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The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 42; Oct. 20, 2007
Community:
1. A Lingering Community, Ecclesiastic Politics and Regional Conflict
The Fate of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem
By Andy Turpin
2. Pity This Poor Accidental Tourist
By Tom Vartabedian
3. Der Arshag Daghlian Celebrates 40th Anniversary
By Tom Vartabedian
4. Orhan Pamuk: Armenian Genocide Is a Moral Issue
By Khatchig Mouradian
***
1. A Lingering Community, Ecclesiastic Politics and Regional Conflict
The Fate of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem
By Andy Turpin
BELMONT, Mass. (A.W.)-On Oct. 11, Bedross Der Matossian, a graduate student
at Columbia University, gave a talk at the National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research (NAASR) Center titled, "The Armenian Quarter in
Jerusalem: Past, Present and Future."
NAASR’s director of programs and publications, Marc A. Mamigonian,
introduced Der Matossian, who then said his lecture would focus on three
topics: the British Mandate Period of Palestine (1923-48); the relationship
between the different governments and the Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate,
and the Patriarchate and Armenian laity community of Jerusalem; and the
current challenges facing the Armenian community of Jerusalem.
"I want to start from an important period-1863," Der Matossian said, "which
was a crucial point for Armenians in the Ottoman Empire because that’s when
they ratified their own constitution."
"But this constitution didn’t affect Jerusalem itself. Even before the
genocide there were 2,000 to 3,000 Armenians living in Palestine in
different cities," he explained. "The Kemalist offensive in 1920 was the
greatest factor in Armenian immigration to Palestine."
Der Matossian said the Mandate period was an exemplary epoch for gathering
and keeping records. "There were too many censuses then," he said.
"Palestine during the British period was divided primarily into the North
and South districts. They give us an idea, although they’re not entirely
accurate because we know a lot of Armenians entered Jerusalem illegally then
looking for job opportunities in Palestine."
Very few records exist from 1910-21, Der Matossian explained, because there
was no leadership; the Armenian National Assembly had decided in 1908 to
impeach the Patriarchate for mismanagement, and for the next 13 years, there
was no Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.
It was during the Mandate period that two important orphanages supported by
the AGBU were established for Armenians. "This is also the time in which the
[Armenian] Brotherhood constitution was ratified to vest authority in the
Brotherhood itself. In seven years, they were able to decrease the debt of
the Brotherhood and buy several properties in West Jerusalem."
"In 1921, we also see a revival in Armenian cultural and educational
institutions," he said. "It is just extraordinary dealing with the Palestine
Post to see the Armenian involvement in society and sports. The orphans
themselves formed a Union! The Armenians were competing on the 1st League in
football and boxing." Reading a brief 1930s-era excerpt from the Post, Der
Matossian read how "Boxer Mardo" became the Near East champion after
defeating the previous champion from Egypt.
He explained the demographic breakdown of the Jerusalem Armenian community.
"Most [immigrants] didn’t come to Jerusalem with money, only their crafts.
Many more had shops in West Jerusalem [outside the Old City]. During this
period, the New City began to develop. A class emerged among Armenians who
began to acquire houses outside the [Armenian] Quarter." Der Matossian’s own
family lived in the Armenian Quarter-12 to 15 people in one room.
While during the Mandate, the Armenian Patriarchate kept good relations with
the British, those relations changed after the Mandate ended in 1948. "The
Cold War became a contested place for Jerusalem, between the Sees of
Etchmiadzin and Cilicia," Der Matossian said.
"It is reasonable to say that the lack of a unified body to voice complaints
is crucial to community decline," he explained. "It is clear that the
Armenian Patriarchate during the 20th century was apprehensive to see the
forming of a unified laity body."
"And the reality today is that it’s not easy for any church organization to
intercede on the part of the laity because the churches have their own
problems with the Israeli government."
Speaking to the daily-life realties and hardships Armenians face living in
Jerusalem, Der Matossian said, "You can’t marry an Armenian from Lebanon, in
that you can’t bring your spouse to Jerusalem. The community is too small,
the number of men is five times greater than that of the women, and the
marriage rate is low."
Jerusalem-Armenians also lack a defined status. "I have no citizenship," he
said. "I have a travel document. I have no citizenship." Der Matossian added
that his travel document is the same issued to Palestinians in East
Jerusalem. "I have the same document they do," he said.
According to Der Matossian, business politics is integral to understanding
the decline of the Armenian community there. "Everyone left because of the
situation," he said. "If you want to rent from an Israeli, you can’t because
you’re not a citizen." The high price of real estate in Jerusalem also keeps
Armenians from buying houses. "The Armenian community is one of the richest
real estate wise, but they are not benefiting." Der Matossian maligned. "It
is very difficult for an Armenian to buy a house in West Jerusalem."
"There are empty compounds in the quarter itself and the Patriarchate is not
encouraging the re-population of Armenians in Jerusalem," he derided.
Speaking to the history of numerous buyouts of Armenian Quarter properties
by the Israeli government, Der Matossian said that one of the reasons they
occurs is "the lack of transparency involving the Patriarchate and real
estate." He suggested forming an Advisory Council-one run not by Etchmiadzin
or Antelias but by the Armenian diaspora-to help remedy the current
situation. The Council, he said, could be charged with evaluating the
"living conditions of the population and the equal distribution of
resources." Creating such an entity "needs to be done soon," he implored.
"It should be the diaspora’s mission to challenge any decision made on the
future of the Armenian Quarter."
Der Matossian also made clear that "clinging to party and ideology has
failed in the past and will fail again. Partisan representation would be
inadvisable to avoid what has happened before in particular during the Cold
War."
During the question and answer session, Der Matossian was asked about the
status of the other Christian communities in Jerusalem, as compared to the
Armenian community. He noted, "The Latin community is doing a great job.
They’ve built a tract of land and they are building small communities. They
have the Vatican supporting them."
Relations between the Greek Patriarchs of ethnic and national Greek descent,
and the Arab-Greek parishioners are strained, he said. "They are in a worse
situation. Jerusalem is a very tense place and these are very sophisticated
ecclesiastical politics."
Speaking about the new wave of priest immigration into Jerusalem, Der
Matossian said that most of the new priests are coming from Armenia. "Does
this mean in the future they will be more biased towards Etchmiadzin?" he
asked. "Once more, history will repeat itself unless there is an Advisory
Council to take part in the decision process."
"I used to think that Jerusalem-Armenians were apolitical before the
Genocide," he said. "But in 1908, the local community was against some
officials in the Patriarchate who were mismanaging its affairs. They weren’t
apolitical. Instead, they demonstrated and appealed to the local Ottoman
government."
Der Matossian ended with a call for involvement and community activism.
NAASR chair Nancy R. Kolligian stated in thanks, "Many of us have lost sight
of a treasure in Jerusalem. It’s important not to let this die."
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2. Pity This Poor Accidental Tourist
By Tom Vartabedian
When it comes to travel, Steve Dulgarian stands as a roving tourist.
Together with wife Angele, he visits California at the drop of a hat to be
with family. When the call came to baby-sit, the two would jet to the West
Coast and fulfill their obligations as grandparents.
They would alternate that excursion with Armenia. They’ve been to the
homeland 10 times and to Historic Armenia twice, not to mention Israel,
Syria and Lebanon.
In doing so, they leave no stone unturned. They know the ropes, the
loopholes and the rigmarole. To say they are frequent flyers is an
understatement. Even
the birds in the sky know who they are.
But even the most seasoned travel veterans are apt to suffer a lapse now and
then.
The Dulgarians are still fuming over a recent experience in Italy.
They planned this junket for a year. They would board their flight in Boston
and fly Air France to Paris. From there, they would hop aboard an Alitalia
airline to Rome for-among other highlights-a public audience with the Pope
in Basilica Square.
The itinerary called for trips to Florence, Pisa, Sorrento, Pompeii, the
Isle of Capri, gondola rides in Venice and finally to the island of San
Lazaro for a visit with the Mekhitarist Fathers.
It was to be the perfect venture, but wait!
No sooner did they arrive at Logan when they were hit by the news that their
flight had a "slight malfunction" and they were waiting to have it
rectified. Six hours later, they were given a soda and crackers, along with
some encouragement.
"Thank you for your patience," came a voice. "We hope to have you in the air
shortly."
Once air-bound, they didn’t count on all the other arrangements being
muddled. Connections were fouled in Paris and after arriving in Rome, a
planned tour guide was nowhere to be found. A taxi expense to the hotel cost
them an added $100.
But the worst was yet to come. Steve Dulgarian’s luggage never arrived. He
waved good-bye to it in Boston and never caught sight of it again. Inside
were clothes, toiletries, his treasured camera, pills, an iron and hair
dryer. Seems those last two items aren’t found in most Italian hotels.
For 14 days, they called and re-called daily. They contacted officials and
agents. All they got was an exercise in futility.
To make matters worse, Angele lost her favorite watch on a chair lift to the
mountains. Off it fell from her wrist to the depths below.
"It was pretty revolting," said Steve. "The suitcase simply disappeared out
of sight and nobody had an answer. For two weeks, I lived like a prisoner."
Too vain to buy another razor, not to mention the dear cost, he wound up
going shaveless for two weeks. People in his tour group had the perfect
nickname for him. They called him "padre."
The only clothes he had was what he was wearing until his wife finally got
to a store four days later and shelled out $40 for underwear, another $40
for an extra shirt and $13 for a pair of socks.
She didn’t count on doing wash every other day at the hotel. And he didn’t
figure on walking all over Italy in leather shoes until his arches nearly
gave out.
Angele had her suitcase but her sneakers and shoes were in her husband’s
valise. The fact that there was identification on the suitcase didn’t much
matter. Two previous hassles with lost luggage were rectified after the
trip.
"It wouldn’t surprise me if someone lifted my suitcase," he surmised. "I
wasn’t the only one. Two others in our group had the same problem."
The paperwork he had to fill out was worse than an IRS form-pages and pages
of ridiculous data that spilled over three days. Receipts of all items in
the suitcase were being requested, regardless of date purchased.
"They wouldn’t listen to me on the telephone," he groaned. "I had to file
everything by mail-pages and pages of forms."
Next year is another year. The Dulgarians hope to make it a memorable one by
visiting Haiastan for the 11th year to mark their golden wedding
anniversary. They will be joined by four children and their spouses,
together with nine grandchildren.
How do they hope to solve their baggage woes?
"With an extra large carry-on," said Steve.
——————————————- ————————————————– ——-
3. Der Arshag Daghlian Celebrates 40th Anniversary
By Tom Vartabedian
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (A.W.)-Had Rev. Archpriest Arshag Daghlian not devoted
40 years of his life to the clergy, he would have been a mechanic.
He could have very well been the guy who repaired your car engine or worked
on some missile in a power plant.
Instead, he chose a life of God.
As he begins his fifth decade in the church, Der Arshag reflects upon his
long and distinguished career in the church with abundant sentiment and
deep-rooted conviction.
"It’s true," smiled the 86-year-old from his North Andover terrace. "I was a
pretty good mechanic in my day and loved working with my hands."
The alternative career lasted through his marriage to Yeretsgin Lucy and
three children before he saw the guiding light. At the age of 40, he arrived
home one day and said to his family, "I’m entering the seminary."
The family was living in Lebanon at the time, close to the monastery at
Antilias. The Daghlian name was already familiar. All three children had
been attending the George Mardikian School there.
Der Arshag applied to the seminary two months later and was accepted without
haste. After completing his studies, he was ordained in Whitinsville in 1967
by His Holiness Archbishop Hrant Khatchadourian.
"There was a shortage of priests," Lucy recalled. "I was surprised but not
totally amazed by his decision. I could see the happiness in his eyes."
He launched his ministry at St. Paul’s Armenian Church in Waukegan, Ill.
Three years later, he packed his bags-and a family of five kids-and headed
out to North Andover where the Armenian faithful had purchased a church they
called St. Gregory.
He remained here 15 years (1970-85), longer than any other pastor, before
leaving to take on a different role as a "traveling priest."
Over the next 20 years, Rev. Daghlian spent so much time in the sky that
even the birds were familiar to him. He wound up serving 19 different
churches throughout the country, as far south as Florida and as far west as
Illinois and Wisconsin.
Paying no heed to age, he would embark from Logan every Saturday toward a
new destination and return the next day after celebrating Badarak. If there
was a Sunday banquet, he’d delay his flight to Monday.
Over that time, he maintained an impeccable record toward consistency.
Blizzards. Hurricane warnings. Delays of every magnitude. Excruciating
inspection lines. And lingering layovers. Airport food was a far cry from
the home-cooked Armenian food to which he was accustomed.
"The only Sunday he ever missed was when he came down with pneumonia and we
wouldn’t let him travel," said daughter Sonia, a registered nurse at
Lawrence General Hospital. "People loved my dad because of his honesty. That
made him so very special."
On occasion, Lucy would accompany him, but in most instances he was alone.
Two years ago-at the ripe age of 84-he decided it was enough.
But not his service as a venerable archpriest. He’s often seen on the altar
of St. Gregory’s in some capacity or whenever there’s a need, always held in
the highest of esteem by Der Vartan as "my senior colleague."
A particular focus was paid to the elderly and infirmed not to exclude
schoolchildren and those in between.
"I always took a particular interest in patients who were bedridden," he
brought out. "The fact my whole family has been involved with the church is
particularly gratifying."
Son John became an ordained deacon who has served his father numerous times.
Other children include Nora Sarajian, a civil engineer much like her
brother, and Houry, a doctor of pharmacy. A daughter Aida Chareth died in
2000 after working as a technical writer.
Ironically, all five children graduated from Merrimack College, North
Andover, where Der Arshag has taken a number of theological classes. The
family also includes seven grandchildren, one of whom is also attending
Merrimack.
His favorite pastimes these days are beating opponents in tavlou and
following his grandchildren at AYF Olympics and other endeavors as well as
reading and writing.
"A Sunday never went by when I didn’t feel spiritually fulfilled." Der
Arshag maintained. "It’s been a wonderful opportunity to serve God and my
country."
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4. Orhan Pamuk: Armenian Genocide Is a Moral Issue
By Khatchig Mouradian
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-Answering a question from the audience during his book
reading on Oct. 12 at the Memorial Church organized by the Harvard
Bookstore, Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk said that for him, the Armenian
genocide is a personal and moral issue that needs to be discussed freely in
Turkey.
When the question, "What do you think about the Armenian genocide resolution
in the U.S. Congress?" was asked, Pamuk said, "I was expecting this
question." After being interrupted by laughter from the audience, Pamuk
noted, "Don’t worry, I’ll get out of it." He went on to say, "For me, it’s a
moral issue, it’s a personal issue. for me it’s an issue of free
speech-which we don’t totally have-in Turkey." "The Turkish people should be
able to freely discuss" this issue, he noted.
Pamuk added, "I basically think it is upsetting that this issue is getting
to be an arm-twisting issue [between states] rather than a moral/free speech
issue in Turkey."
Orhan Pamuk was in Cambridge to read from his newly published book Other
Colors: Essays and a Story (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007). Pamuk is the winner of
the 2006 Nobel Literature prize. In 2005, he was charged "insulting
Turkishness" under Turkey’s notorious Article 301 for saying in an interview
with a Swiss magazine, "Thirty thousand Kurds, and a million Armenians were
killed in these lands and nobody dares to talk about it." The charges were
later dropped.