Author: Kalantarian Kevo

MISSION HILLS—In honor of Professor Vahakn N.Dadrian, the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, in collaboration with the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians, is organizing a “Celebration of Life” event. The celebration will be held on Saturday, August 17 at 4 p.m., at the Deukmejian Community Center at Ararat Home, located at 15105 Mission Hills Rd, Mission Hills, CA 91345.

Professor Vahakn Dadrian, who passed away on August 2, was the preeminent scholar of the Armenian Genocide and was instrumental in establishing the larger field of genocide studies. His extensive research and scholarly work, which included the publication of numerous books and articles in academic journals as well as lectures in various academic, social and political venues, were transformative and resulted in greater international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As a world-renowned authority on the subject, his contribution to humanity through the understanding of genocide has been invaluable.

The event is open to the public and will be Live Streamed on the museum’s website and Facebook page. For more information, contact the Ararat-Eskijian Museum at (747) 500-7585.

GLENDALE— The gala will take place on Sunday, August 25 at Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale.

Born in 1965 in Beirut, Lebanon, Archpriest Vazken Atmajian was dedicated to serving the Armenian community. First as a scholar of Antelias Seminary, then as a member of the Lebanon Homenetmen family, and an altar boy in his hometown’s St. Sarkis Church, Archpriest Atmajian knew he was destined to serve his people.

In 1984, he migrated to the United States with his family, where he settled in Los Angeles and attended Glendale Community College. Soon, he began to attend special courses of the priesthood program offered by the Western Prelacy. He married Anahid Jabourian in 1988 and was blessed with two children, Tamar and Shahan, and a son-in-law, Taniel Hasserjian. All are active members of the Armenian community.

Upon his ordainment as a priest, he served the local St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church from 1993 to May of 1999 and, since 1999 has served St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church of Glendale. In addition to his work as reverend, Archpriest Vazken Atmajian accepted teaching positions for Religion and Ethics at Rose and Alex Pilibos and Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian Schools and taught countless life lessons, morals, values, and an Armenian, Christian way of life to hundreds of students over the years.

Archpriest Atmajian remains the link between the Western Prelacy and Homenetmen, and offers his spiritual services at both Memorial Hospital, where he was appointed as a foundation board, and Adventist Hospital, where he is on the advisory board. He has served the Glendale Police Department as both a spiritual counselor and a chaplain.

Archpriest Atmajian has a close partnership with Armenian and non-Armenian organizations, associations and institutions in Glendale and has been dedicated to improving the social and spiritual life of his region’s administrative and spiritual realms. For him, there is no measure to a task; there is only wholehearted service. It is with this awareness that Archpriest Vazken Atmajian works in the Glendale Region and attempts to please those who seek him the most. It is for his kindness and genuine willingness to help that he has become a beacon of hope for many.

ANCA Glendale will honor Archpriest Vazken Atmajian, along with Armenian Youth Association of California, YWCA Glendale, Asbarez Daily Newspaper, Lena Kortoshian and Nicholetta Sarkissian at the annual Award and Appreciation Gala. For more tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit the website.

The ANCA Glendale Chapter advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels. Learn more online.

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region announced that it will award Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Supervisor for the Fifth District, with the “Woman of the Year” Award at the 2019 ANCA-WR Gala on Sunday, October 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

“Supervisor Barger has been a staunch supporter of our community in Los Angeles County, demonstrating time and again her long-term commitment to our community’s immediate needs and long-term priorities,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “As the elected representative of the largest Armenian-American community in the worldwide Diaspora, Supervisor Barger is worthy of this prestigious honor, and we are proud to give our community the opportunity to publicly thank and acknowledge her for her years of dedicated and ongoing service.”

Supervisor Barger has been highly supportive of Armenian-American issues and has worked hard to empower the community through many efforts, most notably through her very generous donation of $1 million to the Armenian-American Museum in Glendale and proclaiming the month of April as the  “Armenian History Month” each year during which the work of numerous community organizations and individual activists is highlighted and publicly honored by the LA County Board of Supervisors. She has cultivated a deep understanding of issues important to the Armenian Cause and has maintained consistent communication with various segments of our community to address our concerns.

In addition, in the year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, Barger worked closely on the iWitness public art installation by artists Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian and architect Vahagn Thomasian displayed in Grand Park located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, which educated millions of visitors to the iconic site about the Armenian Genocide of 1915. As Chief Deputy to Supervisor Michael Antonovich for the 5th district, Barger ensured that the Supervisor’s office was reflective of the community and hired Armenian-Americans to various positions, including her current Chief Deputy Anna Mouradian who has further facilitated her connection to the Armenian community.

Through her time in office, she has approved financial support for projects such as the Armenian Genocide memorial monument being dedicated in Grand Park as well as the efforts of various Armenian community based organizations. To ensure that Armenian-Americans with language barriers are well informed and able to make their voices heard at the ballot box, Barger has also worked with the L.A. County Registrar Recorder to have voting information also be provided in the Armenian language.

Last year’s Gala attracted over 1,000 attendees as it honored a variety of individuals who have served their community and their country. Past honorees have included Baroness Caroline Cox, U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, “Architects of Denial” executive producers and team including David McKenzie, Montel Williams, Dean Cain, Laura McKenzie, and Elizabeth Stanton, musician and activist Serj Tankian, Turkish MP Garo Paylan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan, International and Human Rights Attorneys Geoffrey Robertson and Amal Clooney, and many other distinguished honorees.

Purchase tickets now.

Stay tuned for more information on the announcement of honorees. For more information, visit our Facebook page. For any additional questions, send an email or call 818-500-1918.

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry Thursday welcomed and hailed Rep. Brad Sherman for offering an amendment this week to the National Defense Authorization Act that would block the transfer of U.S. defense articles that strengthen Azerbaijan’s offensive airstrike capabilities.

The amendment, which Sherman introduced Tuesday, aims to limit Baku’s ability to act upon its standing threat to shoot down civilian aircraft operating out of Artsakh’s Stepanakert Airport.

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry said in its statement that Sherman’s initiative “is relevant, since Azerbaijan has not abandoned its threats to shoot down civilian aircraft in Artsakh or to use force against the civilian population of Artsakh.”

“The resuming the operation of the Stepanakert airport is a sovereign right of Artsakh and pursues purely civil and humanitarian goals, in particular, the exercise of such an inalienable right as freedom of movement,” explained the foreign ministry statement.

“The ongoing Azerbaijani blockade has become a permanent and serious obstacle to the realization of the right to free movement of the civilian population of Artsakh, along with other fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other major international treaties,” added the Artsakh foreign ministry.

“This posturing by Azerbaijan clearly demonstrates its blatant disregard for human rights and fundamental freedoms and is a continuation of its policy of collective punishment of the civilian population,” said the Artsakh foreign ministry, which urged the international community to condemn and counter the Azerbaijan’s actions.