WATERTOWN, Mass.—In order to provide financial assistance to Armenian schools in Syria, the Armenian Relief Society Central Executive Board formed the “Fund for Assistance to Syrian-Armenian Schools.”
“There is no doubt,” declared ARS Central Executive Board Member, Zepure E. Reisian, “that the unfortunate incidents unraveling in Syria have disrupted the community’s normal course of life. The ARS Central Executive Board believes that securing the undisturbed continuity of school life is the best guarantee of maintaining the normalcy of daily existence for Armenian youngsters.”
As further explanation of the nature of the Fund, Mrs. Vicky Marashlian, Chairperson of the ARS Central Executive Board, noted that a while back the Society recognized that, as a consequence of the events in Syria, the Armenian Community may suffer social and financial instability. After deliberation, the Central Executive Board concluded that the best approach for the ARS would be to concentrate on helping the Syrian-Armenian schools by allotting funds for “tuitions to needy students”, thus alleviating both the financial burden on needy Syrian-Armenian families, and, at the same time, promoting the continuity of the educational mission of the schools.
“The decision of the Central Executive Board to come up with such a Fund is indeed laudable,” stated Anna Der Hagopian, Chairperson of ARS Syria. “The economic crisis battering the country has inevitably affected the Armenian community as well, and the number of families and scholarship recipients receiving aid from the ARS Syria social services has doubled over the past year. We are confident that until next September, the ARS family will make every possible effort to assist to the maximum the Syrian-Armenian educational institutions, thus helping the community itself. We have no doubt, also, that Armenian communities worldwide, alongside the global ARS entities, will come to our assistance in other needs as they arise until we finally come out of this crisis,” concluded Der Hagopian.
Donations may be made to the “Fund for Assistance to Syrian-Armenian Schools” through all ARS local chapters and Regional offices, as well as on the ARS, Inc. website. All proceeds will be sent to the ARS Syria Regional Executive for distribution to Syrian/Armenian schools, in order to alleviate the financial burden on the shoulders of the Syrian-Armenian parents.
a very good move, we cant lose our presence in places like syria, lebanon and jerusalem.
In the 1960’s, The Armenian communities in Bulgaria and Georgia found a loophole and were able to gain permission to emigrate to Lebanon. The welcome these communities received will resonate with us for the rest of our lives. Fifty years later, and I can’t get over the anger and the disappointment. The Middle east Armenians were insulting us when we asked for work. We were received with “Why didn’t you go to Armenia where you have so many benefits?” When given work, some of the employers would visit the spouses with bags of food, and rape. There was no school available for us, no food, no medical help; except mosquitoes and murder. My frieds father, a widower, got lost in an Armenian neighborhood, that happened to be Communist, and when he asked for directions, he was shot for being a refugee from a communism. I have never seen a more barbaric place in all my years. I must say, that if we received any help, it was from the Muslim Arabs. They understood poverty in a way that the Armenian Aghas of the middle east never did because they created it. As an eleven year old boy, I found a job where after working ten hours a day, six days a week, was paid five liras a week. It bought one ice cream cone and a movie ticket. This was working for Armenians. And now, we are asked to send our heard earned money to these same Aghas so they would not spend their own. My advice to them at this time is: Why didn’t you go to Armenia where you have so many benefits?
You are generalizing. There are many great horrific stories of 1945-46 nerkakht Armenians that were harass, denied and betrayed by fellow Armenians in Armenia itself. Some even ending up in Siberian death camps just for being different. But that does not mean we need to foster hatred and condemn all for the actions of a few.
You complain of lack of work, school and medical service. May I remind you that this was 50 years ago. A time and place that was a product of the not so distant orphan refugee camps. The conditions at the time were hardly enough for the residence of these communities. The reason why you were harassed was just because of your ‘give me’ attitude. You were freeloaders who expected handouts. Instead of being grateful for the opportunity to escape your dreaded lives in communist counties, you complain about the treatment. These poor communities were in no condition to accommodate more poor people with unreal expectations.
But by the grace of God, you ended up in the US by no other than those same evil Armenian organizations that still wanted to help.
It’s ironic that now you are acting the same way as you claim others treated you. If you are so righteous, why don’t you help instead of fostering a 50 year old hatred. You be the example, after all a second chance was given to you, now why don’t you return the favor and show the Aghas how to be a better servicing Armenians!