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Organized by the Committee of Knar Dance Troupe of Hamazkayin, pop singer Silva Hakobyan from Armenia gave a concert on November 13, 2009, at the Hall of UNESCO in Beirut. Knar Dance Troupe partook part in the program, which hundreds attended.

During the concert, which lasted around one and a half hours, Silva Hakobyan performed “Kisher e,” “Had had,” “Imn es,” “Dnits pakhel em,” “Indz nerir,” and other hit songs, which the audience loved. In her turn, Hakobyan gave her own special appreciation for the Lebanese-Armenian audience and said the concert in Lebanon held great significance for her.   Cont.

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Organized by Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association, the opening ceremony for Lucy Tutunjian Exhibition Hall and a simultaneous exhibition of artist Guvder’s paintings was held November 12, 2009, at 6:30 PM. Ambassadors, members of parliament, government ministers, church representatives, political actors and politicians, Armenian and foreign artists, representatives of Armenian educational centers, and a number of Hamazkayin supporters were all in attendance.

Hagop Havatian, the director of the Hamazkayin Publishing House, opened the event and said construction on the hall began only six months ago, when Lucy Tutunjian, the advocate of Armenian press and literature, and a member of an aristocratic family, stepped forward to sponsor the building’s construction.    Cont.

The Gargach children’s and Aik youth choirs of Hamazkayin, accompanied by an orchestra playing Armenian folk music, departed Lebanon for Cyprus early the morning of October 7th, 2009. Choirmaster Zakar Keshishian, pianist Camilla Keshishian, as well as committee members accompanied the choirs’ 99 members.

Following a tour in Larnaca, the choral concert was held the same evening at the concert hall of the Municipality of Larnaca. The event was organized by the Oshagan Chapter of Hamazkayin in Cyprus and was sponsored by Andreas Moyseos, the Mayor of Larnaca. The concert was hosted by Vartkes Mahdessian, the state representative of the Armenian Community in Cyprus.   Cont.

Organized by the “Pakin” Literary Publication and in cooperation with the literary-arts committee of the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Lebanon, a reading took place Wednesday, November 11, 2009, at 6:00 PM, at the “K. and H. Armenian” Auditorium of the “L. Shant Center” of Hamazkayin . The event was dedicated to the publication of the first volume of “Contemporary Istanbul-Armenian writers” by Garo Aprahamian.

On behalf of the organizers, Seta Krikorian opened the event. She said Mr. Aprahamian’s oeuvre on Armenian writers from Istanbul is the result of major efforts and research, and is very successful. Seta Krikorian added that “Pakin” Literary Publication will carry out similar literary events once a month in order to create an atmosphere encouraging literacy in the community.   Cont.

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Yeraz Dance Troupe was established in 2004, and since 2006 has operated under the auspices of the Siamanto Chapter of Hamazkayin in Orange County. The troupe’s goal is to imprint in the souls of Armenian children and young people in Orange County with the love, respect, and knowledge of Armenian dance, music, and Armenian culture.

With this knowledge, the troupe hopes to reinforce future generation’s defenses against the dangers of assimilation.
During the past several years, the Yeraz Dance Troupe has had several opportunities to present its dances on stage. The dance troupe welcomes students older than 4 years old.    Cont.

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On October 23, an arts exhibition was opened at the Yerevan office of the Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural Association. The artists were only 7-15 years old, and their audience included their peers, friends, and older adults committed to the arts.

The students from Minas Avetisyan School of Arts presented their miniature paintings to the public. Hovhannes Mets Georgyan, the director of the Arts School, thanked Hamazkayin for hosting the exhibition and for the association’s cooperation. During the opening, he said the works produced by the students feature all the schools of the art of Armenian miniatures.   Cont.

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ECHMIADZIN, October 5, Noyan Tapan - Armenians Today: Following the Sunday Mass at the Holy See of St. Echmiadzin on October 4, Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II welcomed the students of Arshak and Sophie Golsten Djemaran in Sydney, Australia, together with the school director, Kailar Michayelian.

As reported by the communications department of the Holy See, the Catholicos blessed the young pilgrims. He praised them and wished them success in their important mission, which is an incredible opportunity to gain a deep knowledge of the motherland to further strengthen the national spirit. The students have shared with the Catholicos their impressions of their homeland.   Cont.

Organizing a non-entertaining event in midweek for the Armenian community in New York requires courage. The literary committee of the New York chapter of Hamazkayin had that courage and grouped more than 50 literature-loving Armenians the evening of Thursday, October 8, 2009, at the Armenian Center in Woodside.

The evening was dedicated to the most recent novel of Movses Bchakjian, the prominent intellectual and prose writer from the Armenian community in France.   Cont.

On October 7, 2009, a delegation representing the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Canada, accompanied by the committee of the Sanahin Chapter of Hamazkayin in Montreal, visited the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Canada, where they had a meeting with Mr. Arman Hakobyan, the proxy of the Embassy.

Vanouhi Isajanian, the chairperson of the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin, submitted a letter of protest addressed to the RA President Serj Sargsyan. During the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, the delegation shared with the proxy the indignation of the Hamazkayin family and in general that of the diaspora on the pre-signed protocols between Turkey and Armenia.   Cont.

On Wednesday, October 14, at 6:00 PM, the editorial offices of Pakin Literary Magazine welcomed a group of writers and literature lovers, who came to take part in a reading organized by Pakin. The meeting was dedicated to the book of poems titled “Facing the Mediterranean lights,” and the first volume of “Pages and topics of literature,” both by Lebanese-Armenian poet, literary specialist, and educator Bebo Simonian.

Seta Krikorian, the associate editor of Pakin, welcomed the audience and read an e-mail sent on this occasion by playwright Hrant Markarian from New York. She also read a letter by poet Zareh Khrakhouni from Istanbul and addressed to Bebo Simonian back in 2005 on the occasion of the publication of the volume “Facing the Mediterranean lights.”   Cont.

The 10th General Assembly of the Oshagan Chapter of Hamazkayin in Cyprus took place October 13, in Nicosia. Mardig Demirjian, the representative of the Central Committee of Hamazkayin attended the assembly.

The Assembly discussed the Committee’s year of activities and highly praised them. In particular its activities regarding the dance troupe and the theater company, as well as the exchange of troupes and organization of concerts in cooperation with the regional committees, especially that of the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Lebanon, were particularly noted for their excellence.   Cont.

Going back to school for 2009-2010 Gargach children’s and Aik youth choirs of Hamazkayin was a very meaningful time. On the first day of practice, conductor and composer Jean Almoukhian, a prominent figure in Argentina’s Armenian community was present, as he was visiting Lebanon.

Historian Yervant Pamboukian was also able to attend.
Choirmaster Zakar Keshishian presented the guests to both the Gargach and Aik singers. Jean Almoukhian is the founder of the 50-year-old choir Arax in Argentina. Keshishian Gargach’s brief 12-year history, as well as that of the newly formed Aik and said the two choirs are preparing for an upcoming tour in Cyprus.   Cont.

The protocols which were pre-signed August 31 and which assumes to regulate Armenia and Turkey’s relationship, caused a wave of shock and despair in the communities of the diaspora and in Armenia. It is impossible to remain silent in response to this defeat-spirited agreement.

It is inacceptable to make the fact of Genocide a topic for debate. To make this a topic for debate means to raise questions about that fact. It means to step back from struggle, from knocking on the doors of the international justice, and to step back from demanding compensation.   Cont.

Under the sponsorship of the Regional Committees of Hamazkayin in Eastern USA, Western USA, and Canada, in partnership with local Hamazkayin chapters, the writer Movses Bchakjian will tour the USA and Canada throughout this month (October 4-November 20.)

This tour was organized to introduce diasporan intellectuals to the communities of the diaspora, as well as to launch Bchakjian’s recent volume, “Antsoghign ou anjamantselin,” which is the 11th book published by the author. During his visits and meetings, the writer will surely inspire his colleagues, students, and the general public with a new spirit.   Cont.

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Architect, painter, and sculptor Herman Vahramian, the founder of POMME EDIZIONI Publishing House and its editor-in-chief of many years, died September 27 after a long battle with disease. He lft behind family and friends.

Vahramian was born in Tehran, on November 29, 1939. In the 1960s he moved to Italy, where after living for a short time in Rome, he settled in Milan, He graduated from the department of architecture of the Polytechnic University of the same city and immediately started his career, taking part in the very first architectural and scientific trips, the initiatives of a group of Italian and Armenian architects. In thirty years’ time, these trips brought together the complete photographical and measuring documents of Armenian medieval monuments. Through research publications in various languages, these document made available to the Western world the role of Armenian architecture in the Christian world of the Middle East. The series, titled “Documents of Armenian Architecture,” is one of the most striking outcomes of those publishing activities.   Cont.

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The Central Committee of Hamazkayin held its Assembly in Yerevan from September 19-22.

The Assembly exhaustively discussed the status of Hamazkayin’s regions and the Central Committee’s activities in the last year. The Assembly made the following evaluations and came to the corresponding conclusions:   Cont.

M. and H. Arslanian Djemaran alumni announce with great joy the next director of the Zakarian-Krouzian Armenian School in San Francisco, Djemaran alumnus Grace Sarkissian-Andonian. Djemaran alumnus Nazareth Apanian was appointed director of the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Hollywood.

We congratulate Grace Sarkissian-Andonian and Nazareth Apanian and wish them success.   Cont.