a vilayet). Izmit and Jerusalem were mutesarrifates (also independent from vilayets). Each contained kazas.
In the part of historic Armenia that was located in the Russian Empire (prior to 1917), there was a different administrative hierarchy, but the concepts are similar. Here is a 1903 map (in Russian) showing the Caucasus region. (This work is in the public domain in Russia according to article 1256 of Book IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation No. 230-FZ of December 18, 2006.)
We can see in this map two different structures. To the west is the oblast of Kars, divided into four okrugs. One of those okrugs (called Kars) contained the city of Kars. Someone in the diaspora who gave Kars as their birthplace could have been referring to the city itself, the okrug, or the oblast. (Much of this oblast later became a part of the Republic of Turkey.)
The governorate of Yerevan (to the east) was comprised of several divisions called uyezds. The uyezd of Alexandropol (to the north of the governorate) contained the city of Alexandropol. (This city was renamed to Leninakan during the Soviet period, and is now known as Gyumri.) Someone stating their birthplace as Alexandropol may have been referring to the city or to a village somewhere in the uyezd of the same name.
The names of most of the Armenian towns and villages in Turkey were renamed by the Turkish government starting in the 1920s, as a part of their efforts to “Turkify” the country. My grandfather’s ancestral village of Sergevil (also known as Sivgelik) in the kaza of Keghi, sanjak of Erzurum (Garin), vilayet of Erzurum (Garin) is now known as Açıkgüney. (It took me many years to figure out where Sergevil is now located.) George Aghjayan has created a very helpful website using Google maps for several parts of “western Armenia” (eastern Turkey), showing the locations of many Armenian towns and villages with their historic and modern (Turkish) place names.
Another excellent source for finding Armenian place names in Turkey is The Armenian Genocide – A Complete History, by Raymond Kévorkian (London: I. B. Taurus & Co., Ltd., 2011). In Part IV (pages 265-621), he describes the events during the initial phase of the genocide (1914-1915) in each of the vilayets. For each sanjak and kaza, Kévorkian provides the names and populations of many of the Armenian towns and villages. This book is available as an e-book through Google. (Search “Kevorkian” and “genocide.”)
Using Primary Sources in American Records to Find Place of Origin
Armenian immigrants to America (United States and Canada) in the late 1800s and early 1900s often left behind much valuable genealogical information in primary source records. I have spent much of the past 20 years abstracting information from these sources and putting them online in a free, searchable database.
The following types of primary sources are included:
ship manifests
censuses
military records
naturalization applications
passport applications
birth records
marriage records
death records
missing person ads (in Armenian newspapers)
As of this writing, the database contains abstracts of over 125,000 records relating to Armenians in America, most of whom arrived prior to 1930, as well as their children and grandchildren born in the United States and Canada. More records are being abstracted each month and added to the database. Images for these records are not a part of the database, but can be found online at web sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, using the citations contained in the abstracts.
Places of origin can be found in all of these records, but some sources are better than others for identifying the exact city, town, or village. Best results are obtained by finding your immigrant relative in as many of these records as possible, and then analyzing and interpreting the evidence as a whole to come to a conclusion regarding the most likely place of origin. Also, look at records for that person’s close relatives to see where they were from. Start with the Armenian Immigration Project database, but recognize that it is based on a small subset of the total records publicly available through the Internet and in churches, courthouses, and archives.
The best primary source records for identifying the exact place of a person’s birth are ship manifests (1907 and later), military draft registrations (World War I and World War II), naturalization and passport applications, and missing persons ads (especially those in the years immediately following the end of WW1). As described earlier in this paper, the places of birth listed in these records are not consistent with respect to their level in the origin country’s administrative hierarchy. In the case of the place of birth in the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), it could be the village, town/city, kaza, sanjak, country, or just “Armenia,” many of which have the exact same name.
The other types of records in the database typically list just the country of a person’s birth (or parents’ birth in the case of vital records – births, marriages, and deaths).
Let’s look at an example. Here is an abstract of a 1912 ship manifest for Soghomon Depigian.
Three places of origin are mentioned on ship manifests of 1907 and later – birth place, place of last permanent residence (at least one year), and the place “of nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came”. Any of these may be helpful. In this particular manifest, we see “Keghi” in all three fields, so we known that he was born in the kaza of Keghi (in the sanjak of Erzurum, vilayet of Erzurum, in Ottoman Turkey). But, was he born in the principal town of the kaza by the same name as the kaza – Keghi (or Keghi Kasaba) or in an outlying village?
At the bottom of the ship manifest abstract page are entries for other records found for this person.
Soghomon had another arrival in 1919, which states his birth place as Erzurum, Turkey (referring to either the city, sanjak, or vilayet). But, we knew that already, as Keghi is within the sanjak and vilayet of Erzurum. We can see that he returned to Turkey sometime after his 1912 arrival, and escaped the genocide by traveling east through Russia, across Siberia, to Vladivostok. However, this does not narrow down his place of birth to a particular village within the kaza of Keghi. Likewise, the 1930 and 1940 censuses, as well as his World War II draft registration all state Turkey. No help there. Fortunately, we have found three naturalization applications for him. He filed a Declaration of Intention (also called First Papers) immediately upon arriving in Granite City, Illinois in 1919. In this application, he gave his birth place as Erzurum. He didn’t follow up on this Declaration of Intention (which expired after seven years) and then moved to Detroit, Michigan (as shown by the 1930 census). In 1935, he again filed his Declaration of Intention, this time at the Circuit Court in Detroit. In this record, he finally named a village – Sergevil! His 1938 Petition for Naturalization also named Sergevil.
In this example, we had to locate eight different records for this individual until we found the village of his birth in those last two records. Had we not found the naturalization applications filed in Detroit in 1935 and 1938, the most we could have concluded was that he was born in the kaza of Keghi. We would not have had enough evidence (yet) to determine if he was born in the principal town (Keghi Kasaba) or in a village somewhere in the kaza. We would have had to resist the temptation to conclude that he was born in the town and be content with some level of uncertainty (not a bad thing, by the way).
Often, you are not able to find enough records for an individual to get a definitive answer. It is often a good strategy to look at records for close relatives (often a brother, uncle or cousin) to see if there is enough evidence in that person’s records to establish a birth place with a high level of certainty. In the case of my paternal grandfather Dikran Arslanian (who arrived in America in 1906), anecdotal evidence from my discussions and correspondence with his nephews and cousins in the 1970s and 1980s said that he and his entire family (aunts, uncles, and cousins) were all from the village of Sergevil. Of the 40 individuals remaining in Turkey at the time of the genocide, only two survived. My grandfather (who died in 1965) was mentioned in a number of primary sources, but none gave a birth place more precise than Erzurum (which could have meant the city, sanjak, or vilayet). I found records for several of his brothers and cousins that narrowed it down to Keghi (the kaza). Eventually, I found a naturalization application for a son of his first cousin that confirmed Sergevil as the village where this family lived. I also found that he lived with a couple of other men from Sergevil in the 1910 census, adding further corroboration.
This same technique can be used to determine a specific kaza, town/city, or village of origin for your own family. Some of the records may already be in the Armenian Immigration Project database; many will not. You will probably need to dig hard to find the “golden record” with the information you are seeking. Don’t be content with just family anecdotes, published genealogies, or a single primary source record. Look for strong corroboration by thoroughly searching for the person in all records you can find. Avoid the temptation to assign the place of birth to a town/city when they could be referring to a kaza, sanjak, or vilayet by the same name. Without the anecdotal evidence I obtained from elder relatives when I was a teenager, I might have concluded that my grandfather was from the city of Erzurum (70 miles away from his actual home village). (I asked these relatives the same questions independently to see if I’d get the same answers.)
One of the biggest challenges with primary sources is that the spelling of place names (as with personal names) is extremely variable. Here is just a small sampling of the different spellings I have encountered for the city and kaza of Harput/Kharpert (the place contributing the most Armenian immigrants to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s):
When you encounter names of small villages or obscure kazas, sometimes the only way to figure where they are located is to find other records for that person that provide the name of the sanjak or vilayet. The same applies for villages of the same name that appear in multiple vilayets of Turkey (like Ichme, Bardizag, or Orta Koy). Which one are they from? Find other primary source records to sort it out.
Conclusion
Doing an exhaustive search for your relatives in primary documentary sources takes a lot of time and patience, but it can be very rewarding and gratifying. You may find a personal signature or even a photograph that you’ve never seen before (in naturalization applications starting in 1930 and passport applications starting in 1915). Ship manifests may reveal new names and connections, as well as show how your relatives got to America. The decennial censuses of the United States and Canada often show extended family groupings soon after they arrived. Be prepared for surprises, as family anecdotes are almost never completely accurate. Keep an open mind. Have fun.
Mark Arslan is a second generation American whose paternal grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1906 from the kaza of Keghi, vilayet of Erzurum, Turkey. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon). Mark is retired from a 35-year career in systems engineering, technical support, and sales with IBM. He started researching his own Armenian roots in 1971, established the Armenian DNA Project in 2005, and expanded his research of Armenian genealogy to include the entire North American diaspora (for the period prior to 1930) with the Armenian Immigration Project database. Mark is a regular contributor to the Armenian Genealogy group on Facebook and frequently travels across America to lecture on his research into Armenian immigration.
Ferrahian school building pictured with Turkish flag hanging on stairwell (Image circulated on social media)
ENCINO, Calif.—The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating what they are calling an alleged ‘hate incident’ at two Armenian private schools after officials say their campuses were vandalized with Turkish flags overnight.
School officials from AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School and Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School in the San Fernando Valley notified families of the incident Tuesday morning.
The front entrance to Ferrahian school property, which includes Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church (Image circulated on social media)
In pictures that have been widely circulated in the Armenian community on social media, Turkish flags are seen scattered about on campus, hanging on the entrance gates to the school and on stairways that lead to classrooms and offices. At Ferrahian in Encino, the Turkish flags were hanging feet away from the steps leading to the church on-site.
Meantime at AGBU in Canoga Park, officials say classes are still in session, but campus is on lockdown until further notice. Parents are being asked to park off-campus and walk to the main security gate during pick-up and drop-off. They can also expect to see police on-campus during drop-off Wednesday morning. One father told the Armenian Weekly that some parents want to pick up their children early from school.
In a statement to school families, Principal Sossi Shanlian explained classes are still in session at Ferrahian but that the school is taking extra precaution to ensure the safety of its student body. The Armenian Weekly has reached out to Ferrahian, but since the investigation is ongoing, school officials have declined to comment.
The Armenian community is outraged, both by these targeted acts against their schools and churches and law enforcement’s use of the word ‘incident’ instead of ‘crime.’ AGBU school officials say police are labeling it as an incident because a crime was not committed. “They did not trespass or leave any note or any indication of a threat,” read the statement.
“Bigotry and hatred is alive and thriving when Grey Wolves, pro-Erdogan, anti-democracy goons get their way,” writes Tsoghig Hekimian on Facebook. The City Clerk of Glendale Ardashes Kassakhian writes, “These campuses are places where children from kindergarten to high school attend classes, play with friends, eat their lunches, pray in the chapel, and learn how to be productive and law abiding citizens. They also learn about their history, which includes the dark chapter known to all as the Armenian Genocide…”
The red and white Turkish flags have since come down, and in their place, students have draped their school—their second home—with the tri-colors of the Armenian flag.
Street view from White Oak Avenue of Ferrahian High School (Photo sent to Armenian Weekly)Ferrahian High School draped in Armenian flags (Photo sent to Armenian Weekly)
Author information
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.
The front entrance to Ferrahian School property, which includes Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, Encino, Calif. (Image circulated on social media)
ENCINO, Calif.—Just over 12 hours after an unknown suspect allegedly hung Turkish flags at two Armenian private schools in southern California, the local Armenian community joined the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) and the Armenian Genocide Committee to condemn the vandalism.
Inside the gymnasium of Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School in Encino, California on Tuesday evening, community leaders and school officials held a press conference hosted by the Armenian Genocide Committee to update the public and concerned families on the ongoing police investigation.
Gated entrance to AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, Calif. (Photo credit: thearmenianreport)
Ferrahian principal Sossi Shanlian informed everyone that surveillance cameras captured a masked man allegedly trespassing onto school property at around four in the morning on Tuesday. Shanlian said the suspect, dressed in black clothing with face and head covered, jumped the front gate and started hanging Turkish flags in the parochial school’s courtyard. At Ferrahian, the Turkish flags were hanging feet away from the steps leading to the Armenian church on-site. The suspect also allegedly targeted AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, which is about five miles away.
After a preliminary investigation that failed to use the term “hate crime,” local law enforcement is now taking this matter seriously and designating it as such, according to the ANCA-WR. “I’m sorry to the Armenian community,” said Los Angeles Police Department captain Ernest Eskridge. “This is a very serious crime. We are doing our best to bring this suspect to justice.” Captain Eskridge also expressed his commitment to ensure the Armenian community is at peace.
But peace is something that’s been difficult to come by for the Armenian people. As the chair of the ANCA-WR Nora Hovsepian explained, one of the targets, Ferrahian, was founded almost 60 years ago by a generation of Armenian Genocide survivors. “This is a direct affront to them and to their descendants,” said Hovsepian. To this day, the government of Turkey continues to deny the events of 1915.
Street view from White Oak Avenue of Ferrahian High School (Photo sent to Armenian Weekly)
That lack of recognition is one reason why several local elected officials felt compelled to attend and stand in solidarity with the Armenian community. Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz, one of several proponents of Armenian Genocide recognition in the state, equated the hate crime at these two southern California Armenian schools to that of a Nazi swastika plastered on a Jewish school building. Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents Canoga Park, recalled Holocaust Remembrance Day in his comments saying, “This kind of hate is pervasive.”
School administrators say the young school community is shocked yet strong, despite the circumstances. Shanlian said this has become a teachable moment for the students. After a short assembly Tuesday morning, Shanlian said Ferrahian students “broke out in a spontaneous expression of their unity, love and respect for the Armenian culture and heritage.” They also took down all the Turkish flags and replaced them with even more Armenian flags.
Classes on Wednesday are still in session at both schools. Security will also be heightened; parents can expect to see police near and on-campus as they continue their investigation.
Author information
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.
It was King Solomon, the wisest man to walk the globe, who stated in the Book of Ecclesiastes “what do workers gain from their toil?”
That toil is what my father and many visionaries had as they opened Armenian schools around the country. And today, those schools are reeling from an attack by villains who attempted to shed darkness on the light.
My 12 year old, who is a student at San Francisco’s KZV Armenian school, is marching around the house reciting and practicing Taniel Varoujan’s poem Antasdan. After coming home from school, our daily routine has been eat a snack – do homework – eat dinner – practice for Armenian ampopoum or essay tests – then hang out and talk before bed. Generally, this turns into a discussion about what they learned or in this case, what Sophene is learning since my older daughter is in the vortex of high school.
One day, Sophene was smiling as she explained the beautiful positive message in the poem by Varoujan. I asked if she knew how Varoujan died (we know this – he was tied to a tree by Turkish gendarmes and cut into pieces) but I didn’t know if she was ready for such a brutal reality.
She was. Informed by her teacher, she explained these horrors to me. She then asked me the profound question, “Mom, how does someone do that to a person, a poet?”
I didn’t know how to answer her. I just had her recite the first stanza…
Արեւելեան կողմն աշխարհի
Խաղաղութի՜ւն թող ըլլայ…
Ո՜չ արիւններ, քրտինք հոսին
Լայն երակին մէջ ակօսին.
Ու երբ հնչէ կոչնակն ամէն գիւղակի՝
Օրհներգութ՜իւն թող ըլլայ։
In the Eastern corner of the earth
Let there be peace…
Let sweat, not blood, flow
In the broad vein of the furrow…
And at the toll of each hamlet’s bell
Let there rise hymns of exaltation.
It is a month later. I left work to visit the necropolis of Colma to visit my newly deceased father’s grave. When I visit his grave, I am filled with peace, since he is buried next to all of the deceased Armenians of the San Francisco Armenian community—friends of his who had the vision to open the Bay Area’s only Armenian school. I say my prayers, ponder and and then run out to Traders Joe’s to figure out dinner.
As I drive across Brotherhood Way in San Francisco to pick up my younger daughter from Armenian dance lessons, I receive a text from my older daughter Areni stating the following:
“Armenian Schools in California Vandalized with Turkish Flags”
I have to stop my car in the parking lot of Trader Joe’s and to re-read the message. I click on Facebook, and my heart and soul are appalled by the images of the attacks on our beloved Armenian schools.
Is this real?
She goes on to tell me that her friends stayed in school after the “attack” and proudly danced shourchbar while decorating the school with numerous yerakouyns.
It took me a few minutes to process this information. I immediately have a flashback to Sophene reciting the poem “Antasdan”- about the hope which Varoujan alluded to throughout the piece – about how the Armenian people have been, in essence, forced into exile and sent to the four corners of the earth:
Արեւմտեան կողմն աշխարհի
Բերրիութի՜ւն թող ըլլայ…
Ամէն աստղէ ցօղ կայլակի,
Ու ամէն հասկ ձուլէ ոսկի.
Եւ ոչխարներն երբ սարին վրայ արածին՛
Ծիլ ու ծաղիկ թող ըլլայ։
At the Western part of the earth
Let there be fecundity …
Let each star sparkle with dew,
And each husk be cast in gold
And as the sheep graze on the hills
Let bud and blossom bloom.
Perhaps this is an allusion to the book of Ecclesiastes—is this what Varoujan was thinking as he was staring at the forest as gendarmes sliced his innocent body? Was there hope?
Հիւսիսային կողն աշխարհի
Առատութի՜ւն թող ըլլայ…
Ոսկի ծովուն մէջ ցորեանին
Յաւէտ լողայ թող գերանդին.
Ու լայն ամբարն աղուներուն երբ բացուի՛
Բերկրութիւն թող ըլլայ։
At the Northern part of the earth
Let there be abundance …
In the golden sea of the wheat field
Let the scythe swim incessantly
And as gates of granaries open wide
Jubilation let there be.
Perhaps this is the abundance that drove people to open Armenian schools across the nation. The metaphorical golden wheat fields in Antasdan thrive in the yards and classrooms of our Armenian schools, where our people grow and harvest the seeds and granaries.
This news did not bring me fear or hate or anger. It helped me realize the circular nature of our culture—the Armenian people’s resilience and our ability to grow seeds and harvest our culture throughout the four corners of the earth.
In a metaphorical way, today, many of us felt the sting and pain of hate. Disgusted, we cursed under our breath, donned our Armenian flags, played our Armenian music and reassured our children that we, the Armenian people, will rise to excellence in every corner and every field of the professional world. We reminded our children of the many successful leaders who have graduated from Armenian schools and reassured our children that the community will protect and uphold the foundations of these institutions.
For every hateful statement by the Turkish government, every threat and every vicious attack on our schools, our response must be in our deep and stubborn attachment to strengthening our roots and teaching our children the Armenian language. As the book of Ecclesiastes states, “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.”
As I spoke to my older daughter about the crimes against southern California’s Armenian schools, she told me this, “Mom, if people think Armenians are stuck in the past, let them see the present and begin to worry about the future.” I proudly stared at my Areni and though she would be horrified that I quoted her in this article. But I agree with her.
As for Varoujan’s poignant and hopeful end to his Antasdan, let us till the soil which seems to be the envy of the Turkish government. Let us foster the growth of our children—our hives. Let us hear their voices recite Varoujan’s poems. Let that be the honey of our hives, and let this act of violence be the reminder of our bread, our communion, as a nation living in exile who tills the love of our language and culture in our children and future. Let this act be the reawakening and rebirth of our forefathers’ goals to uphold our language in desert sands while the wind of hate wrongfully attempts to erase our identity, language and hope.
Հարաւային կողմն աշխարհի
Պըտղաբերում թող ըլլայ…
Ծաղկի՜ մեղրը փեթակներուն,
Յորդի՜ գինին բաժակներուն.
Ու երբ թխեն հարսերը հացը բարի՛
Սիրերգութի՜ւն թող ըլլայ։
At the Southern part of the earth
Let all things bear fruit…
Let the honey thrive in the beehive
And may the wine run over the cups
And when brides bake the blessed bread
Let the sound of song rise and spread.
Poem translated by Tatul-Sonentz.
Author information
Sevana Panosian
Sevana Panosian is an award winning high school teacher in San Francisco, California. She is a native of San Francisco and an active member of the community.
WORCESTER, Mass.—The Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale presented its annual special Christmas concert last month in the Sanctuary of Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church. The program consisted of Christmas carols and songs in Armenian and English. The Chorale is under the direction of Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, Artistic Director and Conductor, with organ accompaniment by Mari Panosian. 
NEW YORK — With the Armenian flag raised over New York City’s historic Cunard building, 400 guests attended the sold-out 15th Annual Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Holiday Gala held on December 15th at Cipriani 25 Broadway. COAF announced a record fundraising total for its 2018 Gala with over $4 million raised, making the total amount raised by the organization $44 million since 2003.
WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Hairenik Press has announced the first ever publication of the English translation of Andranik Tzarukian’s long-form poem 
Both the Grolier and The Sheraton Commander, which was founded by the Guleserian family, were established in 1927 and have been important Cambridge institutions that have preserved the history and culture of Harvard Square. General Manager Michael Guleserian has been generous in his support of the evening.
Mom was loving, empathetic, sincere and bright. She was a polyglot and spoke Armenian, English, French, Russian and Farsi.
ST. LOUIS, Mo.—More than two dozen delegates representing 13 of the region’s chapters from the Armenian Youth Federation —Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) Eastern Region USA recently gathered in the mid-west for its 85th Annual Convention. The five-day December convention took place in Clayton, Missouri from December 26 to 30. Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) representatives included 
EREVAN—The 33rd World Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation will be held from January 16 to 24 in Artsakh, with more than 100 delegates from all regions of the organization, as well as guests from around 30 countries.
The beloved Prelate, elevated from Bishop to Archbishop in an encyclical by Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, had celebrated the Holy Badarak at the St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York that morning to an overflowing assemblage.
In an emotionally delivered spontaneous message, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian spoke of his focus on “love in action.” “Wherever there is love,” he said “there is paradise discovered. We are not starting anything new. What is new is our approach, our understanding.”
Dr. Andrews, via email, commented that “it is gratifying, not only to have the recognition of the significance of Matthew’s Chronicle, but also to have the attention drawn to his time and place. I hope, through this book and through ongoing work, to bring to light the sometimes underrated influence that the Armenians had (and continue to have!) on the world around them, even while maintaining their distinct culture and identity through a time of tumultuous change.”
