BY YARON WEISS

Every year, the small yet resilient Armenian community in the holy land comes together to honor the memory of one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century — the Armenian Genocide. This year marked 111 years since the systematic massacres and deportations that claimed the lives of approximately 1.5 million Armenians.

Although the State of Israel has yet to grant official recognition to the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian community continues its annual commemorations with deep dignity and determination.

The Central Event in Jerusalem
The main commemoration ceremony took place on the morning of Friday, April 24, at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The event was organized by the Armenian Patriarchate and was attended by the Ambassador of Armenia to Israel, Dr. Arman Akopian, along with members of the local Armenian community. As in previous years, no senior Israeli government officials were present.

During the ceremony, prayers were offered for the souls of the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

The day before, on Thursday evening, the local Armenian community in Jerusalem organized a traditional memorial march through the streets of the city. This march, which has become an annual tradition, was this year joined by dozens of Jewish activists — including members of “Window to Mount Zion” and volunteers from the ‘Religious Freedom Data Center’ led by Yisca Harani.

The Jewish participants joined the march for two important reasons. First, out of a deep moral urgency: with every year that passes without official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the State of Israel, many feel it has become increasingly important and morally necessary for Israel to finally acknowledge this historic injustice. Second, because of the fresh wounds from the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in September 2023 — when nearly 120,000 Armenians were forcibly expelled from their ancestral homes while centuries-old churches, monasteries and cultural heritage were systematically destroyed. This pain was intensified by the knowledge that Israeli weapons were sold to Azerbaijan and used during the military operations that led to this ethnic cleansing.

The joint participation of Armenians and Jews in the Jerusalem march sent a powerful message of human and moral solidarity.

Additional Ceremonies and Important Commitment in Haifa
Parallel ceremonies were held in Petah Tikva, near the monument erected by local residents of Armenian origin.

In Haifa — the only city in Israel that has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide — a moving ceremony took place in the presence of Mayor Yona Yahav. During the event, Mayor Yahav made a significant and welcome announcement: he pledged to work toward including the topic of the Armenian Genocide in the school curricula in Haifa.

“We must teach the next generation about the Armenian Genocide,” said Mayor Yahav, “so that similar horrors will never be repeated in the future.”

Father Dirair Sahak Hovakimian, the priest responsible for the Armenian community in Haifa and the North on behalf of the Armenian Patriarchate, delivered a powerful speech:

“If the Armenian people forget their history and the horrors committed against them, it will stain our future and deserve condemnation not only from future generations but from all nations. That is why we must continue to fight to restore morality and justice to their rightful place.”

He expressed warm gratitude to the Haifa municipality for standing with the Armenian community despite heavy external pressures.

A Call for Justice and Memory
The central ceremony in Jerusalem, together with the memorial march organized by the local Armenian community — to which Jewish activists joined in solidarity — served as a poignant reminder that the struggle for historical truth and justice is not only Armenian, but universal.

As long as official recognition by the State of Israel remains absent, the voice of the Armenian community in Jerusalem and across the country continues to echo clearly: memory must be preserved, and new atrocities must be prevented.

May the memory of the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide be eternal.

May the wounds of Artsakh heal, and may the call for truth and justice grow stronger with every passing year.

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SANTA ANA — Students, faculty, and families gathered at Ari Guiragos Minassian School in Santa Ana, in solemn remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, an annual tradition that continues to shape the identity and mission of the school.

The commemoration began with a prayer service led by Fr. Karekin Bedourian, who offered a message of reflection, faith, and collective responsibility. Following the prayer, students participated in a flower-laying ceremony at the Armenian Genocide monument located on the school grounds. One by one, students approached the monument with reverence, placing flowers in honor of the 1.5 million martyrs and standing in quiet reflection—a powerful visual of remembrance carried forward by a new generation.

The program then continued in Gugasian Hall, where students took the stage to present a moving and meaningful tribute. Through poetry, readings, music, and performance, each grade level contributed to a program that honored the past while reinforcing the importance of cultural identity and historical truth.

The voices of the students—steady, proud, and deeply connected—served as a reminder that the legacy of the Armenian people lives on not only in memory, but in action. Their participation reflected both an understanding of history and a commitment to preserving it.

“This commemoration is one of the most defining moments of our school year,” said Principal Ani Shahinian. “When we teach our students their language, their history, their faith, and their identity, we are doing more than educating—we are preserving. We are honoring. We are ensuring that what was nearly lost will never be lost again.

And so, while we remember the pain of our past, we must also recognize the power of our present. Our students are not defined by tragedy. They are defined by strength, by identity, and by possibility.

We remember—but we do not remain in sorrow. We honor—but we do not stand still. We rise—with purpose, with pride, and with hope.”

At Ari Guiragos Minassian School, Armenian Genocide Commemoration is not only an annual observance—it is a living _expression_ of the school’s mission. Through education, reflection, and community, students are guided to remember, to honor, and to continue telling the story of the Armenian people with strength and dignity.

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The before and after of Stepanakert’s Holy Mother of God Cathedral

The Azerbaijani government-affiliated Caucasus Muslims Board issued a statement Monday confirming the state-planned demolition of the Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert as well as a the St. Jacob church—a smaller edifice also in the occupied Artsakh capital.

The statement was a direct response to the condemnation voiced by the Holy See of Etchmiadzin last week. The Holy See accued Baku of continuing to “target Armenian Christian holy sites with the aim of erasing the Armenian trace from Artsakh.”

“This state-level vandalism once again proves that Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy has not changed, which makes statements about establishing a stable and lasting peace with Armenia questionable,” Etchmiadzin.

Satellite image of Holy Mother of God Cathedral Satellite image of St. Jacob Church

The Azerbaijani religious group accused Etchmiadzin of politicizing the issue saying the last week’s statement was “a manifestation of hostility and disinformation.”

The Baku group rationalized the demolition of the two churches by saying that they were “illegally” constructed during what it termed as “the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories,” and adding the demolition “cannot be distorted in any way as the destruction of religious or cultural heritage.”

The Caucasus Islamic group claimed that Azerbaijanis who returned to occupied Stepanakert in recent month have appealed to Baku authorities urging them “to demolish all structures that did not exist in these territories before the occupation.”

Lernik Hovhannisyan, the chairman of the Artsakh Diocesan Council, questioned Azerbaijani claims of “indigenous” Azerbaijanis having ever lived in Stepanakert in droves and especially not in the area of the city where the demolished churches were located.

“Specifically, in Stepanakert, the Armenian population has always been predominant, that is, Stepanakert has always been a city with a majority of Armenians. Azerbaijanis lived to a certain extent in the upper Krkzhan district. They were brought in from different regions in the 1960s to change the demographic situation of the NKAO [Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast]. So, the statement of the Union of Caucasian Muslims has nothing to do with reality,” Hovhannesyan told Azatutyun.am in an interview on Monday.

The Azerbaijanis also claimed that the demolition was in line with international laws, without mentioning any such precedent.

Baku speaks of international humanitarian law, justifying the destruction of churches. The Azerbaijani group claimed that the chruches were not built with the consent of Azerbaijani authorities, and by demolishing them they are restoring legality, which was violated during the years of the what they claim to be Armenian “occupation.”

Hovhannesyan contended that what Azerbaijan has destroyed the culture of indigenous Armenians of Artsakh.
“It does not stand up to any international law, because the right of the Armenian population of Artsakh to self-determination as residents of Nagorno-Karabakh has long been recognized in all statements and documents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. If Armenians were occupiers then why did the Soviet Union create the NKAO within the Azerbaijani SSR?” Hovhannesyan said.

The Muslim Board of Azerbaijan presents grounds for the destruction of churches built in 30 years, but still does not mention anything about why they demolished the Green Hour and Mokhrenes churches—built in the 18th and 19th centuries—in occupied Shushi.

Baku praises itself as being “tolerant,” and claims that in that country “a church, a mosque, and a synagogue operate side by side.”

“If they are so tolerant and preserve, among other things, Armenian churches, citing the example of Baku, then where are the 27,000 monuments of Nakhichevan, the monuments of northern Artsakh?” Hovhannesyan said in the interview.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Prague headquarters researched Google’s satellite maps of where the two churches were located and observed that there white pavement where the huge Holy Mother of God Cathedral once stood and black soil is covering where the St. Jacob Church was erected.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan categorically stated that his government will not seek international condemnation of the cathedral’s demolition, nor would he condemn Baku for the destruction of this and other holy sites in occupied Artsakh.

“We need to be careful about these topics, especially now, because such topics are a double-edged sword,” Pashinyan said.

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Tokyo International Foto Awards awarded Sossi Madzounian bronze in the Architecture/Buildings buildings category for her photographs of The Getty Museum.

TIFA wrote about the photo the photo series, “The Getty Museum is compelling in its masterful blend of soft, flowing curves and strong, geometric edges. It presents both a challenge and an opportunity for any photographer. Capturing its essence demands a thoughtful approach—an acute awareness of light, perspective, and timing.

Sossi Madzounian’s photographic vision transcends from a traditional approach to the digital age, emphasizing on the sheer simplicity of the subject. After studying at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, she immersed herself in commercial photography but has shifted her focus to fine art photography for the last fifteen years. Sossi’s style is about capturing the essence of what naturally exists. Her discerning eye focuses on the ordinary often unheeded subjects metamorphosing them into compelling forms and images. Her unblemished approach to life is her inspiration and guiding light.”

Madzounian elaborated on her technique, “I photographed the museum in the late afternoon, during golden hour. The light cast long, dramatic shadows and defined the architectural lines, enhancing depth and contrast. In the editing process, I converted the image to black and white to reveal the emotion and the drama of the structure.”

Images were captured in December 2014 using a EF24-70mm lens at ISO400, 30mm and f/5.6

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· APRIL 27, 2026

· APRIL 27, 2026

· APRIL 27, 2026