PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
395 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610

LECTURE AT NAASR ON HUMANITARIAN ROLE OF
ALEPPO PRELACY DURING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Dr. Vahram Shemmassian will give a lecture entitled
"Humanitarian Intervention by the Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo during the
First Months of the Armenian Genocide," on Thursday, May 20, at 8:00
p.m., at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research
(NAASR) Center, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

In 1915, the city of Aleppo in northern Syria constituted
the main funnel through which thousands of Armenian deportees from
across the Ottoman Empire filtered on their forced marches to extinction
by genocidal design. During their transitional sojourn or, in the case
of the more fortunate ones, permanent stay in that metropolis, the
outcasts received humanitarian assistance, albeit often with difficulty
and clandestinely, from several corners including the U.S. Consulate and
Swiss missionaries. Similarly, the Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo played a
pivotal role in alleviating the misery of incoming deportees during the
turbulent years of World War I and beyond.

This talk will shed light on the humanitarian mission
embarked upon by a special instrument of the Prelacy, called the
Refugees Committee, which was constituted for the specific purpose of
aiding the victim element. Although the Refugees Committee remained
active at least through early 1917, the paucity of sources does not
allow for a fuller investigation of the entire period. On the other
hand, two extant files in the Prelacy archives enable us to focus on the
months of May, June, and July 1915 with considerable detail, although
certain points continue to remain moot.

Five areas of interest will be dealt with: first, the
formation of the Refugees Committee; second, the arrival of deportees in
and their relocation from Aleppo; third, fund raising, relief, and other
accommodations; fourth, the extension of succor to the outlying
districts; fifth, a viability report.

Dr. Vahram Shemmassian is Associate Professor of Armenian
and Director of the Armenian Studies Program at California State
University, Northridge. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA and wrote a
dissertation entitled "The Armenian Villagers of Musa Dagh: A
Historical-Ethnographic Study, 1840-1915."

More information about Shemmassian’s lecture or NAASR and
its programs for the furtherance of Armenian studies, research, and
publication may be had by calling 617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759,
e-mailing hq@naasr.org, or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont,
MA 02478.