One of the proudest momen’s in Armenian history is the Mousa Dagh resistance movement and every September Armenia’s, but especially descendents of Musa Dagh, mark this occasion with great fanfare and celebration. Of course, Franz Werfel immortalized the heroic struggle of the resilient people of Musa Dagh in his book 40 Days of Musa Dagh, which some scholars claim to have become the "bible" for Jewish Underground movement during World War II. In Southern California, the 93rd anniversary of this movement was marked this weekend at a festival at Camp Arev, organized by the Musa Ler Association’s Los Angeles chapter. The organization’s Fresno chapter held a similar gathering on Labor Day weekend.
This week, we present a historical overview of the region and its people and how some of them still thrive today in the only Armenian village in Turkey. Our special contributor for this week is Director of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Northridge Dr. Vahram L. Shemmassian. We thank him for his assistance.
Musa Dagh Features: