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ARMENIAN REPORTER
PO Box 129
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
Tel: 1-201-226-1995
Fax: 1-201-226-1660
Web: http://www.reporter.am
Email: [email protected]
April 7, 2007 -- From the community section
For photographs, visit www.reporter.am
1. Aris G. Sevag is honored for his 40 years of translating (by Sylva
Boghossian)
2. John M. Mugar dies at 92
3. Abp. Choloyan's 40th ordination anniversary will be observed during
three regional celebrations this May (by Iris Papazian)
4. In Chicago, Ara Tekian describes the journey of a lifetime:
climbing Ararat (by Gary Rejebian)
5. Orange County's PBS station breaks a 13-year pledge drive record -
with help from local Armenians
*************************************** ************************************
1. Aris G. Sevag is honored for his 40 years of translating
by Sylva Boghossian
QUEENS, N.Y. - The New York chapter of the Hamazkayin Armenian
Educational and Cultural Society paid tribute to Aris G. Sevag on his
40th anniversary as a translator of Armenian texts, during a refined
and joy-filled gathering on March 23.
The large hall of the Woodside Armenian Center was filled to
capacity with admirers of Sevag's work, who had traveled from as far
away as Montreal and Florida to honor the former managing editor of
the Armenian Reporter and present managing editor of AGBU's Ararat
quarterly literary magazine, who still finds time to make obscure and
overlooked Armenian works accessible to a broad public through his
translations.
The evening began with Master of Ceremonies Dr. Herand Markarian,
who thanked the guests and gave a brief biography of the honoree.
Dr. Markarian also read selections from the numerous congratulatory
letters that had been received for the occasion.
A wonderful feature of the evening consisted of dramatic readings of
memoirs, novels, and poems Mr. Sevag has translated. An excerpt from A
Survivor's Memoir, by Hagop Kalayjian, was read by Hrair Seropian in
Armenian, and then in English by the author's granddaughter, Anahid
Ugurlayan. An excerpt from Shahan Shahnoor's novel Retreat Without
Song was read by Liza Yessaian, with Mr. Sevag's English translation
read by his stepdaughter, Aida Zilelian-Silak. Parouyr Sevak's "A
Mother's Hands" was recited in Armenian by Asdghig Boudakian, followed
by Lara Milian-Bardizbanian's reading of the English translation.
Dr. Armen Sevag, the honoree's son, and a member of the band Aravod,
entertained the crowd with a lovely medley of songs on the oud.
* Master of an inexact science
The roster of speakers began with Dr. Nishan Parlakian, retired
professor of drama and speech at John Jay College. He recalled turning
to Aris for a translation of Kach Nazar (1923) by Derenik Demirchian,
for his book, Modern Armenian Drama in English. "Aris, working as an
artist, became as it were a playwright, a stage director, a scene
designer, a sound specialist, and so forth in order to create in
English a work worthy of the original," recalled Parlakian. "For me,
Aris is a one-of-a-kind artist."
Another touching tribute was given by Ardavast Avakian, an
89-year-old contributor-turned-friend, who made the long trek from
Florida with his wife to be present for Sevag's tribute. Mr. Avakian
told how he had approached Aris to improve a poor translation of an
inspiring speech given before the Karabagh War Patriots in Yerevan.
After completing the project, Aris suggested having a native Eastern
Armenian speaker, who was very well versed in English to edit it. The
scholar they found "was most impressed with Aris's efforts," said Mr.
Avakian. "He could not believe that an Armenian born in Philadelphia
could translate Eastern Armenian so well."
Keynote speaker Agop Hacikyan, author of A Summer Without Dawn, and
coordinating editor of the three-volume Heritage of Armenian
Literature, offered the modest proposition, "What distinguishes a
saint from a translator is that the former does not translate, whereas
the latter does and is rightfully entitled to public veneration."
Ruminating on translation as an "inexact science" with several
genres, requiring artistry as well as technical proficiency, Dr.
Hacikyan applauded Aris Sevag as being "technically correct in the way
he translates a text, but in the meantime, conveying the feel and
spirit of the text. As a truly accomplished translator of Armenian
into English, he goes a step further than merely rendering what's in
the original. He becomes two persons in one - which can only be done
by people who have actually lived in both cultures, which is entirely
different from knowing two languages."
Remarking on Mr. Sevag's respect for the Armenian language, Dr.
Hacikyan said, "Like a truly accomplished linguist, Aris is a lifelong
student of the language, closely following its growth and changes,
dedicated to its many nuances, checking and rechecking his utilization
of its words."
The most emotional speech of the evening came from Aris's daughter,
Ani, who took to the podium with ease and conviction to give the
audience an insight into the Sevag household and the man she called "a
lover of words, books, and language." She painted a picture of a home
filled with books, where her father is dwarfed by a towering "fortress
of volumes" he builds whenever he is deeply at work (a visualization
that will amuse those who know Aris Sevag personally).
Ani went on to say, "In life, we encounter people who are our great
inspirations. They sit on top of a mountain of knowledge and
experience: artists, writers, and musicians who have a whole life's
worth of work behind them. They are both inspirational and
intimidating. Dad, you're one of those people. . . . I feel so honored
and humbled to have you as my father, my friend, my role model, my
inspiration, and my fuel."
* The freedom, and duty, to translate
When the time came for the guest of honor to speak, a noticeably
emotional Sevag advanced to the podium to convey his philosophy about
the translator's craft, to acknowledge his inspirations and
motivations, and to return the gratitude expressed towards him during
the program.
He described his early years growing up in a multilingual household
led by his parents, the late Manasseh and Helen Sevag. He recalled his
schooling in his native Philadelphia, and credited his tenure teaching
at the Ferrahian Armenian school in California as leaving a lasting
impression on him.
Alternating between deep, often thought-provoking insights into the
meaning of translation, and personal anecdotes expressed with his
characteristic good humor, Sevag noted the need for a translator to
"suppress one's own ego, in order to let the author come through
without intervention and alteration by the translator." He also said
that this kind of work can easily slip into an obsession, and
recounted his own experiences, mentally translating billboard messages
or songs playing on the radio while driving.
Especially delightful to the crowd were his forays into the vividly
colorful world of Armenian popular sayings, of which Aris Sevag is an
acknowledged connoisseur. At one point, erroneously believing he had
misplaced his papers when they were actually in front of him, he said,
"Marteh ishoon vra nesdads, esheh guh pundreh" - literally, "Sitting
on a donkey, the man looks for the donkey." Later, he mentioned Dr.
Vartan Gregorian as having chided Sevag during his post-college days
with the phrase, "Vras aliur desar, indz djaghatspan kartsetsir?"
Literally, "Seeing flour on me, did you think I was a miller?" Or in
English vernacular, Don't judge a book by its cover.
Mr. Sevag culminated his remarks by saying how lucky he is to be
living in the United States, "where there are no restrictions on what
can be translated and published" - unlike the situation in Turkey,
where there are currently three translators, two editors, and a
publisher facing charges which could land them in prison.
"In light of this reality," he continued, "it is quite disgraceful
that we are not taking advantage of the freedom of expression enjoyed
in this country, and commissioning more translations of valuable
works. . . I personally know of some 50 books that various
individuals or organizations would like to have translated but are
held back due to the lack of funds. But even if the necessary funds
could be found, the problem would not be solved because there is a
real paucity of translators."
Offering a catalogue of figures he considers trailblazers in
Armenian-to-English translation, Aris Sevag asked: "Who is going to
take their places in the near future? What steps are being taken in
our schools to produce the translators of tomorrow? These are
questions which need to be addressed, especially if there is ever
going to be a concerted effort to produce translations on a consistent
basis."
He concluded by thanking the New York chapter of Hamazkayin chapter
for organizing the tribute, and offered a special thank-you to his
wife, Asdghig, "for her sacrifice, and her compassionate understanding
of my need to work long hours at my craft. Without her support, I
would not be able to continue this work."
Following the program, a lavish mezze was served, which had been
prepared by the Hamazkayin ladies.
***************************************** **********************************
2. John M. Mugar dies at 92
* Was an innovator in the supermarket industry and trustee of Tufts University
GLOUCESTER, Mass. - John Martin Mugar, a major and innovative figure
in New England's supermarket industry in the 1950s and 1960s, died of
natural causes at the Seacoast Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester on
March 23. The longtime resident of Belmont, who more recently resided
in Marco Island, Fla., and Gloucester, was 92.
A substantial Boston Globe obituary called Mr. Mugar "part of a
family credited with helping change the marketplace for grocery
shoppers in New England by turning traditional stores in the 1970s
into one-stop massive markets with bank outlets, florists, and books."
What became known as the Star Market empire began with his cousin
Stephen Mugar's family store in Watertown. It was Stephen who offered
John a job in the store in the 1930s, where the two developed the idea
of one-stop shopping.
In a 1980 Boston Globe profile, Mr. Mugar fondly recalled the
personal service he could provide when he was working with his cousin
in Watertown. "I miss the close contact with the customer, and getting
to know the family," he said, "I'd ask, 'How was the roast that I sold
you last week?' That was important to me."
By the 1960s, Star Market had expanded into the suburbs and had
become a leader in the grocery industry in Greater Boston. In the
previous decade, John Mugar had proven himself a leader in the
supermarket industry, by introducing many merchandising and management
innovations, including unit pricing before it became mandatory in
Massachusetts. Star Market was the first in the industry to introduce
in-store banking, florists, and book sales. In 1955, Mr. Mugar
instituted a profit-sharing and retirement program for full and
part-time employees.
He was chairman of the Star Market Company when he retired in 1978,
after more than 40 years at Star.
Asked by the Armenian Reporter to describe her father, Mr. Mugar's
daughter Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard, of New York City, said that it
would be hard to find the right words. "But everybody we've spoken to
these past days has used the same term: 'gentleman.' He was indeed a
great gentleman."
She added that her father was "a leader in his industry, and a
leader in developing programs for his employees. He broke new barriers
in so many areas, and for him, that was the exciting thing" in his
business career.
"He was beloved by his family, and he loved them back," Mrs. Eveillard said.
Mr. Mugar's friend John Baronian, a trustee emeritus of Tufts
University and a past president of the university's alumni
association, emphasized that Mugar was "the first person of Armenian
extraction to become a trustee of Tufts; and his cousin Stephen was
the first Armenian to receive an honorary degree" from the university.
Baronian recalled a "warm, very popular man. . . highly respected,
low-key, with a very nice family. John Mugar was a remarkable guy."
Mugar was born in Boston in 1914, the son of Armenian immigrants
Martin and Anna Chooljian Mugar. He graduated magna cum laude from
Tufts University in 1937 and continued a lifelong affiliation with the
university, serving Tufts for many years as a Life Trustee, as well as
being on the board of its Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
During the Second World War, Mugar served as a Senior Lieutenant in
the U.S. Naval Reserve Acorn 44 division in Okinawa. His beloved wife
of 60 years, Helen Gienandt Mugar, who served as a Navy Nurse in New
Guinea during the war, survives him. They met at Portsmouth (N.H.)
Naval Base in 1943.
A keen student of international relations, Mugar was a member of the
Foreign Policy Club of Boston, the Center of International Affairs at
Harvard, and established an internship program that brought Europeans
and Africans to work in the Star Market stores.
His deep interest in current affairs inspired his idea for what
became a long-running television program, "Starring the Editors,"
which brought together a panel of Boston newspaper editors to discuss
developments in the news. The program was sponsored by Star Market.
Mr. Mugar was also a seminar speaker at MIT's Sloan School of
Management and went to Washington to speak on behalf of a program
called "From the Seed to the Table." He enjoyed working with young
people and hosted dinners that brought together policymakers and
college students.
At his retirement in 1978, Star Market operated 61 stores in the New
England area. After Star Market was bought by the Jewel Company in
1964, Mugar continued as president and later chairman of Star, as well
as serving on the Jewel board. (The company is now a part of Shaw's
Supermarkets, Inc.)
His business and motivational skills showed up at an early age. At
12 he sold the Saturday Evening Post in Harvard Square, and soon
became the manager of a sales force of about 25 boys. His group won
every sales contest that Curtis Publishing held in the Boston area.
He encouraged women and minorities to enter business and served as a
founding advisor for the Graduate Program in Management at Simmons
College, in which capacity he worked closely with minority businesses.
He also served on the President's Council at the University of
Massachusetts, and was president of the Minuteman Boy Scout Council,
as well as serving on the boards of the National Association of Food
Chains and the Food Marketing Institute. He was on the board of the
Castle Hill Foundation in the 1960s, and helped broaden the appeal of
its concert series by bringing in folk and jazz acts. Mugar was also a
longstanding member of the Algonquin Club.
John Mugar was a member and supporter of many Armenian
organizations, and was a founding member of the Armenian Executive
Club and the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA). He was
also a supporter of the Armenia Tree Project, led by his niece,
Carolyn.
In addition to his wife, Helen, Mr. Mugar is survived by his
children Elizabeth Eveillard, Martin Mugar, Ellen Mugar, and Louise
Grubb; by seven grandchildren; and by two sisters, Mary Tatoian and
Beatrice Fye. He was predeceased by his sister Irene Pike.
The family has directed that in lieu of flowers donation be sent to
the Armenian Tree Project (65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472),
Project SAVE (P.O. Box 236, Watertown, MA 02471), or the Tufts
University Arts and Sciences Scholarship Fund (P.O. Box 3306, Boston,
MA 02441).
***************************************** **********************************
3. Abp. Choloyan's 40th ordination anniversary will be observed during
three regional celebrations this May
by Iris Papazian
NEW YORK - The Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of
America is preparing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan's ordination to the priesthood. The milestone will be
observed this May in three different locations.
Archbishop Oshagan has been the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy since
1998 and last year during the National Representative Assembly was
elected to a third four-year term. A national steering committee,
under the leadership of Jack Mardoian, Esq., chairman of the Prelacy's
Executive Council, is guiding the three events with the coordination
of local committees.
The first of the commemorations will take place in New England, on
Saturday, May 5. The Sts. Vartanantz Church of Providence, R.I., will
host the evening, which is expected to draw attendees from throughout
the region. The banquet will take place in the evening, beginning with
a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a program, at the
Marriott on Orms Street in Providence, located right off Interstate 95
and easily reached from all areas of New England.
One week later, on Saturday, May 12, the Mid-Atlantic communities
will honor Archbishop Oshagan with a gala banquet at the Marriott at
Glenpointe in Teaneck, N.J. A cocktail reception will begin at 7:00
p.m., with dinner and a program at 8:00 p.m. The Marriott's location
is conveniently located at the crossroads of major highways and is
easily accessible from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington.
In the Midwest, the anniversary event will coincide with the
Prelacy's National Representative Assembly (NRA), hosted by the St.
Sarkis Church, of Dearborn, Mich., on Friday, May 18, at the
Doubletree Hotel, in Dearborn. A cocktail reception will begin at 7:00
p.m., with dinner and a program beginning at 8:00 p.m. This event will
by an opportunity for Midwest parishes to attend, along with the NRA
delegates in Dearborn for the annual gathering.
* Three identical programs
The program at all three events will be largely identical, with some
variation for local artistic participation. Mr. Mardoian will be the
Master of Ceremonies, and Judge Sarkis Teshoian will be the keynote
speaker at all three events. A video message from His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, will be shown, as will a
short video presentation on Archbishop Oshagan's life and service. The
Vicar General, Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, who is hosting all three
events on behalf of the Religious and Executive Councils, will
introduce the Prelate.
Judge Sarkis Teshoian, a distinguished Massachusetts jurist, devoted
church member and close friend to Archbishop Choloyan, will deliver
the keynote address at all three events. Judge Teshoian has served in
many leadership positions, including as chairman of the Prelacy's
Executive Council. He has been honored by the Holy See of Cilicia for
his devoted service by both the late Catholicos Karekin II, and
Catholicos Aram I, who presented him with the highest civilian award,
the Prince of Cilicia insignia, in 2005.
* A gifted clergyman
Archbishop Oshagan was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1947, with the
baptismal name Manoog. He is the third of six children born to
Antranig and Marie (nee Kasbarian) Choloyan. He received his primary
education in Aleppo's Haikazian School, and in 1960 was accepted into
the Cilician See's seminary in Antelias, Lebanon. He was ordained a
deacon in 1964 and a celibate priest in 1967, and given the name
Oshagan by Bishop Karekin Sarkissian, who in 1994 as Catholicos
Karekin II of Cilicia ordained him to the episcopal rank. He 1998, His
Holiness Aram I elevated him to the rank of archbishop.
He holds degrees from the American University of Beirut and
Princeton Theological Seminary.
In the 1980s, as pontifical legate to Kuwait and the Arab Emirates
serving under the appointment of Catholicos Karekin II Sarkissian, he
organize the region into a jurisdiction of the Catholicate of Cilicia,
and was subsequently elected to serve the new diocese as prelate. In
1998, he was elected as prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church of America, and is in the midst of his third
four-year term.
Archbishop Oshagan has been a vital force in preserving the music of
the Armenian Church. Together with the late Archbishop Zareh
Aznavourian, he prepared five volumes of sharagans. The two also
collaborated on a new translation of the New Testament from classical
into modern Armenian, and were in the midst of translating the Old
Testament when Archbishop Zareh passed away. Archbishop Oshagan is
currently leading the continuation of this monumental work in tribute
to his late spiritual brother.
Throughout his service to the Armenian Church Archbishop Choloyan
has been guided by his intense faith in the mission of the church and
his dedication to the Armenian nation, always guided by the words of
St. Paul, "Therefore...be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the
work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not
in vain."
A commemorative book is being published for the 40th anniversary
devoted to the life and service of this gifted clergyman. Donations,
which Archbishop Choloyan has requested to benefit the Prelacy's fund
for clergy recruitment, training, and education. as well as for
religious publications, will be acknowledged in the commemorative
book. Inquiries about this should be directed to the Prelacy office in
New York City.
General information on all three events can be obtained from local
parishes, or from the Prelacy headquarters at (212) 689-7810, or on
the Prelacy's website (www.armenianprelacy.org).
********************** ************************************************** ***
4. In Chicago, Ara Tekian describes the journey of a lifetime: climbing Ararat
by Gary Rejebian
CHICAGO, Ill. - Some people dream of going to the moon. But for two
prominent Armenians already at the peak of their careers, the journey
of a lifetime led them to the summit of Mount Ararat.
In an engaging talk at the AGBU Chicago Center on March 4, medical
education specialist Dr. Ara Tekian, a professor at the University of
Illinois-Chicago, described the pilgrimage that he and epidemiologist
Haroutune Armenian (President of the American University of Armenia,
AUA) made to Ararat last August, delivering a riveting presentation
illustrated by more than 300 images.
The two professors were joined by Dr. Armenian's wife Sona, Dr.
Varduhi Petrosyan (assistant professor of Public Health at AUA) and
her husband Arsen Krikoryan, and Dr. Arthur Melkonyan (a former
professor of Public Health at AUA).
For Tekian, who in his childhood began drawing Ararat and even
dreamed of discovering Noah's Ark, the sojourn to the summit had
become especially compelling in the last dozen years during which he
had made annual trips to Armenia to teach a course at AUA. He and Dr.
Armenian thus decided the best way to celebrate the 15th anniversary
of both Armenia's independence and the founding of AUA was "to raise
the Armenian flag on Mt. Ararat."
For the group of six Armenians making their way through eastern
Turkey, however, not only the climb but the trip there and back became
a spiritual journey.
Coming to the mountain required a more than 500-mile drive to and
from Yerevan - all to reach a destination that was less than 50 miles
away as the crow flies. Regional politics are, of course, in the
driver's seat for the entry into Turkey from Armenia, with the group
having only two options to reach Ararat from Yerevan: either travel
through Iran, or take their selected route north to Georgia to double
back along the sealed Armenian-Turkish border, which would afford them
the chance to visit the ruins of three of the most significant
locations in Armenian history.
Their pilgrimage began six months prior with extensive training to
prepare for the strenuous climb.
* You need to brainwash yourself that it's possible. . .
"The commitment to climb Mt. Ararat is both mental and physical,"
Tekian commented. "Mentally, you need to brainwash yourself that it's
possible. Then, physically, you need to be in great shape."
Tekian began dieting and exercising daily. He took a cardiac stress
test. His colleagues suggested "spending a night in your garden," so
the cosmopolitan Beirut-born academician could decide whether he could
endure camping outdoors in the rocky terrain. During the Chicago
lecture, Tekian gleefully showed a photo of the bathroom facility at
the first campsite: a hole in the ground behind a lean-to tarp.
(Higher up, he says, "it's all barren and there is no place to hide.")
Meanwhile, Sona Armenian secured an official government permit for
the climb - a process that takes at least three months - and made
arrangements with a tour company that provided a guide, a van from the
town of Dogubeyazit (the only starting point allowed by the Turkish
government), and horses for the first two stages of the ascent to
10,560 and 13,800 feet, where there were campsites along the way. They
had a different Kurdish guide for each elevation and campsite. The
final hike started at 2:00 a.m. and they were at the peak (17,040
feet) at 6:30 a.m.
Once at the summit, "the sense of achievement and pride was
overwhelming," Tekian said. "You feel so blessed and empowered - we
were no longer looking upward to see the peak: we were at the peak.
The first thing I did was to thank God for giving me the strength and
opportunity to realize this dream. I prayed for my [late] parents who
had always inspired me to visit historic Armenia one day. I prayed
that my sisters, niece, nephew, and close friends could one day climb
this mountain. So that was the first five minutes."
"We had plans to dance an Armenian folk dance and to drink the
Armenian cognac that Arthur had carried all the way up, but we only
had some iyran (yogurt diluted with water) because of the altitude.
The temperature was minus 30 Fahrenheit, and our fingers were freezing
in the wind. We stayed only 20 minutes. You can see three countries
from the peak: we spotted Turkey and Iran, but it was foggy over
Armenia so we could not see Yerevan."
Tekian explained that descending the mountain is more difficult than
climbing; their return took them almost 12 hours. Along their way,
they encountered two other groups: a large group of Iranians
descending at the second campsite (13,800 ft), and another six Britons
camping an extra day for acclimatization.
On the way home, the group continued tracing their cultural roots by
visiting four illustrious relics in Armenia's glorious past: the ruins
of the 1st-century royal capital of Ani, the Varagavank monastery
(former repository for a fragment of Christ's crucifixion cross) and
the Holy Cross Church of Aghtamar at Van, and the once cultured,
diverse and wealthy city of Kars. While not expecting to find any
breath of Armenian life among 1,000-year-old ruins, the natural and
especially the man-made desecration to the sites stirred passions in
them for all that had been lost in the Armenian culture.
* Among the ruins of Ani
"After seeing the most beautiful churches in Ani totally destroyed, we
were repulsed by the lack of effort to save these precious historical
monuments," Tekian lamented. "Ani has for centuries been a ghost town,
but since the area is declared a Turkish military zone, no excavations
can be done. The Turkish government has not taken any measure to
protect this world treasure. Negligence and vandalism have taken a
heavy toll on Ani's monuments."
Indeed, on four consecutive occasions from 1996 to 2002, the World
Monuments Fund listed Ani among the "100 Most Endangered Sites" on its
World Monuments Watch. Only one other site ever, in Serbia, had been
listed as many times. Especially in the last 30 years, the Armenian
monuments of Turkey have also been subjected to cultural cleansing of
their Armenian origins.
"There was no mention either at the gate of Ani or in the directory
of the history of Ani that this city had been the capital of Armenia a
thousand years ago. It was almost unreal to see so many churches
renamed as mosques, and their Armenian identities just obliterated.
This is the moment that your 'Armenian-ness' comes to a climax: when
you decide you need to do something - anything - to protect your rich
heritage."
In the end, having reached a pinnacle and nadir in feelings about
his ethnic identity, would Tekian say the trip was really worth a mere
20 minutes of wind-chilled ecstasy followed by desolation and
heartbreak?
"This trip was a spiritual journey, climbing a sacred mountain and
visiting some of the most important religious centers in Western
Armenia. It was a pilgrimage for me to trace my roots," Tekian
reflected. "Dreams do come true! Finally I climbed Mt. Ararat, and
when the journey was over, I was a different person. I acquired such
strength that gave me confidence, courage, and determination that
there is nothing impossible in life. I now believe you can conquer any
height and overcome any difficulty in life if you have the
determination."
* Connect:
Dr. Ara Tekian's first presentation on climbing Ararat was delivered
in Armenian in Geneva, Switzerland, last February. Schedule
permitting, he welcomes invitations to give this talk elsewhere.
E-mail him at [email protected], or call (708) 445-0311.
AGBU Chicago is considering the possibility of arranging a group
tour to climb Mt. Ararat in the summer of 2008. If you are interested
in joining the group, contact AGBU Chicago Board chair Leona Mirza, at
[email protected], or call (773) 588-2844.
For a historical and contemporary tour of Ani, including background
on the Turkish "restoration" of the monuments, visit
www.virtualani.org.
*********************** ************************************************** **
5. Orange County's PBS station breaks a 13-year pledge drive record -
with help from local Armenians
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Last week, Orange County's public television
station KOCE broadcast the acclaimed documentary, The Armenian
Genocide, by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, who was
present in the studio as co-host during the station's live membership
drive.
Collaborating with KOCE were the Armenian Festival of Orange County
and other local Armenian organizations, who had invited their members
to volunteer to answer telephones from contributors during the live
telecast.
The results astonished everyone. The three-hour event turned out to
be a stellar fundraiser for the broadcaster, amassing a final total of
$118,535 from 902 pledges, breaking the 13-year record set in 1994
when the Three Tenors "Encore" performance in Dodger Stadium aired
during a six-hour on-air pledge drive.
Encouraging, supporting, and participating in the effort were
leaders from the Armenian Festival, the Armenian Relief Society Karni
chapter, Forty Martyrs Armenian Church, Orange County Armenian
Professional Society, and St. Mary's Armenian Church.
During the live telecast, various Orange County organization
representatives were interviewed by KOCE's "Real Orange" broadcast
news anchor, Ed Arnold. These included Arthur Aykanian, Serge
Tomassian, Jason Kizerian, Ara Malazian, Lina Tufenkjian, Thomas
Kalajian, and Angie Kardashian.
Volunteers from throughout Glendale, San Fernando Valley, Santa
Monica, and greater Orange County answered the call to participate.
The overflow response to work the phone banks prompted KOCE staff, for
the first time, to double up on training. Nearly 50 people responded
to the invitation for 20 volunteers, and more stepped forward to
accept positions on a standby basis if needed.
Paul Aslanian and Tom Kalajian, of the Orange County Armenian
Festival, coordinated the evening's activities together with committee
members.
KOCE received donations from across its broadcast area, due in large
part to Armenians who helped saturate the community with e-mails and
phone calls, informing friends and family to watch and contribute.
Institutional donors who issued on-air challenges, included the
Armenian Festival of Orange County, the Orange County Armenian
Professional Society, Provident Financial Services, Inc., and the
Provident Group.
Organizer Paul Aslanian stressed that the KOCE pledge drive was a
"Pan-Armenian" event, outside the orbit of established Armenian
organizations, which showed that Armenian communities could support
and collaborate with each other, across all lines, in a spirit of
congeniality. He said plans are in development for future
collaborative projects based on the friendships forged during the KOCE
event.
************************************* **************************************
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April 7, 2007 -- From the community section
For photographs, visit www.reporter.am
1. Aris G. Sevag is honored for his 40 years of translating (by Sylva
Boghossian)
2. John M. Mugar dies at 92
3. Abp. Choloyan's 40th ordination anniversary will be observed during
three regional celebrations this May (by Iris Papazian)
4. In Chicago, Ara Tekian describes the journey of a lifetime:
climbing Ararat (by Gary Rejebian)
5. Orange County's PBS station breaks a 13-year pledge drive record -
with help from local Armenians
*************************************** ************************************
1. Aris G. Sevag is honored for his 40 years of translating
by Sylva Boghossian
QUEENS, N.Y. - The New York chapter of the Hamazkayin Armenian
Educational and Cultural Society paid tribute to Aris G. Sevag on his
40th anniversary as a translator of Armenian texts, during a refined
and joy-filled gathering on March 23.
The large hall of the Woodside Armenian Center was filled to
capacity with admirers of Sevag's work, who had traveled from as far
away as Montreal and Florida to honor the former managing editor of
the Armenian Reporter and present managing editor of AGBU's Ararat
quarterly literary magazine, who still finds time to make obscure and
overlooked Armenian works accessible to a broad public through his
translations.
The evening began with Master of Ceremonies Dr. Herand Markarian,
who thanked the guests and gave a brief biography of the honoree.
Dr. Markarian also read selections from the numerous congratulatory
letters that had been received for the occasion.
A wonderful feature of the evening consisted of dramatic readings of
memoirs, novels, and poems Mr. Sevag has translated. An excerpt from A
Survivor's Memoir, by Hagop Kalayjian, was read by Hrair Seropian in
Armenian, and then in English by the author's granddaughter, Anahid
Ugurlayan. An excerpt from Shahan Shahnoor's novel Retreat Without
Song was read by Liza Yessaian, with Mr. Sevag's English translation
read by his stepdaughter, Aida Zilelian-Silak. Parouyr Sevak's "A
Mother's Hands" was recited in Armenian by Asdghig Boudakian, followed
by Lara Milian-Bardizbanian's reading of the English translation.
Dr. Armen Sevag, the honoree's son, and a member of the band Aravod,
entertained the crowd with a lovely medley of songs on the oud.
* Master of an inexact science
The roster of speakers began with Dr. Nishan Parlakian, retired
professor of drama and speech at John Jay College. He recalled turning
to Aris for a translation of Kach Nazar (1923) by Derenik Demirchian,
for his book, Modern Armenian Drama in English. "Aris, working as an
artist, became as it were a playwright, a stage director, a scene
designer, a sound specialist, and so forth in order to create in
English a work worthy of the original," recalled Parlakian. "For me,
Aris is a one-of-a-kind artist."
Another touching tribute was given by Ardavast Avakian, an
89-year-old contributor-turned-friend, who made the long trek from
Florida with his wife to be present for Sevag's tribute. Mr. Avakian
told how he had approached Aris to improve a poor translation of an
inspiring speech given before the Karabagh War Patriots in Yerevan.
After completing the project, Aris suggested having a native Eastern
Armenian speaker, who was very well versed in English to edit it. The
scholar they found "was most impressed with Aris's efforts," said Mr.
Avakian. "He could not believe that an Armenian born in Philadelphia
could translate Eastern Armenian so well."
Keynote speaker Agop Hacikyan, author of A Summer Without Dawn, and
coordinating editor of the three-volume Heritage of Armenian
Literature, offered the modest proposition, "What distinguishes a
saint from a translator is that the former does not translate, whereas
the latter does and is rightfully entitled to public veneration."
Ruminating on translation as an "inexact science" with several
genres, requiring artistry as well as technical proficiency, Dr.
Hacikyan applauded Aris Sevag as being "technically correct in the way
he translates a text, but in the meantime, conveying the feel and
spirit of the text. As a truly accomplished translator of Armenian
into English, he goes a step further than merely rendering what's in
the original. He becomes two persons in one - which can only be done
by people who have actually lived in both cultures, which is entirely
different from knowing two languages."
Remarking on Mr. Sevag's respect for the Armenian language, Dr.
Hacikyan said, "Like a truly accomplished linguist, Aris is a lifelong
student of the language, closely following its growth and changes,
dedicated to its many nuances, checking and rechecking his utilization
of its words."
The most emotional speech of the evening came from Aris's daughter,
Ani, who took to the podium with ease and conviction to give the
audience an insight into the Sevag household and the man she called "a
lover of words, books, and language." She painted a picture of a home
filled with books, where her father is dwarfed by a towering "fortress
of volumes" he builds whenever he is deeply at work (a visualization
that will amuse those who know Aris Sevag personally).
Ani went on to say, "In life, we encounter people who are our great
inspirations. They sit on top of a mountain of knowledge and
experience: artists, writers, and musicians who have a whole life's
worth of work behind them. They are both inspirational and
intimidating. Dad, you're one of those people. . . . I feel so honored
and humbled to have you as my father, my friend, my role model, my
inspiration, and my fuel."
* The freedom, and duty, to translate
When the time came for the guest of honor to speak, a noticeably
emotional Sevag advanced to the podium to convey his philosophy about
the translator's craft, to acknowledge his inspirations and
motivations, and to return the gratitude expressed towards him during
the program.
He described his early years growing up in a multilingual household
led by his parents, the late Manasseh and Helen Sevag. He recalled his
schooling in his native Philadelphia, and credited his tenure teaching
at the Ferrahian Armenian school in California as leaving a lasting
impression on him.
Alternating between deep, often thought-provoking insights into the
meaning of translation, and personal anecdotes expressed with his
characteristic good humor, Sevag noted the need for a translator to
"suppress one's own ego, in order to let the author come through
without intervention and alteration by the translator." He also said
that this kind of work can easily slip into an obsession, and
recounted his own experiences, mentally translating billboard messages
or songs playing on the radio while driving.
Especially delightful to the crowd were his forays into the vividly
colorful world of Armenian popular sayings, of which Aris Sevag is an
acknowledged connoisseur. At one point, erroneously believing he had
misplaced his papers when they were actually in front of him, he said,
"Marteh ishoon vra nesdads, esheh guh pundreh" - literally, "Sitting
on a donkey, the man looks for the donkey." Later, he mentioned Dr.
Vartan Gregorian as having chided Sevag during his post-college days
with the phrase, "Vras aliur desar, indz djaghatspan kartsetsir?"
Literally, "Seeing flour on me, did you think I was a miller?" Or in
English vernacular, Don't judge a book by its cover.
Mr. Sevag culminated his remarks by saying how lucky he is to be
living in the United States, "where there are no restrictions on what
can be translated and published" - unlike the situation in Turkey,
where there are currently three translators, two editors, and a
publisher facing charges which could land them in prison.
"In light of this reality," he continued, "it is quite disgraceful
that we are not taking advantage of the freedom of expression enjoyed
in this country, and commissioning more translations of valuable
works. . . I personally know of some 50 books that various
individuals or organizations would like to have translated but are
held back due to the lack of funds. But even if the necessary funds
could be found, the problem would not be solved because there is a
real paucity of translators."
Offering a catalogue of figures he considers trailblazers in
Armenian-to-English translation, Aris Sevag asked: "Who is going to
take their places in the near future? What steps are being taken in
our schools to produce the translators of tomorrow? These are
questions which need to be addressed, especially if there is ever
going to be a concerted effort to produce translations on a consistent
basis."
He concluded by thanking the New York chapter of Hamazkayin chapter
for organizing the tribute, and offered a special thank-you to his
wife, Asdghig, "for her sacrifice, and her compassionate understanding
of my need to work long hours at my craft. Without her support, I
would not be able to continue this work."
Following the program, a lavish mezze was served, which had been
prepared by the Hamazkayin ladies.
***************************************** **********************************
2. John M. Mugar dies at 92
* Was an innovator in the supermarket industry and trustee of Tufts University
GLOUCESTER, Mass. - John Martin Mugar, a major and innovative figure
in New England's supermarket industry in the 1950s and 1960s, died of
natural causes at the Seacoast Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester on
March 23. The longtime resident of Belmont, who more recently resided
in Marco Island, Fla., and Gloucester, was 92.
A substantial Boston Globe obituary called Mr. Mugar "part of a
family credited with helping change the marketplace for grocery
shoppers in New England by turning traditional stores in the 1970s
into one-stop massive markets with bank outlets, florists, and books."
What became known as the Star Market empire began with his cousin
Stephen Mugar's family store in Watertown. It was Stephen who offered
John a job in the store in the 1930s, where the two developed the idea
of one-stop shopping.
In a 1980 Boston Globe profile, Mr. Mugar fondly recalled the
personal service he could provide when he was working with his cousin
in Watertown. "I miss the close contact with the customer, and getting
to know the family," he said, "I'd ask, 'How was the roast that I sold
you last week?' That was important to me."
By the 1960s, Star Market had expanded into the suburbs and had
become a leader in the grocery industry in Greater Boston. In the
previous decade, John Mugar had proven himself a leader in the
supermarket industry, by introducing many merchandising and management
innovations, including unit pricing before it became mandatory in
Massachusetts. Star Market was the first in the industry to introduce
in-store banking, florists, and book sales. In 1955, Mr. Mugar
instituted a profit-sharing and retirement program for full and
part-time employees.
He was chairman of the Star Market Company when he retired in 1978,
after more than 40 years at Star.
Asked by the Armenian Reporter to describe her father, Mr. Mugar's
daughter Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard, of New York City, said that it
would be hard to find the right words. "But everybody we've spoken to
these past days has used the same term: 'gentleman.' He was indeed a
great gentleman."
She added that her father was "a leader in his industry, and a
leader in developing programs for his employees. He broke new barriers
in so many areas, and for him, that was the exciting thing" in his
business career.
"He was beloved by his family, and he loved them back," Mrs. Eveillard said.
Mr. Mugar's friend John Baronian, a trustee emeritus of Tufts
University and a past president of the university's alumni
association, emphasized that Mugar was "the first person of Armenian
extraction to become a trustee of Tufts; and his cousin Stephen was
the first Armenian to receive an honorary degree" from the university.
Baronian recalled a "warm, very popular man. . . highly respected,
low-key, with a very nice family. John Mugar was a remarkable guy."
Mugar was born in Boston in 1914, the son of Armenian immigrants
Martin and Anna Chooljian Mugar. He graduated magna cum laude from
Tufts University in 1937 and continued a lifelong affiliation with the
university, serving Tufts for many years as a Life Trustee, as well as
being on the board of its Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
During the Second World War, Mugar served as a Senior Lieutenant in
the U.S. Naval Reserve Acorn 44 division in Okinawa. His beloved wife
of 60 years, Helen Gienandt Mugar, who served as a Navy Nurse in New
Guinea during the war, survives him. They met at Portsmouth (N.H.)
Naval Base in 1943.
A keen student of international relations, Mugar was a member of the
Foreign Policy Club of Boston, the Center of International Affairs at
Harvard, and established an internship program that brought Europeans
and Africans to work in the Star Market stores.
His deep interest in current affairs inspired his idea for what
became a long-running television program, "Starring the Editors,"
which brought together a panel of Boston newspaper editors to discuss
developments in the news. The program was sponsored by Star Market.
Mr. Mugar was also a seminar speaker at MIT's Sloan School of
Management and went to Washington to speak on behalf of a program
called "From the Seed to the Table." He enjoyed working with young
people and hosted dinners that brought together policymakers and
college students.
At his retirement in 1978, Star Market operated 61 stores in the New
England area. After Star Market was bought by the Jewel Company in
1964, Mugar continued as president and later chairman of Star, as well
as serving on the Jewel board. (The company is now a part of Shaw's
Supermarkets, Inc.)
His business and motivational skills showed up at an early age. At
12 he sold the Saturday Evening Post in Harvard Square, and soon
became the manager of a sales force of about 25 boys. His group won
every sales contest that Curtis Publishing held in the Boston area.
He encouraged women and minorities to enter business and served as a
founding advisor for the Graduate Program in Management at Simmons
College, in which capacity he worked closely with minority businesses.
He also served on the President's Council at the University of
Massachusetts, and was president of the Minuteman Boy Scout Council,
as well as serving on the boards of the National Association of Food
Chains and the Food Marketing Institute. He was on the board of the
Castle Hill Foundation in the 1960s, and helped broaden the appeal of
its concert series by bringing in folk and jazz acts. Mugar was also a
longstanding member of the Algonquin Club.
John Mugar was a member and supporter of many Armenian
organizations, and was a founding member of the Armenian Executive
Club and the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA). He was
also a supporter of the Armenia Tree Project, led by his niece,
Carolyn.
In addition to his wife, Helen, Mr. Mugar is survived by his
children Elizabeth Eveillard, Martin Mugar, Ellen Mugar, and Louise
Grubb; by seven grandchildren; and by two sisters, Mary Tatoian and
Beatrice Fye. He was predeceased by his sister Irene Pike.
The family has directed that in lieu of flowers donation be sent to
the Armenian Tree Project (65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472),
Project SAVE (P.O. Box 236, Watertown, MA 02471), or the Tufts
University Arts and Sciences Scholarship Fund (P.O. Box 3306, Boston,
MA 02441).
***************************************** **********************************
3. Abp. Choloyan's 40th ordination anniversary will be observed during
three regional celebrations this May
by Iris Papazian
NEW YORK - The Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of
America is preparing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Archbishop
Oshagan Choloyan's ordination to the priesthood. The milestone will be
observed this May in three different locations.
Archbishop Oshagan has been the Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy since
1998 and last year during the National Representative Assembly was
elected to a third four-year term. A national steering committee,
under the leadership of Jack Mardoian, Esq., chairman of the Prelacy's
Executive Council, is guiding the three events with the coordination
of local committees.
The first of the commemorations will take place in New England, on
Saturday, May 5. The Sts. Vartanantz Church of Providence, R.I., will
host the evening, which is expected to draw attendees from throughout
the region. The banquet will take place in the evening, beginning with
a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a program, at the
Marriott on Orms Street in Providence, located right off Interstate 95
and easily reached from all areas of New England.
One week later, on Saturday, May 12, the Mid-Atlantic communities
will honor Archbishop Oshagan with a gala banquet at the Marriott at
Glenpointe in Teaneck, N.J. A cocktail reception will begin at 7:00
p.m., with dinner and a program at 8:00 p.m. The Marriott's location
is conveniently located at the crossroads of major highways and is
easily accessible from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington.
In the Midwest, the anniversary event will coincide with the
Prelacy's National Representative Assembly (NRA), hosted by the St.
Sarkis Church, of Dearborn, Mich., on Friday, May 18, at the
Doubletree Hotel, in Dearborn. A cocktail reception will begin at 7:00
p.m., with dinner and a program beginning at 8:00 p.m. This event will
by an opportunity for Midwest parishes to attend, along with the NRA
delegates in Dearborn for the annual gathering.
* Three identical programs
The program at all three events will be largely identical, with some
variation for local artistic participation. Mr. Mardoian will be the
Master of Ceremonies, and Judge Sarkis Teshoian will be the keynote
speaker at all three events. A video message from His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, will be shown, as will a
short video presentation on Archbishop Oshagan's life and service. The
Vicar General, Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, who is hosting all three
events on behalf of the Religious and Executive Councils, will
introduce the Prelate.
Judge Sarkis Teshoian, a distinguished Massachusetts jurist, devoted
church member and close friend to Archbishop Choloyan, will deliver
the keynote address at all three events. Judge Teshoian has served in
many leadership positions, including as chairman of the Prelacy's
Executive Council. He has been honored by the Holy See of Cilicia for
his devoted service by both the late Catholicos Karekin II, and
Catholicos Aram I, who presented him with the highest civilian award,
the Prince of Cilicia insignia, in 2005.
* A gifted clergyman
Archbishop Oshagan was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1947, with the
baptismal name Manoog. He is the third of six children born to
Antranig and Marie (nee Kasbarian) Choloyan. He received his primary
education in Aleppo's Haikazian School, and in 1960 was accepted into
the Cilician See's seminary in Antelias, Lebanon. He was ordained a
deacon in 1964 and a celibate priest in 1967, and given the name
Oshagan by Bishop Karekin Sarkissian, who in 1994 as Catholicos
Karekin II of Cilicia ordained him to the episcopal rank. He 1998, His
Holiness Aram I elevated him to the rank of archbishop.
He holds degrees from the American University of Beirut and
Princeton Theological Seminary.
In the 1980s, as pontifical legate to Kuwait and the Arab Emirates
serving under the appointment of Catholicos Karekin II Sarkissian, he
organize the region into a jurisdiction of the Catholicate of Cilicia,
and was subsequently elected to serve the new diocese as prelate. In
1998, he was elected as prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church of America, and is in the midst of his third
four-year term.
Archbishop Oshagan has been a vital force in preserving the music of
the Armenian Church. Together with the late Archbishop Zareh
Aznavourian, he prepared five volumes of sharagans. The two also
collaborated on a new translation of the New Testament from classical
into modern Armenian, and were in the midst of translating the Old
Testament when Archbishop Zareh passed away. Archbishop Oshagan is
currently leading the continuation of this monumental work in tribute
to his late spiritual brother.
Throughout his service to the Armenian Church Archbishop Choloyan
has been guided by his intense faith in the mission of the church and
his dedication to the Armenian nation, always guided by the words of
St. Paul, "Therefore...be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the
work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not
in vain."
A commemorative book is being published for the 40th anniversary
devoted to the life and service of this gifted clergyman. Donations,
which Archbishop Choloyan has requested to benefit the Prelacy's fund
for clergy recruitment, training, and education. as well as for
religious publications, will be acknowledged in the commemorative
book. Inquiries about this should be directed to the Prelacy office in
New York City.
General information on all three events can be obtained from local
parishes, or from the Prelacy headquarters at (212) 689-7810, or on
the Prelacy's website (www.armenianprelacy.org).
********************** ************************************************** ***
4. In Chicago, Ara Tekian describes the journey of a lifetime: climbing Ararat
by Gary Rejebian
CHICAGO, Ill. - Some people dream of going to the moon. But for two
prominent Armenians already at the peak of their careers, the journey
of a lifetime led them to the summit of Mount Ararat.
In an engaging talk at the AGBU Chicago Center on March 4, medical
education specialist Dr. Ara Tekian, a professor at the University of
Illinois-Chicago, described the pilgrimage that he and epidemiologist
Haroutune Armenian (President of the American University of Armenia,
AUA) made to Ararat last August, delivering a riveting presentation
illustrated by more than 300 images.
The two professors were joined by Dr. Armenian's wife Sona, Dr.
Varduhi Petrosyan (assistant professor of Public Health at AUA) and
her husband Arsen Krikoryan, and Dr. Arthur Melkonyan (a former
professor of Public Health at AUA).
For Tekian, who in his childhood began drawing Ararat and even
dreamed of discovering Noah's Ark, the sojourn to the summit had
become especially compelling in the last dozen years during which he
had made annual trips to Armenia to teach a course at AUA. He and Dr.
Armenian thus decided the best way to celebrate the 15th anniversary
of both Armenia's independence and the founding of AUA was "to raise
the Armenian flag on Mt. Ararat."
For the group of six Armenians making their way through eastern
Turkey, however, not only the climb but the trip there and back became
a spiritual journey.
Coming to the mountain required a more than 500-mile drive to and
from Yerevan - all to reach a destination that was less than 50 miles
away as the crow flies. Regional politics are, of course, in the
driver's seat for the entry into Turkey from Armenia, with the group
having only two options to reach Ararat from Yerevan: either travel
through Iran, or take their selected route north to Georgia to double
back along the sealed Armenian-Turkish border, which would afford them
the chance to visit the ruins of three of the most significant
locations in Armenian history.
Their pilgrimage began six months prior with extensive training to
prepare for the strenuous climb.
* You need to brainwash yourself that it's possible. . .
"The commitment to climb Mt. Ararat is both mental and physical,"
Tekian commented. "Mentally, you need to brainwash yourself that it's
possible. Then, physically, you need to be in great shape."
Tekian began dieting and exercising daily. He took a cardiac stress
test. His colleagues suggested "spending a night in your garden," so
the cosmopolitan Beirut-born academician could decide whether he could
endure camping outdoors in the rocky terrain. During the Chicago
lecture, Tekian gleefully showed a photo of the bathroom facility at
the first campsite: a hole in the ground behind a lean-to tarp.
(Higher up, he says, "it's all barren and there is no place to hide.")
Meanwhile, Sona Armenian secured an official government permit for
the climb - a process that takes at least three months - and made
arrangements with a tour company that provided a guide, a van from the
town of Dogubeyazit (the only starting point allowed by the Turkish
government), and horses for the first two stages of the ascent to
10,560 and 13,800 feet, where there were campsites along the way. They
had a different Kurdish guide for each elevation and campsite. The
final hike started at 2:00 a.m. and they were at the peak (17,040
feet) at 6:30 a.m.
Once at the summit, "the sense of achievement and pride was
overwhelming," Tekian said. "You feel so blessed and empowered - we
were no longer looking upward to see the peak: we were at the peak.
The first thing I did was to thank God for giving me the strength and
opportunity to realize this dream. I prayed for my [late] parents who
had always inspired me to visit historic Armenia one day. I prayed
that my sisters, niece, nephew, and close friends could one day climb
this mountain. So that was the first five minutes."
"We had plans to dance an Armenian folk dance and to drink the
Armenian cognac that Arthur had carried all the way up, but we only
had some iyran (yogurt diluted with water) because of the altitude.
The temperature was minus 30 Fahrenheit, and our fingers were freezing
in the wind. We stayed only 20 minutes. You can see three countries
from the peak: we spotted Turkey and Iran, but it was foggy over
Armenia so we could not see Yerevan."
Tekian explained that descending the mountain is more difficult than
climbing; their return took them almost 12 hours. Along their way,
they encountered two other groups: a large group of Iranians
descending at the second campsite (13,800 ft), and another six Britons
camping an extra day for acclimatization.
On the way home, the group continued tracing their cultural roots by
visiting four illustrious relics in Armenia's glorious past: the ruins
of the 1st-century royal capital of Ani, the Varagavank monastery
(former repository for a fragment of Christ's crucifixion cross) and
the Holy Cross Church of Aghtamar at Van, and the once cultured,
diverse and wealthy city of Kars. While not expecting to find any
breath of Armenian life among 1,000-year-old ruins, the natural and
especially the man-made desecration to the sites stirred passions in
them for all that had been lost in the Armenian culture.
* Among the ruins of Ani
"After seeing the most beautiful churches in Ani totally destroyed, we
were repulsed by the lack of effort to save these precious historical
monuments," Tekian lamented. "Ani has for centuries been a ghost town,
but since the area is declared a Turkish military zone, no excavations
can be done. The Turkish government has not taken any measure to
protect this world treasure. Negligence and vandalism have taken a
heavy toll on Ani's monuments."
Indeed, on four consecutive occasions from 1996 to 2002, the World
Monuments Fund listed Ani among the "100 Most Endangered Sites" on its
World Monuments Watch. Only one other site ever, in Serbia, had been
listed as many times. Especially in the last 30 years, the Armenian
monuments of Turkey have also been subjected to cultural cleansing of
their Armenian origins.
"There was no mention either at the gate of Ani or in the directory
of the history of Ani that this city had been the capital of Armenia a
thousand years ago. It was almost unreal to see so many churches
renamed as mosques, and their Armenian identities just obliterated.
This is the moment that your 'Armenian-ness' comes to a climax: when
you decide you need to do something - anything - to protect your rich
heritage."
In the end, having reached a pinnacle and nadir in feelings about
his ethnic identity, would Tekian say the trip was really worth a mere
20 minutes of wind-chilled ecstasy followed by desolation and
heartbreak?
"This trip was a spiritual journey, climbing a sacred mountain and
visiting some of the most important religious centers in Western
Armenia. It was a pilgrimage for me to trace my roots," Tekian
reflected. "Dreams do come true! Finally I climbed Mt. Ararat, and
when the journey was over, I was a different person. I acquired such
strength that gave me confidence, courage, and determination that
there is nothing impossible in life. I now believe you can conquer any
height and overcome any difficulty in life if you have the
determination."
* Connect:
Dr. Ara Tekian's first presentation on climbing Ararat was delivered
in Armenian in Geneva, Switzerland, last February. Schedule
permitting, he welcomes invitations to give this talk elsewhere.
E-mail him at [email protected], or call (708) 445-0311.
AGBU Chicago is considering the possibility of arranging a group
tour to climb Mt. Ararat in the summer of 2008. If you are interested
in joining the group, contact AGBU Chicago Board chair Leona Mirza, at
[email protected], or call (773) 588-2844.
For a historical and contemporary tour of Ani, including background
on the Turkish "restoration" of the monuments, visit
www.virtualani.org.
*********************** ************************************************** **
5. Orange County's PBS station breaks a 13-year pledge drive record -
with help from local Armenians
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Last week, Orange County's public television
station KOCE broadcast the acclaimed documentary, The Armenian
Genocide, by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, who was
present in the studio as co-host during the station's live membership
drive.
Collaborating with KOCE were the Armenian Festival of Orange County
and other local Armenian organizations, who had invited their members
to volunteer to answer telephones from contributors during the live
telecast.
The results astonished everyone. The three-hour event turned out to
be a stellar fundraiser for the broadcaster, amassing a final total of
$118,535 from 902 pledges, breaking the 13-year record set in 1994
when the Three Tenors "Encore" performance in Dodger Stadium aired
during a six-hour on-air pledge drive.
Encouraging, supporting, and participating in the effort were
leaders from the Armenian Festival, the Armenian Relief Society Karni
chapter, Forty Martyrs Armenian Church, Orange County Armenian
Professional Society, and St. Mary's Armenian Church.
During the live telecast, various Orange County organization
representatives were interviewed by KOCE's "Real Orange" broadcast
news anchor, Ed Arnold. These included Arthur Aykanian, Serge
Tomassian, Jason Kizerian, Ara Malazian, Lina Tufenkjian, Thomas
Kalajian, and Angie Kardashian.
Volunteers from throughout Glendale, San Fernando Valley, Santa
Monica, and greater Orange County answered the call to participate.
The overflow response to work the phone banks prompted KOCE staff, for
the first time, to double up on training. Nearly 50 people responded
to the invitation for 20 volunteers, and more stepped forward to
accept positions on a standby basis if needed.
Paul Aslanian and Tom Kalajian, of the Orange County Armenian
Festival, coordinated the evening's activities together with committee
members.
KOCE received donations from across its broadcast area, due in large
part to Armenians who helped saturate the community with e-mails and
phone calls, informing friends and family to watch and contribute.
Institutional donors who issued on-air challenges, included the
Armenian Festival of Orange County, the Orange County Armenian
Professional Society, Provident Financial Services, Inc., and the
Provident Group.
Organizer Paul Aslanian stressed that the KOCE pledge drive was a
"Pan-Armenian" event, outside the orbit of established Armenian
organizations, which showed that Armenian communities could support
and collaborate with each other, across all lines, in a spirit of
congeniality. He said plans are in development for future
collaborative projects based on the friendships forged during the KOCE
event.
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