Category: 2023

BY ARA JAMES NAJARIAN

On Saturday, April 15, 2023, Dr. Vartkes Najarian passed away peacefully at his home in Glendale surrounded by his wife, children, their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchild.

Vartkes Najarian was born April 4, 1930 in Kessab, Syria to Hagop, an evangelical minister, and Rebecca. They had five children: Sirvart, Ardashes, Vartkes, Vasken and Vrej. At an early age, the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon.  

After attending the Armenian Evangelical High School, he graduated from the American University of Beirut and received a scholarship to enter the AUB Medical School. In his spare time, he worked as a lifeguard on the Mediterranean beach and was a star athlete and national rowing champion.

He graduated from Medical School in 1957, and came to the United States to continue his medical training. After an internship in New Jersey, he went to Chicago, where he trained under the famous Dr. Hampar Kelikian. In 1958, while in Chicago, he married Mary Kevorkian a registered nurse and AUB graduate.

He completed his orthopedic training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, where he settled down and raised four children: Ara, Armen, Raffi, and Maro. In the 20 years he spent in Cleveland, he served the community by volunteering as the sports team physician for Hawken School and the West Geauga School District.

In 1980, the family moved to California to be closer to his extended family and the flourishing Armenian community. He started his private orthopedic practice in Glendale where he pioneered the first weekly successful health program on Armenian Television.

His first visit to Soviet Armenia in 1984 sparked a burning passion to help his people.

Armenia’s health care system at the time was that of a third world country’s. He broke down political barriers in order to bring Armenia up to modern medical standards. He was the first doctor in the entire Soviet Union to perform arthroscopic surgery. In addition to bringing the valuable arthroscopic surgical equipment, he brought Armenian orthopedic surgeons to the United States to strengthen their training.

Even beyond orthoepedics, Dr. Najarian helped to develop modern eye care centers in Yerevan. The shortage of medicine in Armenian compelled Dr. Najarian to create the first aspirin tablet manufacturing facility in Yerevan.

When the 1988 earthquake rocked Armenia, Dr. Najarian was asked to be on the first US State Department emergency medical response team to assess the needs. This was the first time since the start of the Cold War that a US military plane was permitted to land in the Soviet Union. He established a humanitarian organization, Medical Outreach for Armenians, to facilitate his charitable projects.

Dr. Najarian with the help of the Armenian Community, arranged for 120 children, who had lost limbs in the earthquake, to obtain necessary surgical treatment and prosthetics in promiment Los Angeles hospitals. That same year, he sent millions of dollars of medical supplies, filling over 50 containers, to Yerevan.

In 1991, during the fierce fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, then Minister of Defense Serge Sarkissian stated that during the war “our soldiers wanted two things: medical care and a combat communication system. In those two areas, the Najarians played the major role.”

The radio systems the soldiers used were very heavy, obsolete, and unable to be used properly to direct troops. Dr. Najarian and his friends in Los Angeles purchased and delivered Alyenko radio systems to the Army which was crucial in turning the tide to victory for the Armenian and Artsakh forces.

Dr. Najarian had to leave his private medical practice in Los Angeles so he could spend more time in Artsakh attending to the troops. It was there that he would perform surgeries by candlelight in trenches and in bombed out basements,  under the shelling of bombs and bullets.  

After the war, Dr. Najarian, along with Medical Outreach, renovated 11 floors of the Military Hospital in Yerevan. The Najarians spent 8 years making a once run down building into a modern and well equipped military hospital. In Artsakh, Dr. Najarian renovated a 30-bed trauma center in Stepanakert. When not in Armenia and Artsakh he was always sending more medical supplies and assistance. Because of his sacrifice and heroic acts, Defense Minister Vasken Sarkissian honored Dr. Najarian with the rank of Colonel in the Armenian Army.

Among the numerous awards he received include the Vachagan Humanitarian Medal from Artsakh, the Soviet Medal of Honor, the Nelle Reagan Award, the Fridjen Nansen Award from the Russian International Humanitarian Organization, the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom and Presidential Medal of Honors from Artsakh President Arkady Ghuougassyan, Bako Sahakyan and Armenian President Serge Sarkissyan. He received Letters of Commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

Vartkes is survived by his wife Mary of 64 years, is sons Ara (Palmira), Armen (Naira), Raffi (Arda), Maro (Stephan Yacoubian) and Grandchildren Vartkes, Mary, Alexander (Anna Tutundjian), Christopher, Shant, Vahe, Daniel, Daron, and Elizabeth, as well as his great-grandson Edward.

Ara James Najarian is a member of the Glendale City council and served as the mayor of the city in the past.

LOS ANGELES—Hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and administrators gathered on April 19 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide: Remembering the Armenian Genocide: Memory & Remembrance to Awareness & Action, organized by Los Angeles School District’s Board Member, Kelly Gonez, in partnership with the ANCA Western Region Education Committee. 

“It was an emotional day for me to see our community come together to see our talented students sing and recite poems in honor of the Armenian Genocide Observance Day.  Being a former LAUSD student and an employee, I never thought I would see the day where the second largest district in the United States will close down to remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Truly remarkable!” said ANCA Western Region Education Committee Board Member, Lucy Martirosyan. 

The event, which took place at Mt. Gleason Middle School in Sunland, included performances from students who honored their Armenian heritage, a statement from school board member Gonez dedicating her unwavering support for the Armenian students she represents, and awards distributed to Armenian-American educators who have gone above and beyond to educate students about the Armenian Genocide and Armenian heritage. 

ANCA-WR Education Committee Members with children’s book author Nora Kayserian and her debut book, “Unstoppable Zabel” Crowd of parents, students, teachers and administrators watch student performances

Parents and teachers were later invited to a presentation by students about the Armenian struggle to survive in their ancestral homeland in the face of Turkey and Azerbaijan’s genocidal campaign. “Many people ask what the Armenian People are fighting for,” one student said in their presentation, “We fight because we want to live in peace; free from persecution and genocide. All we want is peace.”

Students performed moving poetry, songs, and other celebrations of Armenian heritage and resilience. Arts and crafts opportunities were available for students who chose to draw their names in an ancient Armenian calligraphy known as bird lettering or Trchnagir. Educators also presented their work in the dual language program, which has allowed thousands of Armenian students to engage in their studies in both Armenian and English. 

“I want to thank every teacher who joined us at our event and who work every day to preserve the memories, lives, and stories of Armenians. It was inspiring to see our students perform works that spoke to the richness of Armenian culture and heritage. I also want to thank ANCA-Western Region and its amazing Education Committee for leading such meaningful work and for helping craft a better, more inclusive world for all our children to thrive in,” said LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez.

The commemorative event is accompanied by the recent launch of the collaborative K-12 Educator’s Guide: a comprehensive resource of frameworks and lessons, developed by the office of LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez and ANCA Western Region Education Committee, to help educators teach about the Armenian Genocide. In 2019, Gonez introduced a resolution written in collaboration with the ANCA Western Region Education Committee, which passed unanimously in 2020, establishing April 24 as a student and staff-free day, allowing teachers, students, administrators, and families to observe and remember the Armenian Genocide. This year will be the first that LAUSD students will have this important day off. The 2023 Educator’s guide serves as a critical tool for teachers to educate their students about why they have the day off, and what they can do to commemorate the event annually, and stand in solidarity with their Armenian peers.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

The International Criminal Court is headquartered in The Hague

The International Court of Justice on Friday halted hearings in a case brought by Azerbaijan against Armenia, after Armenia’s legal representatives presented objections.

Armenia’s representative on international legal matters, Yeghishe Kirakosyan said that Armenia objected to all provisions of the case brought by Azerbaijan against Armenia in the case known as the “Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.”

“It was reasoned that most of the claims set forth in Azerbaijan’s lawsuit are outside the court’s jurisdiction and inadmissible,” Kirakosyan explained in a statement.

On February 22, the ICJ granted Armenia’s request for an interim measure that obligated Azerbaijan to ensure uninterrupted movement of citizens, vehicles, and goods in both directions through the Lachin corridor until the final decision on the “Armenia v. Azerbaijan” claim is rendered. Azerbaijan has not complied with this decision, despite calls on Baku by various countries, including the United States, to adhere with the decision.

Armenia's Davit Hovhannisyan (left) and Ara Aganyan won a gold and silver medal respectively on Apr. 21

Armenian athletes Davit Hovhannisyan and Ara Aghanyan won a gold and sliver medal respectively at the European Weightlifting Championships that concluded on Friday in Yerevan’s Karen Demirchyan Sports Complex.

They won the medal competing in the 96-kilogram category.

Hovhannisyan lifted 164, 167, 170 kilograms in the snatch exercise with three successful approaches. Hovhannisyan won a small gold medal in this exercise. In the push exercise, he raised 200, 205 kg and became a gold medalist in this exercise as well. Hovhannisyan is the two-time champion of Europe with a result of 377 kg, Armenpress reported.

Aghanyan, had one successful approach in the snatch exercise – 165 kg. He won a small bronze medal in this exercise. In the push, Aghanyan became the silver medalist of the exercise with one approach – 199 kg, and in the doubles he registered a result of 364 kg and became the vice-champion of Europe.

Aghanyan earned a silver medal at last year’s European Championship.

Earlier this week, Gor Sahakyan was named European Champion when he earned a gold medal in the 67-kilogram category. Rafik Harutyunyan won a bronze medal in the 81-kg category, while Andranik Karapetyan became the vice-champion of Europe in the 89-kg category.

In the women’s completion, Armenia’s Isabella Yailyan won a bronze medal in the 55-kilogram category, while her teammate Alexandra Grigoryan ranked 6th.

In the 76-kilogram category, Tatev Hakobyan won a silver, while 16-year-old Emma Poghoysn was ranked 5th.

In the 64-kilogram category Anush Arshakyan ranked in 9th place, while Liana Gyurjyan came in 10th in the 81-kilogram category.