Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly...

Friday, November 22, 2013

A Wake-Up Call for Armenia and the Diaspora Rendahl: Top Three Ways to Learn Armenian First Prelacy Seminar on Public Relations Held in New England Erevan Choral Society to Perform Two Christmas Concerts Tickets on Sale Now for AGBU ‘Performing Artists in Concert’ at Carnegie Hall The Shuga Unplugged: Farmer’s Markets in Armenia Search Armenian Weekly A Wake-Up Call for Armenia and the Diaspora Two weeks ago a few hundred Armenian citizens and activists heeded to Shant Harutyunyan’s call for revolution. Armed with homemade explosives, batons, and rocks they started marching toward the Presidential Palace, clashing with police on the way. Harutyunyan and several of his followers were arrested and remain in jail. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Harutyunyan had justified his call for revolution by the need to “protect dignified life.” However, in the barrage of information that has since emerged, two alarming facts stand out: Harutyunyan is the leader of a party by the name of Tseghageron and, as he has said himself in an interview, Hitler has been one of the figures who have played a formative role in the development of his ideas. Additionally, while a peaceful change in leadership for the better would be a welcome development in the homeland, it is worrying that there are people in Armenia today who won’t shun violence to achieve this end. ... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Rendahl: Top Three Ways to Learn Armenian I’m doing it. I’m doing that thing bloggers do to get people’s attention: creating a top-three list. The list is about learning Armenian. You could apply the list to any language, really, but I’ve been lazy about using Armenian in recent months, so this is mostly a self-serving attempt to get myself back on track. It’s not unlike the countless personal development notes I’ve scrawled in the notebook I carry, written neatly on a sticky note and posted on my wall, or meticulously scheduled in my calendar from day to day and week to week. As an adolescent, my list often included “get a tan,” but I’ve long since abandoned that objective. Learning Armenian, as it turns out, is easier than negotiating with the genetics of skin color. I’m starting to sound a little obsessive about things, but I’m really just trying to continue learning and living without forgetting what I’ve learned and lived. They say you become an expert at something once you’ve done it for 10,000... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • First Prelacy Seminar on Public Relations Held in New England WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—The St. Stephens Armenian Church in Watertown hosted the first New England Prelacy Seminar on Public Relations on Nov. 16. The objective of the event,  which was organized by the Armenian Prelacy, was to help churches and communities utilize various media resources to enhance the visibility of their programs and activities. The St. Stephens Armenian Church in Watertown hosted the first New England Prelacy Seminar on Public Relations on Nov. 16. Representatives from five New England churches participated in the four-hour seminar, including St. Stephens Church (Watertown), St. Gregory Church (North Andover), Sts. Vartanantz Church (Providence), St. Gregory Church (Indian Orchard), and Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church (Whitinsville). Also present were Rev. Archpriests Antranig Baljian and Aram Stepanian, and Rev. Stephan Baljian. Group photo of the participants After the opening prayer by Rev. Archpriest Baljian, longtime Armenian Weekly contributor Tom... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Erevan Choral Society to Perform Two Christmas Concerts By Robert Dulgarian CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—The Erevan Choral Society and Orchestra of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston will celebrate its 46th year with two Christmas Holiday Concerts. The first, on Sun., Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., will be held at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 175 Oaklawn Avenue, in Cranston, R.I., and celebrates the 100th anniversary of Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church of Providence, R.I. Soloists will include soprano Narine Ojakhyan, tenor Giovanni Formisano, and soprano Noune Karapetian. The second concert, to be held on Dec. 15, at 7 p.m., at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle Street, in Cambridge, will feature soloists, mezzo-soprano Victoria Avetisyan and tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan. This concert is also held in observance of the 25th anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the Gyumri region of Armenia in 1988. The Rev. Fr. Vasken A. Kouzouian, pastor, stated the parish is honored that His Eminence Archbishop Khajag... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Tickets on Sale Now for AGBU ‘Performing Artists in Concert’ at Carnegie Hall NEW YORK—The Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) New York Special Events Committee (NYSEC) is holding its 6th annual Performing Artists in Concert event on Sat., Dec. 7, at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall. The concert will be dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake that devastated Armenia. The AGBU NYSEC’s 6th Annual Performing Artists in Concert will feature (top row, L-R) Tomas Barreiro (composer, conductor), Pierre Bedrossian (oboe, duduk, English horn), Ani Kalayjian (cello), and Henrik Karapetyan (violin, viola); (second row, L-R) Solange Merdinian (mezzo-soprano), Nazig Tchakarian (violin/artistic director), Varta Tchakarian (piano), and Adam Tendler (piano). The commemorative event promises to bring together young talents from Bulgaria, France, Mexico, and the U.S., including Tomas Barreiro (composer and conductor), Pierre Bedrossian (oboe, duduk, and English horn), Ani Kalayjian (cello), Henrik Karapetyan (violin and viola), Solange Merdinian... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • The Shuga Unplugged: Farmer’s Markets in Armenia When I went to my first farmer’s market in Canada, I did not know what to expect. What I found was a clean and organized system, with labeled produce from every farmer laid out on a table with clear prices. It was a great way to meet people actually growing food, to see what was in season and, of course, to learn about fruits and vegetables I had never seen or eaten before, usually at much better prices. Photo by Gohar Khachatrian When I try to describe an Armenian farmer’s market, or shuga, I find that I contradict myself constantly. After a long day of meeting farmers at the shuga to pick up produce for Go Green Armenia, I am sometimes bitter at how disorganized and chaotic they are. People keep their produce on the floor, yell out what they have in the smoke filled-air, and literally push you out of their way as they rush off to different booths. There is also everyone’s greatest fear: the men steering the massive carts to move around heavy produce who have a “If you... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search •