Burbank Leader (Glendale, California)
December 2, 2017 Saturday
World Kindertransport Day event hopes to inspire younger generation
Anthony Clark Carpio, Burbank Leader, Glendale, Calif.
Dec. 02--The nonprofit that puts on an annual commemoration for World
Kindertransport Day in Burbank is expanding the event to honor and
remember those who have been affected by the Armenian Genocide.
The Southern California chapter of the Kindertransport Assn. will host
a candlelight walk against persecution and genocide at 6 p.m. on
Sunday in front of Burbank City Hall, at 275 E. Olive Ave.
After a few words from city officials, those participating, including
survivors of the Kindertransport, are expected to walk with candles in
hand to the Colony Theatre at 555 N. Third St., where several guests
are scheduled to speak about the Kindertransport and Armenian
Genocide, said Janet Diel, co-chair of the event.
Rachel Rubin-Green, president of the Southern California chapter of
the nonprofit, is scheduled to speak about the Kindertransport, which
was a rescue effort before the start of World War II that saved the
lives of about 10,000 children, most of them Jewish, from countries
occupied by the Nazis.
Afterward, David Meyerhof, a member of the Burbank Human Relations
Council, is slated to honor Varian Fry, who was one of the many people
who helped the children flee to England.
However, Diel said this year's ceremony is expanding to commemorate
rescuers and refugees of the Armenian Genocide.
Armond Aghakhanian, a member of the Burbank Unified school board, is
expected to give a presentation about the genocide of Armenian people
by the Ottoman Empire that occurred from 1915 to 1923, during which
more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed.
Aghakhanian, as well as Michael Soehner and Bev Weise, is scheduled to
talk about the status of the refugee crisis, Diel said.
"It's not a political issue," said Diel about the free event on
Sunday. "It's a life issue."
She said she hopes it starts a dialogue, especially with children and
teens, about what they can do to put an end to persecution of any kind
in the world.
"What I tell children is that it isn't just about what these amazing
men and women experienced, because they got up every single day with
two choices: live or die," Diel said. "It's about hearing what
happened to them as children and what they did to survive. I tell the
children that they are the future, and the key to helping keep all
people safe and helping us move forward with tolerance, understand and
love for one another."
Diel, who wears many hats and volunteers with numerous nonprofits and
organizations in Burbank, said that she and her generation have done
what they could to invoke some kind of change in society, with hopes
of making the world a better place for everyone, and that it is up to
younger generations of children to continue that effort.
"The cure to this disease we call hatred has to come from the young
people, and it has to come by each one of them reaching out to one
more person," Diel said. "That's how they can help."
Canada NewsWire
December 2, 2017 Saturday 9:00 AM Eastern Time
Media Advisory - Canadian Stories: Our Shared Experiences Over 150 Years
TORONTO and MONTREAL, Dec. 2, 2017 /CNW/ - The media is invited to
participate in a one day conference on Genocide, Multiculturalism and
Human Rights in the context of Canada's 150th has been organized by
the Armenian National Committee of Canada, the Holodomor Research and
Education Consortium, with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human
Rights, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Ukrainian
Canadian Congress, the Canadian Hellenic Congress and the Rwandan
Humura Association. The conference will explore the history of
Genocide experiences and Canada's response to them, the evolution of
Canadian multiculturalism and the pivotal role Canada should play in
International human rights today.
WHEN:
December 3, 2017 at 10:30 am - 5:30 pm the Armenian Community Centres
of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, simultaneously, connected to each
other via live broadcast.
WHO:
Shahen Mirakian, National President of the Armenian National Committee of Canada
Paul Grod, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and
Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress.
Jessica Labranche, Principal at Black Feather Law Professional Corporation
Jonathan Kay, Journalist
In Toronto ? live webcast
Professor Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill
Professor Frank Sysyn Holodomor Research and Education Consortium
Garnett Genuis, MP Sherwood Park?Fort Saskatchewan
Jonathan Kay ? Keynote Speaker
Dr. John Young, President and CEO - Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Arif Virani, MP Parkdale?High Park
Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the Federal NDP
In Montreal ? live webcast
Hon. Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C,Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for
Human Rights
Anthony Housefather, MP Mount-Royal
Dr. Kyle Matthews Executive Director Montreal Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies
WHERE:
Toronto: 45 Hallcrown Place, Toronto, ON, M2J 4Y4
Montreal: 3400 Rue Nadon, Montréal, QC H4J 1P5
Vancouver: 13780 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V6V1A2
1620 – English language newspaper Namloos begins publishing in Amsterdam
1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself emperor of France in Paris, taking the crown from attending Pope Pius VII.
1816 – The first savings bank in the United States, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, opens for business.
1848 – Austria's Emperor Ferdinand I abdicates in favour of Franz Joseph I.
1920 – Armenia cedes territory to Turkey by Treaty of Alexandropol while Communists seize power in Armenian capital Yerevan and proclaim a Soviet republic.
1942 – Nuclear chain reaction is demonstrated for the first time by scientists working on the secret Manhattan Project underneath the University of Chicago's football stadium.
1954 – United States Senator Joseph McCarthy is censured by the Senate for browbeating army personnel with his communist witch- hunts.
1969 – The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its debut as 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, fly from Seattle to New York City.
1971 – Britain terminates all treaties with crucial states in the Gulf, leading to formation of United Arab Emirates.
1982 – In the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University of Utah Medical Centre implant a permanent artificial heart. Barney Clark, a retired dentist, lives 112 days with the device.
1993 – Drug lord Pablo Escobar, one of the world's most wanted men, is killed in a gunfight with security forces in Colombia, 16 months after he escaped from prison.
2001 – Enron, the largest United States energy-trading company, files for bankruptcy protection, dealing a blow to financial markets worldwide. It is the largest bankruptcy in United States history.
2006 – Fidel Castro fails to attend a military parade marking the 50th anniversary of the date he and his rebels launched their revolution, fuelling speculation that the ailing Cuban leader may not ever return to power.
2010 – Swedish authorities win a court ruling in their bid to arrest the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for questioning in a rape case.
TEHRAN – An exhibition of watercolors by a number of Iranian-Armenian artists is currently underway at Tehran’s Shirin Gallery.
Works by Sumbat Derkiverqian, Avak Hayrapetian, Yervand Nehapetian, Yassayi Shajanian and Michael (Misha) Shahbazian have been selected for the showcase.
The exhibition will be running until December 14 at the gallery located at No. 5, 13th St., Karim Khan Ave.
Photo: “The Holy Savior Cathedral” by Yervand Nehapetian
London Chess Classic, the concluding leg of the 2017 Grand Chess Tour, kicked off in London on Friday.
All the games of the first round – Ian Nepomniachtchi-Levon Aronian, Wesley So-Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Michael Adams-Sergey Karjakin, Hikaru Nakamura-Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen-Fabiano Caruana – ended in draw.
According to the National Olympic Committee, Armenian GM Levon Aronian will face Fabiano Caruana on the second round scheduled for Saturday.
London Chess Classic 2017 is held in the 10-player round robin format featuring a prize fund of $300,000.
Chris Cornell gets Satellite Award nom for Armenian Genocide film song
Chris Cornell's solo track "The Promise", which the artist had written and recorded for the 2016 film of the same name about the Armenian Genocide, has been nominated for Satellite Award in the category of Best Original Song, announced recently by the International Press Academy.
The late Soundgarden frontman has also been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Rock Performance.
'The Promise' film has raised awareness about the atrocities during the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and recruited the general public and leaders from around the world to fight for human rights with its #KeepThePromise social media campaign. All proceeds from the film are being donated to non-profit organizations and humanitarian causes – including the establishment of The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA.
Cornell too donated all proceeds from the song to the International Rescue Committee, a charity that responds to humanitarian crises by helping to restore health, education and economic wellbeing, among other things, to people stricken by conflict.
The Satellite Awards will take place on February 10.
Ethnographic flash mob held in Yerevan's Republic Square Ethnographic flash mob held in Yerevan's Republic Square
14:05, 02.12.2017
YEREVAN. – It is extremely important to awake imagination of the children living in remote Armenian communities, Armenian Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan told reporters before the start of the flash mob on December 2 (PHOTO).
According to Amiryan, Armenian citizens should have the opportunity to get acquainted with contemporary art.
“This was the main task, which, in my opinion, we had fully implemented,” the minister said.
Singer and musician Arsen Grigoryan said that various song and dance ensembles from the different provinces of Armenia had been invited to the ethnographic flash mob in Yerevan.
“Armenia My love” event was launched with a flash mob in Yerevan. The event will be held from 2 to 3 December. Dancers and musicians from 40 large and small communities of Armenia will participate.
Monastery of Saint Thaddeus, A UNESCO-Inscribed Tourist Spot in Iran
News ID: 1583425 Service: Tourism
December, 02, 2017 – 18:30
Alternatively known as Qareh Klise (meaning black church), the property presents important vestiges of Armenian culture in the region.
Together with St. Stepanos Monastery and the Chapel of Dzordzor, Qareh Klise was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 under the name “Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran”.
All the three sites are located in West Azarbaijan Province and are of high significance from both historical and cultural perspectives. They bear credible testimony to interchanges with the ancient regional societies in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.
UNESCO experts say these edifices are examples of outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.
Narratives say Qareh Klise was built as a memorial to Judas Thaddeus, who traveled to Mesopotamia and Persia as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.
Splendid outside, yet quite plain indoor, the monastery shows off elaborate bas-reliefs of flowers, animals and human figures on its façade and exterior walls. It bears verses of Old and New Testament in Armenian calligraphy as well.
The church has largely been underwent stages of renovation projects, notably following an earthquake in 1319 CE, and later in the early 19th century upon the order of Qajar prince Abbas Mirza.
St. Thaddeus has always been a place of high spiritual value for Christians and other inhabitants in the region. Every summer, it hosts gatherings of pilgrims coming from Iran and Armenia to observe special religious ceremonies such as Holy Communion and baptism.
Greek maestro Yanni enthrals music lovers in Jeddah
ABDUL WASEY NAIK
Greek musician Yanni performs at a concert in the King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia on November 30, 2017. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Greek musician Yanni and English cellist Sarah O’Brien perform at a concert in the King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia on November 30, 2017. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
2 photos
JEDDAH: Renowned Greek composer and pianist Yanni enthralled a sell-out crowd at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) on Thursday in a concert held under the supervision of the Saudi General Authority for Entertainment.
Yanni, 63, enjoyed a great reception from fans as he arrived on stage with his 12-piece orchestra.
The show kicked off with a short introductory performance by the trumpet players, with Yanni assisting them on the piano. At the end of this ephemeral piece, Yanni told the crowd, “I am so happy to be in Saudi Arabia. It feels like home… it’s just perfect.”
After the powerful introductory piece, Yanni calmed things with a performance of his popular 1992 track “Felitsa” — composed for his mother — under a bright spotlight, with dim red and blue spotlights falling on orchestra members, accompanied by a sea of smartphones held aloft by the crowd.
While Yanni’s performance included many new compositions, it was the blockbusters the crowd most wanted to hear and he did not disappoint, airing classics including “Nostalgia,” “Marching Season,” and “Standing In Motion” to rapturous applause.
“The Rain Must Fall” was enlivened by the outstanding skills of bassist Gabriel Vivas, while an exquisite rendition of “Nightingale” revealed the phenomenal vocal range of American soprano Lauren Jelencovich.
Perhaps the wildest reception of the night (aside from those afforded Yanni himself), though, was reserved for drummer Charlie Adams’ extended solo — performed with dazzling speed and dexterity — during which he amused the crowd by sipping from his coffee.
Yanni concluded his show with his upbeat composition “The Storm,” which featured a beautiful performance by Armenian violinist Samvel Yervinyan and Lindsay Deutsch, an American violinist. The crowd was noisily appreciative of the awe-inspiring pace at which the musicians performed this intricate piece.
Speaking to Arab News before the show, Yanni’s daughter Krystall Ann, who is travelling with her father, said: “I’m just so happy and thrilled that we can actually be here. It’s been beautiful. I’m excited that we’ll be here a full two weeks, from coast to coast. It’s been lovely so far."
Yanni performed another show in Jeddah on Friday. He will play at the Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University auditorium in Riyadh on Dec. 3-4, and at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran on Dec. 6-7.
Greek maestro Yanni enthrals music lovers in Jeddah
One of the numerous Holy relics of the Armenian Church is the Holy Lance (Geghard), which is also used to bless and consecrate the Holy Chrism (Muron) of the Armenian Church.
Director of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin's information department Fr. Vahram Melikyan detailed on Facebook that the Holy Lance is the tip of the metal spear, which was used by the Roman soldier to pierce the side of our Lord Jesus Christ while he hung on the cross. The Holy Gospel speaks about it: “When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break His shins but one of the soldiers pierced his sides by a javelin and there was immediately blood and water” (Rom. 19: 33-34).
According to the ecclesiastical tradition, the Apostle St. Thaddeus, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, brought this sacred relic of the Lord to the Armenian world in the first century. For centuries the Holy Christian relic has been kept at different monasteries in Western (historical) Armenia, and since the 13th century in Ayrivank, which afterwards was renamed Geghardavanq in honor of the Holy Geghard.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Holy Geghard was brought to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and is still kept in the spiritual center of All Armenians.
According to historical information, the Holy Geghard with is miraculous power has dispelled mental and physical illnesses. For that purpose, during the 18-19th centuries, it was taken to different provinces of Armenia, as well as to Tbilisi, Georgia several times.
As Fr. Vahram Melikyan informed, the Holy Lance will be taken to Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for the Feast of the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew today and remain on display until evening.