1989_12 The Daily Collegian December 1989

              Page 8
Hi/a Sharzhoom
December 1989
Jews
continued from page 1
going to "walk out" of the meeting in
protest
The Fresno resolution became a
major issue mainly because of a
Reuters news dispatch published on
October 23 in the Fresno Bee and other
papers stating that the government of
Israel asked influential American
Jewish organizations to lobby against
Senate Resolution 212 on the
Armenian Genocide. At a hastily pre¬
pared press conference Rabbi Segel and
Mr. Wilson angrily denounced Israel's
giving in to Turkish pressure on rnV
Armenian Genocide and called it a
political "stench." A resolution passed
by the Fresno Congregation some
months earlier on inclusion of the
Armenian Genocide in the Holocaust
Museum was now broadened to ask the
national convention of Reform
Congregations to accept the genocide
as a genocide and not just as a tragedy
or series of massacres, and to demand
that American Jews lobby to pass the
Senate Resolution which . un¬
equivocally uses the term "Armenian
Genocide."
Thanks to daily reports in the
Fresno Bee on the Senate Resolution,
the Fresno Jewish reaction to it, and
then the unfolding of the New Orleans
Convention with a day by day, nearly
hour by hour report, the ups arid downs
of the Resolution's fate was known to
the Fresno community. Especially
instrumental was the insistent
coverage by correspondent John
Taylor, sent at Bee expense to New
Orleans to cover the progress of the
genocide document.
As the convention of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations was
.oming to an end it appeared that the
Fresno Resolution would only be
passed if the word genocide was
replaced by "tragedy" and "massacres."
In the end the original Resolution was
voted* unanimously thanks to the
indefatigable resolve and endless
energy of the Fresno Jews led by their
Rabbi with help from President of the
AUHC, Rabbi Alexander Schindler,
Senator Carl Levin D-Michigan, and
the correspondent of the Israeli daily
Ha'oretz, Yo'av "Kamy, -who broke the
original story of Turkish pressure on
Israel to wor.t again-,i Senate JR 212.
The full text of the resolution is
published elsewhere in //ye
Sharzhoom.. For those who want a
mote circumstantial account of what
happened in New Orleans, they can
consult the Fresno Bee from October
23 to November 11, 1989 (copies are
available from the Armenian Studies
Program).
Upon his return to Fresno on the
night of November 7, Rabbi Segel was
met at the airport by a delegation of
Fresno Armenians which included
Father Hrant Srabian of Holy Trinity
Armenian Church, Barlow Der
Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies
Program of CSU Fresno, and Alan
Jendian of the Armenian Assembly. A
reception was held for Rabbi Segel by
the Armenian Studies Program and
Rev. Roger Minassian, Pastor of the
Pilgrim Armenian Congregational
Church on the afternoon of November
10th in the Pilgrim Church Hall. On
the same evening Rabbi Segel devoted
his Sabbath sermon to the Armeniar
Resolution informing the Fresnc
Jewish   community    of   how    their
resolution was carried at the
convention. During the Friday night
Sabbath services, the Rabbi asked
Reverend Minassian and Mr. Jendian
to address the Temple Beth Israel
Congregation.
Throughout this entire struggle for
the Genocide resolution Rabbi Segel
displayed the strong and unshakable
moral conviction on which his and his
Temple's position on the Armenian
question was based. His insistence
that Jews take an unambiguous
position in support of the forgotten
Armenian Genocide was articulated
with a rare passion and eloquence. In
teaching his own people about the
realities of the Armenian Genocide as a
prelude to the Jewish Holocaust he
gave Armenians a humbling lesson in
shared suffering, human compassion
and brotherhood.
Armenians can be certain of one
thing, if they, as Armenian activists,
fail to follow up on the triumph of the
Genocide resolution passed by Jews at
New Orleans, Rabbi Segel and Temple
Belli Israel have sworn to pursue what
they consider as a turning point in the
Jewish perception of the Armenia
Genocide and in Armenian Jewish
relations.
Those wishing to thank
Rabbi Kenneth Segel and the
congregation of Temple Beth
Israel can write to him at:
Rabbi Kenneth Segel
Temple Beth Israel
2336 Calaveras
Fresno, CA 93721
The Union of American
Hebrew Congregations and
their      President      Rabbi      Alex¬
ander        Schindler
thanked by writing to:
may
Rabbi       Alexander       Schindler
President,UAM.C.
838 5th Avenue
New York, New York 10021
HYE SHARZHOOM
NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
f    ■
Hye Sharzhoom is the official newpapertflheArmerita
Students Organization of California State University, Fresno. It is sent, without charge, to
thousands of Armenians throuojKwtttssworW.Tr^
teaders to support our efforts with dorvatioreofanyaJTrOurt
special importance because of irxreased production art
Yes, 1 would like to support the Armenian Studies Program with a donation of:
Please make l%,icksou1l
i Armenian Studies Program and send to:
Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Fresno
Frmo.CA 93740
Alishan
continued from page 6
mentality was well enjoy it when the
time comes.    "
The Armenians also faced the
problem of deciding how to remain
different from the Georgians, Syrians
and Persians. However, they remained
independent because they had a
separate alphabet, literature and
church.
Alishan cited William Saroyan's
short story "The Armenian Mouse"
published in 1976 in Ararat.
The story is about the Armenian
mouse Arshag, who is in a cage at the
zoo with other mice and a snake,
Ralph, who likes to eat a mouse a day.
Arshag is insulted and attacks
Ralph. He is so insulted that he forgot
he was the same as the other mice and
forces  the nsakc  to retreat.  A  zoo
keeper, who's v watching, puts
Arshag in a cage by himself and labels
him the Armenian mouse. Alishan said
this is special because he was the first
mouse to receive his own cage in a zoo
as a mouse.
Alishan said that this demonstrates
defensive defiance and that, "We arc
not willing to die like sheep; if I have
to die, I'll die my own way - I'll put up
a fight."
Those that did survive in the early
years, perhaps are the forefathers of
Armenians in Lebanon, said Alishan.
Alishan interpreted Saroyan's story
as meaning in part that every nation
has its representation.
Alishan was. bom in Iran and
received his Bachelor and Masters
degrees in English literature. He has a
doctorate in literature from the
University of Texas and has published
a Large number of articles on Armenian
and non-Armenian literature.
Endowed Chair donor
Avedian passes away
By Barlow Der Mugrdechian
Mr. Amie Avedian of Fresno passed
away on August 21, 1989. It was Amie
and Nectar Avedian's donation of
$15,000 to the Armenian Studies
Program Endowed Chair fund in
December of 1986 which initiated the
campaign which successfully ended in
December of 1988. CSUF President Dr.
Harold Haak appointed Mr. Avedian as
a founding member of the Center for
Armenian Studies Advisory Board
where he served for eight months prior
to his death.
Amie Markar Avedian (Ave-
daghaian) was bom in Van on February
9, 1901, ihe son of Markar and
Serpouhi Avedian. Ifi 1915 when the
Turkish government began lo attack
Van, Amie and his family left for the
relative safety of Yerevan. Along with
thousands of other Armenians they
endured a long and miserable march.
They left thinking it would be only a
temporary move. Mr. Avedian would
recall how members of his family
became separated and the fear that his
family and others experienced.
Mr. Avedian lived in Ashiarag, near
Yerevan for five years until January of
1921 when he immigrated to Fresno,
where his brother George was already
living.
In March of 1930 Amie married
Nectar Azadian in the First Armenian
Presbyterian Church, on Fulton Street
in Fresno. Avedian opened a cabinet
shop, Amies Showcase, in Fresno and
worked there until his retirement in
1979.
After retirement Avedian remained
active taking courses at Fresno City
College, and also attending night
school for his high school diploma.
He was a member of the Armenian
General Benevolent Union, the
Knights of Varum, and the National
Association for Armenian Studies and
Research. He supported and was a
generous contributor to the Armenian
Studies Program at CSU Fresno.
Mr. Avedian was a long time
member of the First Armenian
Presbyterian Church where he served
as a trustee and deacon. He was also
active in the Armenian Missionary
Association.
Amie Avedian is survived by his
wife Nectar, by son Norman and wife
Rose, by son Richard and wife Carole,
two gran children, Jonathan - and
Heather, a sister May Mooradian and
numerous nieces and nephews.
The Hye Sharzhoom staff would like to thank the following people
from the Daily Collegian for their help and support with publishing this iss
Michael S. Green, Alita Lee and Tbor Swift
Donations to Hye Sharzhoom
Triple X Fraternity
Selma Chapter
Daughters of Vartan
Fresno, CA
Haig and Harvey Garabedian
FresnoJOA
Charles Shamshoian
Fresno. CA
Paul and Judy Murch
Visalia, CA
Raymond Ensher
Fresno, CA
Hapet Kharibian
Palo-Alto, CA
Berj Tastijian
Northbrook. Illinois
Anna Tuokuian
Redondo Beach, CA
Richard and Vartouhy Panduklit
Fresno.CA
Susie McManis
Fresno, tM
T. Mougbamian
San Francisco, CA
Elise Kazanjian
Millbrae, CA     '
Victoria Tusan
Sanger, CA
Ashod & Elizabeth Hovsepian
Sacramento. CA
Estelle Majarian
Visalia, CA
Sylvia Wright
Hayward, CA
Harry & Norma Katzakian
Sacramento, CA
Clifford Melikian
Walnut Creek, CA
Hrayr Terzian
Castro Valley, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Frank CiriU
Sacramento, CA
Aram Darmanian
M'tlpitas, CA
Arum Zipper
Fresno. CA
Armenian-American Citizens'
I eanue
Fresno, CA
Regina Aganoor
New York, New York
Li'lie B, Kasparian
in memory of K aspar
Sacramento, CA
Lorraine Amirian
SanUandro.CA