The centennial of the remarkable & resilience Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran: Centennial - 1/2 -

 Vahe H Apelian

This year Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran secondary school, celebrates the centennial of its founding.

First and foremost, let me state that there is no English equivalent word for “ousoumnasirats. It  is a complex word made up of two root words: “ousoum’ (ուսում), which means  study, instruction, education; and “sirel” (սիրել), which means to love, , to like, to have a passion or an affection for. Consequently, the complex word “ousoumnasirats” means those who love, or have a passion for study for education. “Djemaran» means academy, seminary, or advanced high school. 

One more note, Kessabtsis name their cpatriotic organizaion Ousoumnasirats. I have not heard or read “ousoumnasirats” used anywhere else for a compatriotic organizaion  other than among the Kessabtsis.

Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran has an interesting story that also reflects the resilience of Kessabtsis and their quest for education. It began over a century ago, in 1910, which was the worst, but the Kessabtsis turned it into the best of times for the Kessabtsis, people of Kessab. The year before, the massacre that started in the city of Adana, which historically is known as the 1909 Adana massacre, spread like a wild fire to the other cities of the historical Cilicia and in northern Syria. The pogrom reached Kessab in the latter part of April 1909 and resulted in the sacking of Kessab and the pogrom of its inhabitants. The returning surviving Kessabttis faced  a bitter winter in Kessab, adding to their misery.

But the Kessabtsis responded to this tragedy with determinaitron by rebuilding their lives anew.  Instead of dwelling on despair, a group of young Kessabtsis establishing an educational association in 1910. They named it Ousoumnasirats. The goal of the association was not only to further the state of education in Kessab, but also to render Kessab a college level educational center for the Armenians in the historical Cilicia. The Kessab Ousoumnasirats Association (KEA) was thus born in 1910. The founders however could not realize their aspiration. In a matter of a few more years, the 1915 Genocide, the Medz Yeghern befell on the Armenian people that forever altered their millennial way of life in their ancestral land, including kessab. Two thirds of the Kessabtsis perished during the genocide. In 1918 the surviving Kessabtsis started rebuilding their lives again. 

In spite of all the hardship Kessab Ousoumnasirats Association established in 1924 the Kessab United Ousoumnasirts Djemaran - High School. In a short period of time the high school achieved a remarkable academic success. The colonial French government in Syria recognized the high school and its graduates were accepted in institutions of higher learning in France and many did.

 However, the ensuing political situation put a damper on the academic progress. In 1938 Kessab lost considerable portion of its arable lands to Turkey and the subsequent economic hardship resulted in the great migration of many to Lebanon, America, Canada and Australia. In 1946 and 1947 the great repatriation took place and many Kessabtsis moved to Armenia further depopulating Kessab. The Kessabtsi immigrants however did not let go of the mission of the Ousoumnasirats and established Kessab Educational Association branches in the cities they moved to, such as Beirut in 1951 and Los Angeles in 1957 and continued supporting  the Kessab United Ousoumnasirts Djemaran

The Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran faced its most recent existential threat because of the 2014 sack of Kessab by terrorists who infiltrated from Turkey. The ensuing saga is well known as the third existential threat not only of the school but of Kessab itself. The previous two being the 1909 sack and pogrom of Kessab and the 1915 Armenian Genocide that had two thirds of the Kessabtis perished.

Graduates of Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran

In spite of the last existential threat, the school continued its mission unabated. Las year, three of its graduates achieved academic success. Garod Saghdejian graduated from Haigazian College with distinction in his line of specialty.  Ardavast Terterian and Vazken Abdoulian received their Master of Science in Computer and Information Science from the American University of Armenia. This year Soghomon Lntian, who was a 2017-2018 academic year graduate, graduated from Republic of Armenia, Minstry of Education and Sciencve National Agrarian University of Armenia 

This year, the Kesssab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran had its 2023-2024 graduation ceremony on June 27 under the auspices of the Prelate Archbishop Magar Ashkarian. The graduating class was called the Centennial Class.  The adminstration of the school reported that all of the students of the  2023-2024 graduating centennial class succesfully passed the government mandated examination. It is a remarkable success rate. The graduating students and their stores are as follows:

June 27, 2024, Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran Graduation

The graduating students and their stores are as follows:

Շողիկ Գաթապեան  (Shaghig Karabian) 2684

Սոնա Բարտի Լնդեան (Sona Pardi Lntian) 2186

Լոռի Մալաթջալեան (Lori Malatjian) 2064

Լուսի Սաղտճեան (Lucy Saghdejian) 2005

Մէյրի Ինճէճիկեան (Mayri Injejikian) 2002

Քարլա Աթիքեան (Karla Atikian) 1976

Ճորճ Ղազարեան  (George Ghazarian) 1955

Լոռի Մանճիկեան ILori Manjikian) 1859

Լարա Պէտուրեան  (Lara Bedourian) 1852

Քարլա Ղազարեան  (Karla Ghazarian) 1525

The school administration reported that the registration of the 2024-2025 academic year took place between September 2 to September 25.

This Kessab United Ousoumnasirats Djemaran has thus resumed its 2024-2025 academic year.