Depi Hayk Alumni Newsletter

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A Message from the New Chairperson

of the Alumni CommitteeTania Sahakian (AAA '05)

Story HighlightsA message from the new Chairperson of the Alumni Committee Mon experience en Armenie (in French)Alumni Corner, two newborn Birthright babies and much much moreStaff Corner-New AVC Director, join Birthright's new Facebook page, and other Social MediaPhoto Contest ResultsFavorite anecdotes and recipesThe latest QUIZ with Something Armenian-Armenian Theatre

New Rules

Dear fellow alumni, I am very honored to serve as the next Chairperson of the Birthright Armenia Alumni Committee.

As is true for many of you, Depi Hayk holds a special place in my heart. It is the organization which brought about a life-changing experience for me and continues to keep me connected to the Homeland in various ways. I would first of all like to express my appreciation to the outgoing Committee for their service and efforts. The new committee members and I are eager and ready to continue building on the mission of Birthright Armenia and at the same time generate some new projects as well.

The Alumni Committee is an organization comprised of Birthright's alums and run solely by alums, working side-by-side with Depi Hayk. That means this is your organization, and therefore all ideas are welcome. This time around, the Committee has been selected to have representatives in every region from which Birthrighters have participated in the past. This includes the Western United States (Edgar Martirosyan), the Eastern United States (Christine Serdjenian), Canada (Ara Hasserjian), Europe (Talar Sarafian), South America (Juan Karagueuzian), and the Middle East (Shuntt Tanielian). We are going to try and have a more regional approach, making it easier to stay connected with Birthright locally, but at the same time remain globally interconnected through our mission of volunteerism in the Homeland. The Committee has great potential as we are almost 500 alumni strong. With this kind of network and talent, we expect many Next Step projects to come our way, great fundraising ideas, reunions, recruitment events, community service projects, and any other activities/projects which fit in with Birthright and Birthrighters.

I would like to share the following information as well. Birthright Armenia was recently the focus of a case study by students at the University of Southern California. One thing that was highlighted there was the value of Depi Hayk's alums. Our goal for the Alumni Committee is to find new ways to get more of you involved and connected to our mission of continued involvement once you return from the Homeland. With this in mind, I am asking all of you for your thoughts and input on how we can make the Alumni Committee more active and how we can get more alums involved. Please feel free to contact me via email at

.

I look forward to an exciting new year where we will create stronger lines of communication through various fun and meaningful events and projects. We are all bound together by our Armenian roots and we have all participated in a life-changing experience in the Homeland. I believe we need to continue to build on that experience and keep those connections alive and strong, both within ourselves, and among ourselves, and with Armenia.

tsahakian@aol.com

Fall 2009 Edition

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Descendante d'une famille arménienne ayant fuit le génocide depuis la ville de Tokat (Arménie occidentale en actuelle Turquie), je viens de passer quatre mois sensationnels sur mes terres d'origines. C'est notamment grâce à l'organisme Birthright Armenia (Depi Hayk), qui offre l'opportunité aux arméniens de la diaspora de venir en Arménie dans le cadre d'une mission volontariat, que ce premier voyage s'est rendu possible. Organisant par ailleurs excursions, forums de discussion, visites et proposant l'unique expérience de vivre au sein d'une famille arménienne, Depi Hayk est, en ce sens, le meilleur protagoniste pour rallier les générations issues du génocide à leur lieu d'attache de manière utile et constructive. Car non seulement, on obtient un tableau plus défini de la situation actuelle en Arménie mais en plus on acquière les connaissances ind ispensables pour par t ic iper intelligiblement à la construction d'un futur lumineux. J'ai choisi ici de relater mon histoire à travers une activité vécue de façon quasi-intensive durant ces quatre mois : la danse folklorique arménienne.

La danse a toujours été partie intégrante de ma vie ; elle me permet de m'exprimer en toute liberté sans aucune contrainte apparente. De nature réservée voire introvertie, je suis de celles qui parle, débat et répond avec le corps.

Voila pourquoi aussitôt arrivée à Erevan, je me suis renseignée sur la possibilité de prendre des cours de danse folklorique arménienne. Cela va sans dire que cela n'aurait eu aucun sens à mes yeux de pratiquer tout autre type de danse sur mes terres d'origine.

Baignée dans la culture française et n'ayant eu que rarement l'occasion de côtoyer mes origines arméniennes, je suis atterrie ici comme débarquant de nulle part. Pas d'apriori, ni expectations particulières, en d'autre terme aucune déception à l'horizon. La seule crainte qui m'envahissait fut celle de la langue, outil primordial à maitriser pour interagir avec son environnement. Cette crainte s'est avérée justifiée puisque mes conversations ne sont jamais rentrées en profondeur pendant les deux premiers mois. Il m'a donc fallu recourir à un moyen d'expression alternatif, la danse.

Je dois dire que les difficultés et obstacles rencontrés à l'oral ne sont jamais survenus sur scène. L'expression corporelle associée à la force des danses arméniennes inhibent toute timidité jusqu'à me rendre totalement arménienne. J'ai commencé par assister à un cours pour les débutants et après plusieurs sessions le professeur Gagik Ginosyan m'a proposé de rejoindre le groupe des amateurs « Karin ». Ce fut une véritable victoire personnelle et le lourd héritage transmis par mes ancêtres fut désormais reconnu en tant que tel.

Car il ne s'agit pas d'effectuer de simple pas de danse, il s'agit là de raconter une histoire, de préserver des coutumes et traditions afin de perpétuer l'authentique émotion de cet art.Préparation mentale et physique aux combats de guerre, femmes préparant le « matsoun », prière collective pour la tombée de la pluie, hommage aux défunts… l'héritage porté par les danses arméniennes est lourd, riche et varié.

J'ai eu par ailleurs le privilège de danser lors de la représentation publique de la troupe, au théâtre Stanislavski à Erevan. Je suis encore émue d'avoir inspiré une telle confiance à Mr. Ginosyan et ne serai jamais assez reconnaissante de sa gentillesse et de générosité. J'y ai ressenti sur scène une émotion incroyable, mais plus que tout le sentiment d'appartenir à un groupe qui partage les mêmes racines et une passion absolue pour cet art.

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Et Voila! We continue in our tradition of a multi-language newsletter. This time en francais.MON EXPERIENCE EN ARMENIEJennifer Pichard (AVC '09)

Tania Sahakian – Edgar Martirosian - Talar Sarafian – Ara Hasserjian – Juan Karaguezian - Shuntt Tanielian –

tsahakian@aol.commartirosyan@gmail.com

talar.sarafian@gmail.comararat84@rogers.com

juanhai2003@hotmail.comshuntt@hotmail.com

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Enfin, le dernier vendredi de chaque mois nous avons cette prodigieuse opportunité de danser parmi la population locale, qui n'a pas forcément les moyens ou le temps de prendre des cours par ailleurs. Durant ces quelques heures nous sommes tous unis et égaux, profitant de chaque instant de partage qui nous est offert. Je dois dire que ce jour représente la plus belle récompense que je ne pouvais souhaiter d'une telle aventure : celle d'enseigner la danse folklorique arménienne à des enfants d'Arménie.À tous les Arméniens de la diaspora qui liront cette histoire, je vous incite pleinement à venir vivre une telle rencontre car ce n'est qu'en Arménie qu'elle pourra naitre…Merci Depi Hayk !

ALUMNI CORNERNotable and Newsworthy Raffi Kortoshian (AVC '06) met Liana Hovhannisyan at the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO, where they both have been working since 2006. Then they got married, and now, the second Birthright baby, Haroutyun, was born on July 20 in Yerevan. We wish the best to the growing family!

And now for number three. Jeffrey Paretchan (AVC '04) who married Lilit Baghdasaryan in 2007, had their first baby Natalie this month. All the best to Jeff, Lilit and Natalie!

Along the lines of Birthright's social impact, our third Birthright Armenia couple Areg Maghakian (AVC '07) and Nyree Abrahamian (AVC '07) got married recently. They met while both were volunteering in Armenia. The wedding ceremony took place on August 15, 2009 in Yerevan with lots of repat alumni and volunteers in attendance. Congratulations and best wishes to you, Nyree and Areg!

Tamar Palandjian (AYF '04) and Arsen Kharatian (our former tour guide) are starting their MS programs at George Mason University in the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

Anouch Sarafian (DAC '05) was recently engaged with Vahe Chahbendarian in Paris.

Taking on the initiative of community activism, Veronica Siranosian (AVC '06), is helping organize the ANC – Professional Network event in Los Angeles in October. Among the invited speakers is our own Linda Yepoyan.

Armen Yerevanian (AVC '09) started Medical School at Case Western in Ohio. Before that, he was falling from the sky under a parachute….

Paleny Topjian (AVC '09) from Los Angeles returned to Armenia this summer right after her spring internship, and now is working at ReAnimania NGO as workshop coordinator.

Congratulations to Hrug Der Manuelian (AAA '05) who married Bianca Kalpackian last year and is now in Illinois, starting the MBA program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

And finally, Nishan Bingham (LCO '05) just finished an internship at the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, where he worked with the Human Resources and Development departments.

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BR/DH STAFF CORNER: What better news than an addition to the team! Yes, we

are glad to announce that AVC has a new Executive

Director, Sharistan Melkonian. Shari takes over from

our own Haykak, who filled the position for over a year

during our search for a permanent director. Shari brings

with her over 15 years of experience in the non-profit

sector and in the field of education management. For the

last eight years she was Legislative Director of YouthBuild

USA in Boston and New York. Says Shari, “I am

energized because I have the opportunity to work in

concert with incredible volunteers, a dedicated staff,

hundreds of alumni, and the potential wealth of

possibilities created when the Diaspora and Armenia

are bridged”. On behalf of all the alumni, we wish Shari

much success in her new position and look forward to

years of fruitful collaboration.

In fundraising news, our own Alexandra Ananian

(Kazarian) (AAA ‘04), and her husband Charles, will be

hosting a private fundraising event at their Whittier, CA

home in late October. And our Alumni Give Back Fund

has reached a total of $1,156. Thank you to all who have

contributed to date. The fund will continue to grow and

reach its maximum potential.

Social media is more than the buzz of the day. It's

undergoing exponential growth year by year, and its

impact is not yet fully understood. We are doing our part in

joining the momentum, and we are launching our own

'page' on Facebook, saying goodbye to our 'group'.

Please join us there, help us grow together on Facebook.

Moreover, we have started our own blog of volunteer

entries on Wordpress.com, we are tweeting on Twitter,

and posting on Flickr. Click the links below to access our

pages. We look forward to your active participation! D

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We concluded our fourth quarterly Alumni Photo Contest. Thanks for the many quality submissions. The winning photo belonged to Sara Sarkisian Bell (HFH '06). Congratulations! It was taken at the Haghpat Monastery in 2007.

We will be looking for photos in the following two categories –Landscape/Nature and People/Lifestyle. Just make sure your image is as vivid, exciting and emotional as life. Photos can be in color or black and white. We look forward to receiving your entry, even if you did not win for an earlier contest (the same photo may be submitted twice) by the November 15, 2 0 0 9 , s u b m i t t a l d e a d l i n e . S e n d t h e m t o

. And remember: the winner will receive a $100 gift certificate. info@birthrightarmenia.am

amazon.com

NEW RULES: To encourage a higher number of respondents from our alumni, and to create a more even playing field amongst continents, we will give all of you 72 hours to respond to our quiz with your answers. We will pick the winner from all correct respondents by a lottery.

A s a l w a y s , e m a i l a l l a n s w e r s t o H a y k a k a t and the winner will earn a $25 gift

certificate for .

For our Summer 2009 quiz, the winner was, once again, Areg Maghakian (AVC '06). The correct answers were:

1) Hovhannes Aivazovsky2) Artem Mikoyan3) Dikranagert

And here are the questions for the new quiz on theatre. These are easy, give them a try!

1) Which American-Armenian famous film director of 20th century used color schemes based on the work of Spanish artists such as Diego Velázquez and El Greco? 2) Which Armenian king wrote tragedies, orations, and historical commentaries?3) Which famous Armenian dramatic actor began his career in Constantinople in 1908 and was regarded as the greatest Shakespearean actor in the Soviet Union?

info@birthrightarmenia.amwww.amazon.com

We continue the new section in our newsletter, highlighting some alumni/volunteer anecdotes, and recipes. Send us your favorite Armenian recipes (learned anywhere), and/or your favorite personal story from Armenia that you'd like to share with the alumni family in the new ANECDOTES AND RECIPES section. This time Sophia Shahverdian (AVC '09) sent the recipe of a chocolate and one anecdote.

Here is Sophia's anecdote – “As a child, my Armenian school teacher stressed that I had to use the proper words to speak Armenian correctly. She would always correct me when I called a tomato a "bamidor" instead of a "lolig." When I arrived in Armenia, on my 1st day with my host family, I was given a "hatz, baneer & bamidor" sandwich and I couldn't help but laugh. Poor “lolig.”

And here is Sophia's host mom Gayane's “Armenian” Chocolate 400 grams sweetened condensed milk2 tbsp powdered sugar150 grams butter, softened3 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened1/4 tsp vanilla In bowl beat softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth (no bumps). Slowly add sweetened condensed milk, stopping periodically to stir. Add cocoa powder and vanilla and continue to beat. Beat until no bumps remain. Store in an air-tight container. Keep refrigerated.

QUIZ - Pages from Armenian History & Culture:

ANECDOTES AND RECIPES :

OUR SECOND PHOTO CONTEST FOR ALUMNI:

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The Armenian Theatre has its roots in the theatre of antiquity, during the formation of the Armenian nation 3,000 years ago. It is a natural development of ancient religious rituals, celebrating the Vegetation God or Life Spirit. The chief center of Armenian Paganism was the city of Ashtishat and its temples were the holiest points of worship for the entire nation. Pagan Armenian kings served as high priests, and whenever a king performed a sacrifice to the gods, it was celebrated publicly with the participation of his subjects. Hired professional goussans (troubadours), sang the praises of the king's or nobleman's ancestors in lengthy verses. Goussans who participated in burial rites and lamentations were known as voghbergou singers of lamentations or tragedians), and those participating in festive ceremonies were called katak (Jester) or katakagoussan (Comedians). Tragedy is the natural outgrowth of burial rites, and comedy stems from the fertility rites. The oldest duty of the Armenian Pantheon was the sun god Arev (meaning sun, often a synonym for life). Hence the Armenian expression, “May the sun be my witness,” or “I swear by the sun of my child”. The god Vahagn was known as the god of war and courage. His temple was located in Ashtishat, near the temple of Anahit, Anahit was the most celebrated of all Armenian goddesses and was known as the Great Mother, the “Giver of Life” to the nation. Another beloved goddess was Astrig (meaning little star). The holy feast of Vardavar, commemorating the blooming flower was dedicated to her. Armenians still celebrate this holiday with festivities. The god symbolizing nature was Ara the Handsome. Tir, the god of knowledge, was the god who led the souls of the dead to the underworld. As such, Tir's connection with ancestral worship ceremonies led to the development of Mystery plays. The history of the Armenian Real Theater begins at about 70 BC. According to Plutarch, the first historically known official theatre in Armenia was built during the reign of Tigran the Great, King of Armenia (95-55 B.C.) At that time, neighboring nations at the Western border of Armenia, i.e, Cappadocia, Cilicia, and Syria had absorbed Hellenistic culture, and several theatres were built in those regions. At the peak of his reign, when Tigran the Great tripled his conquests, he built the city of Tigranagert and opened its great public theatre in 69 B.C., fourteen years before Pompey's first great public theatre in Rome. Tigran's son, Artavazd II, who was reared in Hellenic culture, wrote several Greek tragedies, orations, and historical commentaries. After ascending the throne, Artavazd built the second permanent public theatre of Armenia in the old capital of Artashat. The tragedies of Euripides and the comedies of Menander were regularly produced there by a resident group of Greek actors who were brought to Armenia.by Artavazd. They also performed the Greek plays written by King Artavazd. King Artavazd II is considered the first Armenian playwright and director of Classical Armenian Theatre. Archeological excavations near the city of Armavir have unearthed three large stone tablets containing a long rhythmic Greek poem entitled “The War Loving Goddess”. It is believed by scholars that it is a portion of a tragedy written by Artavazd II. Armenia's earliest Christian reformers, as well as its later non-Christian enemies, destroyed vital records of its early artistic achievements. So thorough was the destruction that there is minimal evidence of pre-Christian Armenian literature.

SOMETHING ARMENIAN: The Roots of the Armenian Theatre

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Records about pre-Christian Armenian history are in foreign sources, such as Syriac, Classical Persian and Pahlevi, Greek and Latin. Many pagan customs and mores, however, were absorbed into Christianity and are still evident. While the formal Armenian Theatre, under Tigran and Artavazd, produced plays in the Greek language, the folk theatre of the Goussans continued to perform their plays in traditional, native Armenian.

The Armenian historian, Movses Khorenatzi (5th century A.D.), tells us that in pagan Armenia, dance was a vital part of the presentation and services of the Armenian epos (epic poetry). The ceremonial rendition of the Armenian epos was made by katakergag goussans (Comedian Troubadours) through dance movements and mimicry, expressing the meaning of the plot without dialogue. The Comedian Troubadours were the first pantomime players of the Armenian folk stages. The popularity of the Mime theatre increased, and when it reached highly indecent levels of eroticism, the church vehemently opposed its existence. The fifth-century Armenian Catholicos, Hovaness Mandagouni, wrote a series of articles accusing the theatre of demoralizing the nation. His articles provide valuable information on the nature of the theatre, its style and structure: larger audiences went to the theatres than to the churches; actors performed regularly in specially built theaters; and there were daily performances in some theatres. During the Golden Age of Classical Armenian in the 5th century the Bible was translated into Armenian (410 A.D.) Great advances in every field followed, including the theatre. But the advances Armenian culture came to an abrupt halt in the seventh century when the Arab invasion slowed all progress in 7th century. Although during the 11th through 14th centuries, the Armenian theatre continued to improve and enhance its dramatic styles in the Armenian-Cilicia area. A decline began with the fall of the last independent Armenian kingdom of Cilicia in 1375. Various theatre groups scattered all over Asia Minor, going to autonomous Armenian provinces. Charden, a French world traveller, in his Les Mimes de l'Orient, gives a detailed description of a performance he attended at the Armenian Mime Theatre in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1664. At that time Armenia was under Persian rule. Chardin's account reveals that the goussan tradition was still alive with mime action, accompanied by music, singing and dancing, similar to opera. In the 18th century, original plays and translations of European plays were published in Classical Armenian. They only attracted a secular audience, and as a result they were seldom performed, but were used in schools in the study of classical Armenian. Plays were written by the resident clergy and performed by the students. The pioneer efforts of the Mekhitarists provided a significant step in the development of the Western Armenian Theatre.

Interested in some Birthright Armenia Paraphernalia? Interested in a sweatshirt or a cap with the Birthright Armenia logo? S imply v is i t our shop at

and see the available products. This is a good way to showcase your pride as alumni.

We are eager to receive new alumni stories, updates and photos for the Winter 2009-2010 Alumni Newsletter, so please send your submissions to .

http://www.cafepress.com/depihayk

info@birthrightarmenia.am