The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced that H. E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of  North America, will be honored with the Khrimian Hayrig Award at this year’s Annual Gala Banquet on Sunday, October 20, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA. 

The award, first given in 2011 to Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North America, is given by the ANCA-WR to clerical figures who have dedicated their lives in service to the Armenian Nation and Cause, in the spirit of the award’s inimitable namesake. Other recipients of this award have been Archbishop Parkev Martirosyan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, and Very Reverend Joseph D. Matossian, Minister to the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. 

“The Khrimian Hayrig Award represents an acknowledgment of exemplary service and devotion to the Armenian people by a religious leader. Archbishop Derderian for decades has personified this special type of commitment to the Armenian Nation and has collaborated closely with the ANCA-WR to advance the Armenian Cause,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to honor such a deserving leader with this special award.”

His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian was born in 1957 in Beirut, Lebanon and graduated from the theological seminary of the Cilician Catholicosate in Bikfaya, Lebanon in 1975. Continuing his theological studies in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, where he was ordained as a celibate priest by His Holiness Vasken I, Catholicos of All Armenians, he then attended Oxford University in England, ultimately earning his Master’s degree in Theology.

In 1990, Very Rev. Father Hovnan Derderian was elected Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada, whereupon he was elevated to the rank of Bishop and later as Archbishop. In 2003, Archbishop Derderian became Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, where he continues to serve. Throughout his tenure, Archbishop Derderian has overseen a vast expansion of the Western Diocese by consecrating new churches to serve

local Armenian communities in Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Rancho Mirage, and Santa Clarita. In addition to consecrating a new church in Scottsdale, the Archbishop is also leading the construction of a Senior Living Center to serve the aging Armenian population there. In addition, the St. Leon Cathedral in Burbank was built under his supervision and consecrated in 2010 as the spiritual center of the Western Diocese by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. Showing his confidence in the Archbishop’s leadership abilities, the Catholicos also appointed him as Chair of the committee of the Armenian Apostolic Church to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and as head of the committee to oversee the renovation of the Mother Cathedral in Holy Etchmiadzin. 

Recognizing the importance of cultivating and maintaining strong ties between the youth and the Church, Archbishop Derderian has also taken active steps to establish and expand numerous Saturday schools and Sunday schools, as well as an expansion of the Armenian Church Youth Organization, and the Nerouj program for youth empowerment and strengthening connections of young professionals with the Church.

In his capacity as leader of the Western Diocese, Archbishop Derderian has consistently joined his ecumenical brethren from the Western Prelacy, the Armenian Catholic Eparchy and the Armenian Evangelical Union in uniting all segments of the Armenian-American community and its leading organizations in a structured environment of collaboration and cooperation to jointly pursue the rights and demands of the Armenian people, initially through the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee which organized the 166,000 strong March for Justice in Los Angeles, and continuing through to the most recent establishment of the Pan Armenian Council of the Western United States.  

Each year, the ANCA-WR Annual Gala Banquet attracts over 1,000 attendees as it honors a variety of individuals who have served their community and their country with distinction. Past Gala honorees have included United States Senator Robert Menendez, Congressman Ed Royce, California Governor Jerry Brown, California Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, California Majority Leader Walter Karabian, California Assemblymembers Katcho Achadjian and Paul Krekorian,  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, artist Serj Tankian, and legendary late coach Jerry Tarkanian, among many others.  

The ANCA-WR honorees for 2019 which have been announced thus far in addition to Archbishop Hovnan Derderian are U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The Gala will also feature a special Tribute to lifelong benefactor and philanthropist Hacop Baghdassarian.

Purchase tickets now.

Montebello – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region representatives held a lunch meeting with Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (CA – 38) as part of the 2019 August Recess. The meeting was attended by ANCA National Board member Levon Kirakosian, ANCA – WR Board member Gev Iskajyan, and Government Affairs Director Arsen Shirvanyan. They were joined by Montebello City Mayor Jack Hadjinian and Montebello City Treasurer Ashod Mooradian.

“Over the years, Congresswoman Sanchez has been one of the strongest voices on the Hill on behalf of the Armenian community,” remarked ANCA-WR Board member Gev Iskajyan. “Time and again, she has pushed for broadening of the US – Armenia and Artsakh relations, and has been instrumental in her fight for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”

Among some of the matters discussed at the meeting included the continuation of US funding for the HALO Trust for its de-mining project in Artsakh, Turkey and Azerbaijan’s policy vis-à-vis Armenia, as well as the upcoming 2020 Census and its importance to the local Armenian American community.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

GLENDALE – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) undertook a 5-city, 4-state community road trip through the American northwest to organize meet and greets and ANCA360 presentations for the community as well as hold meetings with community organizations and Congressional offices during the August Recess month. ANCA-WR Executive Director Armen Sahakyan and Government Affairs Coordinator Serob Abrahamian, joined by community activist and author Liyah Babayan, visited Armenian American communities in Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Boise, ID; Twin Falls, ID; and Salt Lake City, UT.

“Grassroots activation and development is a strategic priority of the ANCA Western Region,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian. “Our organization’s regional coverage transcends 19 states and close to 30 chapters. In the coming months, we will pay particular attention to our communities outside of southern California, visiting them regularly and equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools to undertake effective advocacy on the local, state, and federal levels to advance the Armenian Cause.”

The road trip commenced on Sunday, August 18 with a visit and presentation at the Holy Resurrection Armenian Apostolic Church in Seattle. ANCA-WR representatives provided an ANCA360 presentation, discussing the wide-ranging activities and initiatives of the organization as well as answered questions from the audience. Liyah Babayan discussed her new book, “Liminal: A Refugee Memoir,” which documents her family’s survival story of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Soviet Azerbaijan and their journey and adaptation to life in the United States as refugees in the early 1990s. A short video about the local church and Washington community is available on the ANCA-WR Facebook page.

“Seattle, Portland, Boise, Twin Falls, and Salt Lake personify the mosaic of Armenians from all over the world, speaking multiple languages, scattered from the motherland by persecution, planting seeds of unity through faith, culture, and identity,” said Liyah Babayan. “My love for my people deepened as I witnessed how they rebuilt communities out of absolutely nothing, even with the geographical disadvantage and disconnection from the greater diaspora in California.”

The following day – joined by local community leaders – delegation members met with the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA-9) as well as the office of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7). Some of the legislative items in focus included the co-sponsorship of the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice resolution H.Res.296, Artsakh Travel and Communication resolution H.Res.190, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supporting the security of Armenia and Artsakh, etc.

The next destination was Portland, OR, where local community members congregated at the St. Kevork Armenian Church for a meet and greet and an ANCA360 presentation. Some traveled for over 3 hours to be present at the gathering and the subsequent presentation. Earlier that same day, delegation members and local priest Rev. Fr. Mashdots Keshishian met with Rep. Blumenauer’s office (D-OR-3) as well as with the Catholic Archdiocese of Oregon to discuss the priorities of the local Armenian American community. A short video about the local church and our Oregon community is available on the ANCA-WR Facebook page.

Idaho stops included Boise and Twin Falls, where community members and leaders convened to discuss the local priorities as well as plans for political advocacy in the Gem State. Both communities have erected Armenian Genocide memorial monuments, commemorating the innocent martyrs of this international crime against humanity. A video about the Armenian Genocide memorial monument in downtown Boise is available on the ANCA-WR Facebook page.

ANCA-WR staff and Liyah Babayan met with the leadership of the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University to discuss matters pertaining to foreign policy. Joined by local community leader Mark Abajian, the delegation then met with Christian Welp, the Director of Diocesan Services at the Catholic Diocese of Boise as well as with the office of Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1).

The road trip concluded in Salt Lake City, Utah with an informal community get together at a local coffee shop. Delegation members, joined by local community leaders, met with Jean Hill, the Director of Office of Life, Justice and Peace at the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City as well as with the offices of Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT-4) and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT).

ANCA-WR Road Trips will continue in the coming months to other areas of the vast Western Region. Stay tuned for details.  The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the

47 of us gathered in Yerevan, Armenia. Diverse backgrounds from 12 different countries, but one common objective: to summit Mount Ararat! It took us a torturous 16 hour bus ride to cross both borders of Georgia and Turkey and arrive in Dogubayazit, where we spent the night prior to our hike. After six hours of hiking, we reached Base Camp One at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) – that’s where the singing and dancing from our 5am bus ride continued. The following morning we started our ascent to Base Camp Two at 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). With limited space, at almost 90 people, we shared the camp with two other groups, which left very little room to pitch our tents in the small and rocky area. We napped right after dinner in order to wake up at midnight to start our final ascent to the summit with our headlamps glaring and canteens full of tea. We reached the beautifully shining, snow covered Mount Ararat summit at 7:00 am at an altitude of 5,137 meters (16,850 feet). We celebrated at the summit for an hour. After the initial emotional moments of hugging each other, the group gathered to dance the Armenian “Kochari”.  This summer held a record number of climbers estimated at 2,000 people, 60% of whom being Armenians.  We wish that one of these days, and hopefully soon, Turkish authorities declare Mount Ararat a “Free Mountain” so people, young and old, could climb the Biblical mountain with no government restrictions. Adroushan Andy Armenian

BY Shawn Rodgers,

History is filled with examples of memorable events that remind us how great humanity is. It’s also filled with events that reveal the dark side of humankind. Among them is the Armenian genocide of 1915-16, perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish government, which resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million of this Christian minority in a Muslim state. 

It’s this tragedy that forms the basis of Richard Kalinoski’s haunting play “Beast on the Moon,” which opens Aug. 23 at the International City Theatre at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

Kalinoski’s play debuted in 1995 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. The intimate four-actor show has subsequently been performed in 15 countries, winning more than 30 awards (including five Moliere Awards in Paris and five Ace Awards in Buenos Aires, and taking the award for best play in both cities).

The Holocaust comes to mind as another prime example of horrific crimes against the human race, and International City Theatre Artistic Director caryn desai, who doesn’t use capital letters to depict her name, told the Journal, “Anyone that survives this kind of trauma and genocide, I don’t think you ever forget. The difference is with the Holocaust you knew who the villain was. It was Hitler, and Germany had to accept responsibility for what they did. In this case,

Turkey still has not. I think that must be especially painful — not to have someone acknowledge what they did to your family.”

“Beast on the Moon” begins in 1921 Milwaukee — six years after the genocide — and all the scenes take place in the dining room of Aram Tomasian, an Armenian immigrant who has paid to bring over a 15-year-old Armenian orphan, Seta, to be his wife. Burdened with the loss of their families and unable to have a child of their own, the scarred survivors struggle toward understanding and reconciliation.

In her role as Seta, actress Rachel Weck drew on her own experiences to help develop the character. While studying musical theater at UCLA, Weck, who isn’t Jewish, participated in a Jewish studies program to launch student-curated audio tours at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. As part of that program, the students met and interviewed Holocaust survivors and it was during this time that she formed a close bond with one
of the survivors — Helen Freeman — who died in 2017.

“Her story has stuck with me,” Weck said. “Seta is 15 when she immigrates to the U.S. as a mail-order bride. Helen was also young [when she came here] and there is something about Helen’s beauty and her belief in goodness in people. I will be drawing from Helen in playing Seta.”

In the play, Seta clings to a homemade doll, the one thing she has kept from her mother. Weck relates this to Freeman, who was able to keep and hide one earring from her mother — in the lining of her shoe — for years. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could watch this play and say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad this was in the past?’ instead of saying, ‘Oh, this is still going on and these are the choices we continue to make.’  ” — Rachel Weck 

“Helen was in multiple work camps as well as Auschwitz and, throughout her entire journey, she carried this one earring,” Weck said. “I remember her so vividly telling me that every time she felt like giving up and just crawling into a hole in the ground, she would touch her shoe with the earring and she would be reminded of her family.” 

Even though the play covers events beginning more than a century ago, its relevance to the plight of refugees today resonates. 

“I think that’s the beauty of the play,” desai said. “Even though it is taking place in the 1920s and 1930s, the issues being talked about are still relevant and it make you question whether we are ever going to move forward.”

Continuing to work toward a better society is crucial, she added, “because without that, we are defeated. We just have to be reminded and vigilant to continue that struggle.”

Weck concurred. “There is this line in the play that is so ironic,” she said. 
“ ‘America, it is so easy for immigrants to get in. It seems like they welcome everyone.’ We read that line and just laughed. It is just a shocking world that we would turn away such pain and suffering after having hundreds of years of knowledge. That is what’s so disappointing.”

 Dreaming of a better world, Weck said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could watch this play and say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad this was in the past?’ instead of saying, ‘Oh, this is still going on and these are the choices we continue to make.’ We continue to turn people away and turn a blind eye toward suffering. It is really upsetting.”

“Beast on the Moon” runs Aug. 23 through Sept. 8. Visit internationalcitytheatre.org.

BBC, The organizers of the international chess tournament under the auspices of FIDE in Turkish Sivash withdrew the invitation to the Armenian chess player Maria Gevorgyan, citing the protests of the Azerbaijani delegation.

When Gevorgyan was outraged by this decision on Facebook, the organizers threatened her with a lawsuit. The chess player told the BBC about this.

The Russian BBC service has sent a request to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and is waiting for a response.
“Offensive decision”

Maria Gevorgyan is an international FIDE master, a three-time champion of Armenia in women’s chess and a prize-winner of international tournaments.

Previously, she had already played in tournaments in Turkey and did not encounter similar problems.

According to Gevorgyan, she had a very busy August and she didn’t intentionally go to the Turkish tournament.

However, on August 7, she received an invitation from the organizers, who offered to pay for travel and accommodation.

Gevorgyan agreed, but soon one of the organizers, Mustafa Eroglu, withdrew the invitation.

He wrote to Gevorgyan that chess players from Azerbaijan delivered an ultimatum: if there is an Armenian in the tournament, they will refuse to participate.

Eroglu apologized and said that the tickets of the Armenian chess player were handed over.

Gevorgyan posted a snapshot of Eroglu’s post on her Facebook page.

“In every country, wherever I speak, I always respected all opponents, regardless of their nationality or political views,” wrote Gevorgyan.
Maria Gevorgyan filed a complaint with FIDE and hopes that henceforth chess organizations will not allow such ultimatums.

She added that the withdrawal of the invitation because of her nationality was considered extremely offensive.

Meanwhile, Eroglu contacted Gevorgyan and accused her of violating the confidentiality of correspondence, threatening to sue.
Sport and nationalism

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh has been ongoing since 1988.

As a result, Azerbaijan has lost control over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding areas.

The Armenians were forced to leave their homes outside of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Azerbaijanis living in Armenia became refugees.

There is no transport connection between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the entry of representatives of two nationalities into the neighboring territory is fraught with difficulties.

In May, on the eve of the European Football League final in Baku, fans with Armenian surnames and even surnames similar to Armenian reported that they could not get a visa to Azerbaijan.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, midfielder of Arsenal English club, decided not to fly to Azerbaijan for the final match, despite the fact that official Baku guaranteed his safety.
Armenian athletes, however, sometimes attend international competitions in Azerbaijan.

In 2015, the Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian participated in the World Cup in Baku. At the European Games in Baku, the Armenian wrestler Migran Harutyunyan won the silver medal.

Armenians and people with surnames phonetically similar to Armenian are often detained at the border control at the entrance to Azerbaijan. Some of them are denied entry.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly reported that Russians coming to Azerbaijan are discriminated against based on ethnicity based on Armenian surnames, names or patronymics.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in January that the department has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Azerbaijani side to the unacceptability of the situation.

By Edgar Melik-Stepanyan

Zareh Avedian’s teammates knew that when the big moments arrived, the leader of the Glendale men’s basketball team that represented the Homenetmen Ararat chapter in the Pan-Armenian Games would deliver.

And did he ever deliver.

Avedian scored eight of his team’s final 15 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with less than three minutes remaining, to lead Glendale to a 92-84 victory against Beverly Hills on Saturday in the championship game at the Mika Sports Complex in Yerevan, Armenia.

“Big Z is known for coming up big,” said Avedian’s teammate, Teo Davidian, a 2014 Hoover High graduate who poured in 20 points in the final.

Davidian referred to Avedian’s memorable 49-point performance in the 2003 championship game that gave Glendale the title in the third Pan-Armenian Games.

Avedian didn’t want his last playing experience in Armenia to be remembered as a failure.

“My experience came through,” he said after arriving back home.

Before carrying his team in the final stretches of the championship game, Avedian watched Davidian and Andre Spight, who is from Burbank, dominate for the first three quarters. Spight finished with 40 points and Avedian had 14, 10 in the final frame, which also saw critical points and defensive stops from Narbeh Ebrahamian, a Crescenta Valley High graduate, and Samson Injigulyan, a Hoover High graduate.

“Andre and Teo kept us in it,” said Avedian, who is the only Glendale player remaining from the 2003 team. “If it wasn’t for them, we would’ve been blown out.”

Glendale entered the half down by three points and was playing without Zareh Zargaryan, a Hoover grad who was ejected in the second quarter after receiving a technical and a flagrant foul.

A close contest set up a thrilling final three minutes.

Beverly Hills took an 81-80 lead with 2:50 remaining as the capacity crowd watched in excitement. On the ensuing possession, Davidian drove to basket, collapsing the defense.

“When I did, I remembered I had a layup in the first half and Z told me, ‘I’m wide open on your drives,’” Davidian said.

Avedian was wide open on the right wing and Davidian found him. Avedian’s three-pointer proved to be winner.

Avedian’s defense on the other end of the court led to a traveling violation and Spight hit another three to give Glendale a five-point lead with less than two minutes left.

“It was exciting,” Avedian said. “The win was for Zareh, too. I wanted to win for him, I wanted to win for me and I wanted to win for the entire team.

“To be able to help my team win was overwhelming.”

The 22nd Arpa International Film Festival will take place this year on November 8th, 9th, and 10th, and is moving to a new location after 14 years at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.  Due to the purchase of the Egyptian by Netflix, the theater is being renovated and therefore the Festival has selected a new historic venue, The American Legion Hollywood Post 43 on Highland, located next to the Hollywood Bowl.

We are beyond excited that the Legion Theater at Hollywood Post 43 is the only historic theater in Hollywood owned and operated by veterans, and has undergone a major transformation into a state-of-the-art cinema and event venue.  It’s halls were once graced by Hollywood legends such as Humphrey Bogart, Charleton Heston, Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple. 

In the midst of our festival planning  the recent notice of having to relocate created new and unexpected challenges for our amazing team.  To ensure that the oldest  international independent film festival in Los Angeles will not suffer any difficulties, the executive committee has been working diligently day and night to make sure that the Festival will keep its prestige.  We could not be more thrilled with what the final results will be.  

Opportunity always reveals itself to our filmmakers who have made it their mission in creating stories that move audiences and create undeniable emotion.  Once again,  we will be screening the best shorts , features, documentaries , music videos, and animated films at our new location.  With a cutting edge new projection and sound system, The Legion Theater recently screened Quentin Tarentino’s newest film ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. The historic building dates back to 1929 with an original Egyptian revival architecture style building, an incredible underground Art Deco bar where film enthusiasts will establish meaningful connections, ample parking for our guests, and amazing drinks and food. We are excited that this year’s festival will be our highest profile one yet, and will continue to build Arpa’s reputation in our community.

Many films are being viewed and selected before the final selections are announced.  However, we are very pleased and  proud to announce our World Premiere Opening Night Film from Morocco’s top director Suhail Ben Barka  entitled SAND and FIRE.  The film is an epic story  that takes place in the 17th century between Spain and Morocco, and has a renowned International cast. In a twist of fate, the filmmaker’s grandmother was of Armenian heritage and you will hear our beloved song “Dle Yaman’ througout the film.  A frequent visitor to Armenia, we are beyond excited to premiere Suhail Ben Barka’s film on opening night.  

We cannot think of a better new home and beginning for all of our past and new supporters to come and celebrate the magic of film and entertainment.  We look forward to seeing all of you at our new home HOLLYWOOD POST 43 on November 8-9-10.