Category: 2019

MISSION HILLS—During the regularly scheduled Ararat Home Board of Trustees meeting, Joseph Kanimian, Esq. was re-elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Kanimian had previously served as Board Chairman from 2013 to 2016.

“I am truly honored to serve Ararat Home once again in my capacity as Chairman of the Board,” stated Mr. Kanimian and expressed his gratitude to the Board for their confidence in his leadership. “I would like to express my thanks to my predecessor, Michael Surmeian, who served as Chairman for the last three years.”

“I am delighted to see Joseph returning as Chairman of the Board of Trustees,” said Mr. Surmeian. “His experience and extensive involvement in the Armenian community are perfectly suited for the needs of the Home and the Board. Over the last three years, I have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the Home’s Chief Operating Officer Derik Ghookasian, the facility leaders Varsenik Keshisyan, Rita Noravian, Margarita Kechichian as well as Ani Dikranian.”

“We can all be proud of the progress we have made over the last several years. Besides the acquisition of the property adjacent to the Mission Hills campus and the opening of the Assisted Living Facility’s new wing, the Board and its committees planned picnics, casino nights, employee celebrations, cultural events spearheaded by Ararat-Eskijian Museum, and several highly successful fundraisers. Additionally, all three facilities were reviewed annually by State agencies with very favorable results. Thanks to all these hard-working individuals, their employees, and our volunteers, Ararat Home is poised for continued success,” he continued.

During Mr. Kanimian’s past chairmanship, Ararat Home expanded its services to our elders by opening the Avakian Wing of the Nursing Facility. “We have a dedicated administration and staff at our facilities, who devote their time and skills for the benefit of our precious elders,” he stated. “Ararat Home creates a unique setting for our mothers and fathers by providing them excellent care in an Armenian environment.”

This year, Ararat Home celebrates 70 Years of service to the community. A special banquet is planned for Saturday, May 11, to celebrate this milestone. Mr. Kanimian thanked the many volunteers, the Ladies Auxiliary and supporting Guilds, and the community for their moral and financial support of the Home. “Our collective efforts make our facilities a five-star organization,” he concluded.

The current Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is comprised of Ron Nazeley as 1st Vice Chair, Richard Jebejian as 2nd Vice Chair, Debbie Avedian as Secretary, Arthur Zabounian as Assistant Secretary, Michael Surmeian as Treasurer, and Vahe Vartanian as Assistant Treasurer. The remaining members of the Board of Trustees are: Raffi Balian, M.D., Vatche Bardakjian, M.D., Shahe Boyadjian, Peter Darakjian, Armen Hampar, Nora Hampar, Gary Kaloostian, Maggie Mangassarian-Goschin, Rafi Mardirosian, Roy Martinian, D.D.S., Harout Mesrobian, M.D., Joseph Ouzounian, M.D., Kohar Mardirossian Pelter, Berj Shahbazian, Sinan Sinanian, and Nadya Verabian.

LOS ANGELES— In honor of National Infertility Week Awareness, Alera Enterprises Inc. announced that CBS U.K. has acquired “Egg Factor,” a gripping, 10-part docu-series tracing the extraordinary lives of men and women involved in creating modern families with donated eggs.

“Egg Factor,” which is set to debut in early 2020, was premiered at Raleigh Studios, in Los Angeles, on May 8. The event was organized by Executive Producers, Lara Sarkissian and Alen Tarassians and their female-powered team along with industry experts.

In addition, featured couple Kacy Andrews and Jack Messitt—parents of Fuller House Stars Fox and Dashiell Messitt—joined the panel to discuss their unconventional and highly-controversial journey to parenthood. The screening was followed by a Q&A and wine reception.

In “Egg Factor,” single mothers, couples, lesbians, and gay men who struggle to conceive naturally are finally able to realize their dream of having a baby with healthy eggs from young women who are willing to go through the grueling egg retrieval process. The journeys are both eye-opening and entertaining with twists, setbacks and surprises, but ultimately ending with a same wondrous result: A new life!

“Now, more than ever, women need one another; this is the very notion that motivated us to put our life savings on the line to create an opportunity for women to empower each other in the most extraordinary way. The true experiences featured in “Egg Factor” not only aim to lift the secrecy and shame surrounding infertility, but to help restore the spirits of discouraged, yet determined couples as they surrender to the DNA or a womb of another’s,” said Lara Sarkissian.

“Of course,” Sarkissian adds, “I couldn’t have done this alone. Like the women I followed, I’m indebted to the endless support from Gifted Journeys, PFCLA, my partner Alen Tarassians and our amazing team at Alera who were instrumental in the development and production of ‘Egg Factor.’”

For millions of intended parents, creating a healthy baby comes with a difficult choice they never imagined: accepting the end of their own genetic lineage and relying on a stranger’s eggs. Egg donation is on the rise with 74% more registered donors in the last ten years. 10,000 babies are born each year using donor eggs, a number that has doubled in just a few years.

In “Egg Factor,” the donations are arranged by Gifted Journeys, a leading egg donation and surrogacy agency. While Doctor Vic Sahakian, of the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles, is the guide on the medical side. He is pioneering, straight talking and makes new life happen.

“Egg Factor” is being distributed worldwide by Rive Gauche television.

About Alera:

Alera Enterprises, is a boutique production company founded in 2001 by Lara Sarkissian and Alen Tarassians with a mission to create new media content that is always ahead of the curve. With hundreds of hours of television programs under their belt, the team at Alera is passionate about all that they produce. From script to screen, commercials to documentaries and apps for mobile devices, ingenuity rules! Be it with Overhualin’ (Transforming dream cars with Chip Foose), Living with Ed (Tackling green living with celeb-environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. ) or with their latest series “Egg Factor” (Redefining the modern family formation), Alera creates groundbreaking programming that simply connects to your soul.

Founders Lara and Alen, a husband and wife team, created “Egg Factor” with the same passion and purpose they put behind their production company. Having conquered infertility in order to start a family of their own, they know first-hand how difficult a feat it can seem to be. In the end, however, it’s always worth the battle. Lara and Alen continue with their mission to help discouraged, yet determined parents turn their dream into reality.

About Gifted Journeys:

All donations in “Egg Factor” were arranged by Gifted Journeys, a leading egg donation and surrogacy agency headed by Wendie Wilson-Miller and Tina Barbagallo, both of whom donated eggs of their own multiple times. Wendie Wilson-Miller, Founder and CEO of Gifted Journeys is an award-winning author internationally recognized for her works on LGBT in Insider’s Guide to Egg Donation: A Compassionate and Comprehensive Guide For All Parents-to-Be. Further, Wednie co-founded Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, where she currently holds the title of Vice President.

About PFCLA:

The medical treatments on “Egg Factor” are led by Dr. Sahakian of Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles. Dr. Sahakian has performed over 10,000 IVF procedures and is responsible for the birth of over 7,000 babies all over the world. Hundreds of same sex partners have also been helped by Dr. Sahakian in achieving their dream of building a family through egg donation and surrogacy. He, specializes in treating patients with advanced maternal age and is responsible for the oldest woman on record to have given birth at the age of 67.

Eastern Primate Archbishop Tanielian and ANCA National Board Members Join in Calling for Decisive Congressional Action on Pro-Armenian Issues

WASHINGTON—As Senate and House Committees prepare their Fiscal Year 2020 foreign aid priorities, Armenian National Committee of America national leaders were joined by Eastern Prelate Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian and a broad array of community advocates, in urging the Senate and House action to expand aid to Armenia and Artsakh, broaden the U.S.-Armenia strategic partnership, and establish a permanent, principled policy of U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.

“Our endeavors in Washington are driven by the relentless work of thousands of local activists who share the ANCA’s commitment to advancing our pro-Armenian federal advocacy agenda,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “Our effectiveness in backing increased U.S. aid for Armenia and Artsakh, calling out the failed Madrid Principles, and ending U.S. complicity in Ankara’s Genocide denial is the direct result of the selfless contributions of time, energy, and resources by regional leaders, chapter organizers, and local advocates across America. I thank each and every one of our backers,” Hamparian added.

During in-depth discussions with Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Democrat Bob Menendez (D-CA), ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian and National Board Member Ani Tchaghlasian, both New Jersey natives, thanked the Senator for spearheading the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.Res.150), which currently has 16 cosponsors. Sen. Menendez questioned U.S. Ambassador to Turkey designate David Satterfield on his understanding of the history of the Armenian Genocide, and faced with the nominee’s refusal to properly characterize the crime, noted, “We cannot ultimately move to the future if we cannot recognize the past as a simple reality.”

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Satterfield nomination on Thursday, May 2, sending his nomination to the full Senate. ANCA leaders also encouraged Sen. Menendez to support expanded aid to Artsakh, prioritizing the ongoing de-mining effort through The HALO Trust and additional funding for humanitarian and developmental programs, including the expansion and modernization of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center, a regional clinic serving children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.

In discussions with House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), ANCA leaders stressed both Artsakh and Armenia aid priorities, with a special emphasis on assistance for Armenian and other minority refugees who have sought safe haven in Armenia from Middle East unrest in Syria and Iraq. As a key member of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Rep. Fortenberry plays a pivotal role in writing the FY2020 foreign aid bill, which will be up for Subcommittee consideration on May 10th and full house consideration in June.

ANCA leaders thanked Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) for her leadership in 2018 in advancing legislation promoting Armenia reforestation efforts with incentives, including U.S. debt-forgiveness, in return for increasing Armenia’s forest cover to at least 12 percent of its total land mass within 10 years. During the Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Commemoration, Rep. Clark announced plans to re-introduce the ANCA-backed measure, noting how both reforestation and advancing a principled genocide policy are forward-thinking actions. “Planting trees is an optimistic statement for the future. We don’t plant trees for ourselves. We do it to provide shade to the generations to come and provide resources for those generations. And when we look at genocide, it’s not just about looking back, but looking forward and ensuring that we don’t repeat the atrocities of the past.”

Talks with Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone focused on the Artsakh Travel and Communication Act – a measure to remove barriers to increased travel to Artsakh as well as the implementation of common-sense proposals to reduce tensions at the Artsakh and Armenia lines of contact with Azerbaijan. In an interview with the ANCA’s Raffi Karakashian in April, Rep. Pallone noted that “It makes no sense to have this travel and communications restriction because we should try to have as much contact as possible with the people there so that there is an understanding of what the people of Artsakh and the government face.”

Discussions with House Armenian Genocide Resolution lead sponsor Adam Schiff (D-CA) focused on expanding bi-partisan support for the measure (H.Res.296), which currently has over 95 Congressional cosponsors, and efforts to secure a timely House floor vote for the measure. Rep. Schiff spoke passionately about the importance of a clear and permanent U.S. policy on the topic during remarks at the Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide observance as well as the March for Justice Rally held on April 24th in Los Angeles and at local genocide commemorative events.

Artsakh assistance and stronger U.S.-Armenia economic ties through the negotiation of a new tax treaty took center-stage in discussions with senior House Foreign Affairs Committee member, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA). Rep. Sherman, who was the first U.S. House member to spearhead U.S. aid to Artsakh efforts in 1997, pressed U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green on continuing Artsakh de-mining efforts in FY2020. Responding to Rep. Sherman during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Administrator Green confirmed ongoing funding for Artsakh de-mining.

“Now, more than ever, our community’s longstanding tradition of civic-spiritual partnership represents a vital key to engaging effectively with America’s leaders. Together, we are more than the sum of our parts,” stated Hamparian. “Collectively, we powerfully reaffirm our shared commitment to the principles of faith and freedom, and – at the level of policy – materially strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship and the national and democratic aspirations of the Armenian nation.”

Among those joining Archbishop Tanielian, Hamparian, and Tchaghlasian in the meetings were ANCA leaders George Aghjayan, Programs Director Tereza Yerimyan, Eastern Region Executive Director Aram Balian, and Rev. Sarkis Aktavoukian, pastor of the Soorp Khatch Armenian Church of Bethesda, MD.

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

It has been ten months since I complained about OPS (other people’s stupidity), so please bear with me on this gripe session. I also ask your forbearance regarding Wanna-Be-Sultan President Erdoğan’s prominence in my pieces of late. Among his many flaws is being an attention-whore, and I have fallen into the trap of feeding that desire. I promise to stay away from him for a while after this.

But, for now, we lead with Erdoğan. He has manipulated Turkey’s electoral system to overturn an election. What’s really outrageous about this case is that not only did his party lose (the Constantinople mayoral) election, but that loss was confirmed with a recount! Now, there will be a new municipal election there. The winning party has agreed, despite initially considering a boycott. You see, Erdoğan couldn’t stomach the reality that he has lost his strongest base of support, the city which gave him his political start. He has taken the cry-baby approach. But never fear, even though his party may still lose in the June 23 election now set, he will come out smelling like a rose. Why? Because, he will claim to have “defended the rights of the people” by battling against (in reality non-existent) election fraud. (Does that remind you of anyone else?) Then he will pompously announce that since the people have spoken “without fraud” in June, he will abide by the outcome.

Erdoğan’s been busy on more than just the electoral front when it comes to foolishness. In this example, he used Turkey’s foreign ministry as his mouthpiece. When Kourken Yanikian’s remains were transferred from California and reinterred in the Republic of Armenia, an announcement condemning this development emanated thence. You’ll remember that Yanikian was the first Armenian, back in 1973, to assassinate Turkish diplomats. The Turkish government asserted that it “constitutes a crime of promoting terrorism and it is unacceptable under any circumstance.” Hmmmmm, let’s see. How would one describe naming streets after mass murderers, in this case Talaat Pasha? Oh, yeah, how about – “it constitutes a crime of promoting genocide and it is unacceptable under any circumstance.” Have these people no shame, or are they just so tone deaf as to how ridiculous they make themselves look?

But Erdoğan’s not the only head of state with authoritarian proclivities whose temerity is endless. U.S. President Trump also fits the bill. I have long remained quiet about his antics, but the last few weeks have witnessed a crescendo of his lawlessness. He is having his minions break the law, e.g. not turning over his tax returns to congress upon its demand, as is plainly stated in the law. Others, he sends forth to misrepresent reality to shore up his support among those who like him and his policies, e.g. representing the Mueller report as an exoneration when it is obviously damning. If you need convincing, see the letter signed by current and former prosecutors, some 600 in number as of this writing, that says anyone else found to have acted in the way Trump did would have been prosecuted.

And then we have Israel’s arms sales to Azerbaijan. I understand that any country wants to make the most of the economic sectors in which it leads. Israel’s arms industry is among the best in the world. But it is also a country that knows what it means to live with neighbors whose pose a constant and serious threat. It is composed of people who have survived genocide. In these respects, it is very much like the Republic of Armenia. Israel no doubt remembers the complaints it filed when the U.S. would sell advanced weaponry to the likes of Saudi Arabia (until, of course, the two struck up an unstated alliance which eventually saw them supporting ISIS/Daesh). Under these circumstances, it is nothing short of obscene that Israel continues to arm Azerbaijan.

The final gripe is about Russia. The bit of fake news that their propaganda system generated targeting Adam Schiff and his “agreeing” with Saudi Arabia to take the latter’s money to support passage of an Armenian Genocide resolution in congress came at our, Armenians’ expense. In their haste to embarrass Schiff who is going after Trump for his dealings dealings with the Russians during the 2016 campaign, the Russians made Armenians in the U.S. look bad, too. This is unacceptable behavior on the part of a country which badly needs the Republic of Armenia as an outpost. Not that Adam Schiff deserves that kind of abuse, either, since he is simply carrying out his duties as a sitting member of the House of Representatives.

What are your gripes? Please let us all know. Some of them may spur discussion and advance the Armenian cause.