GLENDALE, Calif.—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Western Region this week announced that Paul Chaderjian and Vaché Thomassian will serve on the iZartonk panel at the ANCA Grassroots Conference. The panel will discuss the importance of social media outlets and activism through the use of today’s multi-platform contemporary media to advance the Armenian Cause. The panel will be moderated by Aris Hovasapian, a member of the ANCA Grassroots Committee, and will be dedicated to the memory of long-time activists and agents of change, Allen Yekikian and Sosé Thomassian-Yekikian.

“We are excited to have Paul and Vaché headline the iZartonk panel this year and are eager to hear their thoughts on how we can promote change and reach out to a large interconnected worldwide community through various social media outlets. This discussion will include information attendees can take back with them and utilize for causes they care deeply about,” said Ara Khachatourian, chair of the ANCA Grassroots Committee.

Paul Chaderjian is a broadcast journalist with Civilnet in Armenia. He has worked at ABC News in New York, at the ABC station in Hawaii, at NBC, CBS, and FOX affiliates in Fresno, and at Armenia TV in Yerevan. He also contributes regularly to the Asbarez Newspaper and Horizon Armenian TV.

Vaché Thomassian has been active on Armenian issues in the diaspora for many years, holding leadership positions in several organizations. He is the chairperson of the Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to celebrating the lives and continuing the works of his sister Sosé and brother-in-law Allen. Thomassian is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). His area of concentration is economic and political development with a specialization in international conflict resolution. Thomassian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in legal studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Aris Hovasapian is an alumnus of the Armenian Youth Federation Crescenta Valley “Zartonk” Chapter and has served on the boards of the Crescenta Valley and Glendale ANCA Chapters. He was on the organizing committee for the first ANCA Western Region Grassroots Conference in 2011, and was the moderator for a panel called “iConnect: Social Media and Messaging.” He is a graduate of UCLA and currently works as the energy program manager at the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The successful ANCA Grassroots Conference will return on Thanksgiving Weekend, this time in the heart of Hollywood at Loews Hotel. The event brings together academicians, artists, historians, legal experts, and political officials who will make presentations about varied topics regarding the myriad aspects of the pursuit of “Hye Tad.”

The conference is open to the community, but requires registration. Register now by visiting itsmyseat.com/ANCAWR or by calling (818) 500-1918. For updates, “Like” the ANCA Western Region Facebook page at Facebook.com/ANCAWesternRegion, or visit ancawr.org.

The ANCA Grassroots Conference will bookend the annual ANCA Gala Banquet, which will take place on Sat., Nov. 30 at the Roy Dolby Ballroom and will feature a special menu created for the banquet by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck.

This year’s honorees include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Primate of Artsakh Archbishop Barkev Martirosyan, legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian, lifelong philanthropist Manas Boujikian, Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian, and activist and filmmaker Ara Soudjian.

LOS ANGELES—The ANCA Grassroots Conference and the Annual Banquet brought together more than 1,400 supporters of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Western Region for the weekend-long conference and banquet held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel and the adjacent Roy Dolby Ballroom.

A scene from the Grassroots Conference

The weekend events kicked off Fri., Nov. 29, with the 2013 ANCA Grassroots Conference, which brought together artists, academics, legal experts, and political officials for a three-day discussion of issues of importance to the pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

ANCA Grassroots featured four panels—Film & Arts; Homeland-Diaspora; Western Armenia; and Transnational Justice—and two workshops—Hye Votes and iZartonk. On Sunday, ANCA Grassroots hosted the groundbreaking Hye Tad Global Initiative, which brought together six ANC leaders from the Middle East, Armenia, Europe, Australia, South America, and Canada who shared their perspectives live via Google Hangouts linking the global “Hye Tad” efforts via the internet.

This year’s ANCA-WR Annual Banquet was held at the Roy Dolby Ballroom, home to the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball, and featured a special menu by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan receives “Khrimian Hayrig” Award.

The ANCA-WR honored Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti with its “Man of the Year” Award; Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan with its “Khrimian Hayrig” Award; legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian with its “People’s Champion” Award; California State Assemblyman Khatcho Achajian with its “Legislator of the Year” Award; Ara Soudjian with its “Vahan Cardashian” Award; and Manas Boujikian with its coveted “Legacy” Award.

Last week the ANCA-WR announced the Ghailian family as the 2013 ANCA-WR Annual Banquet sponsor. “Philanthropy is a cornerstone of the Ghailian family, which includes Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Julia Ghailian, Mr. and Mrs. Carlo and Gisella Ghailian, Mr. and Mrs. Angelo and Lori Ghailian, and Miss Monica Ghailian,” said the ANCA-WR in announcing the generous sponsorship.

The Law Offices of Hovanes Margarian, in celebration of the firm’s seven-year anniversary, recently announced the 2014 Margarian Scholarship, which will reward five deserving students for their academic and personal achievements.

“The scholarship will not be determined solely on the basis of G.P.A. or economic hardship,” writes Hovanes Margarian, the founder and principal litigator of the firm. “In addition to academic accomplishments, I am seeking candidates who have demonstrated a commitment to their heritage, community, and society. Persistence, dedication, idealism, perseverance, success, and humility are just some of the characteristics I had in mind when designing this scholarship.”

Margarian’s legal practice focuses on the arenas of class actions, automobile dealership fraud, automobile defects/lemon law, and criminal defense. “I pride myself in having helped hundreds of clients and having recovered millions of dollars on their behalf. But like many, I too come from a humble beginning. At the age of 13 I spoke poor English and failed my first pop-quiz because I did not understand what I was being asked. Since then, I earned my way through education, graduating valedictorian, attending USC on a full scholarship, conducting gene therapy research, publishing in scholarly journals, attending USC law school, running multiple student, charitable and professional associations, founding several business ventures, and building a legal career and reputation that is an embodiment of my past.”

“And so it is with all those experiences in mind that I chose to start what is becoming an annual scholarship fund to help those taking the same path. Not necessarily the path to becoming an attorney, but the path to bettering themselves with a clear vision for their future, while staying true to their past,” he said. “I welcome your application and am truly excited to reward the right candidates who demonstrate their deserving of this award.”

The scholarship will be in the form of a check payable to the recipient and may be applied towards past, present, or future tuition expenses. The scholarship prizes will consist of five awards of $1,000 each.

For more information or to complete an application, visit www.MargarianLaw.com/Scholarship. To receive periodic updates and announcements, visit www.FaceBook.com/MargarianLaw.

Meets St. Louis and Illinois Area Armenian-American Community

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The Genocide Education Project (GenEd) presented a training workshop for high school history teachers at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference, held in St. Louis from Nov. 22-24.community-gened (1Y)

GenEd representatives Sara Cohan (left of banner) and Roxanne Makasdjian (right) with St. Louis area community members

GenEd’s education director, Sara Cohan, led a conference workshop titled, “The Psychology of Genocide,” which explored the social forces and personal psychology that can lead to extreme acts of cruelty, as well as to heroic acts of compassion, during a genocide.

Approximately 50 social studies teachers participated in the workshop. They learned about the key psychological concepts that apply to the actions of individuals leading to and during genocide. Examples from the Armenian Genocide and other genocides were examined, and participants received instructional materials to use in their classrooms.

“It was gratifying to have such a strong turnout and positive response from all the teachers we met,” said Cohan.

She was joined by GenEd Board member Roxanne Makasdjian, and together distributed Armenian Genocide teaching materials to hundreds of educators visiting GenEd’s information booth. They also displayed the resources found at the organization’s “cyber” teaching library, www.TeachGenocide.com.

“I think the teaching materials will really help me give my students a better understanding of the Armenian Genocide,” said teacher Leah Jardine of Kansas. “I can use the videos and lessons based on personal stories, instead of just lecturing to them.”

While in St. Louis, Makasdjian and Cohan also attended the St. Louis Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) “Antranig” Chapter dance, where they introduced GenEd’s work to community members. Members of the local AYF and ANC chapters, and their supporters, also generously contributed to GenEd’s efforts.

The Genocide Education Project is a non-partisan, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) educational organization that assists educators in teaching about human rights and genocide, particularly the Armenian Genocide, by developing and distributing instructional materials, providing access to

teaching resources, and organizing educational workshops. For more information about the Genocide Education Project, go to www.GenocideEducation.org.

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—During the six years it took to create her new cookbook, titled Armenian Vegan, Dikranouhi Kirazian insisted on telling no one about her project.

During the six years it took to create her new cookbook, titled Armenian Vegan, Dikranouhi Kirazian insisted on telling no one about her project.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she said. And it was. When she finally revealed and released the book in December, family and friends alike were so excited to hear of the book that they have started cooking out of it and buying it for friends, Armenian and non-Armenian alike.

But Kirazian’s desire to write the book was to leave a legacy—to honor her mother, grandmother, and aunts who taught her so much about authentic Armenian cooking, and also to help future generations keep the heritage alive.

“It’s for my children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, so that they will always remember,” she said.

With the help of her husband George, an author and editor, Dikranouhi meticulously prepared and wrote more than 200 pure vegan recipes using no animal products, taking pictures along the way.

The recipes include appetizers, entrees, salads, soups, desserts, breakfast items, pickles, sauces, and drinks. Vegan versions of favorite Armenian recipes like yalanchi, mante, lamajoun, pilaf, stuffed vegetables, paklava, hummus, eech, and many others are included, alongside many completely new recipes.

“Our Armenian food is very healthy. A lot of it is already vegan, but I created my own dishes as well,” she says.

Kirazian points out that for those who cannot quite make the leap to vegan eating, most all of the recipes can be made with meat if desired.

Armenian Vegan is published and available on CreateSpace at www.createspace.com/4554831 and on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494365189/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1494365189&linkCode=as2&tag=hairenik-20. It is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArmenianVeganCookbook. The Twitter handle is @ArmenianVegan. For more information, visit www.armenianvegan.com.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. this month appointed Armen Tamzarian to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, among seven other appointees, according to the governor’s press service.

Armen Tamzarian during a presentation at the ANCA Grassroots Conference

Tamzarian, 47, of South Pasadena, has served as a senior appellate court attorney at the California Court of Appeal, Second District since 2008. He was a partner at Case Knowlson Jordan and Wright LLP from 2002-08, and an associate there from 1997-2002. Tamzarian served as a research attorney at the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 1996-97. He earned his J.D. degree from Southwestern Law School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dudley W. Gray. Tamzarian is a Democrat.

Tamzarian has been an active member of the Armenian-American community and has participated in activities of the Armenian Bar Association and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Western Region. Most recently he served on the ANCA Grassroots Conference Committee, which took place over Thanksgiving weekend.

“We were so happy to learn from the governor’s office today that our own ANCA Grassroots Committee member, Armen Tamzarian, has been appointed as a judge to the Los Angeles Superior Court,” said Nora Hovsepian, chairwomen of the ANCA-WR.

“Armen’s appointment is a true testament to the strength of our community and our integration into the realm of public service. We are immensely proud of Armen and wholeheartedly congratulate him as he assumes his post,” she said.

Mouradian Receives First Hrant Dink Spirit of Freedom and Justice Medal

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (A.W.)—Hundreds gathered in Los Angeles on Jan. 19 to commemorate the 7^th anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder.

Hundreds gathered in LA to honor Dink’s legacy

The event, held at the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA) Krikor and Aved Kurkcuoglu Hall, brought together representatives of Armenian churches and organizations and a cross section of the community.

Dr. Ohannes Kulak Avedikyan, trustee and chairperson of the OIA Cultural Committee, delivered opening remarks and introduced master of ceremonies Edvin Minassian, who is chairman of OIA Board of Trustees and chairman ex-officio of the Armenian Bar Association (ABA).

Mouradian receives medal

Minassian’s welcoming remarks were followed by a presentation by Ayda Erbal, who teaches Middle Eastern politics and democratic theory as adjunct professor of politics at NYU. Erbal’s talk focused on the situation in Turkey of minorities in general, and Armenians in particular, in light of recent developments.

The keynote speaker of the evening was Khatchig Mouradian, whose illustrated presentation, titled “Unearthing Western Armenia in Turkey,” dealt with the challenges facing hidden Armenians and cultural heritage in historic Armenian cities and villages in Turkey, and the lessons—and implications—they have for Armenia, Artsakh, and the diaspora.

Following his presentation, the OIA presented Mouradian with the first Hrant Dink Spirit of Freedom and Justice Medal. Mouradian is the editor of the Armenian Weekly and the coordinator of the Armenian Genocide Project at Rutgers University. He teaches at Rutgers University and Worcester State University as adjunct professor. Mouradian is a PhD Candidate at the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, currently writing his dissertation on the Armenian Genocide.

The event brought together representatives of Armenian churches and organizations and a cross section of the community.

The speakers: (L-R) Ghazarian, Minassian, Mouradian, Erbal, Avedikyan, and Eginli

Following the presentation of the medal, Alec Eginli spoke on behalf of the youth. Armenia opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian (Heritage Party) and Chairman of ABA and Co-chair of the 100th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide Committee (Western) Garo Ghazarian, and church leaders delivered brief remarks and shared their reflections during the evening.

The program included musical performances.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Standing strong against Armenian Genocide denial, the California State Assembly Education Committee unanimously adopted AB-659 on Jan. 15 a measure introduced by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian which would bolster the commitment of the State of California to teach of the Armenian Genocide to public school students in Grades 7-12.

Following the hearing, Nazarian said, “It was with great pride that I introduced AB 659, a bill that will call for the adoption of an oral testimony component in teaching students about the Armenian Genocide. I would like to thank the ANCA-WR for their assistance with this bill and look forward to their continued support as AB 659 makes its way to the Assembly floor. I would like to also commend my fellow colleagues on the Assembly Committee on Education in voting unanimously on the side of truth and justice”

Testifying forcefully in support of the measure was ANCA Western Region Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian. Turkish American groups presented a diatribe of genocide denial, which compelled Committee Chairwoman Joan Buchanan and fellow Committee members Rocky Chavez and Shirley Weber to set the record straight about the importance of speaking clearly about genocide and historical injustices.

In his remarks, Baghdassarian commended the Assembly members “for recognizing Turkey’s transparent attempt to distract [them] by engaging in genocide denial campaigns every time that the issue comes up before the Legislature. Following a 30 minute discussion, the Education Committee adopted the measure with a unanimous vote of 7-0. The bill now goes to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for consideration.

In addition to the Armenian Genocide, the bill also “encourages the incorporation of survivor, rescuer, liberator and witness oral testimony into the teaching of human rights, the Holocaust, and genocide, including but not limited to, the Armenian Genocide, Cambodian, Darfur, and Rwandan genocides.” Furthermore, it encourages activities which would provide training and teaching resources to be able to more thoroughly teach about the Armenian Genocide.

This measure may also enhance the opportunities for the Genocide Education Project (GenEd), a non-profit organization, to conduct more teacher training sessions and further disseminate teacher resources.

Last year, The Genocide Education Project and the California Department of Education surveyed California high schools and learned that social studies teachers are lacking the resources and training they need to incorporate the Armenian Genocide appropriate in their curriculum. “Teachers seem very eager to teach about this important history, if provided the necessary tools,” said GenEd’s Roxanne Makasdjian. “Social Studies educators have told us that instruction on the Armenian Genocide is a good means of demonstrating to students that there is a continuum of genocide and human rights, not just isolated acts of evil. Learning about them in isolation, without studying the Armenian Genocide deprives students of an understanding of how denial, accountability, and reconciliation can significantly influence the tide of history.”

Video of introduction, statements, and adoption of the bill may be found at http://ancawr.org/2014/01/15/ab659adopted/

Below is the text Baghdassarian’s testimony in Sacramento.

***

Madame. Chair and distinguished members of the committee:

I appear before you today to speak in support of this bill on behalf of Armenian-American community of California. In the brief time that I have I’d like to touch on three points. The first is to commend you for recognizing the transparency of the genocide denial campaigns that occur every time that the issue comes up before the Legislature. The second is to stress the significance of the Armenian genocide in 20th century history. And third, to take note of the fact that this legislation isn’t a departure from existing policy with respect to our meeting genocide education, but simply further codifies it those policies.

With respect to genocide denial, I don’t feel that it’s necessary to engage in a debate with deniers. As the grandson of four Armenian Genocide survivors, and the great-grandson of one of its victims, I can tell you unequivocally that there is question as to the truth. The only issue of controversy is to determine the consequences of those genocidal acts. And at the end of day that’s what the denial is about, the fear of consequences.

With respect to the significance of the Armenian genocide, scholars will tell you that there is a clear nexus between the Armenian genocide which precipitated the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler notoriously said immediately before setting the Holocaust in motion in 1939, “Who remembers the annihilation of the Armenians today?” When we consider that statement, in addition to the German complicity in the Armenian genocide, and many other factors, the totality suggests that the Holocaust and subsequent genocides cannot fully be understood by our children without an understanding of the Armenian Genocide.

Third and last is the fact that the legislature and the Board of Education have acted on this issue consistently over the years. In fact is also included in the History-Social Science Curriculum Framework which provides as follows:

Within the context of human rights and genocide, students should learn of the Ottoman government’s planned mass deportation and systematic annihilation of the Armenian population in 1915. Students should also examine the reactions of other governments, including that of the United States, and world opinion during and after the Armenian genocide. They should examine the effects of the genocide on the remaining Armenian people, who were deprived of their historic homeland, and the ways in which it became a prototype of subsequent genocides.

So the only thing that this bill will do is to bring the Education Code closer in line to the existing framework and content standards. Once again, I urge you to support this bill, and I thank you for your time.

LOS ANGELES—The Armenian Bar Association recently announced that it is accepting applications for its 9^th Annual Scholarship Program.

The program is designed to support meritorious students of Armenian descent attending, or accepted for admission to, an approved law school in the United States, Armenia, or elsewhere. Recipients must demonstrate an outstanding academic record as well as a strong commitment to the Armenian community, particularly in humanitarian and/or law-related endeavors. The Scholarship Program is primarily funded by donations and by fundraising events hosted by the Armenian Bar Association

Students interested in applying for an Armenian Bar Association scholarship can obtain an application by visiting www.armenianbar.com. The application deadline is March 31, 2014. The application must either be postmarked by March 31, 2014 or, if e-mailed, should be received no later than midnight (PST) of March 31, 2014.

The Armenian Bar Association is the largest organization of Armenian lawyers in the world. It performs many functions on behalf of the Armenian community, such as responding to the press or media about topics relating to Armenians, educating Armenian Americans regarding their legal rights, and advocating the rule of law in Armenia, all of which are important aspects of advancing both the economic and the humanitarian wellbeing of Armenia. The Armenian Bar Association also has engaged in many cross-national efforts between the United States and Armenia, such as hosting Armenian attorneys and judges in the United States and promoting Armenian-American attorneys’ involvement in the Armenian business and legal world, both as educators and as advisors.

Press Conference Launches National Grassroots Fundraising Campaign

GLENDALE, Calif.—Armenian-American leaders from across the U.S. gathered in Southern California last Friday to launch “ANCA Telethon 2014,” a community-wide fundraising campaign to empower Armenian Americans, protect Armenia, and promote the Armenian Cause.

This grassroots campaign, featuring community events and broad-based social media, will lead up to the June 1 six-hour nationwide broadcast—from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. EDT—in support of the ANCA Endowment Fund. The telethon will be available on a variety of broadcast, cable, and digital channels, and streamed online at www.ancatelethon.org.

ANCA Endowment President Ken Hachikian was joined by Telethon 2014 Chairman Steve Artinian, Eastern U.S. Board Member Joshua Tevekelian, and ANCA Western Region Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian, Esq., in sharing his vision for the ANCA Telethon at the kick-off reception, held at the Krikor and Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center. Speakers discussed details about its reach and programming, and insights into innovative new ways to engage an unprecedented level of community participation in this fundraising and community-building drive. Images from the kick-off are available on the ANCA Facebook page.

“With Ankara ramping up its denials during the approach to 2015 and Baku escalating its attacks on Artsakh and Armenia, it’s more vital than ever for Armenian Americans to stand in solidarity with the people of our homeland. We are, as I’ve said before, the second army of the Armenian nation, and, in many ways, our homeland’s first line of defense against increasingly aggressive Turkish and Azerbaijani governments,” explained Hachikian.

Alex Sarafian and Josh Tevekelian will be leading ANCA Telethon 2014 efforts in the Eastern United States

“It has been said, ‘Together we can move mountains.’ Today, I say, ‘Let’s let the mountain, Mt. Ararat, move us,’” said Artinian. “We’re encouraged by the energetic turnout for today’s ANCA Telethon 2014 launch by so many Armenians from across our community, united in a common commitment to our homeland and heritage, and devoted to the strengthening of the ANCA as the voice of our community and cause.”

The ANCA Endowment Fund supports a broad range of educational, youth, and civic programs that give voice to the views and values of the Armenian-American community, strengthening our presence in the American civic arena, and empowering pro-Armenian stakeholders with the information and resources they need to take on the powerful forces aligned against the Armenian nation.

Reminiscing about his days as an ANCA “Leo Sarkisian” intern some 20 years ago, and his community involvement thereafter, Tevekelian explained, “Today, I can think of no other activity that I would like to be involved in than ANCA Telethon 2014 because it is an honor to be involved in an effort where we—all of us in this room and activists across the U.S., me included—can spread the word of the work that the ANCA does every day for our nation and our people.”

ANCA Telethon 2014 Chairman Steve Artinian leads off the launch event.

“Everything that we do, like Steve said earlier, is a David and Goliath struggle,” said Hovsepian in her remarks. “This is part of that struggle, and the more successful the Telethon is, the more successful our Cause will be.”

To view the video from the ANCA Telethon 2014, visit the ANCA Grassroots YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/gySfPshA6eU.

The first three ANCA Endowment Fund telethons, held in 2006, 2009 and 2012, raised over $6.5 million for Armenian American educational, youth, and civic programs. Each program touched a common emotional chord, speaking directly to the devotion to the Armenian Cause in the hearts of Armenians from across the U.S., regardless of organizational or political affiliations.

Countless organizations, volunteers, churches, community leaders, local ANCAs, performing artists, Members of Congress, and state legislators from across the nation participated in these telethons, contributing to their enormous success. All the telethons featured several documentaries that highlighted various ANCA programs and numerous results the ANCA Endowment has achieved over the years, largely through its volunteer and grassroots network.

Video from the ANCA Telethon event is located at: http://youtu.be/gySfPshA6eU

Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and in conjunction with the 44th Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches, a special program, titled “Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond,” will be presented Monday evening, March 9, on the Familian Campus of the American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, in Bel Air, Calif.

Founded by Franklin H. Littell and Hubert G. Locke in 1970, the Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches is an interdisciplinary, international, interfaith, intergenerational conference. It provides a forum for scholars to report the latest findings in Holocaust research, ensuring the valuable lessons of the Holocaust remain relevant for today’s world. This year’s program features Prof. Richard Hovannisian, Stephen Smith, and Prof. Michael Berenbaum.

Hovannisian is Professor of Modern Armenian History, a past holder of the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair at UCLA, and currently Chancellor’s Fellow at Chapman University in Orange County. The recent recipient of the UCLA Alumni Association’s “Most Inspiring Teacher” award, he is internationally acclaimed for his advancement of Armenian studies. His extensive scholarly publications have placed the Armenian Genocide into broader Near Eastern, Europeans and Russian contexts.

Smith is the executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation–The Institute for Visual History and Education, as well as the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. A theologian by training, he continues to be involved in memorial projects around the world and lectures widely on issues relating to the history and collective response to the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity. He recently presented the keynote speech at the United Nations on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Berenbaum, a world authority on the History of the Holocaust, is Professor of Jewish Studies at the American Jewish University and executive director of the Sigi Zering Institute, a think tank exploring the ethical and religious implications of the Holocaust. He was involved with the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and as project director played a major role in its permanent exhibit; he has subsequently consulted on and designed museums on three continents. He is also an award-winning producer and historical consultant for numerous acclaimed films on the Holocaust.

The conference is hosted by different educational institutions around the country. This year, the American Jewish University is the host institution, with President Robert Wexler serving as the honorary chairman. Berenbaum is the 2014 Conference chairman.

The Annual Scholars’ Conference is supported in part by individual donors, along with grants from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and Verbe et Lumière.

The program will be held at the Gindi Auditorium in the Main Building (Ziegler Administration Building), and begins at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required by calling (310) 440-1279. For more information, contact Marcia Sachs Littell, Vice President of the Annual Scholars Conference, by e-mailing scholarsconf@aol.com or calling (610) 667-5437; or visit http://ascconf.org.

Prof. Armen Marsoobian will give an illustrated lecture entitled “Survival and Resistance in the Heart of Darkness: The Story of an ‘Islamized’ Armenian Family in Marsovan, 1915-1919,” on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Garabed Armenian Church, 2054 E. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, NV.  The lecture is co-sponsored by St. Garabed Church, the Armenian American Cultural Society of Las Vegas, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR).

A view of Marsovan from Armen Marsoobian’s family archive

Prof. Armen Marsoobian will present the story of an “Islamized” Armenian family, the Dildilian-Der Haroutiounian family, from the time shortly before their conversion in August 1915 to the restoration of their Christian Armenian identity in the spring of 1919.  Based upon extensive family memoirs, letters, photographs, and oral testimony, he describes what daily life was like for members of the family during this period.

Of the approximately 12,000 Armenians living in Marsovan (Merzifon) and its associated villages, a small number remained behind at the conclusion of the deportations in August 1915.  The heads of these households held occupations that were deemed essential to the economy of the city and were allowed to remain on the condition that they convert to Islam and adopt Turkish identity.  Tsolag Dildilian was a military photographer and was given such an opportunity.  He was thus able to save members of his immediate family in Marsovan.

The family maintained a dual identity, living their Christian faith and Armenian identity at home but living as Muslim Turks in the community.  Upon the conclusion of the war, the family played an important role in rescuing orphans and restoring the Armenian identities of the converts.  With the rise of the nationalist movement, the family’s activities in support of Armenian survival became suspect, forcing them to flee Turkey in 1922.  The presentation will be richly illustrated with photographs.

Armen Tsolag Marsoobian is Professor and Chairperson of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.  He has twice been the Nikit and Eleanora Ordjanian Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies, Department of Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies, at Columbia University where he has taught a graduate seminar, “Memories of the Armenian Genocide: An Exploration through Memoir, Literature, and the Arts.”  He has co-edited five books, including Genocide’s Aftermath: Responsibility and Repair (with Claudia Card) (2007), The Philosophical Challenge of September 11 (2004), and The Blackwell Guide to American Philosophy (2004).  He has published articles and book chapters in aesthetics, moral philosophy, genocide studies, and American philosophy.  His essay, “Rescue in Marsovan: The Untold Story Behind a Photograph,” won the Hrant Dink Prize for Historical Research in 2011.

More information about the lecture may be had by calling 617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing hq@naasr.org, or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA02478.

MISSION HILLS, Calif.—Relics from the Armenian Genocide will be unveiled during a conference focusing on the heroes and survivors of the genocide at the Ararat-Eskijian museum in Mission Hills on March 22.

The orphan dress

Filmmaker Bared Maronian, along with British journalist Robert Fisk, Professor Vahakn Dadrian, Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Ayse Gunaysu, Missak Keleshian, Shant Mardirossian, Dr. Rubina Peroomian, and Professor Vahram Shemmassian, will take part in the daylong conference honoring those who aided in the rescue of survivors of the genocide from 1915 through 1930.

While researching the stories of orphans for his documentary, “Orphans of the Genocide,” Maronian discovered information regarding a dress once owned by an orphan in Hadjin (now Saimbeyli), an Armenian town located roughly 125 miles north of Mersin in Turkey. After some time, he located the dress at the Bethel College Library in Mishawaka, Ind.

“The dress belonged to an orphan who survived the Adana Massacre of 1909 and walked from Adana to Hadjin, roughly 75 miles,” Maronian said. “She found refuge at the United Orphanage and Mission [UOM] in Hadjin run by a North American Mennonite congregation.” The massacre occurred in the Ottoman Empire province of Adana in 1909, and resulted in the deaths of as many as 30,000 Armenians in the course of a month.

The UOM in Hadjin was subject to continuous threats and pressure by Ottoman authorities to cease operations. When World War I broke out, the missionaries were all called home.

According to Maronian, in 1914 Sister Dorinda Bowman packed the orphan dress along with an unfinished rug the orphan girls had been weaving. “The dress, most likely worn by a seven-year-old orphan girl or a boy, is a significant tangible remnant of the Armenian Genocide,” Maronian said. “A close look at the dress makes you wonder what the children of the genocide went through and how only a handful resiliently survived, while most were butchered or faced death of starvation or disease.”

The dress and rug are currently on loan by the Bethel College Library to the Ararat-Eskijian Museum for two years.

For more information, call (818) 838-4862 or write to the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, 15105 Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills, CA 91345.

On Feb. 9, Armen Aroyan, who has tailored more than 75 Armenian Heritage tours for more than 1,200 pilgrims to Historic Armenia, was honored for his achievements and dedication at a tribute organized and co-sponsored by the Ararat-Eskijian Museum (AEM) and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). The program took place at the Sheen Chapel on the grounds of the Ararat Home Nursing Facility in Mission Hills, Calif., and was followed by a dinner reception in the AEM.

Armen Aroyan

Martin Eskijian, chairman of the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, welcomed the audience of more than 220 enthusiastic attendees, and introduced the master of ceremonies, Bruce Roat, a Southern California Board member of NAASR. The Ani String Quartet then began with selections from Gomidas, Khatchaturian, and Berberian, including “Tzitzernak.”

Prof. Richard Hovannisian reviewed the history of the confiscation and redistribution of Armenian properties during and after the deportations and massacres. The Armenian Genocide, he said, was unique among the 20^th-century genocides as its survivors could not return to inhabit their historic homes; if they attempted, they were invariably arrested and sent back. Prior to the 1980’s, no non-Muslim could by law venture to the interior of Turkey, even if they were Turkish citizens of Istanbul. Hovannisian gave examples of how difficult it was for Armenians to visit eastern Turkey in the early 1980’s, when some travelers had their cameras and film as well as their luggage confiscated by Turkish security personnel, and finally had to leave.

Armen Aroyan’s first expedition into the interior of Turkey was in 1987 to Antep, his own ancestral land.

Armen Aroyan’s first expedition into the interior of Turkey was in 1987 to Antep, his own ancestral land. He dealt in a low-key manner with the Turkish inhabitants and won them over with his smile while he searched for remnants of old Armenian homes and churches. From that point on, he extended his scope by discovering the small villages that his pilgrims yearned to visit. More than anything, he enjoyed seeing the joy and pleasure in the eyes of the people he took there—the descendants of genocide survivors—as they experienced the life-altering event of walking where their parents and grandparents had once walked. Hovannisian ended his talk by thanking Aroyan for having enriched so many people’s lives.

The next presentation was an extensive slide show by Roupen Berberian, a four-time traveler with Aroyan, accompanied with his historical commentary. There was also coverage of Aroyan’s genealogy, family influences, and education in Cairo, Egypt, and his immigration to the United States, where he furthered his education in electrical engineering at the University of Souther California. Aroyan worked for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace for 25 years. He also guided many scholars, authors, religious leaders, and documentarians from different countries on their trips to Turkey.

Anne Elizabeth Redgate, a historian from Newcastle University in England, made the long trip specifically to be present on this occasion. She had traveled with Aroyan and commented on how he had fulfilled the realization of so many pilgrims’ dreams by taking them safely to the heart of historic Armenia. Redgate had studied Armenian history for a long time, but being given a chance to connect with the people and being “a beneficiary of Armen’s magic” meant a great deal to her.

Bruce Roat acknowledged the many messages of congratulations that were received from pilgrims who were not able to travel to the tribute event. He read three testimonials, one by Lucille Hamparian, and another from Jack Bournazian, who compared Aroyan to “an Armenian locksmith,” who “came into our lives and fitted a personal key for each of us, unlocking the door to our personal pasts.” In a third testimonial, Nancy Kolligian, a former chairman of NAASR, who has worked closely with Aroyan and Hovannisian in organizing several NAASR Armenian Heritage Tours, commended Aroyan for “the importance you have always placed in making each traveler feel special and complete in their personal quests.” She said her visit to Hussenig in historic Armenia was “one of the most memorable and emotional experiences in my life.”

Martin Eskijian presented Aroyan with an award of recognition from the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, a sculpture of an Armenian mother protecting her child during the deportation. The NAASR tribute was given by Southern California Board member Dr. Gregory Ketabgian, who presented Aroyan with a symbolic silver bowl designed by Michael Aram representing Noah’s Ark resting on top of Mt. Ararat. “Although British ships could not climb Mt. Ararat, Armen was symbolically able to do it with his vans,” Ketabgian said.

Aroyan thanked the organizers of the event and explained the “providential chain of events” that led to his passion for organizing tours through historic Armenia. He described some of the Armenians he had discovered still living in remote corners of the country. He was inspired by how they were initially reluctant but, after relaxing, were able to sing the sharagans, recite the Havadamk, the Armenian alphabet, and so on. He explained what he calls the “King Arshak phenomenon,” the transformation process he has witnessed in pilgrims “reminiscent of the legend of the forlorn, depressed, and subservient Armenian King Arshak II in captivity, who would miraculously regain his boldness and strength when he stepped on the soil brought from the homeland.”

Aroyan also thanked all of the pilgrims who travelled with him and emphasized that he had learned much from them and their family histories. “The pilgrims,” he said, “gave me the opportunity to see our homeland through their eyes, with the very wonder and awe of the first time—every time. Together, we turned a haunted memory into a tangible reality.”

He explained the importance to him of the poem “My Death” by Bedros Tourian, and recited the last two lines: “When from the world my memory fades away / That is the time when I indeed shall die!”

“First and foremost, last but not least, it is all about keeping the memory of our rich legacy alive and propagating it for future generations,” he concluded.

Rev. Kevork Terian of the Armenian Cilicia Evangelical Church of Pasadena ended the program with the benediction and wished Aroyan good health to “continue his sacred mission to create new memories for those yearning for their homeland, which was so unjustly taken away from them.”

The reception, prepared by Nora Nalbandian and Maggie Mangassarian Goschin, the director of the Ararat-Eskijian Museum as well as one of Armen Aroyan’s pilgrims, was a veritable cornucopia of Armenian dishes representing the different regions of historic Armenia. A varied selection of wine was donated by Paul Kalemkiarian of the Wine of the Month Club.

Armen Aroyan is in the process of publishing a two-volume collection of writings by and about his co-travelers and their experiences.

BERKELEY, Calif.—The Paros Foundation’s SERVICE-Armenia Program, which enables young people to travel through and engage in meaningful projects in Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh), will run from June 23 to July 24.

SERVICE Armenia 2014 participants and Paros Foundation staff

“I am looking forward to another successful program this summer,” said Peter Abajian, executive director of the Paros Foundation. “Our group last summer worked on the elementary school wing at the Hatsik village school and also helped distribute 50,000 pairs of shoes in rural villages in Armenia. This summer, our group will work on similar meaningful service projects.”

Throughout the program, participants will tour historic, religious, and cultural sites throughout Armenia and Artsakh with experienced English-speaking staff and guides. The program is open to both Armenian and American youth wishing to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Knowledge of the Armenian language is not required. Join us and create a lifetime of great memories and friends.

“This was my first trip to Armenia and I had an amazing time. I would definitely recommend SERVICE-Armenia for anyone who wants to see Armenia and get involved,” said Narine Panosian, a 2013 participant.

The deadline to submit the completed application is April 1, 2014. For more information, including photos, and video, and an application form, visit www.parosfoundation.org/servicearmenia2014 or contact Peter Abajian by calling (310) 400-9061 or e-mailing peter@paros-foundation.org.

By Doris Melkonian and Arda Melkonian

On the eve of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, the 44^th Annual Scholars’ Conference (ASC) on the Holocaust and the Churches featured the first Genocide of the 20^th century, adopting the theme, Remembering for the Future: Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond. Rev. Dr. Henry Knight (Professor, Keene State University), President of the Annual Scholars’ Conference commented, “Our theme for this year’s ASC invited us to examine the Genocide of the Armenian people while continuing to sustain our four decades of examining questions and issues raised by the Holocaust. By having more than an occasional session devoted to their distinctive traumas, each of the communities represented at this year’s gathering grew in their grasp of the issues uniquely at stake in their respective histories.”

Group picture of Armenian scholars and friends

The historic event, hosted by the American Jewish University, Los Angeles, on March 8-11, 2014, brought together scholars of the Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust in an interdisciplinary, international, interfaith and intergenerational conference. It provided a unique forum for scholars to highlight the events of the Genocide and Holocaust, and to discuss the implications of these tragedies, the impact on subsequent generations, and the necessity of genocide and holocaust education and prevention.

Dr. Marcia Sachs Littell (Professor, Stockton College), Vice-President of the Annual Scholars’ Conference, and wife of the late Rev. Dr. Franklin Littell (Co-founder of the Conference), emphasized the historical significance of the Armenian Genocide in relation to the Holocaust. “The Armenian Genocide, the first Genocide of the Twentieth Century, sent a message to Adolf Hitler, that he could do anything he wanted and the world would not protest.”

The opening plenary session, “A Century of Genocide: What Have We Learned?” allowed for a conversation among clergy and scholars from diverse backgrounds. The panelists, representing different denominations and ethnic groups, Father Dr. John Pawlikowski (Professor, Catholic Theological Union), Dr. Richard Hovannisian (Professor Emeritus, UCLA), Rev. Dr. Henry Knight, and Rabbi Dr. Michael Berenbaum (Professor, American Jewish University) provided unique perspectives to the question posed. Dr. Pawlikowski explained that while a new sensitivity to and awareness of many issues within the Christian community has developed, there has yet to be a movement from awareness to genocide prevention. Dr. Hovannisian shared that increased knowledge and awareness has not led to prevention since governments have not found it in their self-perceived national interest to implement punishment for genocide. Dr. Knight added that the world has become complex and the tools for detecting signals of genocide have also become complex. He underscored the need to spot genocide signposts early in order to effectively prevent killings. Dr. Berenbaum explained that governmental inaction to prevent genocide is not related to matters of conscience but to a lack of political will.

Several papers, presented by Armenian and non-Armenian scholars, focused on the Armenian Genocide, addressing topics such as religion, literature, trauma, altruism, denial, reconciliation, and risk analysis. Armenian scholars from Armenia, Germany, Italy, and various US universities and centers participated in the conference: Ishkhan Chiftjian (Leipzig University & Hamburg University), Richard Dekmejian (Professor, USC), Khachatur Gasparyan (Professor, Yerevan State Medical University), Sona Haroutyunian (Professor, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Marc Mamigonian (Academic Affairs Director, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research), Arda Melkonian (Graduate Student, UCLA), Doris Melkonian (Graduate Student, UCLA), Garabet Moumdjian (UCLA), Rubina Peroomian (UCLA), and Vahram Shemmassian (Professor, CSUN).

“Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond”

The religious dimension of the Armenian Genocide was addressed by Ishkhan Chiftjian, Arda Melkonian, and Doris Melkonian. Chiftjian’s paper, “A Theological Approach to the Armenian Genocide,” asserted that survivors experienced faith as one of the reasons and the instruments of the crime. He discussed several examples of religious repression of Armenians; plundering and desecration of churches, monasteries and holy objects; and brutal attacks on clergymen. As victims experienced the Genocide, their faith was challenged, leading them to formulate their own responses to the question of theodicy. Many invoked the suffering of Christ on the cross, convinced that they suffer with Him and for Him. Their suffering does not call into question the nature of God, but instead leads them on a search for a God who has been absent during the Genocide.

Doris Melkonian, in her presentation, “Crisis Within: Faith and the Armenian Genocide” used survivor testimonies from the UCLA Armenian Oral History Collection to examine responses of Genocide survivors as they attempted to reconcile the catastrophic occurrence with their faith and belief in God. This inward reflection, often involving a re-examination of their faith in God, has resulted in various types of religious responses. For some survivors, this catastrophe led them to question the existence of a loving, omnipotent God. Some lost their faith entirely, rejecting a God who chose to forsake them. While for others, their genocidal experiences drew them closer to God, reinforcing their belief in Him.

On another panel, Arda Melkonian presented on “Armenian Evangelical Clergy Responses to the Genocide.” She explained that the Genocide has radically altered Armenian Christianity, changing Armenians’ understanding of God and their faith in Him. However, Armenian theologians have failed to acknowledge the damage caused by this tragic event and have yet to grapple with the profound religious impact it has had on the faith of the Armenian community. Her paper presented pastoral responses to this tragedy, and underscored the need to develop an Armenian theology that can make sense of the suffering and death of innocent Armenian victims. She explained that Armenian clergy must find a way to respond to those who are alienated from God and are asking, “How is it possible to believe in God after the Genocide?” They must speak about God to those who are struggling to understand His absence during the Genocide.

Doris Melkonian, Arda Melkonian, Nora Hovsepian, and Nora Yacoubian with Henry B. Morgenthau

Presentations by Dr. Vahram Shemmassian and Dr. Sona Haroutyunian examined literature about the Armenian Genocide. Shemmassian presented a paper, “The Musa Dagh Resistance to the Armenian Genocide, Franz Werfel’s novel The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, and Their Impact to the Present” showcasing the heroic resistance of Armenians living on Musa Dagh (Mountain of Moses), and addressing the issue of international press coverage and world readership reaction to the resistance. Shemmassian spoke about the impact of The Forty Days of Musa Dagh on the world, and Turkish reaction to the MGM movie project. He posed the question: “What is the relevance of Musa Dagh today in our collective memory on the 80^th anniversary of the novel’s publication (1933-2013)?”

Sona Haroutyunian’s paper, “Translation and Representation of the Armenian Genocide in Literature and Film,” analyzed the limitations of each medium (literature, translation, cinema) and the effect of each on reader and audience experiences. Focusing on renowned Italian-Armenian novelist, Antonia Arslan’s genocide narrative Skylark Farm, she discussed the power of translation as a means of cultural, historical and linguistic interaction.

Dr. Rubina Peroomian, in her paper, “The Symbiotic Relationship between Turks and Armenians: A 100-year-old Obstacle against Healing and Reconciliation,” explained that the relationship between Turks and Armenians has been shaped by governmental policies, societal behaviors and stereotyping of each other, with Turks viewing Armenians as gavours, unbelievers, and “rejects of the sword,” with Armenians viewing Turks as evildoers, perpetrators and deniers of the Armenian Genocide. She concluded that as long as this grim symbiosis between Turks and Armenians exists, artificial interventions and joint events will be ineffective in altering the attitudes of the masses. She added, “Healing and reconciliation, if ever possible after an inflicted catastrophe of that magnitude, are plausible only if Turks face their own history, confront and acknowledge the past.”

In “Academic Denial of the Armenian Genocide in American Scholarship: Denialism as Manufactured Controversy” Marc Mamigonian explained, “Although it is well known that denial of the Armenian Genocide began concurrently with the genocide itself, and for decades Turkey and those who support it have ignored, minimized, or denied the Armenian Genocide, the growing body of critical scholarship and documentation of the Armenian Genocide has rendered traditional strategies of silencing and denial increasingly untenable.” He argued that supporters of the “Turkish position” seek to construct denialism as a legitimate intellectual debate. After presenting several examples of denialist rhetoric (e.g., the link between smoking and cancer, between carbon emissions and climate change, or the evolution vs. intelligent design “controversy”), and specific cases of “academic denial,” emanating from American universities, he discussed the fundamental challenges of denialism and the quest for intellectual legitimacy.

Dr. Richard Dekmejian, in “Utility of Pre-Genocidal Risk Assessment: From the Armenian Genocide and Jewish Holocaust to the Present,” discussed risk assessment of pre-genocidal situations, and the foresight of political thinkers and activists who attempted to prevent the Armenian Genocide and Holocaust. He presented a critical analysis of modern-day Early Warning Systems, explaining their ineffectiveness to prevent genocide in up to 15 Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries.

In the final session of the conference, Dr. Garabet Moumdjian presented “Ottoman Official Resistance to the Armenian Genocide in the Southern Theater of War.” Moumdjian discussed examples of Ottoman officials who refused to obey orders from Constantinople to exterminate Armenians. The altruism demonstrated by officials who defied Talaat Pasha’s orders despite the potential risk to their careers, should be further studied. Moumdjian analyzed the political, social, and military reasons motivating Jemal Pasha and others to rescue Armenian deportees. He suggested that Jemal’s motivation may have stemmed from his ambitions of creating and ruling an Arab state, populated by Armenian survivors who would form its new middle class.

A special guest, Henry B. Morgenthau IV, great grandson of Henry Morgenthau, addressed the gathering as a luncheon keynote speaker. He shared with the attendees his great-grandfather’s legacy as ambassador to Turkey during the Armenian Genocide.

The plenary session on “Survival and Self-Actualization – Managing Memory, Identity an Social Conditions after Genocide has Occurred,” featured Khachatur Gasparyan who spoke about “Psychotraumatic Elements of Armenian Identity: One Hundred Years of Surviving.” During another plenary session, Rabbi Dr. Richard Rubenstein (Former President, University of Bridgeport), spoke about “The Armenian Genocide as Holy War,” and David Patterson (Professor, University of Texas at Dallas) presented “From Hitler to Jihadist Jew Hatred: Influences and Parallels.”

The public lecture, “Armenia, Auschwitz and Beyond” featured Dr. Richard Hovannisian, Dr. Stephen Smith (Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation), and Dr. Michael Berenbaum, who provided suggestions for future action. Dr. Berebaum urged the community to transform the memory of tragedy into a warning system to prevent future genocides. Dr. Hovannisian challenged the Armenian community to “find ways and means to universalize their experience and make it part of world history as the Jews have done.” Lastly, Dr. Smith alerted the audience to the dangers of obfuscation, stressing that the appropriate response must be to inform it. The evening concluded with the presentation of the Eternal Flame Award to Dr. Smith in recognition of his efforts to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to build a better future for all humanity.

Dr. Hovannisian remarked, “This conference reinforced my view that the comparative study of genocide is the most useful and effective way of confronting the problem. One can be knowledgeable about various cases of genocide, their antecedents, processes, and aftermath without losing sight of the specific factors at play in each individual case…The conference demonstrated that there is much need for such an approach.”

The post Armenian Genocide Featured at the 44th Annual Scholars’ Conference appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

GLENDALE, Calif.—The most recent Syrian Armenian Relief Fund (SARF) HyeAID3 concert, held on April 29 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, raised an additional $100,000 for Syrian Armenians in need. Within days of the attack on Kessab on March 21, the SARF sent $100,000 in aid to Armenians displaced from their ancestral homes.

The concert began with a medley of Aram Khachatourian’s music, featuring Armen Aharonian on the piano, accompanied by his orchestra. Artist-broadcast journalist Nune Avetisyan opened the concert by reciting the poem “Gantsrevé Dghas” (“It’s raining, my son,” in reference to crying) by Vahan Tekeyan. Avetisyan delivered the opening remarks, thanking the audience and volunteer artists for supporting SARF, and quoted poet Barouyr Sevag—“We exist, we shall prevail and multiply”—to show the determination of the Armenian people throughout history.

SARF Executive Committee chairperson Zaven Khanjian then addressed the audience with an inspiring message that reaffirmed the enduring quality of the Armenian people despite the genocide and the recent crisis in Syria. Khanjian noted, “What’s happening in Syria is the latest chapter of the annihilation of our race that started with the heinous crime of the Young Turks in the Ottoman Empire a century ago. … I have often found myself weak and desperate, which has led me to search the word of God for hope and consolation. Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ There is no doubt that we should be vigilant in the pursuit of justice.”

Khanjian concluded, “At this gathering of solidarity with our brethren in the Armenian Diasporan community of Syria, let us use our knowledge of the truth in our struggle to bring peace and harmony to ourselves, and to the troubled region and life and resurrection to its unjustifiably crucified communities.”

The program continued with alternating performances of songs, instrumental music, and dance, with a dash of poetry. Aline Aroustamian, Gagik Badalyan, Ani Christy, Harut Hagopian, Harout Jeghelian, Arthur Madoyan, Salpy Mailyan, Heibert Sarian, and Samuel Sahakyan sang; Harout Pamboukjian played the guitar and sang; Ruben Harutunian accompanied the Karavan Studio dancers on the duduk; the Dynamic Duo performed; and the Hamazkayin Ani Dance Company and Hamazkayin Barouyr Sevag “Nairi” Dance Group performed several elaborate dance numbers.

Poet Gailag’s (Panosian) lyrics dedicated to Kessab, titled “Geh Lsvin Voghper,” were read by Nune Avetisyan. In honor of renowned composer Konstantine Orbelyan (1928-2014) who recently passed away, Armen Aharonian played one of his compositions on the piano.

As Kessab is one of the last remnants of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the closing song was aptly “Giligia.” Arthur Hagopian began with an English version, and the rest of the singers joined him with the original Armenian version by Nahabed Rousinian.

Closing remarks were made by Ara Aroyan, vice-chairperson of the SARF Executive Committee, who applauded Louise Mardirossian Gill’s “vision, persistence, and persuasion” as co-chairperson of the HyeAID3 organizing committee. The participating artists were handed special Congressional certificates of appreciation from Rep. Adam Schiff (28^th District) and certificates of recognition from California Assembly member Mike Gatto (43^rd District).

The program was accomplished with a large crew of volunteers. The program execution relied on the technical skills of the production crew, which included Edgar Nikolian, Neptune Productions, and Val Hovanissian.

The varied styles and subjects of the lyrics and dances from “Adana” to “Yeraz Im Yergir” allowed the audience to feel a range of feelings, from sorrow to joy. One audience member who lost a family member to the fighting in Kessab said, “They sang, we cried.”

Those who have family members caught in the middle of the conflict in Syria are sacrificing whatever they can to financially support them; it is up to the rest of the diaspora to do its part and let those effected by the calamity in Syria know that “We are still here,” as Khanjian said.

Among the audience were representatives of the SARF organizations, including Archbishops Hovnan Derderian and Mousheg Mardirossian, Very Rev. Fr. Andon Atamian, and Rev. Hendrik Shanazarian. In addition to other local clergy, Very Rev. Fr. Tatoul Anoushian of the Armenian Patriarchate attended from Istanbul, Turkey.

The following churches, charities, and organizations came together to form the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund in August 2012: Armenian Catholic Eparchy in North America; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America; Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU); Armenian Missionary Association of America; Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Western USA; Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADLP); Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Western USA; and Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) Western USA.

Ani Keshishian (ARS CEB), Lena Bozoyan (ARS Western USA), Avedik Izmirlian (ARF CC), Krekor Karaguezian (AGBU), Gabriel Moloyan (SDHP), Hagop Nazarian (ADLP), and Esther Tognozzi (Kessab Educational Association of LA) also attended the event. The concert was sponsored by many generous donors, including the general sponsor, Onnik Mehrabian of Glendale and his family.

To learn more, visit www.SyrianArmenianReliefFund.org.

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LOS ANGELES—On May 12, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) officially began its 20th anniversary celebrations with what can only be called a bustling outdoor gathering amid the lush gardens of the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif. Long-time supporters and new friends joined founder Carolyn Mugar to celebrate two decades of planting and greening all corners of Armenia and promoting environmental consciousness throughout the country.

ATP founder Carolyn Mugar, West Coast Building Bridges Manager Anahit Gharibyan, and Flora Dunaians

After cocktails on the Art Gallery Loggia and dinner at the South Terrace of what was once the Huntington family residence, senior Obama Administration official Matt Bogoshian began the program as master of ceremonies. “Organizations like ATP are creating jobs, and doing it in a way that is good for the planet. It’s all a part of the ‘triple bottom line,’” he explained, alluding to the importance of people, profit, and the planet.

Bogoshian, who promotes sustainability initiatives and develops policy on pollution prevention in the Obama Administration, addressed the role ATP plays in reducing global climate change. “By planting trees, ATP is actually at the cutting edge on this issue. Your work can be used as a model to show other countries how to do reforestation and introduce solutions to this global crisis. ATP can set an example to save the world.”

In his keynote address, Matthew Karanian, author of Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden Travel Guide, spoke about the positive ecological and

(Seated) David Mgrublian, Ara and Armineh Tavitian, and Susan Arzoumanian. (Back) Michelle Kezirian, Kathryn and Madlyn Mgrublian, Gala Committee chair Margaret Mgrublian, journalist and author Mark Arax, and Sarkis Arzoumanian

economic impact ATP has had on Armenia. “Reforestation is not as simple as planting trees. Once a forest has been lost to clear cutting, its biological diversity cannot easily be replaced,” Karanian explained. “The Tree Project recognizes this, and this is why ATP does more than plant trees. It also educates about the need to save, and manage, and conserve the trees we already have.”

Special guests who joined ATP to celebrate the milestone included former Secretary of the U.S. Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Ignatius, and award-winning journalist and author Mark Arax.

Introduced as a leader with a long resume of effecting social change and a committed citizen changing the world, founder Carolyn Mugar addressed the human face of ATP. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of friends who have helped ATP fight poverty and unemployment in rural villages by establishing tree nurseries, community planting sites, and fruit orchards. “This project is you all, and our people in Armenia,” she said. “You won’t believe how much of ‘a village’ it takes to do all of this.”

ATP Gala benefactors Haig and Hilda Manjikian with their extended families

She invited guests to visit ATP’s various projects and sites. “See it for yourself. See the nurseries, education centers, and planting sites, and meet the people that are doing this work in communities all over Armenia and Artsakh [Karabagh]. Please call us if you plan to go because everyone should do it.”

In closing, Mugar amusingly added, “ATP is not an NGO, a non-governmental organization. We are an NGU, meaning Never Give Up!”

Since its inception in 1994, ATP has planted more than 4.4 million trees during 41 seasons of planting, established 3 nurseries and 2 environmental education centers, and has greened villages, churches, parks, and open spaces throughout Armenia. In the process, the organization has provided employment for hundreds of people and provided vital resources to thousands of villagers throughout the country.

The post ATP Los Angeles Gala Marks 20 Years of Greening Armenia appeared first on Armenian Weekly.

The Knights and Daughters of Vartan recently announced the 2014 recipients of the Man of the Year and the newly established Woman of the Year awards, which will be presented at the Knights and Daughters of Vartan Grand Banquet on Sat., July 5, as part of their national convocation at the Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego. Both honorees will be in attendance.

‘Man of the Year’: Congressman Adam B. Schiff

The national leadership of the Knights of Vartan has selected the Honorable Congressman Adam Schiff as the 2014 Man of the Year. Schiff is one of the most influential and Armenian-friendly U.S. Congressmen in Washington. “His track record on Armenian issues, including assistance to Armenia and Karabagh; his honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide and sponsoring resolution for the recognition of the genocide; and his calling on the Republic of Turkey to end all religious persecution and return of stolen Christian Church properties, were the reasons that the Knights of Vartan Brotherhood voted to make Congressman Schiff the winner of the 2014 Man of the Year humanitarian award,” said the Grand Commander of the Knights of Vartan, Nighohos Atinizian.

Adam Schiff

Adam Bennett Schiff was born in 1960 in Framingham, Mass., to a traditional Jewish family. He received a political science degree from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Schiff went on to distinguish himself in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles before winning election to the California State Senate, where he served a four-year term. While State Senator, he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Joint Committee on the Arts, and the Senate Select Committee on Juvenile Justice.

Schiff is the U.S. House Representative for California’s 28th Congressional District and has served in Congress since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2007, he became a member of the House Appropriations Committee and also served on the House International Relations Committee for six years. Schiff is a long-time member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.

The Knights of Vartan applaud Congressman Schiff for his strength of character, his convictions, and his actions in support of Armenian people throughout the world.

‘Woman of the Year’: Lucine Amara

The national leadership of the Daughters of Vartan has selected legendary soprano Lucine Amara as the inaugural recipient of the Daughters of Vartan Woman of the Year award. Widely considered one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century, Amara is an American success story. Her name has become synonymous with the Metropolitan Opera.

Lucine Amara

She was born Lucine Armaganian in Hartford, Conn., before moving to San Francisco, where she grew up and trained as a vocalist. After only one year of voice training, she was accepted in the San Francisco Opera Chorus as a contralto. Three years later, she became a dramatic soprano singing the title role of Ariadne auf Naxos and Lady Billows in the opera “Albert Herring.”

Shortly thereafter, Amara joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, singing 882 onstage performances, 5 opening nights, 9 new productions, 57 radio broadcasts and, incredibly, 56 roles. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the “Voice from Heaven” in Verdi’s “Don Carlos” and appeared regularly as Micaëla in “Carmen,” as Cio-Cio-San in “Madame Butterfly,” and Tatiana in “Eugene Onegin,” Antonia in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni,” Nedda in “Pagliacci,” and Mimi in “La Bohème.” Her repertoire also included Leonora in “Il Trovatore,” as well as Aida.

Amara appeared in the 1951 MGM film “The Great Caruso” with Mario Lanza and has made various recordings, including “Pagliacci” with Franco Corelli and Richard Tucker. Her credits are immense: She has performed in 33 opera houses and with 25 symphony orchestras throughout the United States.

The national chair (Grand Matron) of the Daughters of Vartan, Lisa Kradjian, said the feeling was unanimous among the national officers. “There are, of course, many remarkable Armenian women serving our community today, but we felt that for the first recipient of this award, no other Armenian woman has graced this world with more accomplishment, artistry, spirit, and service for her people than Lucine Amara.”

Starting in 2014, the Daughters of Vartan Woman of the Year award will be given annually to a woman who has served Armenian people and heritage with excellence, just as the Knights of Vartan have similarly honored a Man of the Year.

For more information about the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, visit http://www.knightsofvartan.org, or their pages on Facebook and Twitter.

The Grand Banquet and Man and Woman of the Year awards are part of the Grand Convocation of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan, which occurs in a different city each year and welcomes hundreds of members and patrons from across the country. This year’s convocation is being presented by the San Diego chapters of the Knights and Daughters of Vartan at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, One Market Place, San Diego. The banquet is open to the public. For tickets and more information, e-mail sdconvocation2014@gmail.com or call (619) 742-2719.

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LOS ANGELES—On the evening of June 1, a banquet honoring the 30^th anniversary of Prof. S. Peter Cowe’s scholarly career and the 45^th anniversary of the Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Studies at UCLA was held in Los Angeles. The jubilant event, which took place at the London, West Hollywood, was organized jointly by the 30^th Anniversary Committee and the Friends of UCLA Armenian Language and Culture Studies, in support of the expansion of the Armenian Studies Program and particularly Western-Armenian instruction at UCLA.

Prof. Cowe flanked by a group of present and former Armenology students. (L-R) Narine Jallatyan, Ceyda Tinmaz, Shushan Karapetian, Rosie Aroush, Talar Chahinian, Lilit Keshishian, Myrna Douzjian, and Sona Tajiryan. (Photo by Yerevan Studio)

The more than 200 guests included community leaders, scholars, and Armenology students. Also present were a number of academics from Armenia, Europe, and the Americas who were participating in a UCLA conference organized by Dr. Grigor Areshian on “Current Practices in Armenian Studies: the Creation and Visibility of New Knowledge.” Most of the evening’s speakers were UCLA alumni of Armenian studies.

Two elements were particularly noteworthy about the evening: one was the warm atmosphere between students and teacher; and the second, the impressive growth of Armenian studies as a highly sought-after field among the present generation—marked by the large number of local scholars in the field, as befits the largest Armenian Diasporan community, and reinforced by visiting colleagues from different parts of the world.

Following a cocktail reception and book exhibit at the London’s Marble Terrace, the banquet began inside the Kensington Ballroom. Welcome remarks were delivered by Shahane Martirosyan and Gayane Khechoomian, and grace was said by the Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Yardemian of the Western Diocese.

In his opening address, Ben Charchian said, “At UCLA, walking around the campus, learning that the language you speak is thousands of years old and your alphabet is over 1,600 years old, you hold your head up high. Prof. Cowe was instrumental in instilling in me, and hundreds of other students, that sense of pride.”

An early highlight of the banquet was the ritual presentation of haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, as a surprise tribute to Cowe’s Scottish descent. The colorful presentation, complete with bagpipe music, comprised a procession around the hall led by the piper and a thunderous haggis oration delivered by Dr. Neil McLeod, followed by a performance of the Scottish sword dance. The haggis was subsequently served to the guests.

An encyclical from Catholicos Aram I, congratulating Cowe on his achievements as an outstanding Armenologist, was then read by Right Rev. Fr. Boghos Tinkjian. “We have known Dr. Cowe closely over the last 30 years, both personally and through his serious investigations and critical studies, which have contributed to the advance of Armenian studies,” the Catholicos wrote. “Therefore, this initiative to celebrate Dr. Cowe’s 30 years of academic activity is to be warmly welcomed.”

Presenting the 45th anniversary of the Narekatsi Chair was Shushan Karapetian, the most recent PhD recipient in the Armenian Studies Program at UCLA, who in turn was introduced by Ani Shirinian. As she reminisced about her experiences as a student of Cowe’s, Karapetian said, “A few years into my graduate program, as I had just completed Intermediate Classical Armenian, I walked into Prof. Cowe’s office and told him, ‘I wish there were more; I wish we could pursue studies in Classical Armenian as well.’ And he said, ‘The advanced level has never been offered.’ So I shrugged, disappointed. But he said, ‘I don’t see why it shouldn’t be.’ So, with no further ado, he inaugurated an advanced series of Classical Armenian at my simple little request, after which my fellow students and I had the most amazing year of our lives studying the subject. We also created a team name, ‘Team Grabar,’ whose leader was Prof. Cowe—labeled ‘The Michael Jordan of Grabar’ by fellow student Ara Soghomonian. We were all aspiring players who knew we would never be as good as our teacher but we were going to die trying!”

Karapetian’s address was followed by the screening of a short documentary, “Inside the Academic Studio,” directed and produced by Armenian studies doctoral student Ara Soghomonian. The film featured humorous, highly engaging conversations between Cowe and a number of his students, shedding fresh light on his life and career as a beloved Armenologist.

Subsequently Dr. Talar Chahinian introduced the event’s keynote speaker, Theo van Lint, who is a Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at Oxford and a Fellow of Pembroke College. As he presented the honoree’s career and accomplishments, van Lint said, “When Peter sets out a scholarly position, his work is always carefully contextualized, with all caveats and nuances required to tackle all facets of a problem. This innate fairness, coupled with a sharp mind and an absolute passion for the subject at hand, can lead to a feast of conversation.”

“Many of us familiar with Peter’s scholarly work, and particularly his style, are used to long sentences in which the various aspects of a position are carefully considered while the reader longs for a period,” van Lint continued jokingly. “Fifteen subordinate clauses are no exception to Peter. And it’s all one sentence, one big thought, which he will bring to a brilliant end and it will be like a fugue. That is what he does: He thinks in terms of music. That’s quite rare in Armenian studies. It’s quite rare among scholars. It’s quite rare among human beings.”

After a musical interlude featuring a performance on traditional Armenian instruments, Ardashes Kassakhian, Glendale City Clerk and a former student of Cowe’s, took the podium. As he drew parallels between the great Armenian translators of the Middle Ages and present-day Armenologists, Kassakhian said, “Today, as the Armenian nation is dispersed around the world, it is thanks to scholars and translators like Prof. Cowe that Armenian history and the masterpieces of the Armenian intellectual legacy are being brought forth for the enjoyment of the world and diaspora Armenians such as myself.” Kassakhian then invited the evening’s honoree to the stage.

“When I started out as an Armenologist, I couldn’t imagine my journey would be so enriching and rewarding,” Cowe began. “It has proved beyond my expectations. Yet I had an inkling then that Armenology was an idea whose time would come, and the subsequent proliferation of the field, as testified by so many in our midst tonight, has confirmed my impression.”

“I also appreciate the tribute to my Scottish background tonight,” Cowe continued. “In this respect, it gives me great pleasure to know that one of my longstanding goals has been met, that Armenian is now being taught in Scotland, in our oldest university, at St. Andrews.”

Cowe closed his remarks by stating, “My wish is that all of you, and Armenians as a whole, would step back from the immediate pressures of your surroundings to recenter, to reintegrate with your core, and reenergize your cultural capacity to creatively engage with the current environment. Yours is not a culture that is on its last legs, that needs to be artificially ‘preserved’ in an oxygen tent; rather, it is one that is actual and vital, seeking new modes of expression to be authentic to its reality. You have not only a legacy, but a potential, one you must claim and make your own.”

The banquet concluded with a benediction, followed by a Scottish-Armenian musical composition arranged by Artashes Kartalian combining the bagpipe and zurna.

Accompanying the event was a beautiful booklet featuring the honoree’s biography, publications, awards, and list of PhD students supervised, as well as congratulatory letters and notes from colleagues around the world, including the following commendation from his senior colleague at UCLA, Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian: “S. Peter Cowe has given strong impetus to Armenian studies in the United States and abroad. His erudition and broad horizons allow for a useful comparative approach that helps to integrate Armenian studies into world history and culture. I welcome the opportunity to congratulate him on his 30th anniversary in the field and to wish him many productive years of research, publication, teaching, and community participation as the Holder of the Narekatsi Chair at UCLA.”

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