HOME FOR THE ARMENIAN AGED (No.2): THE DEDICATION

Vahe H. Apelian

The Bust of Nerses the Great on Home Grounds sculpted by  Albert Arakelian

HE FIRST BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The newly founded corporation held its first general membership meeting on December, Sunday 22, 1938, in Saint Mesrobian Armenian School in Union City, N.J., and elected the first Board of Trustees consisting of 15 members. In addition to the eight of the founders, the following were elected: Capt. James Chankalian, Mr. Yeznig Boghossian, Mr. Nshan Voskian, Mr. Karnig Solakian, Dr. Joseph Basralia, Dr. Levon Turnamian, and Mr. Edward Kassabian. Four of the founders were elected as life members of the Board of Trustees as stipulated by the by-laws: president Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian, treasurer Mrs. Anna Hammalian, secretary Mrs. Zorah Turnamian, and member-at-large Mrs. Aghavnie Hammalian.

The newly elected Board of Trustees held its first public function on Sunday, May 29, 1939. Approximately 100 people attended the function. Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian addressed the audience and saying: “many people doubt that it is possible to realize such a monumental task and many claims that the newer Armenian generation does not have the interest in such an institution and does not have the drive to sustain such an institution. To such allegations we say” commented Mrs. Jerahian, “that we will pass to the new generation a noble task, and they will be a witness of the efforts we have undertaken dor caring our parents and relatives”. Mrs. Jerahian concluded her address by saying the believed the monies will be raised and the community will respond.

The second general membership meeting took place on Wednesday, May 8, 1940, in the Armenian Presbyterian Church in West New York, N.J. A building and finance committee was elected consisting of Cap. James Chankalian, Mr. Karnig Solakian, Mr. Sam Hekimian, Mr. Hagop Hammalian, and Mr. John Terzian. 

The Second World War was in full swing. The progress toward the realization of the elusive goal was further hampered. 

THE PURCHASE 

Five years had elapsed since the founding of the corporation and three years since the election of the Building and Finance Committee and no purchase of a site was yet made. Various proposals had come to the Board of Trustee’s attention but none of them met all the requirements. In July 1943, the Board was informed that there was a house for sale in Emerson that might very well be the very thing they were looking for. 

On Tuesday, August 3, 1943, Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian, Mr. Karnig Solakian, and Mr. John Terzian visited the agent who escorted them to the house on Main Street. The agent demanded $8900 in cash for the purchase of the house with an advance payment of $2000. The Board of Trustees had only $700 in their account. To meet the advance payment and other ancillary expenses, the Trustees loaned approximately $2000 towards the purchase of the house. In mid-September, Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian, Mrs. Anna Hammalian, and Capt. James Chankalian from the Building and Finance Committee signed promissory notes for $2000 advance payment with the commitment that the balance will be paid by December of the same year.

 To raise the necessary funds for the purchase of the property, the members of the Board of Trustees and the Building and Finance Committee conducted an intensive community-wide fundraising campaign.  Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian, in her memoir, attributed the ensuing acquisition to the tireless efforts of Capt. James Chankalian, his niece Mrs. Helen Hammalian, Mr. Sam Hekimian, and Mr. Karnig Solakian.

The Board organized a community-wide “Inspection Opening” on Sunday, October 31, 1943, on the premises of the house they were committed to purchasing. Over 200 people attended the event, including four clergymen from various Armenian churches. $4,000 was raised. On December 1943, Capt. James Chankalian presented the money to the agent and was also able to convince the agent to issue 12 promissory for the balance, contrary to their previous agreement of full payment by December. 

THE DEDICATION

Barel six months had passed since the purchase of the site, the Board of Trustees held the first picnic on the last day of June 1944. The picnic henceforth would be held annually on Fathers’ Day for many decades to come. The house was not habitable yet. The new elected Catholicos, His Holiness Karekin Hovsepiants, attended the picnic. He was so impressed by the purpose of the Home that he requested it to be dedicated to the memory of Catholicos Nerses the Great, Armenia’s greatest humanitarian and the pioneer of public social services.

Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian was the prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in North America since 1936 and had encouraged the very first efforts to start the Home. he was elected as the Catholicos of the Catholicosate of Cilicia on May 16, 1944, but had not been able to leave for Antelias in Lebanon to occupy the vacant seat because of the ongoing world war. He became the first Catholicos to bestow pontifical blessings on the Home.

During the second annual picnic on June 1945, Mr. Sahakian for Florida – Mrs. Jerahian does not mention his first name in her memoir – burned the remaining mortgage of $500. The Home had now become the permanent property of the community and the community had now laid the foundation for growth.

RENOVATION AND THE THE FIRST RESIDENT

The purchased hose was not immediately habitable. The Board of Trustees entrusted the renovation to Mr. Sam Hekimian, who, in spite of the scarcity of material because of the war situation, was able to have the house renovated to meet the State requirement. A whole year, 1944, was devoted for renovation. Most of the necessities, such as stove, bed, and other essentials were donated and many of the expenses were paid through loans made by the Trustees.

The first resident to be admitted was 74 years old Mr. Missak Shatafian, who was admitted on Wednesday, February 17, 1945. Mr. Missak’s son, John, who was a policeman in the Union City had presented his father to Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian for admission to the Home. Fifteen years had elapsed since that day on June 16, 1930, when Mr. Hovsep Kassabian had solicited Mrs. Arousiag Jerahian’s help. She had not failed him. Countless since then have made the Home For The Armenian Aged their last residence.

Mr. Shatafian died in December 1951. he was born in Malatia, Turkey and came to the U.S. of America where he raised his family. His obituary in the Hyedoun reveals that Mr. Misssak Shatafian was admitted to the Home “with crutches which he discarded after six months, due to good care and medical treatment. He took a keen interest in politics in which he was active at one time.”

The First Residents of the Home For The Armenian Aged in Emerson, NJ