WATERTOWN, Mass. —More than a dozen students from St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) were named top spellers at this year’s Watertown Spelling Bee.

Thirteen SSAES students participated in the ninth annual contest for elementary grades one through five on Sunday, March 31, 2019. They are first grader Georgette Isahagian, third graders Arman Stepanian, Elsa Sarkissian, and Nara Behbahani and fifth graders Lea Karapetian, Lara Chekijian, Anais Kahvejian, Alla Petrosyan, Nicholas Nalbandyan, Julia Chapian, Saro Iskenderian, Gassia Minassian and Narineh Mardiros.  

Fifth graders Karapetian, Chekijian and Kahvejian won first place in their first round, successfully spelling some very tricky words right through double elimination. The other fifth grade teams also performed well.

The third grade team tied for first place in their round.

Isahagian (Grade 1) participated with first grade students from other schools and won first place.

Congratulations to our students for a fantastic display of teamwork all around.

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St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School

Founded in 1984, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School is a private pre-kindergarten through grade five school dedicated to educational excellence in an environment rich in Armenian culture. St. Stephen’s is fully accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), which has commended the school for “creating an environment where all the students love to read and appear committed to academic excellence."

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WORCESTER, Mass.—The Fifth Annual Exhibit commemorating the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be held in the Abrahms Gallery, 1st floor of the Higgins University Center at Clark University, 950 Main Street. Sponsored by Arshavir Lodge No. 2 of the Knights Of Vartan, the theme of the exhibit is “The Glory of Ancient Armenia.” Photographs, documents and artifacts trace aspects of the history of Armenia from 301 A.D. back to 7500 B.C.

An opening ceremony in the Abrahms Gallery’s Grace Hall will take place on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m., and features a lecture by Anna Alexsanyan, a PhD Candidate in Clark’s Strassler Center For Holocaust and Genocide Studies, who will speak on “The Response Of Different Women To Genocidal Crimes.” Other program highlights include a presentation of books and videos on the Armenian Genocide to the Rose Library from the Knights Of Vartan. In addition, a City Proclamation will be read by Mayor Joseph Petty and State Representative David Muradian will present State Citations.

The exhibition and opening ceremony are free and open to the public. For more information call 508-963-2076.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles written and submitted by members of the community, which make up our community bulletin board.

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WATERTOWN, Mass.—The deadline is fast approaching for college and university students to submit scholarship applications to the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) for the 2019-2020 academic year. Applications are due on April 20, 2019.

A number of scholarships are awarded by AIWA annually, ranging in value from $500 to $5,000, to full-time female students of Armenian descent attending accredited colleges or universities. Students from the United States or abroad entering their junior or senior year in college, as well as graduate students, are eligible to apply for the awards, which are based on merit as well as financial need.

For the current academic year, AIWA (including the Central Board as well as its affiliates) awarded over $75,000 to graduate and undergraduate students from the United States, Canada, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and other countries in fields ranging from mathematics and architecture to government, public administration, medicine, art and design.

New this year was a scholarship of $5,000 in the name of an AIWA founder, Olga Proudian, awarded annually to a student in the field of diplomacy. This award is provided under the auspices of the AIWA-New England affiliate.

AIWA’s scholarship program was initiated with the Agnes K. Missirian Scholarship, which was established in 1996 in memory of the professor of management at Bentley University and strong advocate for women’s rights. Over the years, grants have been added in the names of Ethel Jafferian Duffett, Lucy Kasparian Aharonian (for students in the sciences), Mary V. Toumayan, Hripsime Parsekian (for a student in the field of international relations), Dr. Carolann S. Najarian, Azniv Melidonian and Rose A. Hovannesian.

The AIWA-Los Angeles Affiliate awards annually five Hasmik Mgrdichian Scholarships of $5,000 each. The Mgrdichian Scholarships are available to California residents.

AIWA also grants several tuition scholarships to students at the American University of Armenia, including $5,000 to fund two Alice Kanlian Mirak Scholarships there.

To be considered, applications must be postmarked on or before April 20, 2019. They may be downloaded from the AIWA website or requested from AIWA at 65 Main St., #3A, Watertown, MA, 02472. For more information, call 781-237-6858 or email. California residents are advised to apply directly to the Los Angeles affiliate.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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NEW YORK, NY—Armenian Diasporan singer Elie Berberyan will be performing at this year’s 104th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in New York City on Sunday, April 28, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The program, which will take place in Times Square, will feature prominent politicians who tirelessly advocate for genocide commemoration while championing the Republic of Armenia, in addition to human rights activists, academics and artists.

During his tribute, Berberyan will sing the infamous Charles Aznavour song “Ils Sont Tombés” (They Fell), to pay homage to the memory of the martyrs, as well as to the late singer who passed away late last year.

“Aznavour is the biggest legend in the history of Armenian artists and I want his words about the genocide and his memory to project from the center of the world, in New York’s Times Square,” said Berberyan.

The historical event will also feature the poetry of the renowned Hovhannes Shiraz, “Intz Guh Moranam” (I Forget Myself) set to music by Majag Toshikian. Berberyan seeks to “immortalize Shiraz’s divine words.”

The third song, “Hayer Miatzek” (Armenians Unite), by Gusan Haykazun, “is a diasporan message to send to all Armenians to remain a united front” according to Berberyan. He cites the message of peace and love in the song.

“Even though many years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, it does not stop me from remembering it and instead it gives me more drive,” said Berberyan. “We are paying tribute to the ultimate cause that concerns every Armenian in his or her heart.”

The commemoration will be led by the masters of ceremonies Armen McOmber, Esq. and Nvair Beyerian, who will guide the program as the Armenian Diaspora continues its unyielding efforts to remember, to honor and to educate the world about this catastrophic event in Armenian history that took place in 1915 and claimed the lives of almost 2 million Armenians—a piece of history that goes unrecognized to this day by the Turkish government.

“We must remain diligent, not only to demand genocide recognition, but to share our story with the world so they can learn from our tragedy and our burden,” said Beylerian. “The mechanisms that led to ripping our people’s roots from our land and nearly annihilating the Armenian people from this earth have been used by other perpetrators over and over again. Denial of genocide is complicity. It sows the seeds for cyclical evil.”

Founded in 1985 by the late Sam Azadian, a former Brooklyn, New York resident, who lost four siblings during the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Times Square has honored the 1.5+ million Armenian lives lost during the horrific events of the 1915 Genocide of the Armenians by the Young Turk Government of the Ottoman Empire. This internationally-recognized annual event draws thousands of Armenians and non-Armenian participants to commemorate the solemn occasion. The event features speeches and tributes delivered by prominent political figures and civic leaders, officials of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, representatives of major Armenian-American organizations, and distinguished scholars and educators as well as high-ranking Armenian and non-Armenian clergy.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Local Armenians got a lesson in love over the weekend during the second annual “Couples Night Out.”

About sixty couples opened their hearts on Saturday night at Holy Trinity Armenian Church to understand from Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen what it takes to continue fostering a thriving marriage.

“We are not here because our marriages are in crisis,” said Rev. Dr. Avedis Boynerian of Armenian Memorial Church. “We are here because our marriages are strong.”

Married since 1976, the Friesens have dedicated their lives to supporting healthy, loving and faithful relationships through Home Improvement Ministries. Their connection is palpable, as they bounce off each other during their engaging, relevant and even humorous presentations. “I’m a better man today because I have a wife who challenges me,” began Paul Friesen, who grew up in a home where his mother rarely disagreed with his father. “But sometimes when she’s challenging me, in the back of my mind I’m going…maybe you can be a little bit more like my mom.”    

On Saturday night, the Friesens focused on a variety of themes on the covenant of marriage including unrealistic expectations, sacrificial love, acceptance, disengagement and strengthening a marriage from the inside out.

The Friesens also unpacked a rather well-known passage of the Old Testament—the fall of Adam and Eve from the book of Genesis. “A huge power struggle was birthed when sin entered the world,” said Virginia Friesen, who went on to offer hope with an insightful interpretation of Ephesians, which resonated with Nayiri Baljian Bell. “Respect and sacrificial love can be missing from our marriages today unless we put in some intentional efforts,” said Baljian Bell, who will soon be celebrating 14 years of marriage with her husband James this summer.

After dessert, four couples including Baljian Bell and her husband were invited on-stage to participate in an old-fashioned relationship quiz game.

The event was organized by the collective efforts of 10 churches in the New England area: St. James Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown, Mass.), St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown, Mass.), Armenian Memorial Church (Watertown, Mass.), Holy Trinity Armenian Church (Cambridge, Mass.), Armenian Church of the Holy Translators (Framingham, Mass.), Spring of Life Church (Belmont, Mass.), First Armenian Church (Belmont, Mass.), Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church (North Andover, Mass.), Ararat Armenian Congregational Church (Salem, NH) and Armenian Euphrates Evangelical Church (Providence, RI). Guests were served traditional Armenian food and dessert prepared by Kevork and Mania Boyajian.

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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.

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NEW YORK, NY—A sell-out crowd on Sunday, March 17 was treated to an afternoon of outstanding music by three young professional artists of concert caliber—violist Cara Pogossian, cellist Edvard Pogossian and pianist Vatche Jambazian.   

It was the 36th anniversary of Musical Armenia at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall sponsored by Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy and the Prelacy Ladies Guild.

The performance started with a technically difficult Bach seven movement suite played a cappella by Cara Pogossian, a gifted scholarship student at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music, displaying her technical prowess, poise and self-confidence.

The program continued with a sweeping, elegiac Beethoven Sonata with the three artists playing together as one, with exceptional virtuosity.

Included in the performance were several Armenian composers, including the master of the Armenian musical spirit, Komitas Vartabed.

Before playing the works of Komitas, Edvard Pogossian poignantly expressed the appreciation of the three artists saying, “We grew up listening and playing the music of Komitas.”

The plaintive quality as well as the joyful spirit of the beloved “Yerkinkn Ampela” was especially noteworthy. Another Armenian favorite was “Ay Vart” by Aleksandr Spendiaryan.

Contemporary Armenian composers were also featured, including Tigran Mansurian’s meditative “Four Hayrens” and Edvard Mirzoyan’s evocative “Sonata for Cello and Piano” displaying the blending of Armenian contemporary and spiritual motifs.

These works displayed the lush and lyrical sounds emanating from talented Edvard Pogossian’s cello, the exceptionally beautiful sound of Cara Pogossian’s viola and the powerful and dramatic playing of concert pianist and Australian native Vatche Jambazian.

The musicians concluded the program with Brahms’ rhythmic and resonant “Clarinet Trio in A minor.”    

Honoring the Young Talent

During a special reception after the concert, Archbishop Anoushavan thanked the young performers and declared, “We are lucky to present such superb artists.”

He paid tribute to their “beautiful harmony and their unique performance reflecting the spirit of the composers.” He praised the announcement of Edvard Pogossian, who reminded the concert audience that all three artists were raised with the music of Komitas.    

“This is the greatest tribute one can give to their parents,” the Prelate stated proudly. He also thanked the hardworking Musical Armenia committee members including Julie Kedersha, Sophie Khachatryan, Annita Nerses, Varsenne Sarkissian and Levon Tatevossian.

For Anita and John Wolohojian, the concert was “spellbinding.” “The concert committee should be praised for the gutsy programming,” said Anita.  

And John who was “humbled by the enormous talent, and humility” of the artists, was “mesmerized” from the first note. “These artists speak to you through their music. These are serious musicians with tremendous potential, and have all the components for a brilliant future.”

Outstanding Artists of the Future

Twenty-year old violist Cara Pogossian was a bronze-medal winner at the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition in 2017. She was a first-prize recipient at the ASTA California State Solo Competition, and a third-prize winner at the Occidental College String Competition.

Twenty-two year old cellist Edvard Pogossian is a first year artist-in-residence student at the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, and graduate of the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. He was the winner of the inaugural Los Angeles Philharmonic Young Artists Competition, and has performed widely, including for the First Lady of China.

Twenty-nine year old Vatche Jambazian is an emerging concert pianist who made his international debut in Yerevan at age 16. He was a prize winner at the Los Angeles International Piano Competition, and the Australian National Piano Award. In 2008, he won the Fine Music Station Young Performer of the Year Award. He is currently at the Manhattan School of Music where he is studying in the Doctor of Musical Arts Program.

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WATERTOWN, Mass. – Anna Hakobyan, the spouse of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, visited St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School on April 5, 2019. She was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, H. E. Varuzhan Nersesyan, as well as the executive director of My Step Charitable Foundation, Hovannes Ghazaryan and the Director of City of Smiles Foundation, Esther Demirchian.

Mrs. Hakobyan received a warm welcome by Rev. Archpriest Antranig Baljian of St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School students, teachers and administration. Two students dressed in daraz greeted the Hakobyan with traditional bread and salt. The rest of the students, with Armenian flags in hand, sang the Armenian National Anthem.

In her welcoming remarks Principal Houry Boyamian shared information about the school, explaining that in the Greater Boston area, where there are the best public and private schools in the nation, St. Stephen’s always maintains high educational standards to encourage parents to send their children to an Armenian school. She stated that in addition to providing a quality education, the school not only teaches the Armenian language, culture and history, but also instills a sense of identity and profound love for the Motherland. For this reason, every year in May, the graduating class takes a trip to Armenia. Boyamian ended her remarks by wishing Mrs. Hakobyan success in all her charitable work with the City of Smile Charitable Foundation, helping children in Armenia fight cancer.

After a short program, Mrs. Hakobyan and her delegation visited the classrooms and interacted with the students, who charmed them with their questions, poetry recitals and their fluency in Armenian.

It was an overall enriching and memorable morning. St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School is grateful that the Armenian Prime Minister’s wife took the time to learn more about the educational efforts of the Armenian Diaspora in eastern Massachusetts.

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St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School

Founded in 1984, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School is a private pre-kindergarten through grade five school dedicated to educational excellence in an environment rich in Armenian culture. St. Stephen’s is fully accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), which has commended the school for “creating an environment where all the students love to read and appear committed to academic excellence."

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BELMONT, Mass.—The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is sponsoring an essay contest for undergraduate students centering around the transformative power of education at the core of NAASR’s mission and the life of Dr. Vartan Gregorian, after whom NAASR’s new world headquarters building in Belmont, MA will be named when it opens in November 2019.

“Have you had an extraordinary relationship with a professor that changed your life? We want to hear from you,” said Sarah Ignatius, NAASR Executive Director, in encouraging undergraduates from all over the country to participate.

“Central to Dr. Gregorian’s life is his dedication to educational advancement and the pursuit of knowledge, just as these principles are central to NAASR’s mission,” said Yervant Chekijian, Chairman of NAASR’s Board of Directors. “We look forward to hearing from students how they have felt inspired in the same way.”

Contest Guidelines: 

The contest is open to any full-time undergraduate student in the United States, whether or not of Armenian descent. Entrants must compose an original essay in the English language of 750 to 1,000 words about an important relationship he or she forged with a teacher or professor and how that relationship served to inspire and to make a fundamental difference in his or her life. The essay need not specifically mention NAASR or Vartan Gregorian.

The entry deadline is June 15, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Submissions must be by email to hq@naasr.org, with the subject line “Essay Submission.” In the body of the email, entrants must include name, age, degree program, and school as well as the essay. Entrants should attach proof of undergraduate enrollment, such as a dated photo of a current student ID.

The winners will be announced in the fall of 2019. The first place winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, plus travel and lodging in the Cambridge, MA area on November 2, 2019, where he or she will read his or her essay at NAASR’s 65th Anniversary Gala and Grand Opening of NAASR’s world headquarters, to be named the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, in Belmont, MA, fulfilling the request of the building’s principal benefactors, Edward and Pamela Avedisian of Lexington, MA. The new building’s official name will be the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building. The second place winner will receive a $500 prize, and the third place winner will receive a $250 prize.

Founded in 1955, NAASR is one of the world’s leading resources for advancing Armenian Studies and building community worldwide to preserve and enrich Armenian culture, history, and identity for future generations. NAASR supports scholars with research grants, academic programming, and research assistance in its 28,000-volume rare book Armenian Studies library, connects their scholarly findings with a broad general public, worked to found the first chairs of Armenian Studies at Harvard and UCLA, and has gone on to support other endowed positions, which now exist at 13 universities in the United States.

Dr. Gregorian, who is currently President of the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York, was born in Tabriz, Iran, receiving his elementary education in Iran and his secondary education at Collège Arménian in Beirut, Lebanon. He graduated with honors from Stanford University and was awarded a PhD in history and humanities from Stanford. He was appointed the Tarzian Professor of Armenian and Caucasian History and professor of South Asian History at the University of Pennsylvania, and then served as president of The New York Public Library, which includes a network of four research libraries and 83 branch libraries. He was then appointed the 16th president of Brown University.

For questions regarding the essay contest, please email hq@naasr.org. Learn more about NAASR at www.naasr.org.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly by NAASR and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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NAASR

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.

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LOWELL, Mass.—The Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) will be sponsoring Lowell’s 104th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

There will be a downtown procession and flag-raising ceremony on Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. led by the Armenian-American Veterans honor guard.

Lowell Mayor William Samaras will be delivering an Armenian Genocide proclamation. Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA 3rd District) is this year’s featured guest.

Those wishing to join the march are asked to gather at 9:30 at the corner of Merrimack and John Streets in downtown Lowell. A reception will follow inside City Hall.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.–On the eve of the Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Observance, Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) were joined by over 70 of their U.S. House colleagues in introducing a new Armenian Genocide Resolution aimed at establishing, as a matter of U.S. policy, 1) the rejection of Armenian Genocide denial, 2) ongoing official U.S. government recognition and remembrance of this crime, and 3) the importance of education about the Armenian Genocide in preventing modern-day atrocities, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“All who oppose genocide welcome today’s launch of legislation locking-in U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and–once and for all–locking-out Turkish denials of this crime,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “This bipartisan measure – spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff and Gus Bilirakis–also permanently locks down–as official U.S. policy–that future generations should be educated about the facts of this crime, America’s noble relief efforts for its victims, and–most urgently–the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.”

Rep. Schiff highlighted the genocide prevention role of the legislation. “Over 100 years ago, the Ottoman Empire undertook a brutal campaign of murder, rape, and displacement against the Armenian people that took the lives of 1.5 million men, women, and children in the first genocide of the 20th century,” said Rep. Schiff. “Genocide is not a relic of the past, but an ever present threat. Its denial is not only a continuing injury to the survivors, but makes its repetition against another people more likely. It is therefore all the more pressing that the Congress recognize the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide and make clear that we will never be an accomplice to denial.”

Republican lead sponsor Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), explained, “Genocide must not be denied. It must be acknowledged for what it is—a scourge on humanity. Official recognition of the Armenian Genocide would represent a courageous new chapter in American foreign policy. With the bold leadership of the current Administration, it is time for the United States to take a stand against Turkish genocide denial.”

Joining Representatives Schiff and Bilirakis as original cosponsors of the measure are Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY), Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ethics Committee Chair Ted Deutch (D-FL), Natural Resources Committee Chair Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mark Takano (D-CA), Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-MA), House Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Republican Devin Nunes (R-CA), Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Co-Chairs Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), TJ Cox (D-CA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Josh Harder (D-CA), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Peter King (R-NY), Steve King (R-IA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Grace Meng (D-NY), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Edwin Perlmutter (D-CO), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Ross Spano (R-FL), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

Additional original cosponsors may be added before the end of the day and will be updated on the ANCA website.

In a “Dear Colleague” letter sent to U.S. Representatives by Congressmen Schiff and Bilirakis in early April, Congressmen Schiff and Bilirakis took on Ankara’s anticipated opposition to an honest U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide head-on, writing: “Let us be direct. Genocide recognition is opposed by a single entity: The government of Turkey. For decades, Turkey has deployed threats and an intense campaign of lobbying to intimidate the Congress from recognizing the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire.” They went on to argue, “Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide is also a source of continued regional tension, undermining the foundations of a durable peace that would be in the best interests of the United States and our national security. Official recognition of the Armenian Genocide can help open a new chapter in United States foreign policy. It is time for the United States to take a stand for the truth, and against genocide denial.”

The Armenian Genocide Resolution notes that the U.S. has, as early as 1951, officially recognized the Armenian Genocide through a filing with the International Court of Justice, followed by House legislation adopted in 1975, and 1984 and President Ronald Reagan’s Proclamation in 1984.

The resolution resolves that it is the policy of the United States to:

1. Commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance;
2. Reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the U.S. Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide; and
3. Encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the U.S. role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.

The full text of the Resolution is provided below:

Armenian Genocide Resolution Text – 116th Congress

116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H.RES. ___

Affirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. SCHIFF submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on__________

RESOLUTION

Affirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide.

Whereas the United States has a proud history of recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, and providing relief to the survivors of the campaign of genocide against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians;

Whereas the Honorable Henry Morgenthau, United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916, organized and led protests by officials of many countries against what he described as the empire’s ‘‘campaign of race extermination’’, and was instructed on July 16, 1915, by United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing that the ‘‘Department approves your procedure . . . to stop Armenian persecution’’;

Whereas President Woodrow Wilson encouraged the formation of the Near East Relief, chartered by an Act of Congress, which raised $116,000,000 (over $2,500,000,000 in 2019 dollars) between 1915 and 1930, and the Senate adopted resolutions condemning these massacres;

Whereas Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term ‘‘genocide’’ in 1944, and who was the earliest proponent of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, invoked the Armenian case as a definitive example of genocide in the 20th century;

Whereas as displayed in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Adolf Hitler, on ordering his military commanders to attack Poland without provocation in 1939, dismissed objections by saying ‘‘[w]ho, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’’, setting the stage for the Holocaust;

Whereas the United States has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, through the United States Government’s May 28, 1951, written statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, through President Ronald Reagan’s Proclamation No. 4838 on April 22, 1981, and by House Joint Resolution 148, adopted on April 8, 1975, and House Joint Resolution 247, adopted on September 10, 1984; and

Whereas the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–441) establishes that atrocities prevention represents a United States national interest, and affirms that it is the policy of the United States to pursue a United States Government-wide strategy to identify, prevent, and respond to the risk of atrocities by ‘‘strengthening diplomatic response and the effective use of foreign assistance to support appropriate transitional justice measures, including criminal accountability, for past atrocities’’: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the policy of the United States to—

(1) commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance;

(2) reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide; and

(3) encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the United States role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.

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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.

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If you thought you knew everything the Young Turk and Kemalist regimes did to extricate themselves from responsibility for committing the Armenian Genocide, you are in for a surprise. The finer points are in a book by Dr. Meline Anumyan, a historian and author, called “Acknowledgment and Condemnation: The Trials of the Young Turks in 1919-1921 and 1926,” translated into English by the leading intellectual Dr. Ara Caprielian, and completed by his wife Arevig after his untimely death.

On Sunday, April 7, St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York and the Hamazkayin Eastern Region hosted Anumyan and Arevig Caprielian who delivered an illustrated presentation based on Anumyan’s book, which coincided with the fourth anniversary of Dr. Caprielian’s passing.

Reverend Father Mesrob Lakissian, the pastor of St. Illuminator’s, introduced both women. He was pleased that Anumyan’s efforts “would reach a broader audience through the efforts of a man who by his own example demonstrated that one can be born in the United States and be 100 percent Armenian and 100 percent American at the same time.”

Anumyan earned her PhD at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Armenia, where she also received her undergraduate degree in Turkological Studies. Dr. Anumyan currently leads the Turkish Department at the Research Center for Western Armenian Studies, based in Yerevan. She has also studied the Ottoman Turkish language at The History Foundation (Tarih Vakfı) in Istanbul and now edits programming for Armenians in Turkey at the Public Radio of Armenia.

Today, Anumyan lectures about the Armenian Genocide, the post-WWI Young Turk trials, expropriated Western Armenian properties, forced Turkish assimilation of Armenians during and after the Armenian Genocide, Islamized Armenians and Armenian-speaking gypsies in Turkey. Her own family hailed from Western Armenia: Dikranagerd, Bolis, Adabazar, Yalova and Tekirdağ.

During her presentation, Dr. Anumyan emphasized the exceptional value of the court records from the trials of the Young Turks. Turkish leadership, she noted, documented the course of the Armenian Genocide in official Turkish records and periodicals of the time. She explained that the Turkish government decided to formally prosecute the Genocide’s masterminds and participants in the hopes of lightening or dismissing their sentences, understanding that if the Allied Powers prosecuted them their fates would be far worse. One of the reasons today’s Turkey does not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, noted Anumyan, is because many of the so-called heroes of “Modern Turkey” were guilty of genocide.

Anumyan emphasized that the purpose of Operation Nemesis—the undercover campaign to assassinate the Genocide’s masterminds—was to carry out the death sentences these masterminds were convicted of, but had evaded with the support of the Turkish government.

She also described the political atmosphere in Turkey following the 1918 Armistice at Mudros and the investigations of those responsible for the Armenian Genocide. Included were the proceedings of the 1919 trial of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP or Young Turk) party members, the Young Turk government of the WWI period, responsible regional secretaries of the CUP and those who implemented massacres, death marches and other aspects of the Genocide. Anumyan further detailed political developments in Turkey from 1923 to 1926, including the trials of the Young Turks in 1926 in Izmir (Smyrna) and Ankara and the perpetuation of the Ittihadist tradition in the Republic of Turkey.

“Acknowledgment and Condemnation” contains explosive information about some of the Genocide’s masterminds and those who fled to Malta to escape their death sentences. It covers the hows and whys of their returns to Istanbul and integration into leadership positions in the new Turkish Republic.

The English translation of “Acknowledgment and Condemnation” came about when Dr. Caprielian became aware of it and believed it should become more available to researchers, politicians and activists. The English edition was eventually published by the Khatchig Babikian Publication Fund of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.

By sponsoring Anumyan’s tour, Dr. Caprielian’s wife afforded East coast Armenians the chance to familiarize themselves with a scholar who represents a new generation of Armenia-born intellectuals pursuing justice for the Genocide. Local Hamazkayin chapters have organized these presentations which have already occurred in Washington, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York. Anuyman and Caprielian are slated to speak at the Armenian-American Social Club in Watertown, Mass. on April 10 and at Gallery Z in Providence, Rhode Island the following day.

Limited copies of “Acknowledgment and Condemnation” are available in English and Armenian during this tour. Additional copies of the English version are for sale through the Cilicia Bookstore in Beirut, Lebanon and the Armenian version through the Institute for Armenian Studies at Yerevan State University. A Turkish-language version is also available.

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Lucine Kasbarian

Journalist, political cartoonist and book publicist Lucine Kasbarian is the author of several books about Armenia and Armenians. Visit her at: www.lucinekasbarian.com

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GLENDALE, Calif.—Since 2015, through the initiative of the Hamazkayin Central Executive, board members from Hamazkayin Western U.S., Eastern U.S. and Canada Regional Executives have regularly held joint meetings. The 11th of these meetings was held on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17, 2019 at the Western Region office with the participation of Central Executive members Vicken Tufenkjian, Hrair Baronian and Manoug Joukhajian along with chairpersons and members of the three Regional Executives and guests.

During the three sessions of the two-day meeting, the nearly 20 participants presented reports on the plans and undertakings of their respective regions, among them “Artlinks” and Youth Forum, with the aim of building on past experiences to develop future projects.

The participants also discussed the possibility of sharing events, new fundraising means including federal grants, further engaging the youth, and a general plan of action for the next ten years leading to Hamazkayin’s centennial.

The meeting was productive, with each and every participant contributing his or her valuable input. The main focus for the future is to intensify cultural endeavors and draw in the youth, for which diligent efforts are underway within the three regions. With regards to “Pakin” subscriptions, the meeting stressed the necessity of utilizing conveniences such as PayPal.  

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, Central Executive members, chairpersons and members of the three Regional Executive boards paid a visit to the Western Prelacy for a meeting with H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, who was joined by H.G. Bishop Torkom Donoyan, Vicar-general of the Western Prelacy, Rev. Fr. Ghevont Kirazian, Executive Council Chair Garo Eshgian and member Ara Shabanian.

The guests gave a general overview of the organization’s plans and upcoming endeavors, for which the Prelate expressed his blessings and support.  

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BELMONT, Mass.—A panel discussion entitled “A Trend or an Exception? Democratization in Armenia and Authoritarianism Worldwide,” will take place at Harvard University’s Fong Auditorium (Boylston Hall), on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Lisa Gulesserian, Lecturer on Armenian in the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University, and will feature a panel including Anna Ohanyan (Stonehill College), Dimitri Sotiropoulos (Visiting Scholar, Center for European Studies, Harvard), and Valerie Sperling (Clark University).

The event is organized by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)/Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Series on Contemporary Armenian Issues, with the co-sponsorship of AGBU-YP Boston and the Harvard Armenian Students Association.

At a time when there is great concern over the apparent decline of liberal democracy around the world, in 2018 Armenia seemed to be a notable exception and was hailed as “badly needed good news for democracy” by the Washington Post. As the one-year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution approaches, is the news still good? Is Armenia an outlier, an exceptional case in a world where government-by-strong-man increasingly is the model? What can be learned from the examples of other states where democracy is in peril? Join with a panel of distinguished scholars to discuss these and other issues relating to democracy and authoritarianism in Armenia and around the world.

This event is free and open to the public. A reception and refreshments will immediately follow the program and question-and-answer session.

For more information about this program, contact NAASR at 617-489-1610 or hq@naasr.org.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly by NAASR and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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NAASR

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Gallery Z, an art gallery based in the historic Federal Hill area of Providence, R.I., is celebrating 19 years this April by showcasing a selection of Armenian artists. The exhibit, which began April 4 and will continue into May, will feature the gallery’s extensive, niche collection of Armenian artists, which have been selected amongst the artwork of over 400 established artists of all backgrounds.

There will be two special events at the gallery this month. On Thursday, April 11th, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., an author from Armenia, Dr. Melineh Anumyan, will be presenting her book, Acknowledgement and Condemnation: The Trials of Young Turks in 1919-1921 and 1926. Refreshments will follow.

The following week, an opening reception for the exhibit of “Armenian Artists from Around the World” will take place in conjunction with Gallery Night Providence on Thursday, April 18, 2019, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Here are some descriptions of April’s featured artists:

Harut Aghajanian is an Armenian artist born in Iran in 1956. He studied at Terlemezian College art school in Yerevan from 1984 to 1987. His paintings have been exhibited in Beirut, Lebanon, and Boston. Many of his works are in private collections in the United States and Europe. His highly intricate figurative works on paper are in both black and white and soft wash tones.

Anoush Charlene Bargamian, also known as Sweet Angst, was born in 1963 and raised in Providence. She is an artist and educator living and working in Chicago. Her abstract paintings and prints employ many mixed media. Her Horses of Honor public art installation was installed in 2014 at the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, UBS Tower, Chicago, Ill.

Harutune Hovhanesian was born in 1922 and taught for 25 years at the Yerevan Teachers’ Training Institute. Of his work, he states, “A bad teacher represents the truth; a good one teaches how to find it.”

George V Kaprielian (“Varki”) was born in Providence and is a self-taught local photographer who has commemorated notable Providence landmarks in striking close-up angles.

Kevork Mourad was born 1970 in Syria and is a world-renowned artist who combines art with music, dance and theatre. He has had solo exhibitions around the world and has works in museums worldwide. He has produced and directed plays and musical-visual projects, has perfected a technique of spontaneous painting to live music, and is a teaching-artist member of Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. A new visual-musical piece commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York premiered there on November 2, 2018. He lives and works in New York when not traveling internationally.

Marsha Nouritza Odabashian has exhibited in galleries and museums in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, California and Louisiana and has works is in numerous collections.

An additional Gallery Z website for Armenian Art showcases the many renowned Armenian artists’ works represented, which may also be purchased online.

Gallery Z represents over four hundred renowned fine artists, fifty Rhode Island and regional, one hundred fifty national and two hundred international. A gift shop connected to the main gallery’s fine art, glass, and pottery offers handmade jewelry by local artists, international handicrafts, small woven wool rugs, fun jewelry, art postcards and RI-themed mementoes. A new online shop enables viewing and purchasing the art if unable to make it into the gallery.

Gallery Z hosts a reception for the current exhibit every third Thursday of the month on Gallery Night Providence. All receptions are free and open to the public. Gallery Z is a member of the Federal Hill Commerce Association, Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau and Gallery Night Providence.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. 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.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial Committee of Rhode Island will be commemorating the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Sunday, April 28, 2019 starting at 12:45 p.m. at the Martyrs Monument in North Burial Ground on Branch Avenue, Providence.

The three Armenian Churches and clergy along with their deacons and choir will participate in the memorial services. Local federal and state officials are invited to speak or attend as well as the local Armenian organizations.

The keynote speaker is Stephen Kurkjian who spent nearly 40 years as an editor and reporter for The Boston Globe retiring in 2007. He returned to Boston and completed numerous investigative projects. His book, Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s Greatest Art Heist, was published to critical acclaim in 2015. Mr. Kurkjian has written significantly about the Armenian Genocide and his latest projects focuses on the survivors, including his father, Anooshavan Kurkjian.

For further information, email joycey41@cox.net.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. 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.

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BELMONT, Mass.—The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research invites the public to attend its 65th Annual Assembly of Members on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at First Armenian Church, Nahigian Hall, 380 Concord Avenue, Belmont, Mass., convening at 12 p.m., with luncheon beginning at 12:15.

This event will feature the progress on NAASR’s state-of-the-art headquarters, research center, and global hub for Armenian Studies through the proximity of First Armenian Church to the construction site across the street, as well as through a detailed presentation from NAASR’s talented architectural, engineering, and design team of Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA), whose President and CEO is Ara Krafian.

NAASR Board Chairman, Yervant Chekijian of Watertown, will give welcoming remarks and report on the progress of the “Building on Our Legacy Campaign” and other important NAASR initiatives and plans for the future. Following the luncheon, the SMMA team will highlight special design features and progress on NAASR’s new headquarters, which will be named the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building in honor of the renowned academic, scholar, historian, and philanthropist.

The luncheon, featured presentation, and NAASR business sessions are open to the public, though only NAASR members with dues paid for the current year are eligible to vote. To make luncheon reservations for the Assembly, send an email to hq@naasr.org, or mail registration and luncheon fee to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, Mass. 02478, or register online through www.naasr.org. Reservations are due by April 26, and the luncheon fee is $18.00 per person.

NAASR Organizational Reports and Elections

Following the luncheon and presentation by the SMMA team, the business session of the Assembly will convene with presentations on NAASR’s ongoing activities to advance Armenian Studies, research, and publication. NAASR Board Chairman Yervant Chekijian will chair the business session, and Stepan Piligian of Westford, Mass., will serve as Secretary.
The Assembly will also include reports on organizational, informational, academic, and financial matters as well as an election of Directors. In addition, the Assembly’s special committees on Nominations, Constitution and Rules, New Business and Resolutions, and Auditing will present their reports.

This article is a community event listing submitted to the Armenian Weekly by NAASR and has been published to our announcements section as a courtesy. If your organization has an event you would like to submit for consideration, please email us at editor@armenianweekly.com. Publication is not guaranteed.

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NAASR

The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research was launched in March 1955 with a vision to promote Armenian Studies by establishing endowed chairs at some of the foremost universities in the United States.

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WATERTOWN, Mass.—With handwritten family trees and precious mementos in hand, dozens of local Armenians eagerly gathered in Watertown after Sunday service, prepared to learn how to trace their family history and roots.

“Through work, diligence and determination, you can find records from your family to try to expand what we know,” said George Aghjayan, director of Armenian Historical Archives and chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern Region, during his lecture presentation on researching Armenian roots at St. Stephen’s Church. “And we don’t know what the future can bring.”

The event, which was hosted by the St. Stephen’s Ladies Guild, took place during a traditional Lenten lunch. In it, Aghjayan urged the 70 audience members present to begin their search to find their genealogy. “This story is everybody’s story,” said Aghjayan, “We all have family members that we don’t know about.”

Aghjayan has been active in the Armenian genealogy movement for several decades. His work has helped increase the visibility of Armenians’ search for their lost roots and the residual effects of the Turkish government’s denial of genocide. Several years ago, with the help of colleagues, Aghjayan and others organized an Armenian Genealogy Conference, which met for the first time in 2016.

In 2018, an article Aghjayan penned for the Armenian Weekly about Turkey’s online government system, which revealed that many Turkish citizens had Armenian ancestry that they had not known about. The website crashed within hours, due to all the requests for information. (The article was later picked up by Robert Fisk from The Independent, calling out Erdogan’s motives in the release of this census system.) Aghjayan also continued to publish writings on his research in a seven-part series in the Weekly, helping advise others on how to find their roots, based on which country their family migrated to after the Genocide.

Over the course of his hour-long presentation, Aghjayan broke down the common misconception that all records related to Armenian heritage have been completely erased. Thanks to social media, the Armenian Immigration Project, DNA testing and the volunteer work of translators, he said, “there is an explosion of what can be done!” He advised everyone in search of their family roots to start by joining the Armenian Genealogy Facebook group, which is now helping over 10,000 members answer questions about their family history. Members are welcome to post questions about family surnames and inquire about family photographs, which has become an easy and accessible first step for those in search of common questions on genealogy.

Referencing his own story of finding early marriage and baptism records at St. Sahag in Rhode Island, Aghjayan highlighted that the search for family roots can also begin with records found in the United States, which are invaluable but often go overlooked. Church documents in particular can reveal a great deal about family origins and the Armenian villages those families came from.

“We talk about the records that have been lost because of the genocide, but we haven’t done much to save our records here,” pointed out Aghjayan. Church records such as baptisms, funerals, engagements, marriage licenses and membership lists can help track relocation and other movement within families. Many of these documents were lost when Armenian churches cleaned out old files or when church basements flooded and records were lost by those who didn’t recognize the value of these historical documents. Fortunately, explained Aghjayan, the Mormon Genealogical Society in Utah salvaged and microfilmed many remaining documents.

Aghjayan says he initially sought out his journey to provide answers for his own children and to help others in repairing family history against all odds. This, he believes, is one way of reclaiming identity and agency in the face of the crimes that misplaced and separated Armenian families in the first place. Through DNA testing and extensive research, it is possible to find relatives that were thought to have perished during the genocide.

“It is important to test all relatives so you can find out how closely related you are. [This] allows them to look at charts and take the average between generations and find where it fits between known relationships. It tells you very basic things, the common ancestors through certain parts of the family.” One generation of a family can yield different DNA results, said Aghjayan, resulting in different common ancestors. Time is essential to this process as well, as DNA dissipates within twenty years.

Many came prepared with their own family trees, ready to piece together their Armenian roots, like Salpi Der Stepanian. With printed black and white photographs and a handwritten family tree, Der Stepanian was excited to take the first steps in discovering more about her family roots thanks to Aghjayan’s presentation. “We have started to collect everything” she said as she explained her interest in learning more about her family and the region of Van where they originated from.

After a brief question and answers session, participants enjoyed Armenian pastries and coffee while sharing family anecdotes and comparing family surnames, inspired to re-construct their own family trees, inspired by Aghjayan and his dedication to help Armenian families answer questions they thought would always remain unanswered.

Aghjayan’s research has not been without its challenges. During the lecture, he explained how the Turkish government, which views this information as sensitive, has blocked access to Ottoman records and research on Turkish citizens in historical reports. Despite these roadblocks, Aghjayan remains hopeful in light of new databases available, such as the ongoing Hairenik newspaper digitization project.

Aghjayan concluded the presentation with a personal anecdote. According to his family’s lore, Aghjayan’s maternal grandmother’s sister had perished in the Syrian desert, a common narrative many Armenian families inherited after the death marches during the genocide. However, after receiving DNA results and combing through interviews with relatives, he connected the missing links in his family story and discovered his grandmother’s sister survived the death marches, a story that awed the audience. In the end, Aghjayan was able to venture to Turkey to reconnect with these long, lost relatives from his maternal side, in a way, bringing them “back from the dead.” This story is a testament to the efforts that can be done in reconstructing family histories, which is “important given the difficulty and trauma of our people during the ruptured clause by the genocide.”

“We have treated them as part of the dead,” Aghjayan said of the ancestors he and others have been able to relocate thanks to genealogical research. “But their descendants are alive. And they are thirsting to find their relatives.”

Author information

Carolina Gazal

Carolina Gazal is an English and Communications major at Boston College. She is from Queens, New York and is currently an intern at the Armenian Weekly.

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Local Armenian students and young Armenian women from the community modeled in last weekend’s sold-out Shadoyan Fashion Couture House runway show.

Syrian-Armenian fashion designer Kevork Shadoyan presented his acclaimed collection “From Reincarnation to Independence” during a large fundraising event for the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Leola Sassouni Chapter of Watertown.

“The ARS is both overjoyed and grateful to have such a prestigious and successful member of our Armenian community join us on this day to help us serve our humanitarian mission,” said ARS member Narineh Abrimian during her opening remarks.

Founded in 1910, the philanthropic Diasporan organization boasts over 15,000 members in over 27 countries, all tasked with serving the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people. Watertown’s Leola Sassouni chapter is part of the ARS Eastern Region and is home to 72 dedicated members.

Shadoyan’s most recent collection pays tribute to the centennial anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia with traditional pieces (daraz) designed with rich, earth-toned fabrics—an impressive collection of deep reds and yellows inspired by historical Armenian provinces such as Marash, Urfa and Sassoun. Children as young as four years old raced down the runway donning Shadoyan’s award-winning designs as proud mothers photographed and cheered from below. The roomful of guests at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bedford, Mass. also marveled at Shadoyan’s newest haute couture evening gown designs.

Sunday also happened to be Mother’s Day in Armenia. “Today is our holiday,” said chair of the Watertown chapter, Mayda Melkonian during her welcoming remarks, noting the prominent use of ‘mother’ when referencing the Armenian church, the Armenian language and the motherland as a whole. In honor of Mother’s Day, pianist Dr. Marine Margarian performed an original composition, “Srbasurb Mayrik,” which she wrote as a tribute to her own mother.

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Leeza Arakelian

Assistant Editor

Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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The Armenian Relief Society Eastern Region (ARS-ER) welcomed dozens of chapter members this past weekend for its regional seminar, inviting them to rediscover their commitment to the storied organization and to re-establish a personal level of accountability.

“This is a moment of opportunity, not discouragement,” said Georgi-Ann Oshagan, a proud 25-year member of the Detroit “Maro” chapter during her presentation in Watertown on Saturday morning. “This is ARS on our watch.”

Founded in 1910, the ARS is a Diasporan organization made up of 220 chapters (ARS-ER is home to 32 chapters) backed by volunteers tasked with the overwhelming and important responsibility to serve the humanitarian needs of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora.  

To the 75 guests at St. Stephen’s Church Hall, Oshagan posed an introspective question: “Who is an ARS member?” Since burnout and dejection are common shortcomings for non-profit organizations, she explained to members the importance of looking inward and restoring a sense of meaning to the values and objectives that compelled them to join the ARS in the first place. She continued to describe the symbols behind its iconic emblem, explain the meaning of the oath that everyone in that room uttered during their initiation and then delivered an emotional recitation of the English translation of the ARS anthem.

Oshagan, a fifth generation ARS member, says she experienced a wake-up call several years ago during a visit to an Arab American national museum in Dearborn, Michigan. She described a glass case of community artifacts that contained a constitution and a book of bylaws for a local Syrian women’s society. “May I never see,” she stressed, “May I never see… may my children not see when one of our constitutions and bylaw books is in some case in one of our Armenian community museums with some end date on it. That’s what’s at stake here. We can do more, and frankly we must do more.”  

The survival of the ARS not only depends on the strength of its members, but also on the stories they preserve over the years. During her presentation, author and professor of history and women and gender studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr. Lerna Ekmekçioğlu said that the ARS needs a dedicated historian. Ekmekçioğlu, who is from Turkey, remembered seeing a lot of Armenian women combating assimilation and organizing philanthropic and charitable activities in the country, where organizations like the ARS are illegal.

Ekmekçioğlu is currently working on a Western Armenian feminism project, researching the published  and little-known literary contributions of a dozen Armenian women from the 1860s to the 1960s, and their ideas about gender equality and Armenian nationalism. “We are sort of creating a past. We are not lying about it,” explained Ekmekçioğlu about the project. “But we are highlighting some parts of our common Armenian past to make a statement about the present and ideally to inspire the future by creating role models, which we dearly lack in general, especially as Armenian women.”

“It was because of my mom I found an ARS chapter,” said Zabel Mooradian Fay, whose mother, Pailoon, was one of the founding members of the Cambridge “Shushi” chapter. Fay said she is now looking for a new chapter to call home and appreciated the day’s opportunity to reconnect with women leaders in the community. “One of the reasons for our seminars is to establish friendships among our ungerouhis as well as continue educating ourselves,” said Ani Attar, chair of the ARS-ER Board of Directors.

“Take this positive energy back to your chapters,” said ARS-ER board member and Cambridge “Shushi” chapter member, Heather Krafian. “One little change is probably the best homework assignment for all of us.”

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Leeza Arakelian

Assistant Editor

Leeza Arakelian is the assistant editor for the Armenian Weekly. She is a formally trained broadcast news writer and a graduate of UCLA and Emerson College. Leeza has written and produced for local and network television news including Boston 25 and Al Jazeera America.

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Last week, Anna Hakobyan, a prominent Armenian journalist and the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, took a two-day visit to the Boston area as part of a larger US tour. While visiting, she enjoyed a packed schedule, which included speaking at a sold-out gala on Friday for the City of Smile charitable foundation, which raised nearly $150,000 to fund cancer treatments for children in Armenia. Her trip also included several pit stops in Watertown to visit several landmark establishments of the Armenian community, including the Hairenik building and St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School.

At the Hairenik offices, George Aghjayan, Chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern Region Central Committee, led Hakobyan on an informative tour of the ARF’s archives. Hakobyan viewed some of the Eastern Region’s items on display, including the original copy of Armenia’s declaration of independence from 1918. Hakobyan made it a rather multi-sensorial experience as she seemed particularly interested in the bound and historic papers of the newspaper archives, even smelling the old books that contain Hairenik and Armenian Weekly pages, dating back to 1899.   

Ahead of her visit to Hairenik office, Hakobyan was warmly-received at St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary school on Friday morning, where she and her delegation visited the classrooms and interacted with the students, who asked insightful questions and displayed impressive knowledge of the Armenian language and poetry.

Later that the evening, she ventured to the Westin Hotel in Waltham, where she was the keynote speaker for the City of Smile fundraiser, an organization whose board she heads. “In wealthy and developed countries, cancer is just a disease,” she told the audience, “but in many less-developed countries, it is equal to a death sentence.”

“I dream to establish . . . a hospital in Armenia which has all of the necessary drugs and techniques so no parent has to take their child to Europe, Russia, or the United States. My dream is that our children stay at home in Armenia and receive treatment in close proximity of their houses.”

While in Boston, she also met with medical professionals and students at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also visited the Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway.

Hakobyan’s entire trip to the United States will span 17 days and five cities; it is primarily devoted to fundraising for City of Smile Foundation and the My Step Foundation. In addition, there will be meetings with the Armenian community.

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