“All You Taught Us is False” - "բոլոր մեզի սորուեցուցածներդ "ՍՈՒՏ" ԵՆ"

 

Vahe H. Apelian: 

Recently a friend, reacting to the post war bitterly divisive situation in Armenia that has trickled onto Diaspora as well, emailed writing that it  makes him wonder if he should scrap another visit to Armenia later on this year. He went on saying that it looks like Google is reading his  mind and appears encouraging him to stay on the course and visit the “Places to visit in Armenia” and do the “Best things to do in Yerevan”, he has been receiving in his email.

Time will tell if will scrap visiting Armenia or stay the course as planned presumably taking along with him his grandchildren and their families.

Most of us relate to my friend's vacilation. By now we know that two post 44-day Artsakh war camps are bitterly feuding on the Armenia political landscape and overpouring their divisiveness onto the Diaspora. To simplify the warring factions, I will characterize the two camps as follows:

"Pashinyan lost the War “ Camp. The proponents of this camp argue that  the PM Nikol Pashinyan lost the war and hence has to be removed at all costs to rebuild the nation. The advocates of this  camp go even further and call  the PM TAVAJAN (traitor) or on a more mellowed characterization call him HOGHADOU (relinquisher of land).

The other is “Armenia  lost the war under Pashinyan watch” camp. The proponents of this camp argue that Nikol Pashinyan did not lose the war but Armenia did, under his watch. Consequently they  advocate rebuilding the nation transcends Pashinyan the person and the PM’s fate is for the people of Armenia to make in a free democratic election.  I am adherent of this camp.

These two polar opposite mindsets are not new, although the expressions are. There was a time when a segment, of the post First Republic of Armenia diaspora, labeled ARF leaders, who signed the treaties that dismembered emerging Armenia to the verge of decapitating it, using similar arguments and terms. Not only did they held these Armenian leaders of First Republic, who were mostly ARFers, in contempt; they also did not teach about them in the Armenian history they taught, did not observe May 28, did not sing “Mer Hayrenik”, did not display the tricolor in their schools and in their community centers. 

The other segment of the diaspora at the time, in which I was brought up, considered these ARF-ers as nationalist heroes, had their pictures hanging on the walls of their community centers, upheld tricolor, and the emblem of the first republic, sang “ Mer Hyrenik”, closed the schools on May 28 in celebration. For them these Armenian leaders did all they could to salvage the rest,  had to  keep diplomatic ties with Turkey, and sought ties with the Turkish officials, had an embassy or consulate in Constantinople that continued to function for a year or two even after the fall of the First Republic. Paradoxically, ARF nowadays, appears to have turn the table around and resorted towards the PM, what it was subjected to at one time.

I became more reflective of the  ramification of this bitter divisiveness’ in the diaspora when I read the following on my mother’s Facebook page that disturbed me greatly.

Let me just say that Mrs. Zvart Apelian was a beloved teacher of Armenian language, history for some five decades. The accolades her former students bestowed upon her through the years and even after her death have humbled me. But there was a disturbing posting on her Facebook page on January 31, 2022, five years after her death on the same day, January 31, 2017. A student of hers had posted a comment, presumably marking the occasion and had written, more with profound disappointment in the prevailing situation in the Armenian world his education had portrayed for him, rather than in rebutting her for her teaching. 

He commented saying:

“ Alas…to all your efforts. The Armenia of today proved that all you taught us is “FALSE”. It is the Armenian who massacred the Armenian and NOT THE TURK !!!!”

“Մեղք..... Բոլոր ճիքերուդ, այսօրվա "հայ" ը բաստեց որ բոլոր մեզի սորուեցուցածներդ "ՍՈՒՏ" ԵՆ, հայը Հայուն չարդեց, ՈՉ ԹԷ ԹՈՒՐՔ ը!!!!!”

The baby boomers, my generation, can better deal with the current polarization. But for the generation that followed them, it may turn out to be intolerable. Let us be mindful that the later Diaspora born Armenian generation were brought up by their parents who had carved a comfortable living for their families and wanted to pass on to them, the best of their Armenian culture. The emerging reality since Armenia declared independence on September 21, 1991, is not  what it was portrayed to them in their formative years, be it as students in Armenian schools or not. They also have grown up more in tune with the culture of their host countries due to the unavoidable acculturation  mixed marriages, day to day interactions at work. Also, the ever-increasing cost of the living, demands  of modern life have necessitated the newer generation to make  a determined effort to choose as to how much and to what extent they should devote to their Armenian heritage and deal with the  Armenian political divisiveness.

Armenia may be immune from such concerns. The political process in Armenia may not need to take into consideration the ramification of their divisive politics on the young and upcoming. Although there, leaving the country for good looms large, if not the acculturation to a host country. But they have a political recourse, they vote or can vote. But in the diaspora it is altogether different. Diaspora Armenians do not vote. They are not citizens of Armenia. They simply internalize the Armenia divisive politics brought onto their lives in the Diaspora, leading to their alienation or distancing from Armenia and what is Armenian. At best this divisiveness leads to their polarization and hence fractionalization or fragmentation of the Diaspora social structures to the detriment of the Hay Tahd  (The Armenian Cause), and to the detriment of the comfort of the young and upcoming to socialize in Armenian Diaspora institutions and in doing so support Armenia and perpetuate the Armenian history and culture in the Diaspora.

 

 

21st Century Armenian Literary Voices

Vahe H. Apelian

Today I received from Dr. Herand Markarian the first volume of a sequel that aims to capture within the covers of its volumes the 21st century Armenian literary voice.

The project is the brainchild of the NY Hamazkayin Chapter and is spearheaded by Herand Markarian. The book I received is titled “Artsakh Voice” (Tsayn Artsakhian) and is the first volume of the intended sequel.

The objective of the sequel is to have a collection of writings from the “four corners” of the world that is Armenian in the 21st century. The deadline is to have the submissions collected on time so that the sequels is published by 2025. The submitted literary pieces must not be published anywhere else before. The submissions for inclusion in the sequel need to be a creative literary work and should not entail translation, political analysis, historical review, and be analytical or a memorial and in  a distinct dialect.  

The sequel is intended to consist of 9 volumes, as follows:

Volume 1: Artsakh; Tsayn Artsakhian, the volume I received.

Volume 2: Abkhazia, where there is an Armenian Writers Unions', Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. The so-called “the inner Diaspora”.

Volume 3: Armenia – poetry 

Volume 4: Armenia –prose

Volume 5: Armenia -theater 

Note: The submissions from Armenia are meant to  be by emerging writers, between the ages of 18 to 40.

Volume 6: The American Continent, Australia, New Zeeland

Volume 7: Turkey

Volume 8: Middle East

Volume 9: Europe 

The first volume I received is in hard cover. Seven hundred copies of which were printed in Yerevan in 2021, in a very good quality print. The Association of Artsakh Writers has collaborated to bring this volume to fruition. It is 481 pages long. Forty-eight writers from Artsakh have pieces of their literary works, either in prose or in poetry, including the literary works from 8 deceased Artsakh writers. Along with the pen, these writers have  also resorted to the rifle for reasons we know all too well.  It was fitting that their literary works marshal the 21st century Armenian literary voice.

To convey the authenticity of the Armenian literary voice, Dr. Herand Markarian has ruled that the submissions will be not reviewed by literary critics to render a judgement on the literary merit of a submission. The submissions will be published as is to the capture and preserve the authenticity of  the Armenian literary voice in the mosaic that is the Armenian world in the first quarter of the 21st century. Herand’s ruling reminded of my translation of one of Serop Yeretsian’s postings on his Facebook page, titling it “What is Literature?” Serop Yeretzian, was a writer in his own right and an insatiable lover of Armenian literature. He passed away a few months after that posting, on July 10,  2016. (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2020/02/what-is-literature.html)

The second volume of the sequel is in preparation. It  is called “Northern Voice” (Tsayn Husisyan). The editor of the volume is Armen Avanesyan, a doctoral candidate in literature and the director of the Diaspora Department of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

 It would not surprise me that as the project unfolds and is realized, a sequel of Diaspora Armenian literature in Latin, Arabic and in Cyrillic script may follow. 

Although the project was initiated by the NY Hamazkayin Chapter, but it is driven through individual initiative and support. Donations are received under four categories. The sponsors (Հովաւանաւորող) are donors of $5000. The name of the sponsor, along with the honoree, will appear on the first page of the volume. In case of Tsayn Husisyan, the sponsor has preferred to remain anonymous and has requested his donation in anonymity be noted in the end of the book.

The second category is as benefactor (Բարերար) for donors of $1000. The name of the benefactor along with the honoree will be acknowledged on the second page of the volume. 

Donors of $500 are acknowledged as Maecenas (Մեկենաս), and their names, and their honorees, are listed in the back of the book along with all those who in appreciation and in support of the project make lesser donations. Their names are acknowledged in the end of the volume. 

It should be noted that the committee Herand Markarian heads, has transmitted , through the Artsakh Writers' Union, an honorarium to each of the Artsakh writers who had  a piece of their literary works submitted for publication in the first -  “Artsakh Voice” (Tsayn Artsakhian) - volume

Dr. Herand Markarian has undertaken coordinating a monumental task. He may be reached by calling him at 845-300-8445 or emailing at hmarkarian@yahoo.com, for submitting articles and for financial assistance to help bring the project to fruition. 

February 10, 2022 

Understanding the Badarak

Vahe H. Apelian

Recently I read the following book, having ordered it from Eastern Armenian Prelacy bookstore in New York City: “Frequently Asked QUESTIONS  on the Badarak. The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church.” The book is authored by Michael Daniel Findikyan, as noted on the cover page. The book was printed in 2013 by St. Vartan Press of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

I always felt that I do not know Badarak well enough to understand the substance and the pageantry on the alter during the divine liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church. That is why I ordered a copy of the book.

Regarding my Armenian Divine Liturgy education, I would like to tell the following. I met Archbishop Terterian  of blessed memory for the first and only time on April 2004 in my parent’s house in Reseda, CA. He was in Los Angeles at the invitation of the Kessab Educational Association (K.E.A), to officiate the inauguration of the late Catholicos Karekin I Sarkissian Library in the K.E.A Center in Reseda, CA, as well, a short walking distance from my late parent's house. In conversation with him, I told him that in hindsight, I fault the Church for not having clergy accompanying us to mass when we were students in the Cilician Catholicosate affiliated Armenian school in Beirut, and explain to us the Badarak, even though our teachers of religion were the young monks  who later became prominent in their own right. 

I hoped that this book will help me fill the void and it did. It consisted of seven chapters, as follows:

Preface

Chapter I: Questions of History: How the Badarak came to be. (page 5)

Chapter II: Questions of Theology: What Does the Badarak Mean? (page 11)

Chapter III: Questions of Faith: The Badarak & Me (page 17)

Chapter IV: Questions About Rituals, Traditions & Practices (page 21)

Chapter V: Questions About Sacret Objects, Vessels & Symbols (page 45)

Chapter VI: Questions About Liturgical Reform & Other Christian Churches (page 51)

Chapter VII: How Can I Learn More About the Badarak? (page 61)

Index (page 67)

I indicated the page numbers purposely to shed light on the brevity of the reading. In 65 pages many questions are asked and answered to help the reader better understand the Armenian Apostolic Divine Liturgy, the Badarak.

The reader may have guessed by now that the author is the Primate of the Eastern Diocese, Father Daniel Findikyan, who made history when in 2018 he was elected as the Diocesan Primate as the first Armenian Church Primate to have been born and raised in the United States. Apparently he chose to forgo his clerical title as the author of the book to send a message that the book is for the everyday laity to have a better understanding of the Badarak and is not meant to be a theological treatment of the Badarak.

On a personal note, I would like to reflect on the spiritual brotherhood of the Archbishop Ardavazt Terterian and the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin I Sarkissian. Both hailed from Kessab and left together as young teenagers and came to Beirut and enrolled in the Catholicosate of Cilicia seminary. Both embraced celibate priesthood upon completion of their studies. Both elevated to the ranks at the same time and were ordained to their ranks together. Catholicos Karekin I Sargissian had an outgoing personality and was gregarious who would travel the world and assume administrative positions in different  parts of the world and eventually would occupy the Catholicosate Seat in Etchmiadzin and enter his eternal rest there.

Archbishop Ardavazt Terterian, on the other hand, was a homebody, rarely leaving the confines of the Catholicosate. He is remembered as an exemplary clergyman, a faithful and humble servant who devotedly served the Holy See of Cilicia for over sixty years. He served as Dean of the Seminary, Catholicossal General Vicar, and Locum Tenens. He was “a scholar and distinguished educator who  instructed and prepared countless Brotherhood members and community servants at the Seminary of the Holy See of Cilicia. “

The late Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian remembered that he comforted Catholicos Karekin I Sarkissian on his death bed by letting him know that Archbishop Ardavazt is regularly calling and inquiring about him.

In 2014, in order to honor the memory of his spiritual brother who was known for his love of book, Archbishop Ardavazt Terterian undertook that rare travel from Beirut to Los Angeles to officiate the naming of the library in the Kessab Educational Association center in memory of his spiritual brother Catholicos Karekin I Sarkissian. 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate U.S. 20th Century in Philately: 1920's (No. 3

 1920's: The Roaring Twenties 

 Two Constitutional Amendments went into effect in 1920s, turning the nation upside down. The 18^th Amendment prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, and the 19^th Amendment, the right to vote. Prohibition backfired, leading to widespread disrespect for the law. A federal highway system was organized and the number of automobiles nearly triple. Spreading electrification spawned the golden era of radio.

The roaring twenties, as the decade came to be known, was an age of thrill seekers. In 1926 Gertrude Ederle swan the English Channel faster than any man had. The following year Charles Lindbergh flew nonstop across the Atlantic alone and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs. 

The first feature-length film with talking parts, The Jazz Singer appeared in 1927 and the first Academy Awards were presente din 1929. 

The prosperous times ended with the stock market crush of Thursday October 24, 1929.

New words: motel, robot, fan mail, teenage.

The 15 stamps depicting the era are:

The 19^th Amendment: in the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 26, 1920. The fight for the women’s suffrage had been won, ending a struggle that began in the mid-nineteen century.

Electric Toy Trains: Children played with colorful and elaborate electric toy trains, complete with stations, houses, accessories, track and transformers. The most  popular sets were produced by Lionel.

The 18^th Amendment: Prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. The detail from Ten Shahn painting from the Museum of the City of New York shows federal agents disposing of wine.

The Great Gastby: F. Sott Fitzgeral exposed the lavish and insensitive lifestyle of the rich and glamorous in his classic 1925 novel. 

Babe Ruth: hit 54 home runs in 1929. He went on to hit 59 homers in 1921 and 60 in 1927. Twice he hit 3 home runs in a single game of a World Series.  One of his nicknames was the Sultan of Swat.

The Art Deco: style in architecture and the decorative arts combines sleek elegance, geometric shapes, and varied materials. One of the finest examples of the style, the Chrysler Building in New York reflects America’s exuberance in the 1920s.

The Radio: By the ed of 1920’s, radio became a national obsession. Families crowded around their sets to listen to newscasts, comedy, and children’s shows, variety hours, and presidential speeches.

Flappers:  Caricaturist John Held Jr. portrayed the fun-loving escapist lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties. His drawings of young women called flappers symbolized the decade.

Anthropoligist Margaret Mead: explored the effect of culture on the behavior and personalitie of children and adults, as well as the differences between men and women.

Emil Post: In the era of social mobility, Emil Post defined modern good manners, and conduct. Her books, radio programs, and syndicated newspaper columns set the standard for etiquette throughout the twentieth century.

Charles Lindbergh: On May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop solo Trans-Atlantic flight. He left from Long Island and flew 3,600 miles to Paris in 33 and a half hours. 

Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen:  In the 1920’s, College Football’s most famous backfield was Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen: Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Cowley, and Harry Stuhldreher. None of them weighed more than 170 pounds. 

Jazz: Created in the United States, jazz was spread by radio and recordings in the 1920s. Among the leading performers were Louise Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Joe “King” Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, and Bix Beiderbecke.

American Realist: Painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) is possibly the most important American realist of the period. . The detail from the Automat, at the Des Moines Art Center, typifies his attention to the human feelings of alienation and instrospection.

Stock Market: Prices plummeted on Black Thursday 24, 1929, and collapsed on October 29. Banks and Businesses closed and the Great Depression soon followed.

Vahe H. Apelian

HISTORY OF BASTURMA Armenian: ԱՊՈՒԽՏ

Nanig Jozikian had posted the attached yesterday, February 5, 2022, in the “Azad Punig” Facebook group. I took the liberty of reproducing it in my blog for archiving this wonderful presentation of:

HISTORY OF BASTURMA   Armenian: ԱՊՈՒԽՏ

Also called Bastirma or Pastirma, is an air-dried cured beef which has been strongly seasoned and is popularly consumed in the former Ottoman countries. The Bastirma is derived from Turkish word bastırma et . Bastirma et is non-finite verb of the word bastırmak , which means “to depress or restrain”. Various types of Bastirma recipes are enjoyed throughout the Eastern Europe. The Bastirma is famous throughout the region with names such as pastërma in Albania, basterma in Arabia, basturma in Armenia, basdırma in Azerbaijan, pastrma in Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia, pastărma in Bulgaria, pastourmás or pastroumás in Greece, and pastramă in Romania. Many people confuse Bastirma with pastrami which is a different type of meat preparation which has Yiddish origins. It is variously known as pastirma to (pastrómeh) in Yiddish.

History of Pastirma:-

The first recorded mention of Basturma dates back to 95-45 BC and takes us to Armenia which was ruled by powerful emperor TIGRAN MEC. Armenian merchants travelled to far off lands such as China and India for trading. During the long travels these merchants packed homemade foods which will see them through bad times. At first only traditional vegetable dishes were packed for the journey and by the time these merchants came back they badly ached for the meats and other flavors of their land. It is believed that the technology of air-drying (the meat ) was developed during this time. The air-drying increased the shelf life of the beef, that’s how air-dried meat Bastirma came into existence. Its use is also mentioned in Byzantium by Andrew Dalby.

It was originally called pastirma, derived from a Turkish word "bastirma", which means something is being pressed. It is also supposed that the primeval Turkish horseman, who belonged to Central Asia, kept dried and spiced meat sandwiched between horse and the saddle, to eat it whenever needed.

Basturma Recipe Overview:

Basturma is made by salting meat, which is then washed with water and dried for about 10-15 days. Salt and blood is pressed out of the meat and it is covered with “çemen”, a cumin paste made by combining crushed cumin, garlic, hot paprika, and fenugreek. The meat is thoroughly air-dried. The variety of paprika being used, determines the spiciness of the dish. In the Ottoman Empire, the craftsmen from Central Anatolia specialized in the art of preparing and curing Batruma. 

Basturma Recipe in World Cuisine:-

The Lebanese Armenians launched Basturma in Syria as well as Lebanon in huge quantities where it is usually dished up as a mezze in fine slices. It is generally eaten raw, but it can sometimes be slightly grilled or eaten along with eggs for breakfast at times. It is often added to different dishes, mostly a bean dish. It is added to various pies too.

In Egypt, Batrums ia eaten with fried eggs for breakfast. It may be used as a pizza topping or as a filling for several oven-made stuffed dough dishes, prepared from usual bread like dough, or a crumbly multi-layered puff pastry resembling dough.

Palestinians eat the Basturma in thinly sliced form. It is fried in olive oil. It can either be served in the mezze table or it can be eaten for breakfast along with freshly made pita bread.

Cypriots consume the Basturma whole and grilled.

It is consumed during breakfast in Turkey. It is accompanied with eggs or eaten as a mezze with raki. There are a total of over 22 kinds of Baturma available in Turkey. The most popular one is the spiced version from Central Anatolia, which is called Kayseri pastırması. "Balkan pastırma" is less famous. It is just salted and dried.

Georgian bastirma: This is the traditional Georgian marinated beef recipe where the diced beef is marinated in the spicy mixture of herbs and spices and served with spring onions, lemon wedges and cilantro.

Beed ma'li bi-l-bastirma: This is a popular snack which is prepared with eggs and cooked bastirma. This snack is usually enjoyed with fruits.

Beshbarmak: This authentic Kazak pastirma is enjoyed with boiled dough and fruits.

Hot buttered hummus with bastirma: Lots of chardonnays go in the preparation of this dish. To impart earthy and peppery flavor to this bastirma you can add chianti and Rhone-style wine.

Kuta: It is one of the most expensive bastirma recipes prepared across Europe. The meat is treated with various spice and herb mixes.

Serving:

Basturma is normally prepared using the beef but goat, lamb, camel and water buffalo meats are also used. In Syria the dish is prepared by salting and drying the meat for 15 minutes. Then the meat is cured in cumin, paprika and other spicy mix. Pastirma is enjoyed as the main dish. Palestinians love to slice their pastirma’s and fry them in olive oil and they eat it with pita bread during breakfast. In Turkey Bastirma is enjoyed as the breakfast and eaten with eggs. Bastirma is also used as a topping for pizza.

The culinary experts suggest that for best results the dish should be teamed with cognac, beer and brandy.

Health and Nutrition information of Bastirma

Basturma is considered to be good source of Phosphorus, Selenium, Niacin, and Protein. Bastirma recipes are generally preferred throughout Europe because they are good source of Vitamin B12, Zinc and Proteins. Some nutrition experts suggest that complimenting bastirma with other foods that are rich in amino acid will make it a complete protein source. But experts warn that bastirma is high in cholesterol and sodium which may induce adverse health effects.Basturma contains 120 calories per serving (10 fine slices).

Trivia:-   According to a legend Turkish horsemen of Central Asia used to take this meat with them and preserve the basturma meats in the pockets of their horse saddle, where they were pressed by the horsemen as they rode.

Some food experts believe that Armenian pastirma and pastramare are distant cousins.

About the art of slicing Basturma, from Ara Ghazarian. "A man hanged the newly made Basturma outside to dry.

A thief stole it.

The man cried for three days.

Finally his wife shouted it’s enough to cry.

The man replied .

-I am not crying for stolen Basturma but I’m curious to know if the thief knew how to slice it.

Slicing Basturma is an art passed from father to son."

 

 

 

Celebrate U.S. 20th Century in Philately: 1910s (No. 2)

1910's: America Looks Beyond Its Boarders,

 

The United States of America entered the 1910’s in a splendid isolation as  “Hailey’s comet lit up the sky to begin the decade. American workers started moving from farms to factories. The Ford Motor Company refined the automobile assembly line. Traffic lights and white lane dividers became part of the American landscape. Scientific and technological achievement changed the society. In 1911, in New York, fingerprint evidence alone was used for the first time in the United States to arrest a burglar. Jim Thorpe was an international sports star, but Tarzan was even a more popular hero.” 

 The Americans remained unconcerned about the war that broke out among the European Nations on July 28, 1914. But ոn April 2, 1917 America declared war against Germany. It was not because of “the accidental sinking of the luxury ocean liner Titanic shocked the nation, but it was the sinking of another ship the Lusitania that upset the society, leading to U.S. involvement in World War I. Two million American soldiers faught in Europe and more than 116,500 lost their lives.” 

The World War I ended on the 11^th hour, of the 11^th  day of the 11^th  month in the year 1918 as “American saw the light as the decade ended. Daylight saving time was instituted in 1918.” 

The  following new words entered the American lexicon:  camouflage, electronics, and troublemaker.

The 15 stamps depicting the decades are the following:

George Washington Carver: A botanist, improved the economy of the South by demonstrating the commercial possibilities of peanuts His “Movable School” educated impoverished farmers.

The Federal Reserve System:  was create on December 3, 1913, to regulate banks and attempts to stabilize the nation’s monetary and financial reserves. 

Charlie Chaplin: First assumed his famous costume for the little Tramp in 1914. The clothes, mustache, cane, and walk came to identify one of the most familiar icons in the history of film.

The Panama Canal: connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, saving a ship travelling between New York and the San Francisco 8,000 miles.

The First Transcontinental Telephone Line was completed in 1914. On January 25, 1915, the first call was made by Alexander Graham Bell in New York to Thomas A. Watson in San Francisco.

The 1915 Armory Show introduced avant-garde art to this country. The highly controversial exhibition included Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 that now hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. 

President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the 1919 Nobel Prize for the promotion of the League of Nations, the precursor of the United Nations.

The Boy Scouts of America was formed in 1910 and the Girls Scout  of the U.S.A. (at first known as Girl Guides) in 1912. Both groups introduce the youth to a variety of outdoor activities and promote self-reliance and resourcefulness.

World War I  Two million American soldiers fought in Europe during World War I and more than 116,500 lost their lives. Back home, more than one million women joined the work force.

Grand Canyon The National Park Service was reestablished by Congress in 1914. The Grand Canyon was officially designated a national park two and a half year  later. 

Jim Thorpe The first American sport icon Jim Thorpe was hailed as the greatest athlete in the world after he won the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912 Stockholm.

Child Labor Reform  Lewis W. Hine’s photograph of children working in mines, mills, and factories led Congress to try to regulate child labor, but the Supreme Court declared early laws unconstitutional.

Construction Toys encourage children to build, create, and think about how things work. Erector  sets were introduced in 1913, the Tinkertoy in 1914, and Lincoln Logs 1916.

Jack Damsey, known as the Manassa Mauler because he was from Manassa, Colorado. He  won the world heavyweight championship in 1919 and held it for seven years.

Crossword Puzzle  Newspaperman Arthur Wynne created the first crossword puzzle in the New York World on Sunday December 21, 1913. Clue 2-3: What bargain hunters enjoy.

The last USPS Stamping Date of the 1900s: December 31, 1999

Vahe H. Apelian 

 

 

 

Anna-the-Bride and Her Grandson

Vahe H. Apelian

In memory of Kevork George James Apelian. Updated

George James Apelian

Kevork George Apelian's paternal grandfather Kerop eloping Anna for his bride from the Titizian family of Kaladouran, undoubtedly was the sensational news of the time in greater Kessab even though young couples eloping against the patriarchal choice for a spouse was not that uncommon in Kessab. Dr. Avedis Injejikian had eloped his wife Mary Apelian, the daughter of the well known medical doctor Soghomon Apelian.

But, Kerop's and Anna elopement had been altogether different. Anna had done the unthinkable. She had crossed all by herself, in the darkness of the night and through the eerie silence of the Kaladouran gorge and walked all alone all the way from the coastal village Kaladouran to Keurkune to her lover's house to the total surprise of lover Kerop's parents and his only sister, my maternal grandmother Karoun. Something had gone terribly wrong. Trusted intermediaries had worked out a plan for them. Kerop and his friends were to meet her in the cover of the night and escort her. But the lovers missed either the rendezvous point or the timing and Anna took upon herself to finish the task and wait for her lover's return in her lover's parental house. Never in greater Kessab had a girl walked all by herself to her lover's house before. She had always been free spirited with a mind of her own and was also known for her beauty. Anna, however, was not to experience the tranquility of family life with the man she chose to love.

Their elopement resulted in a bitter feud among the families involved. Anna's father had her engaged to a promising young Kessabtsi and their wedding was imminent. The families were in the midst of preparations for the upcoming wedding that would do justice to their social status. Their escapade must have been so sensational that a folk song evolved about them that continued to be sung during wedding celebrations in Kessab long after Anna, Kerop and most of their contemporaries were not around anymore.

Few years after the birth of their first child, a son whom they named Kevork, Kerop decided to move to America to join his two brothers in New York leaving behind his pregnant wife under the care of his parents. His brother Diran was a pharmacy graduate from Istanbul. His other brother Serop had run a store in Kessab selling candies and goodies of the day. That's why he had come to be known as shakarji, a Turkish word which means someone who deals with sweets. It was a moniker that stayed with him throughout his life much like the other endearing nicknames Kessabtsis gave to each. Kerop was to bring his family after he settled in the New World and saved enough to cover the expenses for his family's journey to America. 

In due time Anna gave birth to their second son. Kerop sent word from America to his wife letting her know that he wanted to have their son named James. The infant was destined to be an American citizen, therefore it was fitting for him to have a Western name but the family's reunion was never to be.

On June 1915 the local Ottoman authorities transmitted to the Kessabtsis the order for their deportation. James was a child when he also embarked on the perilous forced march along with his mother Anna, brother Kevork, grandparents Hanno (Hovhannes) and Anna, and his aunt, my maternal grandmother, Karoun. It would not be hard to envision that all the adults shared in caring  the young deportees. The ordeals of their forced marches to their elusive final resettlement destination decimated the family. Only James and his paternal aunt survived. My maternal grandmother Karoun,   became his guardian angel even though she was still in her mid teens. 

The popular account in Kessab is that their 1915 ordeal lasted three years and three months placing the start of the return of the survivors to their ransacked villages sometimes in the fall of 1918 only to face the bitter winter ahead without having the provisions to weather it. 

The returning survivors had seen fit that the young orphaned girl Karoun, be married to the most eligible bachelor, Khatcher Chelebian (Chalabian). Their wedding took place in their makeshift camp in the outskirts of Deir Attiyeh on their way home. The town is an hour's drive from Damascus. They were married in their rag tags. Their wedding was officiated by the groom's brother Stepan who was known for his piety and knowledge of church liturgy. There was no registry to record their marriage. They were to do that after their return and when a semblance of law and order was established. They were married by the grace of God and the consent of their fellow Kessabtsis. The young family moved to Karoun's parental vacant house, that stood in the center of the village, when they reached Keurkune, Kessab. James became a bona fide an adopted son.

Once the overseas communication resumed, James' father Kerop managed to have his son join him in America. The records of Ellis Island indicate that James set sail to the U.S. on June 1923 from Havre France, on a French ocean liner called France. He had started his journey from Beirut. He was on his way to see his father whom he had not seen before. He was to live in a country that was alien to him. He had witnessed harrowing realities of the Genocide and was growing up in Keurkune where electricity or a faucet at home was not even in their wildest imagination, let alone movie theaters or ice cream parlors. However enticing the latter may seem to be, they were alien to James along with the language spoken. He spoke only Armenian and Kesbenok, the local dialect. In 1928 he applied for naturalization but his acculturation to the New World proved to be impossible. His father and his two uncles made arrangements for him to return home, to Keurkune where his grandfather's lands would secure him a livelihood. He was the only male inheritor among the three brothers. 

The French ocean line France

The departure of his only surviving son must have been heartbreaking for his father Kerop. The 1915 Genocide had already deprived him of the cherished family life he must have dreamed.  His wife Anna, his first-born son Kevork, his parents had died during the Genocide. Throughout those heart-wrenching war years, Kerop must have kept faith to preserve his sanity and energy to work to make a living while awaiting news from the home front. After the war was over the news that one of his sons and his sister had survived may have given him hope. After the return of his son James, the realization of the enormity of his loss may have weighed heavy on him anew. A sense of hopelessness may have dampened his spirits and broken his will. It was rumored that he even attempted suicide. He passed away in Bronx, New York. It is not hard to surmise that he was a broken man, a far cry from the dashingly handsome young man who stole Anna's heart. He had become another victim of the Genocide although oceans and continents away from the killing fields.

Kerop's surviving son James would start his own life in Keurkune, Kessab.

                                                    **********

James married Sirvart Chelebian, the young sister of my maternal grandfather, Kacher. Not all the children they had survived. They named their son Kevork in memory of the brother James lost during the Genocide. They named their other son Kerop in memory of James' father and named their daughter Annais in memory of James' mother Anna.  The matriarch of the family, James' aunt, my maternal grandmother Karoun, had ruled naming daughters Anna anymore because she had named her youngest daughter Anna in memory of her mother but tragedy struck her teenage daughter as well. She died in her teens while her namesakes had become victims of the Genocide. Instead of Anna,  Annie and Annais had come into the family.

Kevork and his two younger siblings were raised in Keurkune. The allure of the village life did not seem to have left him. After graduating from Haigazian University, as one of the first graduates of the College then, he embarked on his career as a teacher in Anjar where he also settled down, married and raised his family. After a teaching career that spanned some two decades, he established a trade school and then his own business supplying school needs. In the midst of his labor to make a living, he made time to write. The writing was and remained his passion and over time he emerged as a prominent writer.

George published several books, namely, "Հելէ, Հելէ, ՀելէՔեսապ" (Hele, Hele Kessab), «Աննա հարսը" (Anna-the Bride), «Ցկեանս նահատակութիւն' (Martyrdom for Life), «Պէյրութ" (Beirut), «Նետենք¬բռնենք", "Աղբարի՜կ, ափիկ մը ջուր" (Brother, A Palmful of Water)« "Մաքարոնի թիլէկ-թիլէկ» (Makarone Teleg Teleg), «Քոյրիկս մի՛ծախեր, մա՜մ»  ( Do Not Give Away My Sister, Mom).

His first book «Հելէ, Հելէ, Հելէ Քեսապ» (Hele, Hele Kessab), is a collection of stories about Kessab and Kessabtsis. 

His second book «Աննա հարսը (Anna-the Bride), is a novel whose central character is Anna, his paternal grandmother. In reading the novel Anna emerges as the independent, free-spirited, stunningly attractive girl who eloped and wanted the man she chose to love against the will of her parents but  she died during while her husband waited for her and they their two sons in America. . The book was translated into English by Annie Chelebian Hoglind, George's grandniece.

Anna-the-Bride

«Պէյրութ" (Beirut), is a short novel about Beirut where George visited as a youngster and then moved to continue his education. No other city has had the allure Beirut has had for generations of Kessabtsis. The novel is a tribute to that allure.

His «Ցկեանս նահատակութիւն" (Martyrdom for Life) became a popular reading and was translated into Arabic, Spanish and English. His second book of the same series «Աղբարի՜կ, ափիկ մը ջուր" ( Brother, A Palm-full of Water) posthumously was translated into Arabic as well. Hagop Pakradouny, a member of the Lebanese Parliament gifted a copy of the book to each member of the Parliament.  Recently the former Prime Minister of Lebanon penned an appreciative letter addressed to the Lebanese Armenian community about the book. These two books are a collection of life stories of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide many of whom were raised by local Arab Muslim families. Some of these Muslim Armenians have organized themselves into a tribe in Syria known as "The Armenian Islamic Tribe". George was the first to interview members of this tribe and wrote about them.

 His last book "Մաքարոնիթիլէկ-թիլէկ" (Makarone Teleg Teleg), is titled after a satirical one-liner – Makarone Teleg Teleg- sang during festivities in Kessab. It is reported to be a collection of folk stories about Kessab and Mussa Dagh. 

George's other two books are for a younger audience. "Նետենք¬բռնենք" is a collection of four stories from Kessab that stretched the imagination. "Քոյրիկս մի՛ծախեր, մա՜մ"  (Do Not Give Away My Sister, Mom) is reported to be a rendering of the stories that appeared in the  Martyrdom for Life series intended for young readers.

Along with the books he authored, George kept a weekly column in Aztag Daily under the pen name «Ձիւնական (Tsounagan), a named derived from the Armenian word snow. The column depicted the ongoing issues with humor and satire but with much insight. Some likened his column to snowballs that hit the intended targets but never caused an injury. As one of his commentaries noted that George was a gentle and an unassuming man with a not unassuming literary talent and output.

George wrote that his natural inclination and preference is to write humorous and satirical stories. Oddly though he may be remembered by his depiction of the lives of the Genocide survivors he presented to his readers.

His baptismal name was Kevork but he remained socially more known and continued to be addressed as George. A name he kept and often times used interchangeably with Kevork or at times as his middle name. He also adopted his father's name -James - as his middle name as his still Facebook account indicates, George James Apelian..

George was born on March 24, 1941, and passed away on December 4, 2011. He is reported to have left behind yet unpublished material comprising several more volumes. After graduating from Haigazian College he started teaching in the Armenian village Anjar where he got married, raised their family  and continued to live until the end. The people of Anjar adopted this Kessabtsi as one of them and named their library after him.

Anna (Titizian), the beautiful and strong-willed girl from Kaladouran who broke her father's heart and left his choice for her to pursue her heart's calling did not live the promise of the life she must have dreamed. She succumbed much like the rest of the 1.5 million Armenian victims of the first Genocide of the twentieth century. Much like the rest of the victims of the Genocide, she also does not have a known burial site, let alone a tombstone. Unlike most of the victims who remain nameless and anonymous, Anna became an exception thanks to an appreciative grandson Kevork George James Apelian who never had the pleasure of knowing her paternal grandmother Anna in person but cherished the legacy she left behind and kept her memory alive for perpetuity within the covers of his popular bilingual novel, "Anna-the-Bride". 

Note: Dates and the picture of the ship courtesy George Aghjayan