Daily News (New York)
November 19, 2006 Sunday
SPORTS FINAL EDITION

ARMENIAN COMMUNITY TOASTS INDEPENDENCE

BY SNEJANA FARBEROV SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

RED, BLUE and orange – the colors of the Armenian flag – were waved
proudly in Brooklyn last Sunday as the 15,000-strong local Armenian
community celebrated 15 years of national independence.

The main event of the day was organized by St. Gregory Mission Parish
and held at St. Edmund’s Church on Ocean Ave. More than 150 guests,
some from as far away as Germany, convened there for an evening of
poetry readings, traditional dance performances by the Sevan
ensemble, and a mixed bag of musical treats.

The evening began with a performance of the American and Armenian
national anthems by lead soloist Jenny Bagdasarian and passionate
community activist Elen Ohanyan, both of whom grew up in the U.S.
That set the tone for the event: Move forward, but remember where you
came from.

"I consider myself both an Armenian and an American," said
Bagdasarian, 15. "I want everyone to know that I’m not only an
American who came to live here, but also that I have Armenian roots.

"It’s important to me, because my family is from Armenia," she
continued, "and when all those people died during the genocide, we’re
very proud they sacrificed everything so that we could have a better
life."

The Sunday festivities were just a commemoration of the secession of
Armenia from the crumbling Soviet Union, which had controlled the
proud little nation since 1920. Perhaps more importantly, it was a
celebration of 3,000 years of rich culture and history marked by a
tragedy that galvanized the Armenian national character.

"We survived, and now – thank God – we have our homeland, even a
small one, and we try to protect it," said Marina Bagdasarova,
principal of the Armenian School of Brooklyn, which is affiliated
with the St. Gregory parish.

The Rev. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral, Eastern
Armenian Diocese, who officiated the formal part of the event, said
that the Armenian Church has always been the true backbone of the
Armenian nation. Chevian noted that it has provided a safe harbor for
the worshipers to come together in fellowship and prayer, and it
remains at the heart of the Armenian diaspora in New York.

"During the Soviet period, when Armenia was not able to reach out as
much as it can now, [it was] the church that maintained the Armenian
identity outside of Armenia," added Chevian.

Bagdasarova said that for the past several years, civic leaders have
been striving to build an Armenian community center that would
provide an additional venue to pass on the language and traditions of
the old country to the next generation before it is too late.
However, as it turns out, in such endeavors, size does matter.

"Considering the fact that we are a relatively small community here,
much smaller than others, we clearly receive far less attention from
the city and county governments," lamented Bagdasarova.

In the meantime, students of the Armenian School perform in local
Jewish centers and nursing homes, and at fund-raisers and festivals,
introducing people to their heritage through music and dance. Some of
their regular gigs include the annual Russian Heritage Week and
charity concerts in Brooklyn’s Millennium Theater, and the Shorefront
YM-YWHA on Brighton Beach.

Bagdasarova explained that it is no coincidence that Armenians and
Jews are so close: In the past century, the two nations were united
by the horrors of genocide and repeated pogroms that confined them
but failed to break their spirit.

Armenia was the first nation in the world to officially adopt
Christianity as its religion in A.D. 301. Its people were repeatedly
persecuted by their Muslim neighbors, and dispersed throughout the
world. Not until 1991 did Armenia regain its long-lost independence.

"Armenians take great pride in their millennia of history," said
Bagdasarova. "We are fortunate to be living in a country where you
can take independence, its inevitability, and the rights that it
promises, for granted."

GRAPHIC: MARC A. HERMANN Entertaining Armenian locals at St. Edmund’s
Church celebration are dancers Armine Arushonova (l.) and Ellen
Ohanyan.