Aghjayan Recaps Genocide Survivor’s History

ARF political activist George Aghjayan did what many of us didn’t do: He made an effort to document his grandmother’s genocide history at a time when her memory remained lucid.

George Aghjayan and Bosnian genocide survivor Jasmina Cesic

Not when age had clouded her memory. Not when frailty had taken its toll. But in 1990, when her mind was still sharp and full of visual encounters. With a video camera in hand, he sat down with his loved one and captured her testimony as if the genocide had just occurred.

It was not an easy interview, I’m sure, but one that captured the full essence of our history. Margaret (Garabedian) DerManuelian’s story takes her through the cities of Uzunoba, Mezre, Sakrat, Palu, Kharpert, Aleppo, Marseilles, and finally to Providence, R.I.

Aghjayan is so enamored by the past, he even adopted a rather unusual e-mail address (Sakratpalu), undoubtedly in memory of his grandmother.

Just as vital is the ability to share such a resource and educate the young. Let them know about this genocide from an actual account. It beats anything you might read in a history book or hear second-hand. Live testimony is honest, authentic, and often sobering.

Aghjayan delivered his presentation to some 300 students at Haverhill High School during a recent panel discussion sponsored by the Armenian Genocide Education Committee of Merrimack Valley.

He shared the podium with survivors from the Jewish Holocaust, Cambodia, and Bosnia as part of a world history forum marking Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 1. As expected, he put his best voice forward and left the audience with an indelible approach to the Armenian Genocide.

The best stories of all are those that hit home. By the time I got around to recording my mother’s history in 2009, time had fogged her memory. Much as she could remember, even more had been eradicated. What I did salvage was turned into a video, shown to nursing home residents, and preserved as a family treasure following her death.

As Aghjayan’s story goes, there were 10 Armenian families in his grandmother’s village, and a church (St. Sarkis). The year was 1915. Turkish gendarmes barged their way with hand grenades being thrown.

Margaret’s mother gathered her three children and hid in a gully. From one experience to another, they managed to escape the plunder before arriving here in 1928 to carve a respectable life for herself and her family.

Like most survivors, Margaret kept the heritage and culture alive in her family, despite the obstacles. Thanks to Aghjayan’s intuition, the story of his ancestor is living proof that genocide may ravish a nation but not those who have the spirit of Armenia imbued in their hearts.

As we approach the centennial in 2015, much can be done over these next four years. We can muster up what survivors remain and get their voices recorded. Testimony may be dim at this stage. A photographic layout may be more feasible.

We can approach the cities in which we reside and offer to erect a genocide memorial—not only to remember the dead but honor those survivors who settled here and brought homage to their community. We are a land of refugees, built and procured by it. Let’s honor them as well.

We can approach our local schools and give presentations like Aghjayan, donate books on the Armenian Genocide to our local libraries, and get civic leaders involved.

We can beseech our legislators and get them aboard on a genocide resolution—petition the U.S. Postal Service for that elusive stamp commemorating man’s inhumanity toward man.

The more I see of Aghjayan, the more inspired I get. He’s an Armenian advocate, philanthropist, and leader woven together into a tricolor tapestry.

As vice-chairman of the ARF’s Eastern Region, he talks a good talk but backs it up with action. He’s a missionary who knows no barriers—a guy you would want in your corner when making the big Armenian pitch to society.

One of his pet projects these days is helping to reorganize the Worcester Gomideh and refurbish the once-active AYF of that city. Success is not necessarily in quantity here—but quality—and he has some of that working in his favor.

He’s a frequent contributor to the Armenian Weekly and a platform speaker to events like the ARF panagoum. His work focuses on the demographics of Western Armenia, genocide denial, and current events. Aghjayan lives in Westminster with his wife and three children, is employed at Intex Solutions, and remains a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

“Genocide education is important so that human rights become an integral part of our domestic and foreign policy,” he says.

Words to live by as we approach 2015.

Tom Vartabedian

Tom Vartabedian

Tom Vartabedian is a retired journalist with the Haverhill Gazette, where he spent 40 years as an award-winning writer and photographer. He has volunteered his services for the past 46 years as a columnist and correspondent with the Armenian Weekly, where his pet project was the publication of a special issue of the AYF Olympics each September.
Tom Vartabedian

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