WASHINGTON, DC—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) will, once again, serve as a major sponsor of the In Defense of Christians (IDC) National Leadership Conference, to be held from September 10 to 11 in Washington, DC. During this national gathering, prominent faith leaders will join human rights advocates from across the United States in urging elected officials to take concrete action to preserve Christianity in the Middle East.

“The ANCA is proud to be a sponsor of the In Defense of Christians National Leadership Conference,” said ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan. “IDC has accomplished so much over the past six years in shaping U.S. policy regarding the plight of Christians and other vulnerable minorities in the Middle East. The ANCA is pleased that the conference will once again advocate for – as a major policy goal – Congressional passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution,” added Yerimyan.

U.S. Senate and House Armenian Genocide legislation (S.Res.150 and H.Res.296) aim 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. Over 100 U.S. Representatives have cosponsored H.Res. 296, which was spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). The Senate version, led by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), currently has 18 cosponsors. The ANCA supports immediate consideration and passage of both measures.

The IDC National Leadership Conference – titled “Fighting for Equality, Freedom, and Security” – will begin on the evening of September 10, with a VIP reception and annual Solidarity Dinner to be held at The Hamilton LIVE.  The next day (September 11) the conference will feature a National Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, where participants will meet with members of Congress to highlight the plight of Christians and other minorities across the Middle East.  ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian will be among the speakers at the breakfast panel on September 11th.

Individuals who are interested in attending the In Defense of Christians Conference with ANCA leaders are encouraged to contact the ANCA offices at (202) 775-1918 or email.  Additional information is available on the In Defense of Christians website.

The ANCA’s cooperation with In Defense of Christians dates back to their inaugural conference in 2014 when His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, joined with Christian leaders from throughout the Middle East, offering a powerful call for unity in the face of the existential threat against historic Middle Eastern Christian communities.

The ANCA worked closely with IDC and a coalition of over 100 organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the International Religious Freedom Roundtable and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in a grassroots campaign to have Congress and the Obama Administration declared the slaughter that Christians and other minorities in the Middle East are facing a modern-day genocide. In March 2016, with a vote of 393 to zero, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously condemned as genocide the ongoing ISIL/Da’esh crimes against Christians – including Armenians and Assyrians – as well as Yezidis and other religious minorities in the Middle East by adopting H.Con.Res.75, spearheaded by Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE). Two days later, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry clearly and unequivocally characterized the ongoing ISIL / Da’esh attacks and killings of the Christians, Yezidis, and Shiite Muslims in the Middle East as genocide, with specific mention of the destruction of Armenian churches as part of the cultural destruction of these historic communities. The Senate adopted a similar resolution (S.Res.340) on July 7.

In July 2019, Christian leaders offered prayers in their native languages of Arabic, Aramaic, Assyrian, Greek, Syriac, and Armenian, in a first ecumenical service of its kind held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The historic presentation of hymns included a moving rendition of Der Voghormia (Lord Have Mercy) sung by Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Very Rev. Fr. Sahag Yemishian, Vicar of the Eastern Prelacy, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, pastor of Soorp Khatch Armenian Church of Bethesda, MD, and Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian, pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church of Philadelphia, PA.

In Defense of Christians is a 501(c3) U.S. non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the protection and preservation of Christianity and Christian culture in the Middle East. They work to foster global awareness of the on-going plight of Middle Eastern Christians, encourage political advocacy in order to educate national and international policymakers so as to act toward this goal, and promote programs of humanitarian aid in solidarity with suffering Christian communities in the Middle East.

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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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PROVIDENCE, RI—The Providence Varantian AYF Chapter held its annual pep rally with a packed room full of current AYF juniors, seniors and alumni. Thursday’s event started with a meal provided by the chapter for its guests. During the meal the chapter presented a PowerPoint slideshow presentation, showcasing the athletes going to Olympics on Labor Day weekend.

Nineteen athletes from the chapter are attending, three of which are first time juniors; all are participating in three events. After the presentation, current members and alumni members spoke on the current state of the chapter and shared some past Olympic memories. The chapter’s participation has been growing over the past three years. Momentum is moving in the right direction for this chapter. 

With aims of keeping Providence proud, the chapter will head to Chicago this weekend to try their best, be respectful and have fun.

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AYF-YOARF

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.

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The AYF Olympics have begun. People started to arrive today from all over the US. Some just want to add another day to their Olympics in Chicago experience. More so, most of those checking in today are here for the Friday athletic events. Tennis, golf and basketball all begin at 9 in the morning. Swimming is in the late afternoon.

The first folks I met were the Baldwins from Detroit: Taleen, CJ, Stella and Sona. We both pulled in at the same time. It was a pleasure to meet Taleen’s family. Next was a trip to the Chicago Welcome Desk that was well organized and staffed by Chicago ladies.  

We grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed over to the comedy club Zanies for the inimitable Vahe Berberian. There were 150 fans in attendance, and Vahe had us all laughing from the moment he took the stage through his entire show. He has a wonderful knack for observing and making light of human nature with a most definite Armenian slant. Kudos to the committee for engaging Vahe to kick-off the entertainment for the AYF Olympic Weekend.  

After Vahe’s show, I met Hatchig Kantzabedian and Minas Kaftajian from Dallas. It was their first time at the AYF Olympics, and they were delighted to be in the great city of Chicago. They told me they always take a Labor Day trip with their wives. The marketing buzz for the Olympics in Chicago on social media and in the Armenian press helped them to make the AYF Olympics in Chicago their destination for this year.  

Upon returning to the hotel, my mother in-law, Mary Mardoian, ran into sisters Sato Sanikian and Haygo Ohanesian from Fresno. They had moved from Beirut to Waukegan back in the 1970s. For the two years they lived there and Kenosha, WI, they sang in the St. Paul choir with Mary and fondly remembered her exquisite voice and guidance she provided as their choir director. They have been in Fresno for 43 years. They were delighted to be in Chicago and reconnect with old friends like Mary.

I heard that there were 17 men signed up to play tennis. That has to be a record. I saw a strapping fellow with a tennis racket in his backpack.  He said he was from New Jersey. While he looked it, he told me he never played any organized tennis. When he told me his name, George Noury, I commented that he looked familiar and asked if he owned a café. He said yes! It turns out we are friends on Facebook where he does a lot of marketing for his restaurant, Nouri Cafe. I told him his marketing was good, and I will visit his Armenian-Syrian restaurant the next time I’m in New Jersey. I would encourage everyone else to check it out and support this young entrepreneur!

The AYF Olympics swings into full action tomorrow with tennis, golf and three-on-three basketball. The ever-popular swimming takes place in the early evening. Come on out and support our young athletes! The entertainment? There are two dances: the Alumni Dance featuring Chicago’s own Hye Vibes with special guest Ara Dinkjian and Ara Topouzian and the AYF Gala – A Little Hayastan with Tigran Asatryan. It should be a fabulous day!

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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Taniel, directed by Garo Berberian, a beautiful, dramatic and poetic film about the last months of Armenian poet Taniel Varoujan has had a busy year of international festival screenings. Following its wins at Bermuda International Film Festival and Hollywood’s ARPA, Taniel has recently achieved recognition at Portugal’s AVANCA Film Festival winning the “Premio Don Quixote” award; it also won a special mention award at Fresco International Film Festival and at L’Age D’Ore International Arthouse Film Festival, where the film received a trio of awards, Best Short, Special Mention for the films trailer and Best Film Poster, based on photographer Tatev Vardanyan’s photograph of lead actor Tigran Gaboyan, bringing the number of awards for the film to eight.

“This is a great honor to be getting international recognition for Taniel at prestigious film festivals; and having our Portuguese premiere in AVANCA Film Festival in July and winning three awards at L’Age D’Ore International Arthouse Film Festival and an award at Fresco in August is extremely rewarding,” said British director Garo Berberian. 

“Winning “Premio Don Quixote” award at AVANCA is particularly meaningful and important, given the film’s literary connections, and Varoujan’s love of classic literature,” said the film’s poetry producer Tatevik Ayvazyan.

The film has some exciting nominations to look forward to this autumn and winter with upcoming screenings at the U.K.’s iconic Pinewood Studios, and festivals in Cyprus and Vienna among others. More news to follow. 

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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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It was an awesome Friday at the AYF Olympics jam-packed with athletic and social events. The day began with golf, tennis and basketball, which all began at 9 in the morning. Swimming began in the early evening. The evening was capped off with two dances: the Alumni Dance and the AYF Gala with Tigran Asatryan.

Planning and coordinating all of these activities, which includes shuttling athletes and spectators alike to the various venues, is no mean task. The Chicago organizing committee has done a wonderful job thus far. One thing they have done that no one else has done in my memory was to have the golf, tennis and basketball within three miles of each other in Mt. Prospect, IL. People could easily go between the venues with ease. It was very cool. Mother Nature did her part and provided a simply gorgeous sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70s. It was a great first day for AYF Olympic sports!

I first hit the beautiful Old Orchard Country Club to watch the AYF and Alumni Golfers tee off. There were five men golfers including Mark Santerian (Philadelphia)—last year’s winner and clearly the man to beat this year. The rest of the competitors were the Providence brothers Shahan and Alexan Topalian, Joey Charchaflian of Greater Boston and Sam Manuelian of Worcester. There was a mix-up in registration for Norig Boyan (Greater Boston), so he couldn’t officially compete for a medal. But in great fraternal spirit, he was out there playing and supporting the others. Not surprisingly, Mark Santerian shot a blazing 72 and won the gold.

There were four women golfers who have played together for the past few years. Everyone was guaranteed to get a point. They included Shayna McCarthy and Theresa Jelalian from New Jersey, Ani Comela of Providence and Araxi Krafian from Boston. The results were not available at the time of this reporting, but Shayna McCarthy was looking very strong.

There was a large number of alumni golfers as usual but no women alumni this year. Mike Manoogian won the trophy which was presented at the Alumni Dance.

The next stop was the tennis courts. There were five women participating Chanetelle Nasri (Manhattan), Anahis Kechejian (Greater Boston), Olivia Barberian (North Andover) and Katia and Lina Ariyan (New Jersey).  Kenar Charchaflian (Worcester), who usually plays, was there supporting and cheering on her tennis friends but will be doing the Pentathlon this year. AYF tennis stalwarts Lina and Katia squared off in the finals with Katia besting her sister. Olivia took the bronze, and Anahis came in fourth.

There were 17 men registered to play tennis. Fourteen showed up and competed including Hagop Taraksian (Providence), a crowd favorite, who was looking to win his fifth AYF tennis title. He ended up in an exciting finals match against Shahan Derbedrosian of Glendale. The games were excellent with long rallies. In the end, Shahan bested Hagop in two sets and took the gold. Michael Armen Kadian (Detroit) took third, and Garo Tashian (Providence) took fourth. It was a great day for AYF tennis.

This year, a new sport was introduced:  three-on-three basketball. There were six teams, three of which were from California. This format of basketball is half court, fast paced and fun to watch. One point is awarded for a normal basket, and two are given for a basket from beyond the three-point line. There is no time clock and no free throws. The first team to 15 wins, and you have to win by two. I was able to catch the semi-finals and final games, and it was truly exciting. New Jersey squared off against a Los Angeles team. It was a hard-fought game with Los Angeles finally prevailing in the equivalent of three on three triple overtime. You can watch a video of the last half of that game on Facebook.

This reporter was unable to attend the swimming competition. Look for a report on the swimming in tomorrow’s article.

The Alumni Dance was next on the agenda. The tradition is to have the local community provide a lavish display of Armenian delicacies. The Chicago ladies did just that. The offerings were varied and amazing. The Hye Vibes with guest stars Ara Dinkjian and Ara Topouzian provided the music. The meal delayed the start of the dancing, but once the Khaligians from Racine got up to dance, the dance floor was full and stayed that way for the remainder of the evening. It was old school AYF Armenian music and dance and, as they say, the joint was rocking. It was estimated that 400 were in attendance, and everyone had a fabulous time.

One of the traditions is to name the Olympic Kings, Queens and the Varadian Spirit Award winners at the Alumni Dance. The choices this year were:

• Kings: Raffi Killian and Jeff Hagopian
• Queen: Karine Birazian Shnorhokian
• Varadian Spirit Award Winners: Mayreni Soulakian and Greg Bedian

Talk about rocking the joint, that is exactly what Tigran Asatryan did at the AYF Gala. The dance floor was full and appreciative of Tigran’s vocal stylings. Between the Gala and the Alumni Dance, both styles of Armenian party music were provided and enjoyed by one and all.

There was one quote during the day that sticks out. At the tennis court, Rubina Boyrazian, the athletic trainer in charge of first aid for the event, said, “There are three letters key to finding an Armenian spouse:  A-Y-F.” Well said, Rubina!

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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When I first started attending the AYF Olympics, Saturday was the least active day of the Olympics. Sure, there were track preliminaries and a dance, which was lightly attended, but overall, it was a free time for folks to explore the host city.

That is no longer the case. Saturday is for softball now. This year, it was also javelin day. Javelin day? More on that later. Harout Pamboukjian would also be performing. In recent years, Saturday at the AYF Olympics is a fantastic day.

Softball has transformed the AYF Olympics Saturday. Co-ed chapter teams play for two reasons: bragging rights and simply brilliant fun. The AYFers have a great time playing. All of their family and friends show up to watch and enjoy the games and cheer them on. It is simultaneously a picnic with the food we love. And sometimes, as this year, there is a band. People came and spent the whole day watching softball, eating, socializing, dancing and having an overall memorable AYF time.

The weather was again in the mid-70s. It was partly sunny and the perfect day for a softball tournament and an Armenian style picnic. The fields were a few miles from the hotel (no one has had closer venues to the hotel than this year in Chicago). During the games, the MidEast beat, another local band, provided a beautiful soundtrack of traditional Armenian music. Great weather, softball, kebab, music and dancing…what more did we need?

There were 10 chapter teams participating, one of which was a mixed team so that anyone who wanted to could participate. There were 10 total games played in this single elimination tournament. Detroit has been a powerhouse in the past several years. They were in the finals last year losing to Los Angeles. They had won the tournament the few years before that. They had a bye in the first round and played Providence in the second round. Let’s call it a rebuilding year as a good Providence team beat them 21-14. In the next round, Providence lost to New Jersey, who bested Chicago in their first game, 14-6. This got Jersey into the finals.  On the other side of the bracket, Los Angeles, the defending champions, beat Manhattan and Boston, putting up some big numbers along the way to reach the finals.

It was New Jersey versus Los Angeles. Everyone was excited for this final between two powerhouse teams. This, however, was a Los Angeles day. Their defense was very good and their batting…they put on a show. Eddie Hovannisian blasted two massive homers over the 15-foot fence in left field to lead the way. Everyone hit and played well.  They jumped out to a huge lead over Jersey. It looked like there might be an early departure due to the mercy rule in the version of softball played here. But, really, we are talking about New Jersey. They are tough and scrappy and not about to go out that way. They made a gritty run, but in the end still lost to a very good Los Angeles team.

After the game, they shook hands, hugged and took a group photo of both teams celebrating the competition and the fraternal spirit of the AYF. This is why softball has completely transformed Saturdays at the AYF Olympics into something special.

While the Softball tournament was in the semi-finals, a group of athletes left the softball to go to Notre Dame High School for the javelin competition. This field event is normally held on Sundays at the track and field competition. In Illinois, javelin is not a high school sport due to the liabilities involved in throwing, well, spears. Javelin is not allowed at the track and field venue. Governing Body member Daron Topouzian worked very hard with the Chicago committee to find a venue for this long-standing field event. They found Notre Dame High School and, as has been the norm for this Chicago Olympics, it was three miles away from the softball fields. The competition was exciting to watch with both seasoned competitors and others who were throwing the javelin for the first time ever in this competition. That mix of experience and talent is a hallmark of the AYF Olympics where participation and fraternal spirit are as important as winning. The final results were not available for this article but will be in the Armenian Weekly AYF Olympic Special Issue that will come out later in September.

Next on the agenda? Harout. He did not disappoint. He never disappoints. Harout is full of energy as is his band. That energy transfers to the crowd full of his adoring fans who filled the dance floor… all night long. Harout was all over the stage. He was on the dance floor dancing and singing amid all the attendees. Even Vahe Berberian was there enjoying the energy! Harout is now a regular at the AYF Olympics and is part of the long tradition of this 86 year-old event that is so special to us all.

It was a great Saturday at the 86^th Annual AYF Olympics. Looking forward to the track and field and the Olympic Ball on Sunday!

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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It was a super Sunday at the AYF Olympics that included the march of the athletes, the opening ceremonies, the track and field events and the Olympic Ball and trophy presentations. It was an action-packed day to say the least.

The track and field events took place at Triton College. The facilities were beautiful and, as with everything at this Olympics, close to the hotel. A special thanks to Garry Abezetian the AVP of Finance at Triton for making this awesome venue possible.

We did have rain this weekend, but it was late Saturday night and end at dawn on Sunday. While the grounds at the discus and shotput were a bit soaked, none of the events were impacted. The weather was again in the mid-seventies and the skies overcast. It was perfect for the athletes and the fans. The stands were fuller longer than at most recent Olympics where the temperatures were in the 90s. They stayed so long that ALL the concessions sold out. As an added feature, the Chicago Olympic Steering Committee had the Three Armigos, David Mahdasian, Raffi Mahdasian and Armen Saryan bring their unique Racine/Milwaukee humorous banter in announcing and commenting on the events.

The March of the Athletes was a stirring as ever. There were former Kings and Queens and Varadian Spirit Award winners marching with the athletes that numbered in the hundreds. Stephanie Killian was the emcee, and there were beautiful speeches by all who spoke including Aram Kaloostian of the ARF, Kenar Charchaflian AYF Central Executive and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian who also led us in prayer and blessed the athletes. They all spoke of the heritage of the AYF and its grand tradition of not only helping keep young people Armenian, but also being unsurpassed in developing and nurturing future community leaders. The games themselves were entertaining and competitive. Athletes, families and friends were cheering for both their own chapter, certainly, but also everyone else.

Boston came into Sunday leading in the point totals with Philadelphia within striking distance; Detroit and New Jersey were not far behind. Those results did not change. Boston was strong in the track and field with two high scorers: Anoush Krafian and Shant Maroukhian. They never relinquished their lead and won the 86^th Annual AYF Olympics. Philadelphia was second, followed by Detroit, New Jersey and Providence. There were records broken. A significant one was the women’s 50 meter dash of 6.6 seconds set by Andrea Nranian of Detroit in 1979 and tied by Melanee Melkonian of Worcester in 2015. Melanie Sarafian of Detroit broke that record running an impressive race in 6.41 seconds. The other highlight of the day was the four Krafian sisters of Greater Boston running and winning the 4×100 relay. It is the first time four sisters ran a relay in AYF history. Four Sarajian brothers ran a relay some years ago but did not win. Araxie Krafian commented that it was most special to run this race with her sisters. “Being the oldest, I am glad to be able to continue in the AYF so this could happen. Hopefully, we can do it again,” she told me.

The day was only half over. Everyone returned to the hotel, had some dinner freshened up and then went to the Olympic Ball. Hachig Kazarian, Steve Vosbikian, Raffi Massoyan, Ara Dinkjian, Jim Kzirian, Michael Kazarian and the great Onnik Dinkjian energized the ballroom with traditional Armenian music. The dance floor was full until the award presentations, and then it was mobbed. The presentation of the awards and trophies simply took the AYFers’ energy to a new level, and that lasted the rest of the night.

Here are a few of the trophies presented:

• The Ernest Nahigian Sportsmanship Trophy went to Daron of Greater Boston
• The Pentathon Winners were Aram Keshgegian of Philadelphia and Lori Ganjian of Greater Boston
• Anoush Krafian broke the women’s long jump record
• Detroit set a new record in the co-ed swim relay
• The complete results will be in the Armenian Weekly AYF Olympic Special Issue coming out later this month.

As the weekend has ended, it is time to thank the 86^th Annual Olympics Steering Committee for a job very well done. It is a mammoth undertaking requiring over a year of planning to make an Olympics Weekend as successful as this.  Here are the executives of the Steering Committee:

• Ari Killian, Co-Chair
• Garin Bedian, Co-Chair
• Hagop Soulakian, Athletics
• Hovig Vartanian, Treasurer/Hye Pass
• Lena Surenian, Administration
• Renee Devedjian, Ad Book
• Ardem Hardy, Marketing/Sponsorship

The Ad Book was phenomenal! The Saturday picnic was a great success! The entertainment was nonpareil! The venues were top-notch and close! The transportation was easy and reliable! The Alumni Night Food was beyond compare! The Welcoming Desk was exactly that:  welcoming! The security at the hotel was very good! The Opening Ceremonies? The PR? The website? All excellent! Congratulations to one and all for hosting a phenomenal Olympics!

See everyone next year in Worcester. Bringing it back to where it all began!

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Mark Gavoor

Mark Gavoor is Associate Professor of Operations Management in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University in Chicago. He is an avid blogger and oud player.

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WASHINGTON, DC—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) participated in a demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy on Tuesday demanding the release of the unjustly jailed mayors of Amed, Mardin, and Van – three major, Kurdish-majority municipalities that were once home to vibrant, pre-genocide Armenian populations. The protest was organized by members of the Kurdistani American Committee.

Last month, the Turkish government of Recep Erdogan replaced pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) elected leaders – Amed co-mayor Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı, Mardin co-mayor Ahmet Türk and Van co-mayor Bedia Özgökçe Ertan with hand-picked state officials and also arrested more than 400 others accused of political crimes against the state. These moves are seen as part of a broader effort by Erdogan to tar the HDP as a front for the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

“We’re committed to working with our Kurdish American allies toward a democratic, pluralist and tolerant Turkey – one that’s capable of reckoning honestly with its past and responsibly meeting its obligations to the future,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “It’s in this spirit that we joined in protesting the removal of mayors of municipalities that were home to large pre-1915 Armenian populations that, until this day, include many Armenians whose heritage has remained hidden for much of the past century.”

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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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BIRZEIT, Palestine—The Palestinian Museum organized a number of book launch events around Armenian American researcher and flutist Sato Moughalian’s new book Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian at the Museum premises, in Jerusalem’s American Colony Hotel (in partnership with the Educational Bookshop), and in Haifa (in partnership with the Arab Culture Association).

In her book, Moughalian explores her grandfather David Ohannessian’s (1884–1953) life journey. The book tells the story of the establishment of the art of Jerusalem Armenian ceramics in the city, as the author traces her grandfather’s works in churches, houses and on the walls of the Old City, among other locations.

David Ohannessian is considered the founder of the Jerusalem Armenian ceramics art. He was a master of the renowned Kütahya ceramics tradition in Ottoman Turkey, where in 1907 he founded one of the city’s three ceramics workshops. During his career there, he adorned buildings, tiled monumental mihrabs, and renovated and created the tiling of important mosques, tombs and palaces in the city as well as in Cairo, Constantinople, Bursa, Damascus, Konya and Mecca. He earned wide acclaim as an expert in historical renovation and exported his works to England and France, winning a gold medal at the 1910 Bursa Trade Fair.

An important landmark in Ohannessian’s career came between 1911 and 1913 when he was commissioned to create a major ceramic tile installation by British MP Mark Sykes at his home in Yorkshire, England. The work earned the admiration of many visiting diplomats and British officials.

During the Armenian Genocide, Ohannessian and his family were deported from Turkey to Aleppo where they subsisted as refugees for three years. In late 1918, he met once more with Sykes who introduced him to Ronald Storrs, the Military Governor of Jerusalem. Upon an invitation by British authorities to consult on the planned restoration of the Dome of the Rock, Ohannessian arrived in Jerusalem later that year.

Ohannessian’s time in Jerusalem saw the introduction and flourishing of his artform in the city. During the 30 years he spent in Palestine (1918–1948), he established a workshop on the Via Dolorosa in the Old City, trained apprentices (many orphans among them) and decorated structures designed by both British and Palestinian architects. While he introduced to Jerusalem the Ottoman tradition of exterior architectural tile decoration, he imbued it with a uniquely Palestinian character through his choices of colors and local materials. He built a successful international trade, exporting his ceramic works worldwide and exhibiting in major expositions including the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts, the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition and the 1933–34 Chicago World’s Fair.

Many of David Ohannessian’s major ceramic installations in Jerusalem are still standing in the American Colony, St. Andrew’s Church, the former St. John’s Ophthalmic Hospital, St. Saviour’s Church, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, a number of private homes (especially in Talbiyeh and Sheikh Jarrah) and apartment buildings, in addition to public and private works in Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

Ohannessian is regarded as one of the last ceramics masters who maintained the time-honored traditional methods of this craft into the 1940s. His Palestinian ceramics were distinct in their vibrant glazing and highly saturated colors.

“To me, the significance of this book lies in exploring the life of the pioneer of Jerusalem Armenian ceramics, an art form that has become a distinguishing feature of Jerusalem known around the world, and tracing its trajectory from the late Ottoman Empire,” said Moughalian. “This book also corrects a number of errors in the art historical narrative of the establishment of the Jerusalem Armenian ceramic art and fills gaps in the story of Ohannessian’s life.” 

For her part, Director General of the Palestinian Museum, Dr. Adila Laïdi-Hanieh notes, “We host this book launch as part of our effort to museify Palestinian cultural practices. David Ohannessian is the originator of a major Palestinian art and craft, which is now shorthand for Palestinian and Jerusalemite visual identity: its tile panels and pottery, and a contemporary avatar, the popular Hebron ceramics. As Ohannessian’s career was cut short by his 1948 exile and the loss of his atelier, his tradition lives on in Palestine through the descendants of his Armenian workers, apprentices, and via the many Palestinian collectors of his rare pieces.” 

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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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YEREVAN—Dr. Tom Catena, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Chair and 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, will participate as speaker at the 2019 World Health Summit to take place on October 27 to 29, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Catena will join leading healthcare experts and decision-makers from around the globe to discuss ways to advance global health agendas and promote science thought leadership. 

Dr. Catena, an American physician, joined the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative as its inaugural Chair in December 2018. He is also the founder and Medical Director of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in Sudan where for the past decade he has served as the only surgeon permanently based in the war-ravaged Nuba Mountains region. 

“As part of the Aurora community of humanitarians, it is a great honor to attend the World Health Summit and speak about issues so close to our hearts and essential to Aurora’s mission,” said Dr. Catena. “The World Health Summit brings together people who are keen on finding efficient solutions and eliminating obstacles so that no man, woman or child is ever left behind. In Nuba, I’ve witnessed the power of that philosophy with my own eyes.”

Dr. Catena will speak at a keynote session titled “Transforming Human Capital: Investing in Health and Education,” along with representatives from KPMG, the World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Dr. Catena will also join the former German Minister of Health, Hermann Gröhe and Siemens Healthineers CEO Dr. Bernd Montag at a side event titled “Breaking the Silos – Improving Global Health through Collaborative Action.”

Attracting 2,500 high-level participants from 100 countries, the World Health Summit has become one of the preeminent annual forums for opinion leaders from politics, academia, civil society and the healthcare industry to discuss joint opportunities and responsibilities in improving global health. 

Dr. Catena’s participation at the World Healthcare Summit is part of a broader agenda of speaking engagements spanning Europe, North America and Africa. In Europe, Dr. Catena will be participating at the inaugural Aurora Forum and the 2019 Aurora Prize Ceremony to take place in Yerevan, Armenia in October. In November, he will attend the Paris Peace Forum among other events. 

Dr. Catena’s speaking commitments in Africa include the AidEx Nairobi Conference, a high-profile event focused on aid and development within Africa, and his participation in the 25th anniversary of Maison Shalom, an organization founded by 2016 Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse that works with orphans and victims of violence.

In the United States, Dr. Catena will give lectures at Columbia University and Duke University and participate in the Annual Conference for the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) in Nashville, Tennessee.

About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative

Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid anywhere in the world and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is Gratitude in Action. It is an eight-year commitment (2015 to 2023, in remembrance of the eight years of the Armenian Genocide 1915-1923) to support people and promote global projects that tackle the needs of the most helpless and destitute and do so at great risk. This is achieved through the Initiative’s various programs: The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Dialogues, the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the Gratitude Projects and the 100 LIVES Initiative. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been joined by more than 440 new supporters and partners. Our Chair, Dr. Tom Catena, draws on his experience as a surgeon, veteran, humanitarian and the 2017 Aurora Prize laureate to spread the message of Gratitude in Action to a global audience. The Initiative welcomes all who embrace a commitment to our shared humanity. 

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations – Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the IDeA Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia). 

More information is available at www.auroraprize.com

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Exciting things are in store at Celebrating Contributions of Our Nation’s Immigrants on Wednesday, September 18, 2019. The gala event at Boston’s InterContinental Hotel will raise support for the Endowed Fund for the Care of the Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway, ensuring that the Park is impeccably cared for and maintained year-round in perpetuity.

The Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway was an extraordinary gift to the City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts from the Armenian-American community. This “gem of The Greenway” (Boston Globe, 2012) engages people from all nations, all ethnicities, all ages, to unite and come together on common ground.

The September benefit celebrates the immigrant experience and all who have come to our Massachusetts shores, reestablishing themselves in new and different ways and contributing to American life and culture.

We are delighted to be able to name Dr. Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, as the evening’s honoree. Dr. Afeyan is a remarkable citizen, leader and philanthropist, whose life’s journey has positively impacted individuals, businesses and institutions in the U.S, in Armenia and around the world.

Benefactors of the Park from the outset, Dr. Afeyan and his wife Anna have endowed the Park’s Fund for Programs.  In addition to supporting the annual genocide commemoration, the Afeyans’ generosity makes possible the Armenian Heritage Park Welcome Reception for new citizens and their families & friends following their naturalization ceremonies at historic Faneuil Hall.

The evening will also shine a light on the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, the philanthropic vision of founders Dr. Afeyan, Dr. Vartan Gregorian and Ruben Vardanyan, and its Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, presented annually to an individual for the exceptional impact their actions have had on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes.

During the evening, at Dr. Afeyan’s suggestion, organizations serving immigrants and refugees will be recognized. These organizations include the City of Boston Immigrant Defense Fund, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, International Institute of New England, Irish International Immigrant Center and RefugePoint.

Dr. Noubar Afeyan’s 32-year career as an inventor, entrepreneur and CEO has been extraordinary. He has dedicated his professional life to improving the human condition by systematically creating science-based innovations that serve as the foundation for startup companies. At Flagship Pioneering, which he founded in 1999, Noubar has created an enterprise where entrepreneurially-minded scientists invent seemingly unreasonable solutions to challenges facing human health and sustainability. They begin by asking “What if?” and iterate toward the unexpected answer “It turns out,” resulting in the creation of first-in-category companies with significant impact. Flagship has fostered the development of more than 100 scientific ventures resulting in $30 billion in aggregate value, thousands of patents and patent applications, and several dozen drugs in clinical development.

Noubar has co-founded and helped build over 40 life science and technology startups. Prior to founding Flagship Pioneering, Noubar was the founder and CEO of PerSeptive Biosystems, a leader in bio-instrumentation that grew to $100 million in annual revenues. After PerSeptive’s acquisition by Perkin Elmer/Applera Corporation in 1998, he became senior vice president and chief business officer of Applera, where he initiated and oversaw the creation of Celera Genomics.

Currently Dr. Afeyan serves on a number of public and private company boards including Moderna and Evelo Biosciences, where he is chairman, Rubius Therapeutics and Seres Therapeutics. Previously, he was a member of the founding team, director and investor in highly successful ventures including Chemgenics Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals), Color Kinetics (acquired by Philips), Adnexus Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb) and Affinnova (acquired by AC Nielsen).

Noubar became fascinated by biotechnology during its emergence as a new academic field and industrial sector, completing his doctoral work in biochemical engineering at MIT in 1987. He has written numerous scientific publications and is the inventor of more than 80 patents. He is a lecturer at Harvard Business School and from 2000 to 2016 was a senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He teaches and speaks around the world on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development to biological engineering, new medicines and renewable energy.

Noubar’s commitment to improving the human condition through science and business goes hand in hand with social investments and global humanitarian initiatives. Together with his partners, he has launched philanthropic projects including the IDeA Foundation, UWC Dilijan School, 100 LIVES and the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity to raise awareness of the world’s most pressing humanitarian problems. Noubar is a member of the Corporation of MIT (the Institute’s governing body) and a member of the board of trustees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Noubar was born in Beirut to Armenian parents in 1962. He did his undergraduate work at McGill University in Montreal and completed his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering at MIT in 1987. A passionate advocate of the contributions of immigrants to economic and scientific progress, Noubar received the Golden Door Award in 2017 from the International Institute of New England in recognition of his outstanding contributions to American society as a U.S citizen of foreign birth. He was also awarded a Great Immigrant honor from the Carnegie Corporation in 2016, received a Technology Pioneer award from the World Economic Forum in 2012 and was presented with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2008.

Advance reservations for Celebrating Contributions! are required. To receive an invitation, please email hello@ArmenianHeritagePark.org or call 617.803.8785.

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SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Acclaimed Armenian singer and performer Adiss Harmandian has died. His family announced that Harmandian peacefully passed away at the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital on September 1 after a 15-year struggle with cancer. He was 74 years old.

Harmandian, who was born on January 14, 1945 in Beirut, broke into the music scene in Beirut in the 1960s with the song “Dzaghigner” (Flowers) and never looked back. Many of his early hits, written by songwriter Hasmig Manasserian, made Adiss a household name in every corner of the Armenian Diaspora. 

During his career, Harmandian recorded some 40 albums (more than 400 songs), many of which became hits throughout the Armenian Diaspora, becoming a pioneer of what is referred to as “estradayin” genre of Armenian popular music.

His hits include “Nune,” “Ayl Acher Gan,” “Karoun Karoun,” “Mdamolor,” “Mi Latsatsnir,” “Ayl Acher,” “Akhtamar” and “Kisher e Kisher.” 

In 2005, Harmandian received the prestigious St. Mesrob Mashdots Medal of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia for his role in spreading Armenian music.

In 2015, Harmandian published a biographical volume titled “Adiss, Yerki Jampov” (roughly, “Adiss: Along the Road of Songs”) that charts his life and musical career. 

For over two generations, Harmandian’s songs have made an incredible impression on the lives of millions of Armenians. Doubtless, his songs will continue to fill Armenian homes and weddings for generations to come.

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On September 4, 2019,  Marian (Sanders) Bandazian passed away in her home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Marian was born on July 23, 1940 in Teaneck, New Jersey. She was the wife of Dr. Walter Bandazian; mother of Peri and Lori Bandazian; grandmother of Lily and Lucy Montorio; daughter of Kohar and Vahram Sandrakortzian; and sister of Armen Sanders.

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Author Raffi Bedrosyan will discuss his recent publication, at the AGBU New England Center, 247 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA, on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and the AGBU New England District. The program will be moderated by George Aghjayan.

Trauma and Resilience (Garod Books, 2018) is a collection of articles about events in Turkey which have profoundly affected the lives of Armenians, hidden Armenians and no longer hidden Armenians who have recently returned to their roots. The genocide in 1915 not only caused the disappearance of 1.5 million Armenians from their historic homeland, but also resulted in the assimilation and Islamization of thousands of Armenian orphans, creating the “hidden Armenians,” the living victims of the genocide. Almost 100 years later, certain events encouraged the grandchildren of the hidden Armenians to re-awaken and return to their Armenian roots, language and culture.

Raffi Bedrosyan is a Toronto-based civil engineer and concert pianist. He was involved in organizing the Surp Giragos Diyarbekir reconstruction project and, in 2012, gave the first Armenian piano concert in the church since 1915. A second concert was held on April 23, 2015, to commemorate the centennial. George Aghjayan is a researcher as well as a member of NAASR’s Board of Directors and chairman of the ARF Eastern Region Central Committee.

This event is free and open to the public. A reception and refreshments will take place before and after the program. Trauma and Resilience will be available for purchase and signing by the author.

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

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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.

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BERKELEY, Calif.—The Armenian Women’s Archives (AWA) has announced the immediate availability of The Helene Pilibosian Papers at the prestigious Schlesinger Library, Harvard University.

The newly available papers provide researchers, students and the general public an in-depth view of the life and work of Helene Pilibosian (1933-2015), prominent Armenian writer and poet. 

“These extensive papers give detailed insights into the development of Watertown, Massachusetts in the 1940s and 50s, and of its historic Armenian community in particular,” said Lori Dedeyan, archivist with the AWA Archives of Berkeley, California. Pilibosian’s poetry often reflects challenges arising from her identity as a first-generation Armenian American woman, as well as inherited trauma arising from the experiences of both her parents during the Armenian Genocide.

AWA also announces the upcoming publication in 2020 of more than 500 pages of Pilibosian’s previously unknown and unpublished poetry, titled, Legacy of an Author: Events and Wanderings Sprinkled in Six Books. The poems were recently discovered by chance on Pilibosian’s computer after her death, through the efforts of AWA and Pilibosian’s husband, Hagop Sarkissian. This upcoming publication will provide important insights into Pilibosian’s contributions to Armenian American culture.

In 1964, Helene became the first woman editor of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, an Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) paper in Boston. From this position, she came in contact with many of the prominent Armenian writers, intellectuals and political figures of the time. Her papers from this time period detail the workings, as well as the political and social concerns of the Armenian community and are international in scope. In April 1965, she dedicated an entire issue of the paper to the 50th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; her editorial, “Out of Smoldering Ashes,” was later printed in the Congressional Record. Her memoir, My Literary Profile: A Memoir, provides insights into her experiences as a woman navigating academia in the 1950s. It also casts light on the experience of women undergoing treatment for depression during this time.

Founded in 1988, the mission of Berkeley’s AWA is to trace the life stories of women of Armenian descent or those married to Armenians. AWA is an educational literary nonprofit that accomplishes its purpose in three ways: through the preservation of unpublished documents and personal records, through making accessible a variety of published materials, and through outreach and educational programs.

AWA facilitated Schlesinger Library’s acquisition of Pilibosian’s papers, which are now accessible at the library, the premier women’s archives in the United States. Electronic access to the papers is currently under development.

In addition to this recent success at Harvard, AWA has facilitated numerous placements of valuable archival papers, books and recordings – primarily in university archives. Through these activities, AWA continues to document and keep alive women’s culture and history that otherwise might be lost and forgotten.

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WASHINGTON, DC—The US Senate and House of Representatives have returned from the August recess and are set to begin consideration of two key Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed pro-Armenia and Artsakh measures dealing with expanded US assistance to the region and efforts to ensure Artsakh security.

First, the Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on the Fiscal Year 2020 foreign aid bill, a far-ranging multi-billion measure that touches on a number of ANCA policy priorities. Prior to the August recess, the US House had adopted two ANCA-backed amendments that we are encouraging Senators to include in their version of the foreign aid bill. The first, the Speier Amendment, allocates an additional $40 million in democracy development assistance, while the second, the Cox Amendment, appropriated continued funding for de-mining and other humanitarian programs in Artsakh.

Meanwhile, key leaders of the US House and Senate Armed Services Committees will be meeting to serve on a “conference committee” responsible with reconciling the House and Senate versions of a major defense authorization bill – known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). During negotiations, legislators are encouraged to ensure that two vital pro-Artsakh amendments—the Sherman and Chu Amendments—are included in the final version of this legislation that is sent to the White House for the President’s signature.

The Sherman Amendment—offered by Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) with the support of Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Vice-Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA)—prohibits funds from being used to transfer defense articles or services to Azerbaijan unless the President certifies to Congress that the articles or services do not threaten civil aviation. This amendment was necessitated by the public assertion, reported by Radio Free Europe in March of 2011, by Arif Mamadov, the Director of Azerbaijan’s Civil Aviation Administration, that the Azerbaijani government had warned the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that “the law on aviation envisages the physical destruction of airplanes landing in that territory,” specifically referencing flights to Nagorno Karabakh. As a result of this threat – which has never been withdrawn – the civilian airport in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh has been closed ever since. The U.S. House adopted the amendment on July 11, 2019 by a vote of 234 to 195.

The Chu Amendment—offered by Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) with the support of Representatives Pallone and Schiff—supports measures to continue the cease-fire in Artsakh, including the non-deployment of snipers, heavy arms, and new weaponry, the deployment of gun-fire locator systems, and an increase in OSCE observers along the line-of-contact. The three specific proposals advanced as part of the Chu Amendment are consistent with the Royce-Engel peace proposal, first put forward in October of 2015 by the bipartisan leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a letter to the Department of State signed by 85 U.S. Representatives. They enjoy broad-based Congressional support and are endorsed, in principle by the State Department, the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, but – not yet – by Azerbaijan. The U.S. House adopted the measure “en bloc” with other amendments by voice vote on July 11, 2019.

ANCA advocates across the U.S. have been contacting their legislators through the organization’s March to Justice action portal – anca.org/takeaction – to encourage legislators to ensure expanded U.S. assistance to Artsakh and Armenia and defend the key pro-Artsakh amendments to the NDAA.

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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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Born in the village of Chegoggin, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1872, nurse Sara Corning made it her life’s mission to help others. In her mid-twenties, she moved to the United States for training and worked in New England for almost 20 years, before returning to Nova Scotia to help the 10,000 victims of the Halifax Explosion.

In 1918, at the age of 46, Sara was certified by the American Red Cross and joined Near East Relief—an organization created to help civilians affected by the Great War. Landing in Constantinople (Istanbul) soon after, she helped rescue and care for thousands of Armenian and Greek orphans, often risking her life in the process, for more than a decade. 

In 2016, nearly a century after Corning’s heroic decision to dedicate her life to help genocide survivors, David and Jennifer Chown of Nova Scotia founded the Sara Corning Society, which honors the nurse’s life and humanitarian work. A number of activities honoring Corning, including the unveiling a statue dedicated to her, will be taking place this weekend in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. 

I recently spoke with David and Jennifer to learn more about what is in store.

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Rupen Janbazian: How did the idea of establishing the Society come about?

Jennifer Chown: As we became more aware of Sara’s Red Cross volunteer service in Armenia, the former Ottoman Empire and Greece, we gradually realized how significant her service turned out to be. From 1919 to 1930, she saved and cared for thousands of orphaned children and adult refugees.

R.J.: How did you two get involved?

J.C.: I reached out to the mayor of Yarmouth to suggest that a street be named in honor of Sara Corning. In meeting with other interested individuals, we agreed that Sara was as deserving of a statue as any war hero or humanitarian. The Sara Corning Society was formed not long after that with 12 members.

R.J.: How is the Society governed and run? Does it have a paid staff or run strictly with volunteers?

J.C.: We are a not-for-profit corporation made up of 12 members in Yarmouth, Dartmouth and Fall River, Nova Scotia. My husband and I are the founders and co-chairs.

R.J.: Tell us how the idea of erecting a monument in the humanitarian’s honor transpired.

J.C.: A statue seemed to best suit how to honor Sara’ s memory because it underscores the importance of her story for this generation, as well as the one she helped to care for, and including the generations yet to come. A timeless story of someone who stepped out of their comfort zone to help others. This is worth preserving in a lasting way. It also helps to uncover a relatively unknown historical connection between Canada and Armenia—with opportunities for even greater collaboration now. We hope there will be a Canadian embassy established in Armenia soon.

R.J.: How was the site chosen? 

David Chown: There were several sites offered but this site was special for several reasons. First of all, her archival holdings are in the adjacent museum. The statue site is where the Zion Baptist Church once stood—a church, which Sara would have attended, like a “mother church” to smaller local Baptist churches—but it was recently demolished due to structural weakness. 

In a sacred way, Sara’s statue will now bring a healing presence to the site for local residents. The Yarmouth County Museum and Archives has been a great partner with the Sara Corning Society in efforts to bring this together so we are pleased that the statue will now be owned by them.

R.J.: Tell us a little about the artist commissioned to create the statue.

D.C.: Renowned artist and sculptor Garen Bedrossian from Montreal and Yerevan has invested his heart and soul into this statue. We can feel the heartbeat of Armenia in this initiative—when he sculpted and formed Sara’s image in the city where she first arrived in 1919 to help set up orphanages and hospitals for the thousands of orphans at that time. Garen’s work reflects his Armenian roots and Sara would have been deeply touched that someone from the country and people she came to know so well, created a statue in her honor 100 years later. 

J.C.: We would also like to acknowledge the generous donors of the statue, Simon and Maral Hasserjian of Toronto, whose vision to show their gratitude for Sara’s service on behalf of Armenians has now brought our communities together in a deeply personal and beautiful way. Also, Dr. Barbara Keddy, professor emerita, who taught nursing at Dalhousie University donated the sales from her recent book The Lamp Was Heavy to the Sara Corning Society to fund the granite base for the statue.

R.J.: A host of activities honoring Corning, including the unveiling statue, will be taking place this weekend. Tell us more about what is planned.

J.C.: The weekend of commemorating Sara Corning will begin on September 13 with a staged reading of a play titled “Memories of Sara Corning” written by Christine Bolger and performed by Martha Irving. The statue of Sara Corning with children will be unveiled at 1 p.m. on September 14 at the Yarmouth County Museum lawn.  The Sara Corning Commemorative Dinner will be held that evening at the Rodd Grand Hotel. Other events include an art show at the Waterfront Gallery and a workshop at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Yarmouth branch. Additional details of the events are on our Facebook page. 

R.J.: It is well known that Corning was quite humble—so much so that those who knew her well didn’t know the extent to which she affected humanity. If alive today, do you think she would want to be honored and recognized in such grandiose fashion or would she perhaps feel uncomfortable getting all this attention?

J.C.: When Sara arrived home from the Near East, she would have been sensitive to the orphans that she cared for. There were fears of reprisals at that time and she would want to protect them by being silent. As a result, few Nova Scotians have known about her.  Also, in any theater of war or post-war eras, it was difficult to describe what those who served would have witnessed and she would have seen the worst of humanity as well as the best of humanity—all at the same time. She was a strong woman with strong faith, there is no doubt of that. She would not have sought recognition as she will be receiving today, but there is no question that she would be pleased—no, elated—to know that people from her area of birth are meeting and developing friendships with the descendants of the ancestors who she would have helped to rescue and care for. We believe she would be very pleased and honored to know this.

R.J.: Any future plans for the Society?

D.C.: We are working through a lengthy process to have Sara Corning named as a National Historic Person by Parks Canada. We are seeking funding support for a nurses’ scholarship in Sara Corning’s name at the Yarmouth campus of the Dalhousie School of Nursing in Yarmouth. A small memorial community park in the tiny Chegoggin village where Sara was raised and later where she retired is being planned to honor Sara’s memory. It is adjacent to the cemetery where she is buried which is also near her home. 

J.C.: In addition, the Town of Yarmouth and the Armenian Ambassador to Canada are interested in pursuing a sister-city partnership between Yarmouth and a municipality in Armenia. 

D.C.: We see opportunities for initiating Corning Conferences in a world that needs to learn more about genocide education. Sara herself once wrote: “We believe that education is what all nations need to advance.”  

The Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education in Toronto, founded by Raffi Sarkissian and named after Sara, has made great strides in introducing genocide education into the school curriculum in Ontario. We would like to see further outreach for this nationwide. Including speaking engagements about Sara Corning, the research is ongoing and we have additional projects, which are in the works. Her story reaches across a broad spectrum of topics, which are all relevant today.

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Rupen Janbazian

Rupen Janbazian is the former editor of The Armenian Weekly. His writings primarily focus on politics, human rights, community, literature, and Armenian culture. He has reported from Armenia, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh), Turkey, Canada, the United States, and Western Armenia. He has served on the local and national executives of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Canada and Hamazkayin Toronto, and served as the administrator of the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Toronto. Janbazian also taught Armenian History and Creative Writing at the ARS Armenian Private School of Toronto, and has worked on several translations.

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Harry Berj Telian passed away peacefully on September 7, 2019. He was 93 years old.

Harry was born in Syracuse, New York to parents Hagop and Venus Telian. He was raised in a small and vibrant Armenian community. Always a bright student, Harry started attending Syracuse University when he was 17 years old. However, after his freshman year, Harry decided to enlist in the Army Air Force and served his country during World War II. In 1946, Harry went back to Syracuse and eventually graduated in 1949. 

In 1948 at an AYF picnic at Camp Haiastan, Harry met the love of his life—Joyce Kazanjian from Watertown. Harry and Joyce were married on July 3, 1949 on Syracuse University’s campus at Hendricks Chapel by Archbishop Tirayre. Nine months (and three weeks) later, Harry and Joyce welcomed their first son Jack into the world. During their 70 years of marriage, Harry and Joyce were loving parents to five children, proud grandparents to seven grandchildren, and great-grandparents to their three great-grandsons. 

Harry was always hardworking. His career reflects his talents as a bright, friendly people person with a knack for sales. At a young age, Harry worked in the family dry cleaning business while selling mutual funds at night. His work ethic soon led to ownership of his own laundromat. With an insatiable thirst for a challenge, Harry ultimately sold the store and began to pursue his passion for sales and finance full-time. Harry became a stock broker. 

Some years later, as they were expecting their fourth child, Alice, Harry was hired by a Boston firm, and Joyce finally convinced him to move to Boston. They settled in Dedham, Massachusetts and welcomed their fifth child Lisa. Harry finished his career as regional vice president for The John Nuveen Company.

Harry retired at 65 and much to his surprise, truly enjoyed his retirement. He served on the Board of Trustees at Saint Stephen’s Armenian Church, even running the bazaar for a few years. Retirement allowed Harry and Joyce to travel and take cruises, visit their children, babysit for their granddaughter Valerie, bowl and play tennis. 

Harry was a lifelong learner, always eager to take a computer or cooking class, read a new book or try out something new he read about on the computer. He loved watching the stock market and calling into Mad Money and other financial programs. Harry will be remembered most for his huge heart, twinkling eyes, big smile and incredible generosity.   

Harry was the epitome of a good husband, the most loving father, as well as the proudest grandfather and great grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 70 years Joyce Telian; his younger sister Alice Najarian; his children Jack and wife Cathy; Karen and husband Steve; Alan and wife Nancy; Alice and husband Larry; and Lisa and husband Rich; their seven grandchildren, Lani and husband J.R.; Adam and wife Michelle; Valerie and fiancé Chris; Tyler, Victoria, Samantha and Alexandra; his three great-grandsons and countless relatives and close family friends.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Harry’s funeral service at Saint Stephen’s Armenian Church, 38 Elton Avenue, Watertown on Tuesday, September 17 at 11:00 a.m. At the request of the family, there are no visiting hours. Interment at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. Arrangements by Aram Bedrosian Funeral Home, Watertown. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services (PO Box 98018, Washington, DC 20090-8018).

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“It is with thanks to Almighty God, and with appreciation to my family and friends who have supported my research that I have the pleasure to announce the inauguration of the first English-language, online edition of the ‘Jashots-kirk’, the Lectionary, which contains all of the Bible readings prescribed by the Armenian Apostolic Church for every day of the year.”

The Rev. Dr. George A. Leylegian, Archdeacon in the Prelacy, has devoted the past 40 years to compiling ancient manuscript data stretching back into the second century, assembling the details and constructing the first critical edition of the system and sequence of Bible readings which form the heart of the liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For the first time, Armenians who speak English will be able to access the complete citations for each day of the calendar year from their computers and iPhones.

“Over the past two millennia, Armenians have constructed magnificent cathedrals and mystic monasteries and homey village churches which sadly have frequently been plundered and destroyed. And yet, the system for reading the Holy Bible has miraculously been preserved, with very few changes, over the past two thousand years. Regardless of geographic location or century or size of the congregation, every church has a treasured copy of the Lectionary in the chancel. Armenians are united worldwide by a single liturgy through the Lectionary system which is unique to our church.”

The new website includes precise Bible citations for each reading, expanded directions for liturgy usage on each day, extensive notes and instructional guides, and several appendices with detailed information on the history of the Lectionary.  

“My prayer and hope is that the online edition will be useful to our clergy, our Sunday School faculty and every person who is interested in reading the Holy Bible and learning more about the beauty of our Holy Church. The formal ‘Jashotskirk’ is written in Classical Armenian. Now, the online edition makes all of the information readily available to everyone who speaks English. I hope that the translation will be helpful, and that people will find the information beneficial in their daily spiritual lives.”

Author information

Rev. Dr. George A. Leylegian

Rev. Dr. George A. Leylegian graduated in 1982 from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, and with a triple major of Political Science, Economics, and Public Law. He received faculty, departmental, and collegiate awards and honors for his academics. From Claremont, George enrolled in the law school and then the business school at the University of San Francisco, and completed his joint Master’s Degrees with honors in 1985. In 1986, he enrolled in theological studies, and by 1989, he completed both a Master’s and Doctorate in Theology with a specialization in the development of the Lectionary System of the Armenian Church. Upon completion of his doctoral work, George was ordained into the Diaconate by Archbishop Datev Sarkissian. He is currently enrolled in a post-doctoral study, again in theology, and hopes to complete this second doctorate within the next several years. Over the past 30 years, Archdeacon George has served Saint Gregory the Illuminator parish in San Francisco, and has been actively involved with Christian Education programs throughout the Eastern and Western Prelacies of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America. He teaches Theology and Liturgics at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and has served at several mission parishes over the past decade. He has developed a particular interest in the interaction between village parishes and local monasteries in historic Armenia, and likewise, an interest in the evolution of Armenian parish life in the diaspora. He is committed to the daily, liturgical life of the Armenian Church, and remains dedicated to continuous education and spiritual renewal within the community.

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WASHINGTON, DC–A broad-based, inter-denominational, cross-cultural coalition pressed for concrete policy solutions to the existential threats facing the Middle East Christians at In Defense of Christians (IDC) National Leadership Conference and Solidarity Dinner, co-sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The two-day gathering, which brought together prominent faith leaders and human rights advocates from across the U.S., called for a permanent policy of official U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide – as part of a series of legislative priorities shared during more than 100 Congressional meetings.

“IDC is America’s answer to a century of indifference. The organization we needed to give voice to our values; to demand and to deliver a place at the policy-making table for religious freedom. To do the work of the Lord in the language of Washington: legislation, appropriations and policy,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian during his formal remarks at the sixth annual Solidarity Dinner on September 10. He went on to voice support for the freedom of the Republic of Artsakh and demanded an end to U.S. complicity in Turkey’s genocide denial. “We cannot enforce foreign gag-rules regarding some genocides and then expect to be taken seriously when we say we are against all genocides,” said Hamparian. “Honest U.S. remembrance of this crime – along the lines of H.Res.296 and S.Res.150 – is, at its heart, not about Turkey or even Armenia. It’s ultimately about who we are as Americans.”

The Solidarity Dinner featured remarks by U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, who stressed the Administration’s commitment to defending religious freedom, noting that the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, held in July, was the largest ever hosted by the State Department. Hamparian had participated in the non-government organization component of the State Department’s religious freedom summit. The 2018 Solidarity Dinner keynote speaker, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, was on hand throughout the evening in support of the IDC’s efforts.

Among IDC’s 2019 Congressional Champions honored during the National Leadership Conference were Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), who, along with prior honoree Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), offered poignant remarks about the valuable efforts of the IDC.

“I am proud to be an Armenian. But I am pained to say that even though 1.5 million Armenians were killed during World War I by the Turks, the first genocide of the 20th century, that our Congress has not seen fit, even now, a hundred years plus later, to recognize that horrific effort,” said Rep. Speier, who went on to note that she wears a forget-me-not pendant – the symbol of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide – as a constant reminder of “what our work is, as we protect Christians around the world.”

The invocation at the Solidarity Dinner was given by His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern U.S., who offered his prayers for the work of IDC, which “defends the rights of Christians, raises awareness of the positive impact and contributions of Christians in the Middle East, and works for peace and harmony in that region.”

On the second day of the conference, Hamparian shared Armenian American policy priorities during a panel discussion which included remarks by Tonia Khouri, IDC Vice President; Ambassador Edward M. Gabriel, President and CEO of American Task Force for Lebanon; Sara Salama, Legal Advisor for Coptic Orphans; Jeremy P. Barker, Senior Program Officer and Director of the Middle East Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute; and Alexis Moukarzel, a member of the IDC Board of Advisers. Congressional remarks were offered by Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), who underscored his support for pending Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.296). ANCA Western Region Executive Director Armen Sahakyan and Hamparian were among the advocacy group leaders which then visited with over 100 Congressional offices in support of IDC priorities.

In Defense of Christians is a 501(c3) U.S. non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the protection and preservation of Christianity and Christian culture in the Middle East. They work to foster global awareness of the on-going plight of Middle Eastern Christians, encourage political advocacy in order to educate national and international policymakers so as to act toward this goal, and promote programs of humanitarian aid in solidarity with suffering Christian communities in the Middle East.

Author information

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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