The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
755 Mount Auburn St.
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel: (617) 924-4420
Fax: (617) 924-2887
Web:
E-mail: [email protected]
November 13, 2010
1. Mirror Celebrates With Style
2.Brooklyn Bread House: New Armenian Bakery/Café Takes Root in New York
3. Commentary: To `Come Home’ or `Stay Home?’
*********************************************************************
*1. *Mirror Celebrates With Style
*By Alin K. Gregorian*
*Mirror-Spectator *Staff
WATERTOWN, Mass. – The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is marking its 78th
anniversary on December 9 at 7:30 p.m. with a program featuring local and
national journalists at the elegant Taj Boston Hotel.
The program, titled `Celebrating 78 Years and Beyond’ will feature as
keynote speaker Tim Kurkjian of ESPN. Kurkjian is a baseball analyst and
reporter for ESPN TV and the Emmy award-winning ESPN productions’ `Baseball
Tonight’ and `SportsCenter.’ He is also a senior writer for *ESPN* magazine
and ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to baseball discussions on Tony
Kornheiser’s `Pardon the Interruption,’ ESPN radio and numerous other radio
baseball programs, including NPR’s `Only a Game.’ He has been covering major
league baseball for 30 years, including eight years writing for *Sports
Illustrated* before joining ESPN in 1998. He wrote his first book, *America’s
Game*, in 2000. His second book, *Is This a Great Game or What?*, was
released in 2007.
Kurkjian grew up in Bethesda, Md. And attended Walter Johnson High School,
named for the great Washington Senators pitcher. He graduated from the
University of Maryland with a BS in journalism in 1978. He currently resides
in Darnestown, Md. with his wife, Kathy, and two children, Kelly and
Jeffrey.
Kurkjian said he was thrilled to help out with the
*Mirror-Spectator*celebration, especially because it’s an Armenian
organization and `an
Armenian called me and asked me to help.’ He noted that helping out fellow
Armenians is a part of the ethos of the community.
`I travel across the country and meet people. Some come up to me and say
hello only because they’re Armenian,’ he said.
For Kurkjian baseball is in the genes. `My father, who grew up in Watertown,
loved baseball. It was the language we spoke at home. It was something we
were all taught to love at a very early age. It always was a really
important part of my life.’
He concluded, `I still love baseball. I want to go to games as much as ever
and talk to the players. I hope that lasts a whole lot longer.’
Kurkjian and Wendy Semonian Eppich, publisher of the *Improper Bostonian*,
will receive awards of excellence that night. Handing out the awards will be
Tim Kurkjian’s cousin, Pulitzer- Prize-winning journalist Stephen Kurkjian,
and Armen Keteyan of CBS News, both recipients of the 2007 Award of
Excellence.
The emcee for the evening will be Chris Talanian of NECN’s Style Boston.
Serving on the benefit committee are Alexandra Allukian, Nigoghos and Roset
Atinizian, Leslie Aznoian, Aida Bejakian, Rita Bejakian, Rebecca Tellalian
Cahaly, Nina Festekjian, Alin Gregorian (editor), Michael Guleserian, June
Hatfield, Carol and Richard Ishkanian, Robert Khederian, Michele Kolligian,
Kevork Marashlian, Antranig and Christina Mardiros, Mark McKertich (art
director), Dr. Armineh Mirzabegian, Hasmik Saroyan (advertising), Chris
Talanian, Barbara Tellalian (chair), Carolyn Atinizian Yardemian, Esq. And
Johnny Yardemian. For invitations to the event on December 9 or for more
information, write to anniversary@ mirrorspectator.com.
***********************************************************************************************************
2. Brooklyn Bread House: New Armenian Bakery/Café Takes Root in New York
*By Aram Arkun*
*Mirror-Spectator* Staff
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Brooklyn used to be an important center for
Armenian-Americans a century ago, but somehow until the last few decades the
Armenian population there had dwindled. Then an influx of immigrants from
Armenia and other parts of the former Soviet Union changed the situation.
Nonetheless, there are still only a few recognizable centers for Armenians
in Brooklyn – a restaurant, an Armenian Saturday school affiliated with the
Diocese of the Armenian Church and an Armenian Catholic cathedral
immediately come to mind. Brooklyn Bread House, a new bakery in the Brooklyn
neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, looks like a good candidate for addition to
this list.
Its founder, Khoren Badalyan, is a native of Gavar, Armenia. He came to this
country in 2001, intending to work in construction and renovation. He
brought with him his wife, Amalya, and his two sons (also specialists in
construction), all from Yerevan. They noticed that there was no lavash, a
type of Armenian flat bread, baked fresh in the New York area. Armenians
were buying it primarily from bakeries in Los Angeles. The Badalyans
recognized this as an opportunity and because Khoren’s parents and brothers
in Armenia worked as bakers, they already knew what to do. The timing was
right, as the construction industry had taken a downturn along with the rest
of the American economy.
Khoren and his family first prepared a model oven in their backyard, and
when this worked well, they felt confident enough to order the necessary
parts and built a full-scale oven for their new venture. They opened their
store in August and thanks largely to word of mouth, they soon began selling
around 200 to 220 pieces of lavash a day. People from places like Boston
would take lavash back home with them and orders began coming from cities as
far away as Chicago. Initially the Badalyans sent lavash to various stores
in Manhattan, but as local demand grew, they stopped this. Their output is
just enough for the area now. Even so, customers who come late in the day
are often out of luck because the supply runs out early, especially on
weekends. This was the case when I visited the store. The lavash is prepared
fresh at 4 a.m. each day, and has to cool down before it can be packaged for
customers.
In addition to Armenians of the New York metropolitan area, Russians, Jews
and New Yorkers of various other backgrounds have discovered the wide range
of products of the Brooklyn Bread House. Desserts are all made in-house, and
in addition to Armenian gata and baklava, include non-Armenian favorites
such as Napoleons and éclairs. Khachapuri (a cheese-filled pastry equivalent
to börek of the Western Armenians and Turks), and several Georgian breads
like shoti are prepared daily and Ajarian khachapuri (cheese-filled bread
with egg on the top) and lahmejun (a type of meat pizza) are prepared to
order.
Despite the name of the store, Brooklyn Bread House is already more than a
bakery. Khash (boiled cow’s feet) and various soups are available and the
Badalyans plan to eventually add Armenian khorovats or barbecue, and the
kufta of Gavar to their offerings. Khoren Badalyan has already begun
experimenting with the preparation of khorovats. The Badalyans offer
buffet-style cooked meals of chicken, sausage and other foods ready for
purchase each day. Customers can enjoy Armenian coffee, and also purchase
various types of Armenian cheese and canned or pickled goods.
The store is small and usually is packed with customers. There are a few
chairs and a small table in front of the store on the sidewalk outside, but
there is no possibility at present for many customers to sit down and enjoy
the fruit of the Badalyans’ labor. Khoren Badalyan, however, is ambitious
and hopes to be able to expand and create a restaurant with seating if
business continues to expand. He also might then create larger facilities to
make lavash. At present, in addition to his family members, he has five or
six other workers employed at Brooklyn Bread House, which is open from seven
in the morning until 10 p.m.
The Badalyans support Armenian institutions when possible. They provided
catering for an Armenian independence celebration at St. Vartan Cathedral in
Manhattan recently. Khoren Badalyan wants to provide a place for the
Armenians of Brooklyn and the New York area to come together, and keep in
touch with Armenian affairs. It seems he is already off to a good start.
************************************************************************************************************************
3. Commentary: To `Come Home’ or `Stay Home?’
*By Edmond Y. Azadian*
The newly-formed Ministry of Diaspora has a very creative minister at the
helm, namely Hranoush Hagopian, who develops many innovative programs, or
puts into practice ideas long discussed but never acted upon.
Ever since Hagopian took over the ministry, several world conferences have
been held in Armenia (architects, medical professionals, educators, lawyers
and journalists) to tap into the diaspora resources to benefit Armenia.
Recently, a new initiative was launched to lure young Armenians living
abroad to settle in Armenia. It is a worthwhile project, which caught the
imagination of some Diaspora-Armenian youth. But the idea also touched some
raw nerves and triggered a hot controversy. One of the soul-searching and
pertinent articles was signed in the daily Azg in Yerevan, by Varoujan
Sirapian, founder and director of Chobanian Research Center in Paris,
France.
The program announced by the Diaspora Ministry is called Ari Tun (come
home). The writer has reversed the title and renamed it Mena Tun (stay
home); the upshot of this reversal is that Sirapian asks the authorities
what incentives they are offering to the diaspora youth to come and stay in
the homeland and second, he suggests, shouldn’t we find ways to keep the
Armenian-born youth at home, before inviting the diasporan youth to come?
And he offers some disturbing statistics. A recent poll conducted among the
youth in the three republics in the Caucasus region has revealed the
following sad picture: 40 percent of the young people polled in Armenia have
expressed the desire to leave the country permanently, whereas in Georgia 14
percent have expressed the same desire and in Azerbaijan, only 12 percent.
In the young people’s perception, Armenia remains a less desirable country
to live in than its two neighbors.
Then comes the perennial question: what the hell is possessing Armenians to
leave their homeland and disperse around the globe and then stubbornly
continue struggling with their national identity? E. Agnouni has well said:
`The Armenian seeks haven anywhere, except the location called Hayastan.’
As the Byzantine Empire was shrinking, Armenia could not sustain its
statehood on its ancestral territory and the nation collectively moved west
to establish the Kingdom of Cilicia, which was eventually overrun by the
Memluks in 1375, with King Leo Lousignan taken as prisoner to Egypt.
Armenians dispersed again always singing Tzangam desnel zeem Giligia (I wish
to see my Cilicia).
Then Khrimian Hairig’s battle cry of `back to the land’ did not materialize
because the Ottoman Turks took away that land from under the very feet of
the Armenians, after trying first to wipe them off the face of the globe.
The first Republic at the turn of the 20th century was short-lived and the
70 years of the Soviet misrule was tolerated, with the people always
yearning for a free homeland. After a million-and-a-half victims at the
hands of the Turks, and 300,000 Armenian youth lost as Stalin’s canon fodder
during World War II, one would think that Armenians would treasure the Third
Republic, yet they are voting with their feet and running out of the
historic land. The logic of every departing Armenian is `let someone else
build the country, defend its borders and we will love the homeland from a
distance.’
The irony is that Armenians are law-abiding citizens. They are fiercely
loyal to their adopted countries and they contribute tremendously to those
governments; beginning with the Byzantine Empire, where they produced kings,
princes and army generals, all the way to Czarist Russia and even the
Ottoman Empire, where Armenian ministers, armiras, scientists, jurists and
linguists were trailblazers, and the elite served bloody sultans with
unwavering dedication.
Even in the West, in Europe and the US, Armenians have distinguished
themselves with their loyalty and genius – both in politics and in science.
Once they are back in their homeland, they cannot stand a ruler who is their
kin and they begin the process of self destruction – a stage in which we
find ourselves now. Armenians take refuge in the comfort zone of victimhood.
Had we taken responsibility for our own failings, maybe we could turn out to
be a stronger nation.
Armenia is surrounded by enemies, yet people don’t recognize the dangers
threatening the historic homeland.
Of course there are objective reasons for internal divisions and cut-throat
animosity which has gripped the populace. The most disheartening factor is
the situation in the army. We won a historic victory against the stronger
Azerbaijani army, and rather than savoring that victory and glorifying the
armed forces, there is army bashing, sometimes rightfully. Given the rate of
hazing, beatings and killings of young recruits, the youth has begun to
question why it should defend a country when his only reward from them is
beatings, maiming and killing?
Fortunately, parliament has sobered up recently and new laws are being
drafted to change that atrocious culture prevalent in the armed forces.
Capitalism has infected the country in its ugliest form; the rich are
getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and the unemployment is being
`solved’ through depopulation.
Any Diaspora Armenian willing to invest in Armenia is either cheated, beaten
or found dead near Lake Sevan.
Of course there is a free press and journalists are writing about all these
shortcomings courageously, yet nobody cares; the trend is continuing.
Many writers in the diaspora are cautious about touching these sensitive
issues for fear of being labeled a traitor or a collaborator with the
opposition, which, in its turn, has only gloom and doom to spew through its
media. Even the most positive projects are given a negative spin. A case in
point is the skyline cable car built near the monastery of Tatev through the
generosity of a Russian- Armenian benefactor. The idea was to spur tourism
in that historic region. While the state media was hailing the longest
skyline cable in the world, the opposition was thriving on a glitch, which
stopped the cars in mid air for 40 minutes.
Similarly, when Ukraine donated animals and habitat for a large aquarium to
be built in Komitas Park to protect dolphins, the opposition media said the
government was using the drinking water meant for people. Later on it was
revealed that only irrigation water was being used for the project, but they
could not be bothered to run a correction.
The Medicare scandal in the US offered a treasure trove of political capital
to the opposition to link it to the current rulers in Armenia, desperately
seeking ties between the arrested ex-pats and the relatives of the officials
in Armenia.
The opposition is dead set on overthrowing this government (`kleptokrats’)
in the name of democracy, but deep down the resentment is that the present
rulers benefited too much from the gravy train. The opposition is aspiring
to take over that favorable position, and no wonder people are confused and
disheartened.
Armenia’s land is sacred, every youth in the world must touch it to be in
communion with the soul of its ancestors.
But how can we entice the youth to `come home,’ when there is a problem of
`staying at home’ for the indigenous youth?
Hi Asbed,Here is the 11/13/10 Mirror. Please let me know if there are any issues.
ThanksTomFrom: http:// mirrorspectator.com.***********************************************************************************************************2. Brooklyn Bread House:
New Armenian Bakery/Café Takes Root in New York
By Aram Arkun
Mirror-Spectator Staff
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Brooklyn used to be an important center for
Armenian-Americans a century ago, but somehow until the last few
decades the Armenian population there had dwindled. Then
an influx of immigrants from Armenia and other parts of the former
Soviet Union changed the situation. Nonetheless, there are still only a
few recognizable centers for Armenians in Brooklyn – a restaurant, an
Armenian Saturday school affiliated with the Diocese of the Armenian
Church and an Armenian Catholic cathedral immediately come to mind.
Brooklyn Bread House, a new bakery in the Brooklyn neighborhood of
Sheepshead Bay, looks like a good candidate for addition to this list.
Its founder, Khoren Badalyan, is a native of Gavar, Armenia. He came
to this country in 2001, intending to work in construction and
renovation. He brought with him his wife, Amalya, and his two sons
(also specialists in construction), all from Yerevan. They noticed that
there was no lavash, a type of Armenian flat bread, baked fresh in the
New York area. Armenians were buying it primarily from bakeries in Los
Angeles. The Badalyans recognized this as an opportunity and because
Khoren’s parents and brothers in Armenia worked as bakers, they already
knew what to do. The timing was right, as the construction industry had
taken a downturn along with the rest of the American economy.
Khoren and his family first prepared a model oven in their backyard,
and when this worked well, they felt confident enough to order the
necessary parts and built a full-scale oven for their new venture. They
opened their store in August and thanks largely to word of mouth, they
soon began selling around 200 to 220 pieces of lavash a day. People
from places like Boston would take lavash back home with them and
orders began coming from cities as far away as Chicago. Initially the
Badalyans sent lavash to various stores in Manhattan, but as local
demand grew, they stopped this. Their output is just enough for the
area now. Even so, customers who come late in the day are often out of
luck because the supply runs out early, especially on weekends. This
was the case when I visited the store. The lavash is prepared fresh at
4 a.m. each day, and has to cool down before it can be packaged for
customers.In addition to Armenians of the New York metropolitan area,
Russians, Jews and New Yorkers of various other backgrounds have
discovered the wide range of products of the Brooklyn Bread House.
Desserts are all made in-house, and in addition to Armenian gata and
baklava, include non-Armenian favorites such as Napoleons and éclairs.
Khachapuri (a cheese-filled pastry equivalent to börek of the Western
Armenians and Turks), and several Georgian breads like shoti are
prepared daily and Ajarian khachapuri (cheese-filled bread with egg on
the top) and lahmejun (a type of meat pizza) are prepared to order.
Despite the name of the store, Brooklyn Bread House is already more
than a bakery. Khash (boiled cow’s feet) and various soups are
available and the Badalyans plan to eventually add Armenian khorovats
or barbecue, and the kufta of Gavar to their offerings. Khoren Badalyan
has already begun experimenting with the preparation of khorovats. The
Badalyans offer buffet-style cooked meals of chicken, sausage and other
foods ready for purchase each day. Customers can enjoy Armenian coffee,
and also purchase various types of Armenian cheese and canned or
pickled goods.
The store is small and usually is packed with customers. There are a
few chairs and a small table in front of the store on the sidewalk
outside, but there is no possibility at present for many customers to
sit down and enjoy the fruit of the Badalyans’ labor. Khoren Badalyan,
however, is ambitious and hopes to be able to expand and create a
restaurant with seating if business continues to expand. He also might
then create larger facilities to make lavash. At present, in addition
to his family members, he has five or six other workers employed at
Brooklyn Bread House, which is open from seven in the morning until 10
p.m.The Badalyans support Armenian institutions when possible. They
provided catering for an Armenian independence celebration at St.
Vartan Cathedral in Manhattan recently. Khoren Badalyan wants to
provide a place for the Armenians of Brooklyn and the New York area to
come together, and keep in touch with Armenian affairs. It seems he is
already off to a good start.************************************************************************************************************************3. Commentary: To `Come Home’ or `Stay Home?’
By Edmond Y. Azadian
The newly-formed Ministry of Diaspora has a very creative minister
at the helm, namely Hranoush Hagopian, who develops many innovative
programs, or puts into practice ideas long discussed but never acted
upon.
Ever since Hagopian took over the ministry, several world
conferences have been held in Armenia (architects, medical
professionals, educators, lawyers and journalists) to tap into the
diaspora resources to benefit Armenia.
Recently, a new initiative was launched to lure young Armenians
living abroad to settle in Armenia. It is a worthwhile project, which
caught the imagination of some Diaspora-Armenian youth. But the idea
also touched some raw nerves and triggered a hot controversy. One of
the soul-searching and pertinent articles was signed in the daily Azg
in Yerevan, by Varoujan Sirapian, founder and director of Chobanian
Research Center in Paris, France.
The program announced by the Diaspora Ministry is called Ari Tun
(come home). The writer has reversed the title and renamed it Mena Tun
(stay home); the upshot of this reversal is that Sirapian asks the
authorities what incentives they are offering to the diaspora youth to
come and stay in the homeland and second, he suggests, shouldn’t we
find ways to keep the Armenian-born youth at home, before inviting the
diasporan youth to come? And he offers some disturbing statistics. A
recent poll conducted among the youth in the three republics in the
Caucasus region has revealed the following sad picture: 40 percent of
the young people polled in Armenia have expressed the desire to leave
the country permanently, whereas in Georgia 14 percent have expressed
the same desire and in Azerbaijan, only 12 percent.
In the young people’s perception, Armenia remains a less desirable country to live in than its two neighbors.
Then comes the perennial question: what the hell is possessing
Armenians to leave their homeland and disperse around the globe and
then stubbornly continue struggling with their national identity? E.
Agnouni has well said: `The Armenian seeks haven anywhere, except the
location called Hayastan.’
As the Byzantine Empire was shrinking, Armenia could not sustain its
statehood on its ancestral territory and the nation collectively moved
west to establish the Kingdom of Cilicia, which was eventually overrun
by the Memluks in 1375, with King Leo Lousignan taken as prisoner to
Egypt.
Armenians dispersed again always singing Tzangam desnel zeem Giligia (I
wish to see my Cilicia).
Then Khrimian Hairig’s battle cry of `back to the land’ did not
materialize because the Ottoman Turks took away that land from under
the very feet of the Armenians, after trying first to wipe them off the
face of the globe.
The first Republic at the turn of the 20th century was short-lived
and the 70 years of the Soviet misrule was tolerated, with the people
always yearning for a free homeland. After a million-and-a-half victims
at the hands of the Turks, and 300,000 Armenian youth lost as Stalin’s
canon fodder during World War II, one would think that Armenians would
treasure the Third Republic, yet they are voting with their feet and
running out of the historic land. The logic of every departing Armenian
is `let someone else build the country, defend its borders and we will
love the homeland from a distance.’
The irony is that Armenians are law-abiding citizens. They are
fiercely loyal to their adopted countries and they contribute
tremendously to those governments; beginning with the Byzantine Empire,
where they produced kings, princes and army generals, all the way to
Czarist Russia and even the Ottoman Empire, where Armenian ministers,
armiras, scientists, jurists and linguists were trailblazers, and the
elite served bloody sultans with unwavering dedication.
Even in the West, in Europe and the US, Armenians have distinguished
themselves with their loyalty and genius – both in politics and in
science.
Once they are back in their homeland, they cannot stand a ruler who
is their kin and they begin the process of self destruction – a stage
in which we find ourselves now. Armenians take refuge in the comfort
zone of victimhood. Had we taken responsibility for our own failings,
maybe we could turn out to be a stronger nation.
Armenia is surrounded by enemies, yet people don’t recognize the dangers threatening the historic homeland.
Of course there are objective reasons for internal divisions and
cut-throat animosity which has gripped the populace. The most
disheartening factor is the situation in the army. We won a historic
victory against the stronger Azerbaijani army, and rather than savoring
that victory and glorifying the armed forces, there is army bashing,
sometimes rightfully. Given the rate of hazing, beatings and killings
of young recruits, the youth has begun to question why it should defend
a country when his only reward from them is beatings, maiming and
killing?
Fortunately, parliament has sobered up recently and new laws are
being drafted to change that atrocious culture prevalent in the armed
forces.
Capitalism has infected the country in its ugliest form; the rich
are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and the unemployment
is being `solved’ through depopulation.
Any Diaspora Armenian willing to invest in Armenia is either cheated, beaten or found dead near Lake Sevan.
Of course there is a free press and journalists are writing about
all these shortcomings courageously, yet nobody cares; the trend is
continuing.
Many writers in the diaspora are cautious about touching these
sensitive issues for fear of being labeled a traitor or a collaborator
with the opposition, which, in its turn, has only gloom and doom to
spew through its media. Even the most positive projects are given a
negative spin. A case in point is the skyline cable car built near the
monastery of Tatev through the generosity of a Russian- Armenian
benefactor. The idea was to spur tourism in that historic region. While
the state media was hailing the longest skyline cable in the world, the
opposition was thriving on a glitch, which stopped the cars in mid air
for 40 minutes.
Similarly, when Ukraine donated animals and habitat for a large
aquarium to be built in Komitas Park to protect dolphins, the
opposition media said the government was using the drinking water meant
for people. Later on it was revealed that only irrigation water was
being used for the project, but they could not be bothered to run a
correction.
The Medicare scandal in the US offered a treasure trove of political
capital to the opposition to link it to the current rulers in Armenia,
desperately seeking ties between the arrested ex-pats and the relatives
of the officials in Armenia.
The opposition is dead set on overthrowing this government
(`kleptokrats’) in the name of democracy, but deep down the resentment
is that the present rulers benefited too much from the gravy train. The
opposition is aspiring to take over that favorable position, and no
wonder people are confused and disheartened.
Armenia’s land is sacred, every youth in the world must touch it to be in communion with the soul of its ancestors.
But how can we entice the youth to `come home,’ when there is a problem of `staying at home’ for the indigenous youth?
From: A. Papazian