May 2014

GLENDALE – By the initiative of Asbarez Daily Armenian Newspaper and the Armenian Cultural Foundaion, on the evening of Friday, May 16, a reception was held at Phoenicia Restaurant in Glendale in celebration of community activist, leader and philanthropist Varoujan Koundakjian’s 80th birthday. The event also served as an opportunity to honor Koundakjian’s decades-long service to the community. On behalf of His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, the Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian awarded Koundakjian the “Knight of Cilicia” insignia and Pontifical Encyclical. In the Encyclical, His Holiness commended Koundakijan’s lifetime of service and dedication to the Armenian Church and people, spanning from the Western United States to Armenia, his moral and financial support, and…

Glendale, CA – The most recent Syrian Armenian Relief Fund (SARF) HyeAID3 concert at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, was held on April 29, 2014, and raised one more $100,000 for Syrian Armenians. SARF had sent the earlier $100,000 to help the Armenians who were displaced from their ancestral homes in Kessab, within days of the attack on March 21st. This concert started with medley of Aram Khachatourian’s music, with Armen Aharonian on the piano, accompanied by his orchestra. Artist-broadcast journalist Nune Avetisyan opened up the concert by reciting poetry by Vahan Tekeyan “Gantsrevé Dghas” (My son it’s raining – in reference to crying). She also made opening remarks thanking the audience for supporting SARF and the volunteer artists, by…