Author: Babajanian Karo

HALTEROPHILIE
L’Arménie avec 16 haltérophiles aux compétitions mondiales d’Almaty

Les championnats du monde d’haltérophilie qui se déroulent du 4 au 16
novembre à Almaty (Kazakhstan) en présence de 683 sportifs venus de 75
pays distribueront des visas pour les J.O. de Rio (2016).

L’Arménie qui s’est entraînée à Dzargatsor (Arménie) sera présente à
ces compétitions avec 14 haltérophiles, 8 hommes et 6 femmes.

Chez les hommes prendront part à ces compétitions mondiales Smpad
Markarian (56 kg), Vanig Avetissian (69 kg), Hagop Mkrdtchian (77 kg),
Ara Khatchatrian (77 kg), Aghassi Aghassian (85 kg), Simon Martirosian
(105 kg), Haïk Hagopian (+ 105 kg) et Roupen Alexanian (+105 kg). Chez
les femmes Elen Krikorian (48 kg), Anna Kovelian (53 kg), Isabella
Yalyan (63 kg), Kristiné Petrossian (63 kg), Méliné Dalouzian (69 kg)
et Hripsimé Khourchoutian (+ 75 kg) représenteront l’Arménie et
tenteront de décrocher une qualification olympique.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 1er novembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

ARMENIE-TURQUIE
Un gouverneur turc n’autorise pas la décision municipale de nommer du
nom de William Saroyan, une rue de Bitlis

Ara Sarafian, le directeur de l’Institut Komitas de Londres a affirmé
qu’Orhan Ozturk, le gouverneur de la région de Bitlis rejette la
demande du Conseil municipal de Bitlis votée en août dernier, de
nommer l’une des rues de la ville du nom de l’écrivain arméo-américain
natif de Bitlis, William Saroyan. La rue où se trouve la maison
familiale de l’écrivain de notoriété internationale. Selon le journal
> qui rapporte cette information, le gouverneur de la région de
Bitlis refuse de nommer l’une des rues de la ville du nom de William
Saroyan car ce dernier n’a eu aucun lien avec Bitlis. Mais de son coté
Nevin Dashdemir Daghkeran, le maire de Bitlis n’est pas pessimiste
quant à l’inauguration de cette rue William Saroyan. Il dit toutefois
qu’il est indispensable qu’en dehors du parti politique kurde >, un autre membre du parti majoritaire au pouvoir
puisse signer la décision pour la valider.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 1er novembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710 or (973) 943-8697
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

** TOP STORY October 30, 2014
————————————————————
Crown of thorns

** Keep Our Christian Brethren in Your Prayers
————————————————————
The news of late has been a relentless stream of crises involving
scandal, disease, corruption, and crime. But beneath the distracting
headlines, there is comparatively little attention being given to a
larger, ongoing tragedy: the plight of our Christian brothers and
sisters in the Middle East, and the life-or-death threat they continue
to face in their ancestral homelands.

The persecution of Christian communities in the Middle-East has been a
concern for several years now. Their stories of exile and suffering
are too unsettling to relate; but they are all too familiar to
Armenian Christians. Indeed, our own people have been affected-as the
evacuation of Armenians from Kessab last spring showed.

It is painful to think that the acts of persecution we still vividly
remember, a century after the Genocide, are being re-enacted today,
against the ancient Christian communities in the Middle East.

Let us not be the ones to forget them at this time. Rather, let us
remember our brothers and sisters, as individuals and as a
community. We can reach out to them, speak up for them-and above all
pray for them, for an end to their affliction, and for peace
throughout the region.

Our risen Lord knows all too well the sufferings of his children. To
him we pray: Ungal, getso, yev voghormya; Receive our prayers, save
your people, and have mercy.

** Scripture of the Week
————————————————————

Is 22:15-24
Eph 1:1-14
Lk 8:17-21

** Prayer of the Week
————————————————————

Heavenly King, grant me your kingdom which you promised to your
beloved, and strengthen my heart to hate sin and to love you only and
to do your will. Have mercy upon your creatures, and upon me, a great
sinner. Amen.

** Upcoming Saints & Feasts
————————————————————

1 November: St. John Chrysostom

** CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
————————————————————
Bedevians at Vanadzor Youth Center
Sarkis Bedevian speaks with a child at the Vanadzor Youth
Center. (file photo)

** Nourishing the Arts in Vanadzor
————————————————————
Earlier this month Sarkis and Ruth Bedevian, parishioners of St. Leon
Church of Fair Lawn, NJ, and longtime supporters of Holy Etchmiadzin,
visited Armenia where they toured one of their recent projects, the
Vanadzor Youth Center.

Children at the Youth Center welcomed the couple with a festive
cultural program. Wearing traditional Armenian costumes, they sang
folk songs, danced, and showcased their artwork. Mr. Bedevian said he
was pleased to see children expressing themselves through the arts,
and noted that such extracurricular programming helps bring joy not
only to young people, but also to their families and communities.

In 2005, the Bedevians built the St. Gregory of Narek Cathedral in
Vanadzor, Armenia’s third-largest city. The Youth Center was completed
four years later. It serves some 400 children and offers classes and
activities ranging from rug-weaving and needle-work to computers,
English language instruction, painting, and gymnastics. The Bedevians
said they make an effort to travel to Vanadzor twice a year to spend
time with local residents. Click here
()
to view a video about their latest visit.

** DIOCESAN NEWS
————————————————————
Helen Paloian
Helen Paloian.

** In Memoriam: Helen Paloian (1906-2014)
————————————————————
The Eastern Diocese mourns the passing of Helen Paloian, a survivor of
the Armenian Genocide who built a new life in Chicago, where she was a
longtime parishioner of St. Gregory the Illuminator
Church. Mrs. Paloian passed away on Friday, October 24. She was 108.

`She was witness to the loss of parents and brothers; to wandering as
a rootless orphan; to the burning of Smyrna; to the expulsion of her
countrymen from Constantinople. But Helen was witness to more than
just the sorrows of her generation,’ Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Diocesan Primate, wrote in a letter of condolence.

`Helen exemplified witness in its Christian meaning: as a way of
living one’s life according to the example and teaching of our Lord
Jesus Christ. This was the form of witness that lent meaning to
everything else, and gave a beautiful, meaningful shape to her life in
its totality.’

Last year, the Chicago Tribune featured an article about
Mrs. Paloian’s life. Click here
()
to read the Tribune article.

Ararat Center

** Ararat Center’s Boston Harbor Cruise
————————————————————
Against the magnificent backdrop of Boston Harbor, friends of the
Ararat Center boarded the majestic 200-foot vessel
Odyssey to take part in the center’s second annual Boston Harbor
cruise. Around 140 people came out to show their goodwill and
generosity towards the Eastern Diocese’s retreat, camp, and conference
facility, located in upstate New York.

Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag Barsamian took part in the cruise,
enjoying the warm atmosphere of camaraderie among guests from the New
England region and elsewhere in the Diocese.

Also on hand were Diocesan Council members the Rev. Fr. Vasken
Kouzouian and the Rev. Fr. Krikor Sabounjian, and Nicholas Durgarian,
who chairs the Ararat Center committee, along with committee
members. Lorie Odabashian represented the Diocese’s Youth and Young
Adult Ministries department.

Between their enjoyment of the festivities and mingling to traditional
Armenian music, the attendees expressed their support of the Diocese’s
youth outreach effort, the Ararat Center, and St. Vartan Camp, which
is hosted at the center each summer.

`The cruise was part of a momentous weekend for our church, and the
Ararat Center folks greeted everyone with love and open arms,’ said
Diocesan Director of Administration Jacob H. Yahiayan, who along with
his wife Sylva took part in the gathering.

Click here
()
to view photos.

Book Club

** Join the Enlighteners Books Club
————————————————————
`The Enlighteners Book Club’-an online group sponsored by the
Diocese’s Department of Christian Education-has announced the book for
its next session. Alexander Schmemann’s
Our Father is a nuanced commentary and reflection on the Lord’s
Prayer.

Book club members will meet online for live discussions and post
comments to share their reactions to various parts of the book. To
register, click here
()
to open a Goodreads account and then join the group named `The
Enlighteners Book Club.’

Once you join the group, you will have access to the online discussion
platform, as well as information regarding meeting times. The next
session is scheduled to run from November 15 to December 15. For more
information, contact Eric Vozzy at (212) 686-0710, ext. 165, or via
e-mail at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
.

FAR
A student performs during the opening day program at the Maestro Arsen
Sayan Music School.

** A New Music School for Argavand Village
————————————————————
The Fund for Armenian Relief recently renovated a music school in
Armenia’s Argavand village. The school reopened on September 26 with a
cultural program prepared by the students.

Named after Maestro Arsen Sayan of Washington, DC, the facility was
renovated thanks to a generous donation by the musicologist, educator,
and longtime director of the legendary Knar choral group. Maestro
Sayan traveled to Argavand to take part in the opening-day
celebration.

Click here
()
to visit FAR’s blog and to read more.

Annual Appeal

** Support the Diocese’s 2014 Annual Appeal
————————————————————
The Eastern Diocese has launched its 2014 Annual Appeal-the only
Diocesan-wide fundraiser conducted each year to help the Diocese
undertake the many ministries, programs, and resources that enrich
life in our parishes.

Your thoughtful gift brings light to our local churches. It supports
Christian education, Armenian language instruction, summer camps,
youth programs, mission parish outreach, and the use of new
communication technologies.

To our past and prospective donors, we are deeply grateful for your
support of the creative, educational, and inspirational programs that
lift up Armenian communities throughout the Eastern Diocese.

Please accept this invitation to strengthen our efforts. Your generous
contribution to the 2014 Annual Appeal will help spread the good work
of the Armenian Church across our local communities-and across the
generations.

Follow this link to donate now
()
to the 2014 Annual Appeal.

** PARISH NEWS
————————————————————
Fr. Mampre and Fr. Vasken Kouzouian
Fr. Mampre Kouzouian (left) with his son Fr. Vasken at Sunday’s
banquet.

** Fr. Vasken Kouzouian Marks 20 Years
————————————————————
Sunday, October 26, marked a milestone in the life of Holy Trinity
Church of Cambridge, MA, as its parishioners turned out to honor the
Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian on the 20th anniversary of his priestly
ordination.

The day began with the Divine Liturgy, during which Diocesan Primate
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian ordained five dedicated young men into the
sub-diaconate. The new sub-deacons-Oscar Derderian III, Stephen
Hollisian, Harry Lang, Gregory Torosian, and Mark Torosian-have all
grown up under Fr. Vasken’s tutelage in the Cambridge parish.

During the service, the Primate also bestowed Fr. Kouzouian with the
floral phelonion (cape), as a symbol of his rank and distinguished
service in the Armenian Church.

Diocesan Ecumenical Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, the Very
Rev. Fr. Krikor Maksoudian, the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, and the
Rev. Fr. Sarkis Petoyan (from the Western Diocese), were among the
clergy present during the day. Leaders from the regional ecumenical
organizations also conveyed their congratulations.

At a celebratory banquet in the parish’s Talanian Hall, master of
ceremonies James Kalustian led the program through remarks and
reflections, culminating in a moving tribute from the honoree’s father
and former Cambridge pastor, the Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian. Fr. Vasken
returned those words of admiration, and thanked his wife, Yn. Arpi,
and the all the parishioners for their warm generosity.

Click on the following links to view photos
()
and a video
()
.

Zarmine Boghosian
Zarmine Boghosian.

** Tribute to an Armenian Educator
————————————————————
On a crisp fall evening, Zarmine Boghosian-longtime principal of Holy
Martyrs Armenian Day School (HMADS) of Bayside, NY-received a special
honor for her years of service in the cause of Armenian education.

Some 200 guests attended the banquet at the North Hempstead Country
Club on October 24, to see the honoree receive the
`St. Sahag-St. Mesrob Medal,’ bestowed by His Holiness Karekin II, the
Catholicos of All Armenians, and presented by Diocesan Primate
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.

Admiring remarks were offered by Dr. Mary Papazian, Dr. Herand
Markarian, event co-chairs Nurhan Adarian and Arek Nisanyan, and the
Rev. Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan, pastor of the Holy Martyrs Church of
Bayside, whose facilities HMADS has long called home.

A number of former students testified to the impact Mrs. Boghosian has
had on their lives. Also represented were members of Mrs. Boghosian’s
distinguished family-including her brother, the Rev. Fr. Vertanes
Kalayjian.

Click on the following links to view photos
()
and a video
()
.

St. James Church, Watertown, MA
Children decorate Halloween treat bags.

** Community Outreach at St. James Church
————————————————————
On Sunday, October 26, Sunday School students at St. James Church of
Watertown, MA, participated in a community outreach project. They
began the day with an assembly, during which they discussed the Feast
of All Saints and heard a presentation on how faith in Christ can help
overcome fear.

Later that day, the younger grades decorated and prepared Halloween
treat bags for donation to a local food pantry, while the
upperclassmen made sandwiches for donation to a local shelter. The
Sunday School also organized a Halloween costume drive, collecting
over 60 costumes for underprivileged children.

Click here
()
to view photos.

St. David Church, Boca Raton, FL
Fr. Paren Galstyan and Yn. Anna Simonyan serve food at last Sunday’s
luncheon.

** Cultural Day in Boca Raton
————————————————————
At St. David Church of Boca Raton, FL, families of the parish Armenian
and Sunday schools, under the direction of Yn. Anna Simonyan,
organized a Cultural Day program on Sunday, October 26.

Together with the students, who were dressed in Halloween costumes,
they prepared ghapama (stuffed pumpkins) and jingalov hatz-a
traditional flatbread stuffed with herbs. Following services, the
Rev. Fr. Paren Galstyan, parish pastor, and Yn. Anna served the food
to parishioners.

Click on the following links to read more
()
and to view photos
()
.

St. Sahag and Mesrob Church, Wynnewood, PA
Children showcase their Halloween costumes in Wynnewood.

** Costumes and Crafts in Wynnewood
————————————————————
On Saturday, October 25, Sunday School students at St. Sahag and
St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, PA, took part in a fall festival and
Halloween party at the church.

Adults and children arrived dressed in costumes and enjoyed dinner and
activities, such as costume contests, games, crafts, and a `haunted
tunnel.’ Members of neighboring Armenian churches also took part in
the evening celebration.

St. Mary Church, Livingston, NJ
Women’s Guild members at the Fashion Show Luncheon in New Jersey.

** Milestone Event for Livingston Women’s Guild
————————————————————
The Women’s Guild of St. Mary Church of Livingston, NJ, celebrated the
50th anniversary of its annual Fashion Show Luncheon on Wednesday,
October 22.

Women’s Guild members gathered at the Manor Restaurant in West Orange,
NJ. They enjoyed an exciting fashion show and organized raffles to
raise funds for St. Mary Church.

`Over the last 50 years, the Women’s Guild has created and shared
cherished memories together,’ said parish pastor, the Rev. Fr. Arakel
Vardazaryan. `The devotion and dedication of many members and friends
of St. Mary Women’s Guild is inspiring. They have been quietly doing
ordinary things in an extraordinary way, and helping to fulfill the
mission of the Armenian Church here in New Jersey.’

Click here
()
to view photos.

Sts. Vatanantz Church, Chelmsford, MA
A `Godparent Dedication’ service was held at Sts. Vartanantz Church.

** Chelmsford Honors Godparents
————————————————————
On Sunday, October 19, Sts. Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford, MA, held
a special `Godparent Dedication’ service, during which godparents
re-affirmed their roles as spiritual guardians of their godchildren.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the Rev. Fr. Khachatur Kesablyan, parish
pastor, asked the godparents to come forward with their
godchildren. As they held their godchildren by the hand, the
godparents proclaimed that their responsibility is “to see that my
godchild is nurtured to be a good Christian, and a faithful member of
the Armenian Church.”

St. Stepanos Church, Elberon, NJ
Armenian School students star in “The Foolish Man.”

** Echoes of the Translators
————————————————————
On Sunday, October 19, St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, NJ, observed
the Feast of the Holy Translators with a cultural program.

The Women’s Guild sponsored a potluck luncheon. Dr. Asbed Vassilian
spoke about the importance of the Holy Translators, and their
contributions to the religious, intellectual, and cultural development
of the Armenian nation. Armenian School students presented “The
Foolish Man,” a play by Hovhannes Toumanian.

Armenian Mission Parish in Kansas City, MO
Fr. Tateos Abdalian baptizes adult parishioners in Kansas City.

** Two Baptized in Kansas City
————————————————————
The Rev. Fr. Tateos Abdalian, the Diocese’s director of Mission
Parishes, traveled to Kansas City, MO, last weekend where he
celebrated the Divine Liturgy and baptized two adult parishioners.

The baptisms were the first since the consecration of a new baptismal
font at the parish in August. Svetlana Usnunts and Nora Kostandova,
both in their 70s, immigrated to Kansas City in the wake of the
anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku, Azerbaijan. Like many Armenians who
endured Soviet rule, they could not be baptized earlier in life. With
the installation of the new baptismal font in Kansas City, they
welcomed the opportunity to receive this sacrament of the Armenian
Church.

Click here
()
to view photos.

Upcoming events

** Upcoming Parish Events
————————————————————

St. Thomas Church | Tenafly, NJ
On Saturday, November 1, St. Thomas Church of Tenafly, NJ, will host
`Taline and Friends Spooktacular Halloween’ for children. Two shows
will be held at 2 p.m. (preceded by lunch at 1 p.m.) and 4
p.m. (followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m.). For tickets and information,
contact the church office at (201) 567-5446, Martha at (201) 568-5315,
Maral at (845) 729-1888, Talar at (201) 240-8541, or via e-mail at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Holy Cross Church | Union City, NJ
Holy Cross Church of Union City, NJ, will host its annual bazaar and
food festival on Saturday, November 1. The day will begin with a
Children’s Halloween Party at 5 p.m, followed by dinner service at 6
p.m. Enjoy khavourma, keshkeg soup, kufteh, luleh kebob, cheese boreg,
yalanchi dolma, and desserts. The day will also feature a raffle, a
performance by the Antranig Dance Ensemble, and music by DJ
BERJ. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information, or contact the church office at (201)
864-2480, or via e-mail at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .

Sts. Vartanantz Church | Chelmsford, MA
On Friday, November 7, Sts. Vartanantz Church of Chelmsford, MA, will
host a lecture titled “What You Should Know About the Divine Liturgy”
by the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findkyan, professor of Liturgical Studies
at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary and director of the Diocese’s Krikor
and Clara Zohrab Information Center. The evening begins with dinner at
6:30 p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

On Sunday, November 9, Sts. Vartanantz Church will present an
Instructed Divine Liturgy-a unique educational opportunity for
parishioners to experience the badarak with a live, step-by-step
commentary. The service will begin at 10 a.m.

On Friday, November 14, Sts. Vartanantz Church will sponsor a Wine and
Beer Tasting, from 7 to 9 p.m. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Church at Hye Pointe | Haverhill, MA
The Church at Hye Pointe of Haverhill, MA, will host an Autumnfest on
November 7 and 8. Enjoy Armenian food, raffles, and a country
store. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church | Providence, RI
Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI, will host its 84th
annual Food Fair and Bazaar on November 8 and 9. The event will
feature traditional Armenian food, raffles, a silent auction, games
for kids, arts and crafts displays, and other activities. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Church of Southwest Florida | Naples, FL
The Armenian Church of Southwest Florida Mission Parish will begin its
2013-14 season of services and activities on Saturday, November 8.
The Rev. Fr. Hovnan Demerjian will celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
beginning at 1:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (3901 Davis
Blvd. in Naples). For more information about the mission parish,
contact Carole Meghreblian at (239) 348-3804, or via e-mail at
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

St. Leon Church | Fair Lawn, NJ
Pianist Kariné Poghosyan will give a concert at St. Leon Church of
Fair Lawn, NJ, on Friday, November 14. Titled “Remembrance and
Rebirth: A Concert Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide,” the program will include works by Komitas, Khachaturian,
Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt. Click here
()
to view a flyer for ticket information.

St. Mary Church | Hollywood, FL
St. Mary Church of Hollywood, FL, will host `Persian Night’ featuring
the singer Armin on Saturday, November 15. Traditional Persian cuisine
will be served. Click on the following links to view a flyer
()
and to purchase tickets
()
.

Soorp Haroutiun Church | Orlando, FL
Soorp Haroutiun Church of Orlando, FL, will host a Food Fest and
Bazaar on Saturday, November 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy Armenian
food and music, displays by arts and crafts vendors, and more. Click
here
()
to view a flyer for information.

** YOUTH NEWS
————————————————————
ACYOA

** Register for ACYOA Seniors Leadership Conference
————————————————————
The ACYOA Central Council will sponsor a Leadership Conference the
weekend of November 14-16 at the Don Bosco Retreat Center in Stony
Point, NY. The conference will give young people the opportunity to
strengthen their leadership skills while exploring the topic `Know
Thyself: Responding to Life’s Challenges.’ The Very Rev. Fr. Daniel
Findikyan will serve as conference chaplain.

Young people ages 18 and older are encouraged to participate. The
ACYOA Central Council will cover all costs related to lodging and
meals. Click on the following links to view a flyer
()
and to register online
()
.

For more information, contact Jennifer Morris, the Diocese’s director
of Youth and Young Adults Ministries, at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) , or Lorie Odabashian, the
department’s coordinator, at [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) .

** EVENTS
————————————————————
Zohrab Center

** Book Talk at the Zohrab Center
————————————————————
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte will present her book,
Nowhere: A Story of Exile, at the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information
Center on Thursday, November 13, beginning at 7 p.m. The book tells of
her family’s experiences during the anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku,
Azerbaijan, in the late 1980s and early `90s.

The presentation will be held in Guild Hall of the Diocesan Center
(630 Second Avenue, New York City). It is free and open to the
public. Click here
()
to visit the Zohrab Center blog for information.

Richard Hovannisian
Richard Hovannisian.

** Richard Hovannisian to Speak in Fair Lawn
————————————————————
St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ, will host an illustrated
presentation by Professor Richard Hovannisian on Thursday, October 30,
beginning at 7:45 p.m. Professor Hovannisian will speak about the
historic Armenian city of Kesaria and the Armenian communities near
Constantinople prior to the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

The event is free and open to the public. Click here
()
to view a flyer for information.

Rouben Mamoulian
A young Mamoulian at work in the studio.

** Mamoulian Weekend at the Museum of the Moving Image
————————————————————
The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY, will host a `Rouben
Mamoulian Weekend’ in honor of the late Armenian-American film and
theater director, from November 7 to 9. Several Mamoulian films will
be screened, including
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Queen Christina, and Applause, which was
filmed in Astoria in the late 1920s.

The weekend celebration is presented in partnership with the
Anthropology Museum of the People of New York and the Armenian
Cultural Resource Center at Queens College. Click here
()
for ticket information.

For an introduction to Mamoulian’s life and career on Broadway and in
Hollywood, see David Luhrssen’s biography, Mamoulian: Life on Stage
and Screen
()
.

Facing History in Transition as Armenian Genocide Centennial Approaches

COMMUNITY | OCTOBER 31, 2014 10:24 AM
________________________________

By Aram Arkun

Mirror-Spectator Staff

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Facing History and Ourselves is a unique
international organization which has done yeoman’s work in promoting
understanding of genocide, including the Armenian and Jewish cases, as
well as human rights, by training educators since the end of the
1970s. It is at present in a period of transition. Its founding
executive director, Margot Strom, is retiring from the leadership
position, while still remaining involved with the organization. Roger
Brooks, dean of the faculty and chief academic officer of Connecticut
College, and holder of the Elie Wiesel Professorship in the Department
of Religious Studies, will begin in December as president and chief
executive officer.

Peter Balakian, Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of
Humanities at Colgate University, has been involved with Facing
History since the mid-1990s. He has been a member of its academic
board for the last 15 years. He said that “Facing History has had an
enormous impact on Armenian Genocide education in the US curriculum;
its study guide on the Genocide has done a great deal to bring this
history into the mainstream in a comparative context; this has been
groundbreaking. Facing History is an innovative intellectual and
cultural institution and has done much to advance the state of
education in the US and now globally. It embodies the best of a
progressive American educational tradition.”

Margot Strom explained how it all started as a course incorporating
“the ideas and events that led to the Holocaust”: “We were at one of
the eight schools in Brookline teaching social studies — the [John D.]
Runkle school. At one point, roughly in 1976, I, Bill Parsons and
others were invited by a very phenomenal director of social studies to
a conference that he and the superintendent, [Dr. Robert] ‘Bob’
Sperber, had been involved in organizing on the history of the
Holocaust. I had a master’s in history by then, and a very great
interest in learning how to teach social studies and history through
multiple disciplines. It was at that moment that I really got in
interested in the scholarship and the scholars. I knew nothing much
about the history of the Holocaust then. And I only remember hearing
in graduate school a heated conversation between a professor talking
about the Armenian Genocide and Turkey with a student.” A few years
after the conference, probably by 1979, Strom knew that this was the
field for her.

Strom began studying and learning, and each of the conference
participants became mentors to what soon became the Facing History
organization. She received a federal Title IV grant. Strom said, “I am
an adult learner, and when I started teaching in my classroom I began
learning together with my students and their parents. People kept
bringing me new materials. Working with people in a giant network, in
Harvard education, was a benefit. People were likeminded,
interdisciplinary, and valued democracy, and when they looked at
injustice, they said, what can I do. People gravitated to me with the
federal grant. Brookline let us write it, and it turned out to be a
great books course for teachers. We did K[kindergarten] to 12th grade,
and librarians, teachers, Parent-Teacher Organizations, and many other
people were involved.”

Strom continued, “I knew other teachers needed to teach this, so I
left teaching and started the organization.” By 1982, Facing History
formally turned into a non-profit organization. Today it has 180 staff
members and 10 offices, including several abroad, and an annual budget
of 25 million dollars. It estimates that it reaches over three million
secondary students every year through its programs and the teachers it
prepares.

Adam Strom, Margot’s son, who joined the organization in the early
2000s, and now is Chief Officer for Content and Innovation, added that
Facing History did not just provide workshops or curriculums and books
for teachers. It was unique in also assigning a person to follow up
with each teacher.

Adam said, “We believe less is more, preferring to focus on things in
particular to raise larger questions. I would rather see a course that
does a few things in depth rather than a little bit of everything. So,
students look at the relationship between the individual and society
and understand the factors influencing choices people make, especially
about the treatment of other people. They examine issues of
membership–how do nations define universal obligation? They look at
the role that science plays. Facing History is about particular
histories and human behavior, both the universal and the particular.”
History can provide some perspective for students to understand
problems in contemporary society involving prejudice and conflict. And
while history is an important part of Facing History, it is approached
in an interdisciplinary fashion. Students must taught to ask moral and
ethical questions while learning particular skills and information.

Facing History deals with many types of prejudice and bigotry. The
Armenian Genocide was an integral part of its curriculum from the very
beginning, and Margot Strom relied on many Armenians who were helpful.
Manoog Young and others at the National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research, Margot Strom said, “began to teach me. They
helped me bring Rev. [Vartan] Hartunian into my classroom, and later
Bill Parsons and I worked on new materials. I still remember Hartunian
— to see him as a speaker allows you to walk in the shoes of others as
victims, and as new immigrant citizens.” Strom later interviewed a
descendant of US Ambassador Henry Morgenthau about the Armenian
Genocide.

She emphasized that “Scholars have been incredibly generous.” Richard
Hovannisian, Professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and Balakian spent a great deal
of time helping Facing History develop its resources on the Armenian
Genocide. She said, “They want us to get the story right, and we do
the best we can. We take from the latest scholarship and books, and
always are trying to remain up to date.”

Facing History’s main resource book for teachers, Facing History and
Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior, is centered on the Holocaust.
However, it also looks at other instances of genocide, and contains
several sections on the Armenian Genocide. It shows some of the
parallels and connections between the Armenian case and the Holocaust.

In 2004, Facing History published a resource book specifically
focusing on the Armenian Genocide: Crimes Against Humanity and
Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians. Adam Strom said, “We
don’t just care about these histories because they are ethnically
identified. This is why we gave our book this title. We had great
mentors in the Armenian community. Richard Hovannisian and Peter
Balakian read every single page, literally. We feel very privileged.
Both have been incredibly kind to the organization.”

Developed through a grant from the Armenian-American philanthropist
Carolyn Mugar, this 198-page volume according to Samantha Power
accomplished what Facing History “does best: bring history to life,
gather moving portraits of suffering, indecision, and heroism, and
force young and older readers alike to ask what we would have done if
we had faced such wrenching moral dilemmas.” Facing History has lesson
plans for teachers who wish to cover the Armenian Genocide in their
classes, and provides various additional resources on this topic,
including a list of speakers.

Margot Strom said that the general resource book and the lesson plans
were in the process of being updated, including the treatment of the
Armenian Genocide, as new research will allow going deeper into
issues. Among other things, more is known about how the coiner of the
term “genocide,” Raphael Lemkin, understood the Armenian Genocide.
This year, new video interviews of scholars on the Armenian Genocide
will be conducted and older materials will be digitized. Audio
versions will be made from some of the key readings in the Armenian
resource book.

Adam Strom said, “We will have an online workshop for education which
will use the Armenian Genocide as a particular case study to raise
general issues. We hope we can run it again and again. It will be live
and interactive. Probably we will video some sessions.”

Aside from these efforts, for the centennial of the Armenian Genocide,
Facing History will organize workshops in regional offices, and
partner with community events. There are a few things in the works
that will be announced later. Adam Strom declared, “Facing History
wants to be a good partner in the anniversary. We think our role is
education.”

In the meantime, Facing History continues to expand. It is striving to
double the number of teachers and students it impacts as part of a
five-year plan, and expanding the use of modern technologies to
leverage its teaching capabilities during a period in which issues of
religious intolerance appear more and more frequently.

MARSEILLE
100e anniversaire du Génocide : l’Everest pour la mémoire
Grce à un projet de CPLM, Ara Khatchadourian sportif de l’extrême,
part à la conquête de l’Everest au printemps 2015

C’est un homme de défi qui a en permanence le goût du challenge et la
volonté de repousser ses limites. Arménien né au Liban, Ara
Khatchadourian quitte le pays ravagé par la guerre en 1983 et arrive
en France. Joailler de métier, il devient sportif de l’extrême par
passion. Il court son premier marathon au Liban, en 2004 à l’ge de 40
ans. Depuis dix ans, son palmarès s’est enrichi de plusieurs courses
mythiques comme l’Iron Man de Nice et les 100 km de Millau auxquelles
il a participé. Et puis surtout, Ara a accompli l’ascension de
plusieurs montagnes de légende, telles le Mont Blanc en 2007, le Mont
Ararat en 2011, le Kilimandjaro en 2012 et cette année, le Pic Lénine
au Kirghizistan.

Entouré de Gérard Kirkorian, Président de Courir pour La Mémoire et de
Pascal Chamassian, président d’honneur, Ara Khatchadourian a présenté
jeudi 30 octobre au siège de l’association à Marseille, son prochain
objectif : l’ascension de l’Everest à l’occasion du 100e anniversaire
du Génocide des Arméniens en 1915.

>

>,
explique Ara qui partira avec une trentaine de personnes dont des
alpinistes allemands et espagnols.

Pour financer ce projet, il faut 100 000 euros. Une souscription a été
lancée auprès des entreprises et des particuliers avec le slogan > et une mise de départ symbolique de 10
euros le mètre d’Everest ! Jeudi 30 octobre, en soirée, une centaine
de personnes était présentes au lancement du projet au siège de la
JAF.

Toutes les informations du projet

TURKEY HOPES FOR FAIR POSITION OF FRANCE IN ISSUE OF 1915 EVENTS

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 31 2014

31 October 2014, 20:57 (GMT+04:00)

Ankara hopes that France will be on the side of justice in the issue
of the 1915 events, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Oct.31 at a joint briefing in Paris with the French President Francois
Hollande, the Anadolu Turkish agency said.

Erdogan said that Turkey always extended a helping hand for the
resumption of relations with Armenia.

“Unfortunately, Armenia has never reciprocated,” Erdogan said. “In
2015, the year of centenary of the so-called “genocide”, Turkey will
continue to make every effort in order to ensure that the world would
learn the real truth about these events. Ankara hopes that France
will be on the side of justice in this issue.”

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor the
Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out “genocide” against the Armenians
living in Anatolia in 1915. Turkey in turn has always denied “the
genocide” took place.

While strengthening the efforts to promote the so-called “genocide” in
the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments
of some countries.

ARMENIAN CHIEF AVIATOR MAY RESIGN

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 31 2014

31 October 2014 – 2:31pmgr

Controversies between Armenian Minister for Economy Karen Chshmaritian
and Head of the Main Civil Aviation Directorate Artem Movsisyan have
recently aggravated. After the announcement of the open sky policy
and delegation of control over the Directorate to the Ministry for
Economy, Movsisyan’s authority was reduced, Arminfo.am reports.

The relations have worsened so much that Movsisyan may consider
resigning.

KING COMMENDS DEEPLY ROOTED JORDANIAN-ARMENIAN TIES

Jordan Times , Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Oct 29 2014

Amman -His Majesty King Abdallah II on Wednesday [29 October] received
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan who arrived on an official visit
to the Kingdom earlier in the day, the first by an Armenian president.

During a one-on-one meeting, which was followed by a broader meeting
at Al Husseiniya Palace, the King welcomed Sargsyan, noting that the
visit will help develop the relations between the two countries and
expand their cooperation, according to a Royal Court statement.

Jordan is proud of its distinguished friendly relations with Armenia,
His Majesty told Sargsyan, underlining the historic relations between
the two countries since the reign of His Majesty King Hussayn, since
Jordan is home to a large Armenian community.

King Abdallah II highlighted joint economic agreements signed between
the two sides to strengthen ties, increase bilateral trade and promote
joint tourism activity.

He said the two countries look forward to the opening of Saint Garabed
Church at the Baptism Site on Friday, which will help activate the
“historical ties” between Jordan and Armenia.

Sargsyan expressed his appreciation of the invitation, extended to
him by King Abdallah, to visit Jordan and highlighted the importance
of the talks held during the visit.

Armenians, he said, are proud of the Arabs who have become their
“close friends”.

The president voiced his appreciation for Sharif Husayn Bin Ali, the
leader of the Great Arab Revolt, and his sons for their support of
Armenian refugees in the region, especially in 1917, and for taking
care of Armenian women and children and safeguarding their belongings.

He also paid tribute to the efforts of the late King Husayn, who
dispatched aid to Armenia after the earthquake that hit the country
in the last century.

During the talks, which addressed regional and international issues,
the King highlighted Jordan’s efforts, alongside several regional
and international partners, in combating the dangers of terrorism,
radical ideologies and terrorist groups that threaten people’s lives
and security.

His Majesty warned against the practices leading to the forced
migration of Arab Christians in some neighbouring countries,
underscoring the role of Christians in building Arab civilisation.

He said the Kingdom is committed to preserving the Christian presence
in the region and protecting the identity of Arab Christians.

Moreover, the King underlined Jordan’s role in highlighting the true
image of Islam through the Amman Message and “A Common Word”, and by
hosting several religious conferences.

Talks also addressed the efforts exerted to arrive at a just and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East on the basis of the two-state
solution, that deals with all final status issues, leading to the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian
national soil.

In this regard, King Abdallah warned against the repercussions of the
acts of aggression and violations against Jerusalem and the city’s
Islamic and Christian sites.

Regarding the situation in Syria, he stressed Jordan’s support of a
comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis.

The Kingdom also stands behind Iraqis as they confront all challenges
and work for a better future, His Majesty added.

Reiterating his gratitude to Jordanians for living in harmony with
the Armenian community, Sargsyan said Jordan is a model of stability,
security and moderation in the Middle East and the world, especially
as extremist ideologies plague the region.

He expressed his country’s support for anti-terrorism efforts and
the fight against radicalism.

Armenia, Sargsyan added, looks to benefit from Jordan’s experience
in investment, trade, industry, energy, agriculture and religious
tourism, citing the Kingdom’s geographic position as a gateway to
economic opportunities from the region to the rest of the world.

The King and the Armenian president on Wednesday witnessed the signing
of several joint agreements and memoranda of understanding that seek
to strengthen economic, agricultural, tourism and health cooperation.

Finance Minister Umayya Toukan told the Jordan News Agency, Petra,
that agreements were signed on tourism, the peaceful use of nuclear
energy, information technology, and agriculture.

In addition, the two countries’ chambers of industry and trade
signed a memorandum of understanding, while Amman and Yerevan inked
a twinning agreement.

The agreements will pave the way for further cooperation between
Jordanian and Armenian businessmen and enable the Jordanian economy
to penetrate the markets of Armenia’s neighbouring countries.

Also on Wednesday [29 October], Prime Minister Abdallah al-Nusur,
Senate President Abd-al-Ra’uf Rawabdih and Lower House Speaker Atef
Tarawneh met separately with Sargsyan and discussed bilateral ties
and the latest regional developments, Petra reported.

WHY WE CANNOT FORGET THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE (IN ITALIAN)

Spondasud News, Italia
28 ott 2014

Perchè non possiamo dimenticare le vittime del genocidio armeno

28 ottobre 2014. — Culture

(Raimondo Schiavone e Talal Khrais) – È stata una decisione saggia e
coraggiosa l’iniziativa del Centro Italo Arabo Assadakah di proclamare
una campagna europea di solidarieta per la causa del popolo armeno,
non solo per non dimenticare il genocidio ma soprattutto per agire
affinche l’Europa sia solidale con un popolo che ha subito una
terribile ingiustizia. Il nostro Centro, come organizzazione schierata
a difesa dei diritti dell’uomo, è convinto che esista una complicita
e un assurdo silenzio internazionale sulla questione armena.

Il popolo armeno rivendica il diritto alla memoria, alla verita
storica e non si può non essere a fianco di questa rivendicazione.

L’Armenia e le sue numerose comunita sparse nel mondo, conduce con
orgoglio una battaglia culturale, religiosa, etnica e di civilta
contro la prepotenza e la negazione.

La questione armena fa parte del patrimonio culturale del Centro
Italo Arabo. È nostra responsabilita fare questa battaglia fino a
quando non ci sara giustizia e un riconoscimento internazionale su
questo olocausto che ancori oggi pochi conoscono. Una pagina nera del
secolo scorso che va ricordata per costruire una coscienza collettiva
a difesa dei diritti di tutte le minoranze.

Quel genocidio, a nostro avviso, è il simbolo di tutte le persecuzioni
che ci sono state negli anni a seguire. Non si può accettare che
la Turchia e l’Azerbaijan neghino lo sterminio del popolo armeno
a colpi di minacce e contraccolpi economici. Ricorderemo sempre
che tra il dicembre del 1914 e il febbraio del 1915, il Comitato
Centrale del partito “Unione e progresso”, diretto dai medici Nazim
e Behaeddine Chakir, decise la soppressione totale degli armeni da
parte dell’Impero Ottomano.

Lo scorso giugno, con un convegno a Cagliari, il Centro Italo Arabo
ha dato formalmente inizio alla campagna di solidarieta con il
popolo armeno. Da quel momento abbiamo deciso di commemorare l’anno
della memoria “1915-2015”. Insieme al popolo armeno, e in nome delle
vittime di quel crimine contro l’umanita, abbiamo lanciato una serie di
appelli a livello internazionale affinche alla Turchia sia preclusa
la possibilita di entrare in Europa se prima non si assumera la
responsabilita dello Stato ottomano dello sterminio del popolo armeno.

Non è più tollerabile nessuna negazione.

Anche se il fatto è stato compiuto da un precedente governo, Ankara
ha la responsabilita morale, legale e materiale dei fatti compiuti un
secolo fa. Ancora oggi la Turchia mostra sempre più la sua aggressivita
e la sua interferenza negli affari dei paesi confinanti, sostenendo
direttamente i gruppi terroristici, come è accaduto in Siria nel corso
di un conflitto che si protrae oramai da oltre tre anni. Tutt’ora la
Turchia, è bene che si sappia, chiude il suo confine con la giovane
Repubblica Armena con il tentativo di soffocare la volonta di questo
popolo. Ancora oggi in Turchia esistono leggi anti-armene ed esiste
una politica razziale contro le minoranze.

Per questa ragione abbiamo deciso di dedicare una sessione del Secondo
Meeting Internazionale delle politiche del Mediterraneo al genocidio
armeno. Le nostre iniziative non si fermano certo qui: nelle scorse
settimane abbiamo concluso una missione giornalistica in Armenia
che dara vita a un libro con gli straordinari racconti degli ultimi
sopravvissuti di quel massacro e alle persecuzioni che non hanno mai
avuto una fine.

Tutti hanno chiesto di rendere giustizia: una giustizia non personale
ma per l’umanita intera. Hanno scelto il silenzio per ricominciare
a vivere. Un silenzio faticoso, lontano dai luoghi dove sono nati e
cresciuti, lontano da quelle case che hanno dovuto abbandonare sotto
i colpi di una violenza cieca.

Noi di Assadakah non vogliamo dimenticarci di loro.

Per quel milione e mezzo di vittime innocenti, per i loro figli e
per un intero popolo, noi chiediamo che il 2015 sia dichiarato anno
della memoria e sia celebrato solennemente in tutto il mondo.

‘CHAMPIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS’ TO BE RECOGNIZED AT ANCA-WR BANQUET

Friday, October 31st, 2014

L. to r.: Charles Benjamin, Shant Mardirossian, Henry Ben Morgenthau
IV, M.D., Johnson Garrett, and Keith Coogan

BY VANNA T. KITSINIAN, ESQ.

LOS ANGELES–The Armenian National Committee of America – Western
Region (ANCA-WR) announced that it will recognize three individual
champions of human rights – U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Cleveland
H. Dodge, and Jackie Coogan — who, in working with the Near East
Relief, were instrumental in bringing worldwide attention and rendering
aid to the orphans and refugees during and in the aftermath of the
Armenian Genocide from 1915 through 1930.

Ambassador Henry Morgenthau Perhaps the most vocal American political
figure in history to speak on behalf of the Armenian people was Henry
Morgenthau. Morgenthau was born in Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden
in 1856 into an Ashkenazi Jewish family of twelve children. He was a
lawyer, businessman, and United States Ambassador, most famous as the
American Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 through 1916. As
an early Woodrow Wilson supporter, Morgenthau, like other prominent
Jewish Americans, was posted as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
under an assumption operating at the time that Jews somehow represented
a bridge between Muslim Turks and Christian Americans. Although the
safety of American citizens in the Ottoman Empire–mostly Christian
missionaries and Jews–was a major concern during his ambassadorship,
Morgenthau stated that the one issue he was most preoccupied with
was the Armenian Question, meaning the protection and the freedom of
Armenians from their neighboring communities in the Ottoman Empire.

As Ottoman authorities began the extermination campaign of the
Armenians in 1914-1915, it is reported that Morgenthau’s desk
was flooded with reports nearly every hour by the American consuls
residing in different parts of the Empire, documenting the massacres
and deportation marches that were taking place. Faced with overwhelming
evidence of genocide, and having witnessed the atrocities first-hand,
Morgenthau sparked the American, and thereafter, international, relief
effort for the Armenians by sending a cablegram to the Secretary of
State in Washington DC on September 6, 1915, stating, ” Destruction of
[the] Armenian race in Turkey is progressing rapidly…” Meanwhile,
Morgenthau held high-level meetings with leaders of the Ottoman Empire,
including Talaat and Enver Pasha, to help alleviate the suffering
of the Armenians, but his protestations were blatantly ignored. As a
result, Morgenthau famously admonished the country’s Interior Minister
Talaat Pasha, stating, “Our people will never forget these massacres.”

As the Genocide continued, Morgenthau and several other American
leaders decided to form a committee to lead the relief efforts. This
committee later came to be known as the Near East Relief. Through his
personal friendship with Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times,
Morgenthau ensured that the massacres of the Armenians continued to
receive prominent coverage, with 145 published in The New York Times
in 1915 alone. Exasperated with his relationship with the Ottoman
government, he resigned from the ambassadorship in 1916. Looking
back on that decision in his report concerning the annihilation of
the Armenian people, “The Murder of a Nation,” Morgenthau wrote that
he had come to see Turkey as “a place of horror.” He stated, “I had
reached the end of my resources. I found intolerable my further daily
association with men, however gracious and accommodating . . . who
were still reeking with the blood of nearly a million human beings.”

Later, his conversation with Ottoman leaders and his account of the
Armenian Genocide was published in 1918 under the title Ambassador
Morgenthau’s Story.

The Armenian National Committee of America WR (ANCA-WR) is proud
to recognize U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau’s efforts to draw
international attention the Armenian Genocide and for organizing
private and public relief efforts to save the Armenian people.

Accepting the posthumous recognition on the Ambassador’s behalf is his
great-grandson, Henry Ben Morgenthau IV, MD, a pediatrician based in
San Francisco, California. Dr. Morgenthau is also the grandson of Henry
Morgenthau Jr., who was Secretary of the Treasury during President
Franklin Roosevelt’s administration. Dr. Morgenthau IV has maintained
strong ties to the Armenian community and its most important causes
throughout his life. In 1999, he traveled to Armenia where he met with
the President in Yerevan, the Catholicos at Etchmiadzin, and visited
the National Genocide Memorial and other important cultural sites.

In receiving this honor, Dr. Ben Morgenthau stated, “I would like
to thank the Armenian National Committee WR for singling out the
heroic work of the Near East Relief and the Near East Foundation. My
great grandfather, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, was a founder of
the Committee on Armenian Atrocities, which later became the Near
East Relief. He was one of just a few heroes in positions of power
willing to call attention to the horrific Genocide taking place in
Armenia in 1915. We need more heroes.”

Cleveland Dodge Following the Ambassador’s pivotal initial steps to
bring international attention to this unimpeachable crime against
humanity, several prominent Americans joined the Ambassador’s efforts
to mobilize aid to the desolate Armenians who managed to survive the
massacres. The aid that was rendered would not have been possible had
it not been for the steadfast altruism of New York based philanthropist
Cleveland H. Dodge.

Just ten days after Ambassador Morgenthau sent his famous cablegram
with a plea seeking urgent assistance for the refugees, the Committee
for Armenian and Syrian Relief’s (later named Near East Relief) first
meeting took place in Cleveland Dodge’s office on September 16, 1915.

At the initial meeting, Dodge, along with a small group of friends,
each pledged the first $60,000, which was cabled immediately for
relief of the orphans and refugees. Not only was Dodge one of the
organizers and founding members of NER, but was also, for several
years, a personal funder of campaign and administrative expenses
enabling NER to advertise that, “100 cents of every dollar go for
relief – none for expenses, which are met privately.”

In 1919, when the war had left the entire Armenian population
practically exiled from their homeland, stranded in the impoverished,
famine-stricken regions of Southern Russia without food, clothing,
or shelter, Armenians were dying of starvation at a rate of 1,000 per
day. A million lives were at stake and a minimum of $15,000,000 was
required to see them through the winter. Of course, as generous as
Dodge had been in providing campaign and administrative expenses,
$15 million could not have been raised without a larger campaign
organization. At that stage, no one dreamed of asking Cleveland Dodge
to do more than he had already done in spearheading and funding the
relief campaign and administrative expenses. When Dodge learned that
individuals other than himself would be asked to supplement what he
was already doing to raise the additional funds, he requested from
the Committee not to ask anyone else for additional campaign money
and again generously donated an additional $100,000, and whatever
else was necessary to see the winter through.

Moreover, through the years of NER’s existence, Dodge personally
corresponded with President Woodrow Wilson, providing both emotional
support for the challenging times which he and the rest of the
world were navigating, as well as the financial backing of NER to
help bring to fruition the much needed aid for refugees in the Near
East, who the President so firmly believed needed aid. Thousands of
committeemen and friends throughout United States and the Near East
expressed their feelings of appreciation to Cleveland Dodge for all
he did to make the mission of NER a reality.

It has been widely reported that the NER would not have existed had
it not been for Cleveland Dodge, and there certainly would not have
been such a rapid and far-reaching development of the organization,
administering a total of $117 million of relief funds, had it not
been for his inspiring leadership and generosity.

Accepting the recognition on behalf of Cleveland H. Dodge is his
great-grandson Johnson Garrett, currently the Vice-Chairman of the
Near East Foundation (NEF) and a Board Member of the Cleveland H.

Dodge Foundation. He is also a member of the executive committee for
both organizations. Garrett has worked as a digital media executive
for 15 years, previously working for AOL, Viacom, Excite@Home, Ask
Jeeves, and most recently, IAC/InterActive Corp. Garrett was a term
member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding member of
Network 20-20, a New York based foreign policy group. He graduated
with a B.A. from Princeton University and a MBA from Columbia School
of Business.

In response to the recognition, Garrett stated, “On behalf of the
Dodge family, I am deeply grateful for this honor being bestowed
upon my great-grandfather Cleveland H. Dodge. His philanthropic
legacy was extraordinary, but no more evident and impactful than in
helping to found Near East Relief which aided so many Armenians in
their darkest hour.”

Jackie Coogan Recognizing the immense influence of media, NER
enlisted the “world’s best known boy” and most prominent child star
in Hollywood at the time to carry the NER message to the masses. In
the early 1920’s, child actor Jackie Coogan–later widely known as
Uncle Fester on The Addams Family–lent his star power to the worthy
cause of relief efforts to the starving children in the Near East.

Coogan launched “Jackie Coogan’s Circus” in Hollywood with the mission
of obtaining food and clothing to donate to the dependent children
of the Near East. With the aid of his side shows, band, bareback
riders, acrobats, clowns, camels, lions, and everything in between,
Jackie raised $3,500 by charging an admission in the form of a bundle
of clothing or shoes or two cans of condensed milk. More than 7,500
people attended Jackie’s circus.

Most significantly, Jackie Coogan embarked on a tour of the United
States and a four-month trip to Europe on behalf of the starving
children of the Near East. In the U.S., Coogan visited 25 American
cities in just August of 1924 in the interest of the relief fund,
including Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Indianapolis,
Louisville, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburg,
Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark and New York, to name a
few. Every school child in the U.S. was asked to bring contributions
to the collection stations. Boy Scouts, milk companies, and various
organizations helped collect the supplies under the direction of
the NER. Following his American tour, he then set sail for Europe,
commanding a voyage to Greece, Syria, Armenia, and the Holy Land.

Thereafter, Coogan led a “Children’s Crusade of Mercy,” and
with the help of his star power, successfully raised and sent a
million dollar shipload of provisions to aid the orphans of the
Near East. He personally set sail from New York City to Greece and
made the presentation of the $1,000,000 worth of supplies to the
representatives of the NER and the orphans themselves. At the time,
a benefit performance of the latest Coogan film, “Little Robinson
Crusoe,” preceded his departure. The Los Angeles Times reported that
more than 3,500 cans of condensed milk were received, two from each
Boy Scout who attended. Numerous articles were published in The Los
Angeles Times and The New York Times, reporting on Coogan’s Children’s
Crusade, with headlines that read “Jackie’s Circus is Great Hit,”
“Master Coogan Does Good Work for Starved Tots of Armenia,” “Jackie
Begins Relief Tour,” “Coogan given send-off as He Starters Long
Trip in Interest of Starving Armenians”, “Child Film Star Will Lead
‘Children’s Crusade’ and Go With Ship to Near East,” “Boy Actor Back
from Near East,” etc. Coogan was described as a leader of a crusade
of mercy to the Bible Lands. Before his tour of the Near East, tag
sales that took place in Hollywood and downtown streets aided the
Jackie Coogan Near East Relief Condensed Milk Fund, with The Kiwanis
Club tendering Coogan a farewell luncheon.

In 1924, Jackie Coogan was decorated by the Greek government with
the medal of an Office of the Order of George, given in recognition
of his humanitarian work. The decoration ceremony took place in the
Acropolis in the presence of the American Minister, government and
civil officials, and 7,000 NER orphans. At that time, The New York
Times reported that it was the first time this medal had ever been
given to a child.

Accepting the recognition posthumously on Jackie Coogan’s behalf is
his grandson, Keith Coogan. On this occasion, Keith stated, “Jackie
Coogan played a very small part and was a very young man who turned
to his father at the time and said, ‘Daddy, we need to do something
to help.’ And his father believed that as a young boy of privilege, it
was important that Jackie see what was happening in the world. And in
a few short years, Hollywood came together and raised millions. It was
really the children that came together, as Jackie led the Children’s
Crusade of Care with his milk trains and the steam barges he took
overseas via the establishment of the Near East Relief. I thank you
for honoring him, California, and all of Hollywood.” Keith Coogan was
born on January 13, 1970 in Palm Springs, California. Following in
the footsteps of his legendary grandfather, Keith began his acting
career in TV commercials, as well various TV shows and made-for-TV
movies. He played the smitten Brad Anderson in the delightful
teen comedy cult favorite “Adventures in Babysitting” and gave an
engaging performance as Christina Applegate’s brother Kenny in “Don’t
Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” He has made guest appearances on
“Toy Soldiers,” “The Love Boat,” “Eight Is Enough,” “Knight Rider,”
“CHiPS,” “Starman,” “21 Jumpstreet,” to name a few. Keith graduated
from Santa Monica High School and attended Santa Monica College and
Los Angeles City College, majoring in Drama. Coogan resides in Los
Angeles and continues to act and runs blogs in his spare time.

The ANCA-WR is proud to recognize the humanitarian spirit of Henry
Morgenthau, Cleveland H. Dodge, and Jackie Coogan, who embarked on
one of the greatest international humanitarian efforts launched in
the history of the American people. In addition to recognizing these
three individuals, accepting the “Humanitarian Award” on behalf of
the Near East Foundation will be Shant Mardirossian, Chairman of the
Near East Foundation (NEF) and Charles Benjamin, President of NEF.

Mardirossian is the Chairman of the Near East Foundation (“NEF”),
an international development organization founded in 1915. NEF is
affiliated with Syracuse University, where its headquarters are located
and operates in seven countries, which include Egypt, Jordon, Morocco,
the West Bank, Sudan, Mali and Armenia. Mardirossian most recently
led NEF’s effort to establish micro-economic development projects
in rural Armenian villages. In his professional life, Mardirossian
is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer at Kohlberg & Company,
L.L.C., a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm.

He is a graduate of the Lubin School of Business at Pace University
and holds a B.B.A. in Public Accounting and an M.B.A. with dual
concentration in Investment Management and Strategic Management.

Charles Benjamin has over 20 years of experience in international
development, with extensive experience in community development and
natural resource management throughout the Middle East and Africa. He
has been involved with NEF since 1993, when he began a five-year
assignment as Country Director in Morocco. Prior to becoming President
of NEF in January 2010, he was a Senior Manager with the International
Resources Group, an international development-consulting firm based in
Washington, D.C., where he managed USAID-funded development projects
in the Middle East and Africa. He holds a Ph.D. in natural resources
and environment from the University of Michigan, with a focus on
decentralization and local institutional development in West Africa.

The legacy of the Near East Relief and all of the selfless individuals
who exemplified true humanitarian spirit reflect the deep bonds that
have long existed between the American and Armenian people. The
Armenian National Committee of America WR is proud to honor and
recognize their work and their memory.