Karnig Alajajian named Honorary Booklet chairperson of the HMADS 2022 Gala

By Jennifer Chelebi

NEW YORK, NY—In celebration of the 55th anniversary of our beloved Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School (HMADS), we invite you to join the Friends of HMADS committee and this year’s Honorary Booklet chairperson Karnig Alajajian on June 4, 2022 at the North Hills Country Club in Manhasset, New York.

We have all struggled over the last few years to maintain a sense of connectivity both physically and emotionally to our Armenian heritage, family and community, making this year’s gala perhaps the most important one yet. As the son of Armenian Genocide survivors Vahan and Agnes Alajajian, Karnig has devoted his life to celebrating and preserving the Armenian spirit, making him the ideal Honorary Booklet chairperson for this very special occasion.

A commitment to education and a bold entrepreneurial energy has led Alalajian’s life of hard work in which he has taken pride in successful business endeavors and remained dedicated in his service to Armenian organizations. Since his arrival in the United States from Egypt, where he was raised alongside his sisters in a proud Armenian family, Alajajian has not only immersed himself in the Armenian community but taken on the even more difficult task of spreading the message about the thriving Armenian culture to others.

Alalajian pursued his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1955. Upon graduation, he began working at Bell Systems while pursuing a master’s degree. Alalajian ventured out on his own and began working in real estate, opening firms in Queens, New York. He also served on the Board of Directors of ALMA Bank from 2015 to 2019.

For seven years, Alalajian was president of the Armenian Students’ Association at New York University. He has represented St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, N.Y. as a delegate to the National Representatives Assembly and has also been a member of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society for 50 years, where he engages in the theater group. Alalajian, along with his loving and supportive wife Alice, has established the Alajajian Family Scholarship Fund with the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), a scholarship that will support students of Armenian descent who are pursuing their higher education in the US.

Please join the Friends of HMADS, the HMADS Board of Directors and Karnig Alajajian and family as we reconnect with friends for an exceptional evening of dining and entertainment. Dance the night away to joyous Armenian music from the multitalented songwriter, singer and producer Harout Bedrossian. This year, the raffle committee has put together an exceptional selection of prizes, so please come and support their efforts with your generosity. The festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m. with a bountiful cocktail hour.

Your Gala Dinner Dance contribution of $175 will greatly support the efforts of the Friends committee and HMADS, benefiting future generations of Armenians. For further information about this highly anticipated event or to find out how to become a part of the Friends of HMADS, please contact the school office at (718) 225-4826, Negdar Arukian at (718) 423-4813, or Nayda Voskerijian at (516) 603-2809.