Special for the Armenian Weekly
“Thus they shall hear and see the Beauties of nature, and imprint the spirit of the times, not only for the advancement of the present, but for the benefit of generations to come.”
–Zabelle Abdalian, 1934
Wandering through an antique shop in the seaside village of Cayucos, Calif., I stumbled upon an impeccably preserved little book, entitled Scientific Air Possibilities with the Human, by Zabelle Abdalian, 1934. Inspired by the life of a “Madame Mary A. Harper,” whose biography is detailed in the author’s introduction, this theosophical compilation of essays includes thoughts on the “beneficial effects of natural radium in the air,” esoteric views on body, mind, spirit, science, technology, theology, and economics. Intrigued, I descended the sea-washed wooden stairway, bought the book, and walked, face to page, to a bench overlooking the Pacific.
How is it that a woman wrote about another woman in the feminist backwoods of 1934 America? How could anyone extol the health benefits of “radium”? How did the author amass such an interesting array of thoughts so similar to my own? With these questions in mind, I left the sea for Google.
The books Zabelle penned during her lifetime are held within university libraries throughout the country. In addition to Scientific Air Possibilities with the Human (re-issued in 1954 under the title The Amazing Power within You), her published works include “Bow in the Cloud” (1953), a play about world peace set in both New York and Burma; Thy Flame Is Blown (1952), a poetical biography of her father, killed during the massacre of Armenians in 1895; and SA PWH Prince of the Air (1955), Zabelle’s autobiography. I then discovered a small handful of documents referencing her mother Haiganoosh’s claims against the Turkish government, for the death of her husband, Nahabed.
My next find would come to be the door to open all. Via a letter written to the Armenian Observer in 2008, I found Zabelle’s great niece, Pamela Barsam Brown. Pamela’s home is just a stone’s throw from where I received my degree in poetics and Buddhist studies in 1985. In my mind’s eye, I could literally walk to her house. (This small coincidence spoke to a feeling of interconnectedness that would return to me again and again throughout this journey). After the initial timidity of our first phone call, we have developed a lovely friendship centered around Aunty Zabelle, the Abdalian family history, and contemplations on what it feels like to be descendants of wounded lineage. Touched by my interest, Pamela sent everything her Great Aunt had ever published. With Zabelle’s door now open, her story unfolded, revealing a tale of survival, courage, faith, and a little bit of magic. I soon felt as if Zabelle herself had taken me by the hand, and was leading me through a confluence of history, lineage, and mystic memory.
“Aunty Zabelle used to weave garlands for my hair.”
~ Pamela Barsam Brown
Zabelle Abdalian was born on Oct. 6, 1886, at the foot of the Taurus Mountains in Gurin, present-day Turkey. It was during this time that her father, Doctor Nahabed Y. Abdalian (a naturalized U.S. citizen who had received his doctorate in medicine from New York Medical College in 1879 and became the first ordained Armenian-American medical missionary to the Ottoman Empire), had returned to the village of his birth to care for the people of his homeland. Zabelle’s life in Gurin, with her father Nahabed, mother Haiganoosh, and four brothers and sisters was a happy one. Yet, in 1895, Zabelle’s world darkened when her beloved father was killed during the Armenian Massacres. The Turks burned the Abdalian home, looted their belongings, and imprisoned the family. Zabelle’s infant brother died from exposure and starvation. With the assistance of the United States government, the Abdalian family was granted safe passage to America in 1896. Zabelle, with bright mind and sensitive spirit, had a sense of the mystical from a young age. These sensibilities of spirit and imagination helped to carry her across the sea to a new life.
Of her father’s death she wrote, in 1953: “I was overwhelmed, felt as one falling into a bottomless pit of black despair. The passing of his soul was like the transition from raging storm into rare, brilliant sunlight.”
Her first years in America were spent in New York and Rhode Island where she attended public school, sang in St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Choir, and worked in jewelry factories to help provide for her family. For a time the children were separated due to a lack of resources, but when reparations were finally awarded to Zabelle’s mother for claims against the Ottoman-Turkish government in 1903, the Abdalian family was reunited. Haiganoosh moved with her children to Del Ray, Calif., and purchased an olive ranch in partnership with others.
In addition to working the farm, Zabelle became an accomplished pianist who could play the works of classical masters such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. She sang in the choir, and committed to memory complete operatic scores. She held a position at Shreve and Company, one of the finest jewelers in San Francisco. Here, as the only girl amongst men, she was referred to as “the only flower in the roof garden.” Zabelle served as an instructor in surgical dressing at the Red Cross headquarters during World War I and then returned home to care for her mother. After her mother’s death in 1932, Zabelle moved to Los Angeles to live closer to her sisters. She continued to sing in the choir, write, and pursue spiritual and intellectual interests. Zabelle served her country once again during World War II, working in a garment factory that manufactured uniforms for the Armed Forces. With many of her co-workers being of Mexican descent, Zabelle taught herself how to speak very proficient Spanish.
Whether by virtue of trauma or second sight, Zabelle had an extraordinary mind. Alongside her dedication to the Episcopal Church, her thoughts on consciousness and spirituality sprang from what is known as the New Thought Movement, prevalent in Southern California during the mid 1930’s. After an exhaustive search, I have concluded that the luminary, Madame Mary A. Harper, whom Zabelle so meticulously described in the introduction of Scientific Air Possibilities with the Human, may not have existed in the visible world.
“Zabelle had a large imagination and while I can only conjecture, I would presume that Mary Harper, one of these silent friends (likely invisible), resided in her own mind.”
–Pamela Barsam Brown
“Little Zabelle was seeing visions she was fearful of disclosing. She could see her father come through the tiny wax-paper covered window without tearing the paper.”
–Zabelle Abdalian, ‘Thy Flame Is Blown’
My thoughts drifted to Marie Curie, the Nobel Prize recipient in physics for the discovery of radium (who interestingly died the very year that Zabelle published her treatise on the benefits of radium). Ironically, after having worked in the very same jewelry factories creating glow-in-the-dark watches that incited the landmark class action lawsuit known as “The Radium Girls,” Zabelle adopted the early belief that the poisonous element of radium was an organic compound with healing properties found naturally within the air.
I could tell the story about how Zabelle’s father traveled via covered wagon with a group of 30 Armenian immigrants to Fort Bend, Texas, in order to fulfill a promise. Or about how the Abdalian family believes that Zabelle’s older brother was the first registered birth of an Armenian in New York City in 1884. But I’d rather tell you that as a child, my best friend was Armenian. How I remember her parent’s dark, protective eyes. I’d rather tell you about how when driving with my mother through Emerson, N.J., we often passed a memorial commemorating those who had lost their lives in the Armenian Genocide, and how I made a game of reading the inscription as many times as I could before the words were lost to the distance.
In memory of the 2 million Christian Armenians massacred by the Turks 1915-1923
As a child, my awareness of the Holocaust was derived almost solely via the torch of my own Judaic lineage. I felt burdened by its weight without even knowing I was carrying it. With lineal heart laden with boxes, and a few thousand pages of dreaming, I took the path that Zabelle had taken, to the edge of the western sea. I am the dark in my mother’s eyes, and her unyielding determination. I am my father’s fear of hunger, and his love for the music of rivers.
In the ancient Judaic view known as “The Transmigration of Souls,” “remembering” is felt as a kind of haunting. In Buddhism, “remembering” is recognized as the sign of an awakened mind. “Oy” versus “Ah.”
“Sometimes it happens that the angel of forgetfulness forgets to remove from our memories the records of the former world; and then our senses are haunted by fragmentary recollections of another life. They drift like torn clouds above the hills and valleys of the mind, and weave themselves into the incidents of our current existence. They assert themselves, clothed with reality, in the form of nightmares which visit our beds.”–Sholem Asch, ‘The Nazarene’; excerpt from ‘The Transmigration of Souls,’ 1939
It is spring 2015 and the Centennial of the Armenian Holocaust. All eyes are watching. All hearts listening. Are we here to remember or are we here to forget? How do we capture the wisdom offered by the past and release that which simply causes more suffering? How do we become beautiful, without even the cry for Justice?
Through her writings, Zabelle Abdalian remembered with tenderness, respect, and hopefulness. Choosing not the shadowed, fisted heart of one burdened by tragedy, she became beauty, empathy, compassion for others, and reverence for the mystery of Spirit. As I sit here, not far from the place where she once stood, it is this grace I find within my own breath. This is her gift.
Carla Friedman
Latest posts by Carla Friedman (see all)
- Letter: ‘Discovering Zabelle’ Fuses Two Families - April 17, 2015
- Discovering Zabelle - April 6, 2015
Just to complement it, the Armenian poet Vahe Vahian is born in Gurun too, and his family name is Abdalian also.
Thx Daniel as well as Armenian Weekly– I am Sheila Abdalian, the daughter of Vahe Vahian aka Sarkis Hagop Abdalian. I m so thrilled from this article– I always lived with hope that one day more relatives would pop up. I wish the reporter can help me with an email address or phone/mobile number to reach Pamela Barsam so as we can be reunited!!
Simply wowwww….
The poet Vahe Vahian was Nahabed’s brother. He ended up in Beirut, Lebanon and became a teacher and writer. He would have been Zabelle’s uncle but they never met as the family lost touch with this Abdalian part of the family. – C. Friedman
This is sublimely beautiful.
<3 :)
I wonder if Abdalian is a very common Armenian name. I know it is not uncommon – but same last name, same town. I will investigate :) ~ Carla Friedman, Author of ‘Discovering Zabelle’
Dear Carla. Well known educator and pen-named poet Vahe Vahian is born in 1908 in Gurun, as Abdalian. He named his older son Vahram; and it was customary at the time to name your first-borns after your parents. And a search for a Vahram Abdalian in Gurun may come out, with a birth-year around possibly 1880’s (close to Zabelle’s). Also, the poet’s sister was the wife of well-known principal Ara Topjian of Beirut, himself the son of educator Hagop Topjian of Cyprus….
Vahe Vahian’s birth-name is Sarkis Abdalian, born in Gurun on Dec.22, 1908.
Daniel, vaguely I remember that Vahe Vahian’s son Vahram died tragically very young in a car accident in Saudi Arabia.
Dear Carla you can contact me at Sheilavahian@yahoo.com. My father Sarkis Abdalian- better known under his pen name as Vahe Vahian was born in Gurin and he used to tell me their true family name was Harzevartian– but his mum could not have babies fr a long time- until some neighbors told her to go over gypsies called Abdals who used to be nearby and through a potion they offered her she then got 9 children. That’s when people started referring them as Abdalians– coming from Abdals!!
Carla, Abdalian is not a common Armenian name. Vahe Vahian (pen name), the writer, brother of Nahabed & Zabel’s uncle explains that his great great grandfather whose male babies tended to die, was advised to dress his newborn son with the shirt of a gypsy (referred to as abdal). Sure enough, that baby boy lived on & became Vahian’s grandfather. Thereafter, the family was referred to as Abdalian!
What a nice and beautiful story you shared. Thank you. Daniel, correct my teacher and poet Vahe Vahian’s family name is Abdalian and he was born in Gurun.
Daniel–I really appreciate the info u r giving..but there are some discrepancies..it’s my mum who was the sister of Ara Topjian and not what u ve specified. And my dad also had three children from a previous marriage… Shogher, Vahram and Tsolag.But after his wife died from diabetes he got married with my mum and I was the only offspring!
Vartan– u r absolutely right–my unforgettable brother Vahram died in 1976 in a car accident in Abu Dhabi and following that my dad wrote an amazing book entitled “Monument To Vahram”.
By the way I dont think there were other Abdalians in Gurin other than dad’s family–unless I m mistaken and it could have been my grand grandmother who had the fertility prob.
A fascinating story so beautifully told. Relating your identification with the Jewish holocaust to that of the Armenian holocaust was quite moving.
moving.
Dear Bedros. Forget not that Principal Ara Topjian’s wife was Vahe Vahian’s sister also…
Thank you for your lovely comment :) ~ Carla
Abdal is turkish and is used for men, who are close to God. They are sth. like religious philosoper and mostly poets. They had inspired people in history and their teaching stands for a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination. Abdals are related to Turkish-Alevi branch of Islam. A good example is Pir Sultan Abdal from the Sivas(Gürün is in Sivas Province) region of Turkey, who had rebelled with his followers against the Ottoman decadence, whereas the poeple were living in poverty.
He was caught and hanged.
Abdal is not Turkish.
Whatever is related to the religion of Islam, including Sufism and Alevism, has Arab roots.
Very little that is alleged to be ‘Turkish’ is actually Turkish.
It has Armenian, Assyrian, Arab, Iranian/Persian, Greek, etc origins.
What I remember from my childhood days, ‘abdal’ in Turkish was used to mean stingy.However ‘abdal’ could be the abbreviation of the Arabic name Abdallah which means slave of God, which is quite near to your explanation.
Word “abdal” is not Turkish is Arabic, which means servant to god. Abd means servant
Abdal or Abdul
Abdal Al Wahab
Abdal Al Rahman
Abdal Al Kareem
Abdal Al Sattar
Abdal Al Khalik…
Abd Allah is the most of all names used…
and so on
Recent studies show that Turkish language is composed
of 60% Arabic, 20% Persian and the rest you can count …
But Turks as usual and expected from them…refuse to confess…
I wrote many times to them and they answered me their harsh way as usual …!!!
Sylva
Also Christian Arabs they use name Abdal Al Massih
Massih in Arabic means Jesus …
So it means servant of Jesus…
Sylva
My dad named his son Vahram after his younger brother who died during the march from Gurin to Der Zor. My grandpa s name was Hagop!
Dear Carla. Nahabed “cannot ” be Vahe Vahian’s brother, as there is some 55-year age difference. Further, daughter Sheila (Shoghig) describes how her grandparents had a name-change to Abdalian for some other reason. Dr. Nahabed had long been an Abdalian ( M.D. 1879; US Naturalization…). I’m not sure if they’re even related! Further, looks like Dr. Nahabed Abdalian was practicing in Gurin already (an American doctor!) , when Vahe Vahian’s parents adopted that “notable” name, serving God as “Abdals”, and thus getting rewarded with nine offspring…
@avery
Of course everything about Islam has arabic roots, as you stated. Look even the prophet was an arab! But only the roots are arabic.I hope you know that Christianity wasn´t born in Armenia and that Jesus was not an armenian. Even in Pakistan or Indonesia poeple have developed their own spiritual Islam/Sufism, Arabs would not be amused of that Islam. Therefore Abdalian is an armenian surname, but from the turkish word Abdal and not from the arabian word Abd Al! I know many Armenians has a tendency to refuse everything turkish, like a sort of counter-denial! But it will not getting better if you keep eating turkish food and listening to turkish music.
@sylvamdpoetry
Of course Turkish has many words with arab or persian roots. But these words are not arab or persian, because these words have mostly another meaning in turkish, the pronouncation is completely different. The sentence structure is completely different in turkish, when you integrate these words. Therefore an arab or persian will have great difficulties to recognize these words! Language is something, which is always in steady development. I`m wondering, why you as Armenian have to state this.
@vartan
I think, you mean aptal, which stands for idiot in turkish.
Great Story My mothers sister married a TOPJIAN (not to get off the subject)
Hello Daniel, Thank you for your comment. I, myself have no idea. I received this message from Pamela, Zabelle Abdalian’s great neice who I reference in the story. She wrote, “I learned a few years ago that the poet Vahe Vahian was Nahabed’s brother. He ended up in Beirut, Lebanon and became a teacher and writer. He would have been Zabelle’s uncle but they never met as the family lost touch with this Abdalian part of the family”. I know nothing of this history so it’s all ‘Armenian’ to me :)
Dear Carla- thanks for further pursuing the subject. By the way my grandma had also breast feeded her dead sister s niece but we used to call her auntie–her name was Haiganoush- It does ring a bell does not it– repetition of same names in the family.If you are interested further with my dad’s biography here are some further links>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahe_Vahian
http://www.keghart.com/Charles-Vahian
http://asbarez.com/37108/famous-poet-editor-and-writer-vahe-vahian-dies/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wvNWa_z-VA
Any students or friends who have stories or memories to share they are welcome to send it to my personal email at sheilavahian@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance.
If anyone is interested, I just found Zabelle’s autobiography ‘S.A Prince of The Air’ in full readable digital format online. http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39076002921547;view=1up;seq=7. And, please keep your eye out for an addendum to this article to be posted soon in ‘Letters To The Editor’.
“A magical convergence of Zabelle’s 19th-century flight of poetic imagination connects forward to her 21st-century Abdalian family and backward to her father’s nephew, Sarkis Hagop Abdalian (penname Vahe Vahian). Despite the devastation of broken families, a consequence of the Armenian Genocide, poetry has fused two families separated by half a world. Beirut, Lebanon journalist and poet Sheila Abdalian introduced herself to [me] on April 8, 2015. We are second cousins lost to each other for over a century, united by Carla Friedman’s indomitable spirit in ‘Discovering Zabelle.’” – Pamela Barsam Brown (Zabelle’s grand neice)
I am the grandson of Nahabed Abdalian. Thanks for all of this information.
My previous message is incorrect. I meant great grandson.
Hi David. And how do you fit into the Abdalian puzzle? Are you related to Pamela Barsam-Brown? Related to Sheila? From what country do you hail?
Carla,
Henry Washington Abdalian (1884 – 1971), born in NY, NY, was the first born son of Nahabed. Henry was my grandfather. Zabelle, Jenny and Takohee were Henry’s younger sisters born back in Gurin. My father was Henry Abdalian, Jr, (1926-2016) Pamela is my cousin.
Carla,
My grandfather, Henry Washington Abdalian lost the Olive ranch in about 1930 when my Dad was 4, and moved to San Jose for work, then San Francisco where he spent the rest of his life. The immediate family all live in the SF Bay Area today.
Vahe Vahian my beloved teacher 1970 to 1975/76; his daughter Shayla my childhood classmate at Demirdjian 1961 (3) until 1970 (12)