WHAT A DIFFERENCE A PICTURE MAKES !

Vahe H. Apelian

 

In the December 11, 2013 issue of the Armenian Weekly, Vahe Habeshian reported of a one of a kind find; a postcard of a young woman with the legendary Mosin rifle in one hand and Mauser pistol in the other, the iconic tool-marks of the Armenian freedom fighters. The picture depicted on the postcard turned out to be that of Yeghso, the wife of the legendary freedom fighter Kevork Chavoush. Much like her husband’s iconic snapshot, I do not think that any other picture of her has reached us. Just one picture of each is all we have. Their one-time nemesis turned a protective friend, Sbaghanats Magar (Magar of Sbaghan), was not that fortunate. Not a single picture of the no less a legendary freedom fighter, the one time prince of the village of Sbaghan of Sassoun, has reached us casting him over time to a relative obscurity in our public imagination. 

The story of the trio: Sbaghanats Magar, Kevork Chavoush and Yeghso is one of the most moving and enduring stories coming from our legendary fedayees. It was Roupen Der Minassian who penned the story in his famous memoir making it a sentimental reading for generations. Roupen’s narration had to do with Kevork Chavoush’s secret marriage to Yeghso. Although Serop Agphpuyr had married Soseh, none-the-less, it was an unwritten code of honor among the fedayees not to get married to spare their families the life and death trials and tribulations they experienced being always on the move and persecuted by the government. Kevork Chavoush had forfeited that code of honor in secret and thus had enraged his comrade-in-arms and traditionalist Sbaghanats Magar so much so that the fedayees had become polarized in two camps each headed by their undisputed leader on the highlands of Sassoun, Kevork Chavoush, and Sbaghanats Magar.  The sharp polarization had adversely affected the ranks of the fedayees. To quell the unrest between these two iconic fedayees and their camps, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau, its highest body, delegated the young and yet untested and unexperienced Roupen Der Minassian to sort the issue and bring about the much-needed reconciliation and solidarity among the ranks.

As to how Roupen Der Minassian resolved the conflict and ended up immortalizing the event in his memoirs, is an altogether different subject that will make for a fascinating reading. I simply make a note of it to substantiate Sbaghanats Magar’s influence as a leader, on par to Kevork  Chavoush.

Who Was Spaghanats Magar?

Magar was the princely chief of the village Sbaghan of Sasoun. Roupen Der Minassian in his memoir noted that he was “a giant of a man, a formidable person”. Roupen also noted that the people said: “ Kevork is a wolf or a tiger, but Uncle Magar is a raging bull”. And indeed, Roupen further noted in his memoir, “with large and bloody eyes, a big head, giant of a body, that fearless person, during a combat, looked neither to his left nor to his right, with a roaring voice, his hands over his dagger, he either charged forward or stood still even if hundreds of cannons exploded around him.”

Born and raised on the mountains of Sassoun, Magar should have been a true son of nature who knew neither cunningness nor considerate talk. A veritable feudal lord he must have been who was rebellious and coarse. In his own dialect and is his own way he would say referring to the other known freedom fighters of the day. “What? Educated people like Damadian, or Kourken or Armenag, bossing me? Whether it is Arapo, Mourad, or Abro and Kevork, not even Serop, none of them is worth more than Magar”. For the princely Magar, the most any one of the famed combatants could have been was as his equal comrade-in-arms. 

When did Spagahanats Magar become a fedayee?

For all indications, Magar espoused the cause when the ringing of the liberty reached the mountains of Sassoun Having accepted the call to fight for freedom Magar remained faithful to the unwritten code and did not marry to form a family of his own. He became the comrade in arms of the famous fedayees such as Serop Aghpuyr, Kevork Chavoush, Hrair, Antranig, Mourad, Damadian and almost anyone who took any leadership role on the mountains of Sassoun. All of his comrades-in-arms had a picture that helped them secure their rightful places in the annals of our freedom fighting history, but not Sbaghanats Magar. Even his one-time nemesis, Kevork Chavoush, had his only snap-shot that has survived to this day, taken by Vahan Papazian on the Island of Aghtamar where the fedayees had convened. No picture of Magar has reached us.

Why did Magar decide to become a freedom fighter? 

Shenegi Manoug was Magar’s comrade-in-arm and hailed from the village of Shenig of Sassoun. Fate would have them both killed during the same fight. I will allude to that later on. One day Roupen Der Minassian asked Shenegi Manoug why did he become a fedayee for he came from a well to do family as well?

Shenegi Manoug responded saying  “when people go atop Mount Maratouk or to Saint Garabed for pilgrimage, they do not choose the sickly animal as offering for sacrifice. That would not be acceptable to the Saint. People chose the best among the animals for sacrificing so that the purpose of the pilgrimage would be fulfilled. Our god is the freedom of the Armenians. Well-to-do and wealthy Armenians should be among the first offering to the sacrificial cause”.

We will never know the reason that drove the princely chief of the Sbaghan to become a fedayee. But the fact is that he became one at a great personal sacrifice and went down not having an even one-snap shot of him to have his picture posted along the other legends.

What combats did Spghanats Magar take part?

I have pieced together the following, surely not all:

Under Antranig’s leadership, in the assassination of the person, with his entire family, who treacherously had the legendary freedom fighter Serop Aghpuyr poisoned and rendered incapable to defend himsel.

In the defense of Sbghank when the Kurdish Khalil Bey attacked the village.

In the ambushing the convoy and beheading of the same Khalil Bey under Antranig’s leadership.

In the defense of Sassoun villages Dalvorig, Andog, Tsovasar between 1890-93.

During the 1904 second revolt of Sassoun.

In the combats in Daron and Vaspouragan during 1904-1908.

In all these combats Spaghanants Magar had assumed a leadership role. It might not be farfetched to claim that he took part in almost all combats in the Daron and Sassoun region from 1890 to his death in 1907

For all indications he was illiterate, that is to say, he did not know how to read and write. He appeared not to be a modest man for he did not shy away from claiming, if not boasting of the role that he thought rightfully belonged to him and to his village. In his own way, he would say. “ The whole nation looks up to Sassoun and Sassoun is the soul of the nation and the soul of Sassoun is Sbghank.” He would go on claiming that more than any other village of Sassoun  “it was Sbaghank (villagers of Sbaghan) and Uncle Magar, who hosted and backed the fedayees in their times of need". Indeed so, but for which the village had to pay a hefty price in hands of Khalil Pasha.

How was he killed?

After the martyrdom of Kevork Chaoush in the Battle of Soulukh, Sbaghanants Magar and Roupen Der Minassian became de facto leaders of the fedayees. It was during that time word reached to them that Kevork Chavoush’s son Vartkes and wife Yeghso were in imminent danger.

Sbaghanats Magar and Shenegi Manoug took upon themselves to move the family away to a secure place. But the enemy tracked them down. Sbaghanats Magar had Varktes flee for his life by entrusting him to a villager saying that “he is a kid, he might escape” but he retained Yeghso under his immediate protection saying: “Yeghso is an honor, she should not be captured by the enemy.”

Spaghanats Magar had now assumed the safety of the woman whose marriage to Kevork Chavoush had raised his ire and caused serious conflict within the ranks. During ensuing combat, Shenegi Manoug and Sbaghanats Magar became two other sacrificial rams on the altar for freedom. 

Thus ended the life of the Sbaghanats Magar. No depiction of him, as there have been some renderings as to how he might have looked, has quelled my youthful curiosity. He continues to remain in my mind much like our ancient mythical deity of ferocious strength and courage, a veritable Tork Angegh.

THE UNSILENCEABLE BELFRY

Vahe H. Apelian

In a few days, Armenia will observe May 28, one of its national holidays. It is called Republic Day. On that day the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918 is celebrated. But well before o Many from Diaspora traveled to Armenia not to miss celebrating the national holiday on its centennial.

The first republic was short-lived, from 1918 to 1920, but it laid down the foundation of the Armenian statehood after the collapse of the last Armenian kingdom, the Kingdom of Cilicia, in 1375. 

During the past 100 years, a few generations of Armenians grew up taking for granted that the Armenians have a state of their own, albeit under the Soviet rule for seventy years. On September 21, 1991, the citizens of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to gain independence from the Soviet Union. The date is marked as the Independence Day of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Անկախության օրը) and is observed as another state holiday in Armenia. 

May 28, 1918, has become a historically distant date, distancing us from the life and death realities of the day. The Supreme Patriarch of the Armenians then was Catholicos of all Armenians Kevork Soureniants (1911-1930).

Catholicos Kevork's poignant appeal to the nation best captures the precarious state of the Armenians who came together to secure a portion of the real estate that was theirs, as present-day Armenia.  

Here is what the Catholicos proclaimed:

"Armenian nation. Our age-old enemy, the Turks have subjugated Alexandrapol (present-day Gumri) and are advancing towards the heart of our nation, our faith, and our history. It is coming onto the land of Ararat.

The Turks are advancing massacring and plundering. Our commanders see no way out of the disaster and are pushing the Patriarch of the Armenians to flee. They are suggesting to me to leave the Holy See Etchmiadzin, our holy sanctuary, the last remnant of the Armenian people.

No, and no. Thousand times no. I will not abandon the legacy of our saintly forefathers. If the Armenian people are not able to stop the enemy's advances, is unable to salvage our holy sites, I will then bear a sword and fall in the courtyard of our Mother Temple but I will not abandon the depository of our faith, the Holy See.

If the end has come, then why not accept it with honor and courage? And not by submissively crawl in front of our enemy. Our history through the ages is full of valor colored with blood. It has not exhausted our blood and courage. Throughout the centuries the Armenian people have struggled for the sake of preserving their identity. It is for that reason that our history, laden with large-scale massacres, has not come to its end, nor will it. Therefore, as a nation, why not rise against the enemy that is coming thirsty to our last blood?" (Catholicos of all Armenians Kevork Soureniants, May 1918).

Catholicos also requested that all the churches across the land to toll their bells. The sound of these bells surely reverberated the souls of the emaciated survivors who had found refuge there. But the Armenians were not all that unprepared. The Armenian army commanders had forged an army ready for battle. The soldiers, along with the people met their enemy on three battlefronts and carried the day.

Nowadays visitors to the Sardarabad Monument will see symbolic bells held high by three columns of bells symbolizing the three battlefronts. These bells symbolically toll for succeeding generations as they did once at that precarious moment in our history calling upon the Armenians to be ready to rise up in defense of the fatherland.

Que Sera, Sera

Vahe H. Apelian

Doris Day has passed away. I read that she was born on April 3, 1922, and recorded more than 650 songs and that her first musical hit was in 1945, the year my parents were wed. I only remember her iconic song, “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)”. I have no recollection of having seen the film in which she sang the song. I read that the song was recorded in 1956.

My mother was a contemporary of Doris Day and I associate the song with my mother. Not only she sang it but she had also explained to me the meaning of the song.  I was a ten years old lad in 1956 growing up in a traditional Armenian family, went to an Armenian school, spent my summers in my grandparents’ in Keurkune and spoke only Armenian and had a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic taught in school to our great disdain.

Throughout the passing years, Doris Day’s iconic song has come to my mind and at times I have become reflective remembering my mother singing the song and explaining the song to me.

LtoR: Hovhannes, Khacher, Zvart, Antranig, Karoun(Apelian), and Anna Chelebian

My mother was born in Keurkune, Kessab in that exclusively Armenian enclave where her parents were born and raised as well. Unfortunately, she and her siblings were orphaned at a very early age. The patriarch of the family, Khacher Chelebian, had died at the age of 38 due to pneumonia. Much like her other three other siblings, she was also driven so much so that Rev. Garabed Tilkian made a note of the promising young girl and had arranged for her to study in the famed Aleppo College. WWII broke in her junior and communication with the U.S. became impossible. The school no longer could receive financial assistance. She was forced to quit school in her junior year and returned to the village where secured a teaching position in the Armenian Evangelical School in Kessab, to the dismay of her relatives. Much like the postman’s creed: neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night would keep her from attending to her students on foot threading for almost an hour each school day and each way over the rocky short cut that connected the two villages.

A few years later she was engaged to my father from the same village, married, moved to Beirut after giving a farewell speech to her Sunday school students. She had kept that speech with her. I had it included in her book “I and The Teaching” as the book’s last chapter. 

She would tell me of those years and of the promise that the Aleppo School principal had made for her to have her continue her schooling after graduation. But that never came to be.  She received her HS Diploma the year I received mine from the same school, the Armenian Evangelical College through a special education program the Evangelical community had initiated for teachers like her. Subsequently, she continued her education in the Armenian Department of St. Joseph University in Beirut and received her diploma and she remained student throughout her life and became a learned and a much-beloved teacher of Armenian language, literature. Catholicos Karekin II of blessed memory bestowed upon her the Sant Mesrob Mashdoz ecclesiestical decree. The high school where she taught for a quarter of century named the school’s library after her.

A few years ago I came across a loose paper on which she had written a poem of sorts in the spur of a moment and then crossed it out. She had a tendency to keep her writings in draft and review them over and over again until finalizing it. She had dedicated that short poem to her children,  her two sons, my brother and I and had titled it “The Treasure of the Treasures”. I have attached it here. In English it reads:

Of the treasured dreams of my youth

Would one come by me?

But I forgot the whole world

When they placed you in my lap

On the earth, I found

My heaven, God my witness.

Your mother Zvart

My mother passed away on January 31, 2017, and we had her remains buried a week later, next to her husband. Much like her, I too found much joy and immeasurable sorrow. Nowadays I remember the song she sang and I also say: “Que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be…..”

Մտային Շրջապտոյտը մը Քէորքիւնա

Գրեց՝ Ստեփան Աբէլեան

Տեղադրած եմ Ստեփան Աբէլեանին Ֆէյսպուքի էջէն

Քէորքիւնա, Գեսապ

Այսօր եթէ ուզենք այցելել մեր սիրելի Քէօրքիւնան, իմ հարազատ և սիրելի անձիք բոլորն ալ պիտի ուզէի տեսնել հոն ուր որ վարժ էի տեսնել ...մեր տան ճամբուն վրայ ,կամ Գիւղին օձապտոյտ թաղերուն մէջ , Մայր ճամբու եզրին, առտուան կամ իրիկնամուտին, կէսօրուան տաքին և կամ մթագնած զով օդին։

Շատեր հոն են և կրնամ ինչպէս անցեալին բարևել, կատակել, բաժնեկցիլ...բայց այսօր խորհեցայ, երբ Սօնա Աբէլեան Բալուլեանի գուժը իմացայ, թէ այլևս պիտի չի կարենամ տանս ճամբուն վրայ տեսնել հրեշտականման սիրելի անձ մը, որ Աշօտ փեսային և իմ խօսակցութեան կը մասնակցէր երբ նկատէր որ Աշօտ փեսան խօսքը երկարեց ,խրատները վերյիշեցնել սկսա։ խօսքին կը միանար ուրիշ նիւթ մը սկսելով ժպիտը դէմքին և սիրալիր հրամմէ սուրճ մը շուրջ խօսեցէք ըսելով։

Աշօտ փեսան արդէն վաղուց դադրած էր խօսելէ և մեկնած անդիական։

Ալ պիտի չի հանդիպիմ Ճօրճ Չէլէպեանին իմ սիրելի ուղեկիցս, Տիւզաղաչի պարտէզէն վերադարձիս ,"հրամմէ սուրճ մը առ" պիտի չըսէ Խաթունը։  Շատոնց առ յաւետ հեռացած էին արդէն իմ մանկութեան հերոս չափահասները։

Չկան. եթէ յիշենք ուղակի ամայացած պիտի թուի ըլլալ գիւղս։

 Ուրէ՞ Սիրվարդ Աբէլեան աղբրկէնը և իր սիրասուն վարդերը։

 Ուր է՞ նուարդ Գէրպապեան Քոյրիկը կիրակի առաւօտ պաշտամունքի ձայնաւոր երգողը։

 Ուրէ՞ Ճրճոս Գէրպապեան ամմին, որ երկար կը հնչէցնէր եկեղեցւոյ զանգը առանց գանգատի։

Ուրէ՞ Ստեփան Ամմին, (Պճճէյը), ժոզէֆ Գերպապեանը։ 

Երուանդ Աբէլեան ամմին որ զիս ամէն տեսնելուն անպայման պիտի յիշեր Հայրս, այլ Հմայակ մը պիտի ըսէր, և ապա աւելցնէր ըսելով "Գիւղի բարի մարդն էր հայրդ Ժօզէֆը"։ 

Արդէն ժոզէֆին կորուստը (Շէխին ) Յովհաննէս Աբէլեանէն շատ ուշ չէր։

Անշուշտ արդէն վաղուց մահկանացուն կնքած է Շէյխին Եղբայրը՝ Սողմոն Աբէլեանը (Մէնճօնը), Լոս Անճելըսի մէջ ուր կապրէր Վաթսունական թուականներէն, գաղթած էր Մորմոններու միջնորդութեամբ և կը պատմէր ախորժակով, մերթ թաւ պէպերը շոյելով որոնք կարծես իր Հօր Աբէլէն միակ ստացած ժառանգն էր։ Երբ Ամերիկա Ութա Նահանգը հասած են, Մորմոններու բնաշխարհը, խնդրած են որ մերմոնութիւնը դաւանի։ "Վէց գիր քաշեցի" Կաւելցնէր բարձրաձայն խնդալով երբ աչքերը չինացիներու աչքերուն պէս հազիւ ճեղք մը կը մնար նկատելի։

Զինք, շատ չանցած, պիտի հասնէր անդիական իր վէրջին եղբայրը Ասմար Խաչօն, մեր մանկութեան շատ քիչ թիւով վարիչներէն մէկը, որ հերոսացուցեր էինք մանաւանդ երբ "Ռամատանի" լուսնին նման հազուադէպ կերևէր միշտ ճամբորդած ըլլալուն պատճառով։

Եղբայրս կը խրատէր մեզի որ հեռու մնանք Օթօէն վատանգ կանխելու։ Ասմարն ալ միայն խեղճ Փիքափ մը թողուց ժառանգ ետին ...և Սուրիական Շարիայի օրէնքով նոյնիսկ ատիկա չկրցան ստանալ կինը և երկու դուստրերը, այլ միակ ժառանգորդը նշանակուեցաւ իր, նախապէս մահացած բայց տոմարներուն մէջ տակաւին ողջ եղբայրը Լոս Անճելոսի, ամէնամօտ արուն ընտանիքին...Մենճօնը։ Ասմարին կինը խիստ բարկացած կը զարմանար"Ինչո՞ւ չեն մեռցնէր Մէնճօնը»։

Ենովք Պէտիրեանը չկար որ ձայն տար Հանգուցեալ Յակոբ Աբէլեան Ամմիին թղթախաղի հրաւիրելով։

Ուր է՞ Մուխթար Ճէյմս Աբէլեանը, մեր սիրելի դրկից Ամմին, որ առաւօտները Հայրս սուրճի կանչէր, իրենց տան բակի շուքին առաւօտեան սուրճը BBC լուրերու սփրած ժամուն։

Ուրէ՞ Փաշան, գիւղի Փաշան Ժօզէֆ Աբէլեանը որ հաւաքէր տղաքը տպըխով թռչուն որսալու աշնան առաջին անձրևէն անմիջապէս ետք։

Ոչ Աբէլեան Յակոբ Ամմին կայ ( Տօքթորենց )։Ոչ ալ կինը՝ Մարի Աղբրկէնը Տօքթորինց հարսը, ոչ ալ Էլիզ Ապլան կայ, ոչ ալ Մինաս Պապուկը,  ոչ Պետիր Ամմին կայ ոչ ալ Պէտըրէն Հուօրսը։ 

Չալապա նանան շատոնց ճամբած էինք։

Հրանդ Աբէլեան Ամմին և իր թրաքթորը չկան։

Ոչ ալ Սառա լէլոն կայ։

Աղբրկէնը, չկայ, ոչ ալ Ասատուրը որ շատոնց բարձրաձայն թաղին միջին կը դասաւորէր Խնձորի սնտուկները։

Չկան նաւե Լիտիա Քէրմարրը և Նորիս պապուկը որոնք հաւատարիմ աղաւնիներու նման միշտ կողք կողքի էին, թաղուեցան շատ հեռու իրարմէխ։

Ամառները՝ Մկրտիչ Պապուկ Աբէլեանը և իր կինը՝ Սատիգա Նանան աղօթաժողովներու հաւատարիմ միշտ ներկաները, հազիւ թէ աղօթքի առիթ տրուէր, Գրիգոր Փեսան Գոնիալեանը և Մկրտիչ պապուկը խաչաձևմամբ կը սկսէին իրենց բարձրաձայն աղօթքները, յանգուցեալ Հաննա Վերապատուելիին աղօթաժողովները ճոխացնելով։

Չկան գիւղին ծերերը և չափահասները։ 

Չկան նաև երիտասարդներ՝ Կարօ Աբէլեանը , Խաչօ Աբէլեանը, Հրաչ Գերպապեանը. չկայ Նորա Չէլէպեանը, ոչ ալ Վաչէ Աբէլեանը , առանց մոռնալու Ալպերթ Աբէլեանը։  Ուրէ՞ (Ուէյնաքը), Տօքթրինց Ճօրճ Աբէլեանըը բարձրաձայն տանիքէն կանչեր դրացի Մուսան։ 

Չկան ալ վաղուց մեկնած՝ Մարի Ենովք Աբէլեանը, Կիւլ Գագուսեան Աբէլեանը, Թաղին Սուրբ Ստեփան Պապուկ Աբէլեանը և իր կինը՝ Սառա Նանան, ալ չեմ մոռնար Հագէմ պապուկը, Ֆէրտա նանան, Մարդա Չէլէպեանը, ոչ ալ Տիկ. Մարի Սարմազեանը (երեցկին) որ Քէօրքիւնացիէ մը աւելի քէօրքիւնացի էին ընտանեօք։

Բնաւ պիտի չուզէր Տիկին Մարին որ մոռնանք իր սիրելի Գարուն Քոյրիկը Գագուսեանը, և ոչ Չաւուշ պապուկը կամ սիրելի մայրը Կրէկսէն Իշգէնը, նա մանաւանդ բարեպաշտ Գագուսինց Սառի նանան, և իր ամուսինը՝ Յաւէտ լուռ Յովսէփ  Քագուսեան պապուկը։

Անշուշտ Մուխթար Շահէ Աբէլեանը պիտի ըսէ հապա՞ իմ Մուխթար Ալպերթ Պապուկս և Էլիզար Նանան։ 

Իսկ եթէ քիչ մը իմ յիշեղութեանս վստահիմ տակաւին յստակ են մտքիս մէջ են Հագէմ Պէպոն, Մինաս Վերպիտը Չէլէպեանը՝ գիւղին որմնադիրները, Շամօ պապուկ՝ վարպետ ատախձագործը և իր կինը՝Մէնըշ Նանան, ոչ ալ Օսաննա քոյրիկը, Դանիէլ Ամմին։ Ամառները թթենիի շուքին տակ կը հաւաքուէին։ Թաղեցիք իրեն բարի եկարի Անուշ քոյրիկը և Պարգև Գերպապեանը որ առանց թռչունի որսորդութեան օր չէր անցնէր Քէօրքիւնա գտնուած շրջանին.

Անշուշտ յիշողութեանս մէջ են նաև  Աբէլեան պապուկները՝ Հաբէլ Պապուկը, Ասատուր Պապուկը, Կէկուս պապուկը և իր կինը՝ Հիլանի նանան։ Դեռ շատ լաւ կը յիշեմ Մուխթար Նշան Աբէլեան պապուկը և մուխթարՆանան, իրենց հարազատ Թութիկ նանան և Յովսէփ պապուկն ու "Հուռմոն իշկէն" նանան,Նազիրան։

Այս բոլորը ունէին Աղայ մը, Ճէյմս Աղան որ Ամերիկայէն եկած էր, հայրը Հանգուցեալ Գրագէտ Գէւորգ Ճօրճ Աբէլեանին, որ իր հօր տարիքէն շատ աւելի վաղ կորսնցուցինք։

Ալպերթ Քեռիս գիւղին Պիրատարը, ուղղամիտ և բարի մարդ, տքնաջան աշխատանքի մարդը իր հօր նման երկարակեաց չեղաւ.

Այսպէս, գիւղս ամբողջ, լեցուն էր և շէն, իրիկնամուտին իւրաքանչիւր տան բակէն կը լսուէին ձայներ անասուններու, փոքրերու և մեծերու ,ամէն մարդ իր երդիքին տակ ամփոփուելու պահուն։

Նոյնիսկ տակաւին թարմ կը հնչեն անոնց ձայները ականջիս ...։ Բնաւ մոռցած չեմ Հօրս Սիրելի շպէնը, իրկը նշէնծուիրը Քիւքիւնէցիցը մեր Ճօզէֆ Ամմին որ նուռ մը անպայման ձեռքին, կամ նռնենիի մը շուրջ  աչքերը վեր, լաւ նուռ մը կը փնտռէր։ 

Անշուշտ ամառը գիւղը ճոխ էր։ Փաշայենք եկած Պէյրութէն հեռուէն կը լսուէր Անուշ Քոյրիկին խնդուքը և ձայնը։ Իսկ Աղաւնի Աղբրկէնը, անդադար իր ցուցմունքները կու տար թաղի կիներուն։

Մանաւանդ Դայեակ Սառա նանարը, որ միևնոյն ատեն միակ բեկաբոյժը գիւղին երբ հեռաւոր գիւղերէն կուգային Քէօրքիւնա, Էբիլինց Տօթրէն օրերէն։ Հիմա կային հիւանդապահ Աղաւնինև Սառա նանան։

Ամառները կայցելէին Հօթէլ լիւքսէն Յովհաննէս Ամմին, Զուարթ Աղբրկէնը։ Երուզեր կար  տունէ տուն այցելուները, ոմանք բարի գալուստի ոմանք բարի երթ մաղթելու։

Տակաւին չիջայ Աղբիւրը, Ֆրնճի Կարապետին քով սուրճ խմելու։ Ճամբան զիս պիտի կեցնէր (Գըժժո,) Ժօզէֆ Յովսէփեանը, հարցնելու թէ Ովսաննան (թալթամըզը) մեզի եկա՞ւ Սառա Նանայէն մածուն առնելու։

 Այսպէս կանցնէր մեր օրերը անփոյթ և ուրախ։

Անշուշտ երբ կը յիշեմ մէկ առ մէկ, կուզէի քովս յուշող ալ ունենալ, թերևս Անգին մայրս եթէ մօտս ըլլար շատ պիտի օգնէր և ըսէր, հապա տղաս ինչպէ՞ս կըլլայ որ մեր Գէրօն լէլոն՝ Գարուն (Աբէլեան) Չէլէպեանը մոռցար։ Ան իր դաստիարակչական ակնարկութիւններով պիտի ըսէր ինծի, "Ստեփան, այդպէս երեսդ լուալ եղա՞ւ մը տղաս"։ Երբ առաւօտուն պատահէր զիս տեսնել մէկ ձեռքով երեսս լուալը, և ոչ Իր սիրելի զաւակը,  որուն հետ միասին հասած կըլլային Պէյրութէն՝ Անդրանիկ Քեռին որ նախաճաշի սեղանին նստած աջ ու ձախ կը դարձնէր հացը ձեռքին մէջ վստսհ ըլլալու թէ թոնիրէն հողի փշրանք մը փակած չըլլայ իր ուտելիք հացին վրայ։

Ցաւով կուզեմ ընդունիլ որ Իմ շատ Սիրելի առաջին ուսուցչուհիս Սիրվարդ Չէլէպեանը վէրջիններէն մնաց յուշերուս մէջ, որզիս առանձին նկարած էր մանկութեանս Քաուչուկէ Ճիզմայով որ նկարս ունենայ երբ հարս երթայ Աւստրալիա Գարակուննինց Ժօզէֆին։ Ինչպէ՞ս չյիշել անոնց ամառնային որսորդութեան վայրս՝ Գարակուննինց այգին, Երբ երկար կրակէի յանկարծ Գարակուննին շատ կամաց, առանց ձայնի մօտենար ետիս և ըսէր, "Հիրէք ի օղլըմ վըրձ մէտուօք թող"  (բաւարարէ տղաս, արու եւ էգ թռչուն մը ձգէ)։ Կը նայիմ, միշտ խաքի Քլօթ տաբատով և գլխուն Քասքէթ դրած այս մարդը եւ կը խորհիմ այս հագուստներով ալ կը պառկ՞։ "Հարթում Պէպօ հարթում"  (կը մեկնիմ, կը մեկնին) կ՚ըսէի և թուփերուն մէջ որսացած թռչունս փնտռելու պատրուակով կը մտնէի։

Գարակուննին մեզի համար Քէօրքիւնայի Հարաւ Արևելքը առանձին տան մը մէջ բնակող քիչ մը անիրական անձ մըն էր որպէս երեխաներ։ Անոր համար ալ զարմացած էի որ Սիրելի ուսուցչուհիս ինչպէս առեղծուած ընտանիքին մէջ հարս պիտի երթայ։Բայց երբ Լիբանանի պատերազմէն փախած, բարեկամիս հետ միասին որոշեցինք Յորդանանի համակսարանը փոխադրուիլ, Կարպիս Հանէշեանը և ես Ամման Սիրվարդին և Ժօզէֆին տունը հիւրընկալուեցանք շատ ջերմօրէն և հոն քնացանք։ Տարիներու շփոթութեանս պատասխանը առած էի, հիմա գիտեմ ով էր Գարակուննին Ժօզէֆը։ Աստուած ողորմի Սիրվարդին և ժօզէֆին։

Երբ նորէն անդի թաղէն կ՚անցնիմ, Գարակուննիէն վերադարձին, կը յիշեմ Պաղցը Նանարը, Գագուսեան, Մեծ մօրս Սառա Նանարին սիրելի այցելուն, որ իր Հաննա զաւկին մասին միշտ պարծանքով էր։ Այդ համեստ մարդը, որ իր զաւակներով Պէյրութէն կուգար հսնգչելու իր պապենական տունը, միշտ կոկիկ հագուած իր դերձակի բծախնդրութեամբ։

Ստեփան եւ Արա Աբէլեան

Իրենց դռկից կային Պետտոն և Վահէ Գագուսեանները, որ երեք ընտանիքով կրցած էին այդ թաղին Գագուսինց թուօղը (թաղը) անունը տալ։ Օր մը Վահէն, Գագուսեան, Պէյրութէն ժամանած էր ձմեռ եղանակին, թերևս Նոր տարուան առիթով, Եղբայրս և ես Պատմական նկար մը ունէինք այդ օր վահէն նկարած էր, երկու նոյնանման վերարկուներով, նոր կարուած Հերոսին մօտ ,ապսպրանք (Custom made)....անպայման նորեկին բարի եկարի հարկաւոր էր երթալ քաղաքավարութիւն և յարգանք։

Անշուշտ Գագուսենց թաղը չի հասած, կ՚անցնիս Մանկանային առջևէն, ուր աշնան Նօֆէր Աբէլեանին ձիթաիւղ արտադրող գործարանը հաստատուած էր և ամրան երկու թռչուն մէկ քարով կ՚որսար, թէ օդափոխութիւն և միևնոյն յարկին տակ գործարան՝ «Թէ թիճարաթ ,թէ զիարաթ» կ՚ըսէ արաբական առածը։

Nezar Khalili (1925 – 2019)

Nezar Khalili (1925 – 2019)
Vahe H. Apelian

Note: The name might be spelled Nizar Khalili as well.

Nezar Khalil

Kantsasar, the Syrian Armenian Weekly published by the Prelacy of Aleppo, reported today that Syrian Arab writer, translator Nezar Khalili passed away today, Wednesday, May 8, 2019 in Kessab, Syria. He was an acclaimed expert on Armenian literature. The bells of the Armenian churches in Kessab tolled to break the news of his passing away at his advanced age of 93. After retirement he appeared to have moved to Kessab where he had been residing during the past many years.

From 1943 to 1946 he had taught Arabic in Zavarian School to Armenian students who did not seem to be interested in learning the language.  Zavarian School was located in a section of Aleppo that to this day has come to be known among the Armenians as Nor Kyugh (New Village). The official name of the section is Medan.

The eminent caricaturist Massis Araratian happened to be one of his students. Recalling the young teacher Nezar Khalili was in those days, Massis noted the following in Facebook: “In 1943 Nezar Khalili was our Arabic language teacher in the Zavarian School in Aleppo. He did not know Armenian but he spared no effort in Arabic to have us learn and love the Arabic language. He was a patriotic, sensitive, intelligent and cultured young man. His mother was the principle of an Arabic kindergarten. Mr. Nezar knew very well the value of learning another language, but we, the students, in those days did not appreciate the value of knowing another language. During the second academic year, his first and impressionable lesson became when he grabbed a chalk and wrote the following in Armenian on the chalkboard: ’you do not learn Arabic, but I will learn Armenian and have my salary paid’. In time he became the ARMENOLOGIST NEZAR KHALILI”.

Kantsasar elaborated further noting that Nezar Khalili “had mastered Armenian during his teaching career. Nezar had studied the history of the Armenian people, its culture and especially its creative literature. He had visited Armenian several times. Nezar Khalili has authored many articles (in Arabic) pertaining to the Armenian culture and Armenian-Arabic literature. He has translated to Arabic the literary works of Hovhannes Toumanin, Krikor Zohrab, Avedik Isahagian and Hovhannes Sheraz.”  In 1996 he had translated Kevork George Apelian's "Anna the bride  - Anna Harse) book. He has also translated to Armenian the literary works of Arab authors.

Nezar Khalili has also translated Grigor Narekatsi’s (Gregory of Narek) famous work “Book of Lamentation” (Madian Voghbergutyan), commonly referred to a Narek or Nareg. Next to the bible it is considered to be the most revered book in the Armenian Christendom.

President Serzh Sargsyan bestowed upon him the order of Movses Khorenatsi, Armenia’s highest cultural award presented by the president to people who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the Armenian culture.

In April 2012, during an interview by news outlet Tert.am (Թերթ.am), Nezar Khalili has said the following: “I loved the Armenian people greatly. I have much respect towards the Armenians. The respect and the love the Armenians bestow upon me are the halo I wear over my head and the impetus of my heart. I am greatly grateful to the Armenian people for their inexhaustible respect and love”

Nezar Khalili was interred in Kessab.

The KEA Evening School Gabriel Injejikian Founded - 2/2

Vahe H. Apelian

Vartkes Apelian’s narrated his recollection of the founding Lebanon’s Kessab Educational Association’s (KEA) evening schoo and posted it in the 2020 KEA Yearbook and Directory (the link is attached below).  This blog describes the school in its last few years, before its closure.

It was in the early 1970s when I joined the teaching staff of the evening school of the Kessab Education Association of Beirut.  Rev. Hovhannes Sarmazian was the principal of the evening school. He was a seminary student then at the Near East School of Theology (N.E.S.T.), which was almost a block away from the Khanamirian School. The administrator of the school was Ms. Berjouhy Cholakian. Stepan Panossian who is the father of Dr. Razmig, the director of the Armenian Department of the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, and Hovhannes Panossian served as liaisons between the evening school and the K.E.A. Central Committee and facilitated the functioning of the school within the Khanamiran school premises. The funds to cover the expenses of the school, such as textbooks, letterheads and upkeep of the school premises were raised by the Central Committee of the Kessab Educational Association of Beirut. The attendance of the school was free. The evening school held its classes in the classrooms of the Souren Khanamirian Armenian School in West Beirut.

Gabriel Injejikian had founded the evening school in 1950. His funeral will be held today, April 27, 2019. In his obituary, I read that he was born on December 12, 1930, in Kessab. He was then a twenty years old student at the American University of Beirut when he founded the school under the auspices of the Kessab Educational Association of Beirut. In hindsight, I realize that the young college student Gabriel was, had started exhibiting his nascent calling for making headways in education where no one else before him had taken upon himself to chart a course for the benefit of his countrymen. Before I joined the school, it held its classes in the rooms of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation social center in West Beirut.

Most of the teachers were students at the American University of Beirut and at Haigazian College and not all of them were Kessabtsis. It was a veritable school serving the greater Armenian community of Beirut. The evening school had multiple classes, offered textbooks, prepared tests, exams, and issued report cards. The most popular classes were the English language classes as there were many students who were eager to learn the language.

Teaching Staff, standing left to right: Hrair Soghomonian, Vahe H. Apelian, Hovhannes Megerditchian, Haig Tilbian, Araxie Kazanjian, Vicken Hovsepian, Nishan Basmadjian, Hapet Garabedian, Ara Demerjian. Seated: Prapion Parounagian, Hovhannes Panossian, Berjouhy Cholakian (assistant to principal), Rev. Hovhannes Sarmazian (Principal), Shakeh Nokhoudian.

Most of the students were the Armenian young men and women who had left school early on in pursuit of a trade. It was not unusual then for students to leave school after elementary education to learn a trade such as jewelry, auto mechanic, shoemaking and so forth. These Armenian young men and women had a longing to be in a school setting. The evening school provided them the forum to do so. They occupied the same classroom, sat on the same seats students of the Souren Khanamirian School did in the morning. They tended to become good students who did their assignments diligently and had excellent attendance, even though some traveled long distances to attend the evening classes. They were eager to learn English and as well as other subjects. At times romance would blossom among the students much like in any educational setting.

There were Armenians students from East Europe as well who were on their way to the United States through the sponsorship of ANCHA (Armenian National Committee for Homeless Armenians). ANCHA was headquartered in West Beirut and thus Beirut became a transition zone for these Eastern European Armenians. Many attended the school to learn the English language while waiting for their immigration clearances. The school provided many affidavits on the school's official letterhead to these students for their use in the U.S. when their immigration statuses were cleared and they prepared to embark on their journeys to the United States of America.

There were some grown-up ladies as well who had raised their families and wanted to give time for themselves and attended the evening school to study its most favorite subject, English.

The evening school of the Kessab Educational Association of Beirut had run for two decades when I joined. Sadly, it was closed a year or two after my joining it due to the prevailing situation in Beirut on the verge of an impending civil war.

Teachers and Kessab Education Association of Beirut Committee Members

In memory of Gabriel Injejikian: "Gossip or It is What It Is"

Vahe H. Apelian

1974 in Beirut, with dignitaries when the Community Honoring Gabriel

All Armenian newspapers in Beirut were printed nocturnally and saw the light of day early next morning with the exception of "Ayk" although it meant dawn. It came about in the afternoons and had its famous distributor (srvitch) who would be heralding the paper at late afternoon Armenian functions or at the theater of the popular movie.

"Ayk" had a column that was titled "Panpasank Gam Pann Asank". Its liberal translation would be akin to "Gossip or It Is What It Is". In that column, the paper carried news they thought were hard to believe. This time around it alluded to the promissory notes that Gabriel Injejikian had printed and was distributing. The signatory of the promissory note promised to pay the sum if Gabriel Injejikian fulfilled his promise of opening an Armenian day school in the United States after his return to the U.S. having ended his tenure on the faculty of Haigazian College, Haigazian University now. Having an Armenian day school in the United States was considered an impossible task in the prevailing mindset of the day. The year was 1963/1964.

There was a reason for the prevailing mindset. The United States of America was the “land of honey”where “dollars grew on trees” and it was for the folks' harvesting it but at a price and the price was called "assimilation". For decades on end, it was, in fact, the hard earned dollars of the fellow Armenians in the U.S. that had helped the Middle Eastern Armenian communities to establish themselves and found their network of schools where Armenian language, history, and literature were taught.  Alluding to an incident Antranig Zarougian describes while he was assisting Simon Vratsian on his fundraising campaign in the U.S. to raise funds towards establishing the famed Jemaran in Beirut; one of the attendants of the fundraising raised the issue that people are treating the Armenian Americans like a "milking cow". Zarougian wisely responds to the allegation, to the satisfaction of Vratsian, by not negating the prevailing notion but by dwelling on the benefits the "milk" brought to the nation.

This time around it was the other way round. It was the Armenian community in Lebanon that was promising Gabriel Injejikian to assist him financially should he keep his promise.

It so happened that Vicken Hovsepian, Gabriel's nephew, was our classmate in  the Armenian Evangelical High School 1965 class. We were only eight in our section, three girls and five boys. Berjouhy Barsoumian was also a classmate. Her father Yervant was the chairman of the ad hoc committee that came about that was to follow on these promissory notes once Gabriel left Lebanon and keep the drive going while Gabriel embarked on his impossible mission in the United States

Yervant Barsoumian being honored by the Catholicos for his support as the Chairman of the committee for assisting Gabriel Injejikian

In his recent article about the founding of the Ferrahian Armenian School, Boghos Shahmelikian noted that those promissory notes were for ten Lebanese pounds. But that was over a half a century ago and ten Lebanese pounds was not "peanuts". It had its noteworthy value. As a class, we signed those promissory notes and thus our High School class became one of the earliest signatories of those promissory notes.

The rest is history.

Fast forward. I spent two years in LA attending to my mother who could not manage her affairs by herself anymore and needed assistance. She was a teacher and had taught in the Ferrahian Armenian school right after she immigrated to the U.S. and socialized with the Injejikian family.  I knew Gabriel personally and forged a friendship with him during my two years long stay in Los Angeles. He would invite me at times to come to their house for a chat. They lived not far from my mother's house. During such visits, I inquired him what happened to those promissory notes. He said they were in a box, and that he apparently misplaced and lost it. He noted that Catholicos Khoren I was the first signatory of the promissory note with his red ink pen, the Catholicos' trademark. He did not chagrin over their loss.

In another visit, I asked Gabriel to write his own memoirs about the founding the first-day Armenian school in the U.S. He replied he should, one of these days.  He was then busy on another pioneering project. He spearheaded and founded the "Ararat" Charter school. He never came about writing down his memoirs.

During another visit I asked him to show his picture albums. In it I saw pictures taken in 1974 in Beirut, in Hotel Bristol, where the Armenian community honored him for his pioneering work. My parents and I attended the function along with many Kessabtsis. To my great surprise, he was oblivious that he had those pictures. I borrowed some and had it posted in Kessab Educational Association Facebook account. The attached pictures are from there.

Another anectode. The fence bordering his house had a large opening. I asked him once why does he leave it open like that? He explained that he purposely  had made that opening by taking down some panels so that his neigbor, Arshagounys could have easy access to drop in at will for a chat. The late Arshagounys were the parents of Mary Arshagouny Papazian, the fist Armenian female president of a University. She was a student in the Ferrahian Armenian school Gabriel founded. 

Gabriel was a doer and an intensely social. He was not the one to contemplate on his legacy, his achievements or contributions to the society. As a matter of fact, he remained completely oblivious of  such things and of the fact that he was a visionary and a pioneer. He remained an ordinary person, a gentle man, accessible to all although he was a giant of a man.

1974 in Beirut, the community honoring Gabriel  Injejikian for his pioneering work.