Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, where the 2013 National Representative Assembly is taking place.

IN MEMORIAM BEDROS GIVELEKIAN          It was with a deep sense of loss that His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, Prelate, and the Religious and Executive Councils received the news of the passing of Bedros Givelekian, a beloved son of the Armenian Church and nation, a Knight of Cilicia, an Eagle of the Prelacy, a Pillar of the Prelacy, a former member and treasurer of the Executive Council, and a former and long-time chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. Mr. Givelekian died at home on Monday, May 13.         The vigil took place on Tuesday evening at St. Sarkis Church attended by hundreds of mourners. Funeral services took place Wednesday morning at St. Sarkis Church, with the Vicar General, His Grace Anoushavan Tanielian, officiating. Interment followed at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Flushing, New York. The Memorial Luncheon (Hokejosh) took place at St. Sarkis Church.         Mr. Givelekian is survived by his wife, Sonia (nee Donikian), his children Mr. & Mrs. Arthur and Annette Givelekian, and Mr. & Mrs. Berdj and Lucy Kazanjian, and four grandchildren, Ariana, Thomas, Aris, and Lara.         May he rest in eternal peace in heavenly bliss.          Bedros Givelekian was born in 1933, in Negu Voda, Romania, to Krikor and Dicranuhi Givelekian. He came to the United States in 1965 where he continued his studies in accounting that he had started in Bucharest.         He was actively involved in a number of important events in the Armenian American community, including Pontifical Visits by His Holiness Vasken I (Mother See of Etchmiadzin) in 1969; His Holiness Karekin II (Holy See of Cilicia) in 1990; and His Holiness Aram I (Holy See of Cilicia) in 1997.         Since 1980 he served St. Sarkis Church in a number of leadership roles including chairman of the Board of Trustees and treasurer of the Building Committee for the new Saint Sarkis Church. He was chairman of St. Sarkis during its most challenging years between the time the Bayside church was destroyed by fire and the new church in Douglaston was built and consecrated. In recognition of his outstanding service, Mr. Givelekian was awarded the Knight of Cilicia insignia by the Holy See of Cilicia, and the Eagle of the Prelacy by the Eastern Prelacy. He was an active participant in the Knights of Vartan, and the Romanian Armenian community.

Archbishop Oshagan decorates Bedros Givelekian with the “Eagle of the Prelacy,” the highest honor awarded by the Eastern Prelacy, during a testimonial dinner in his honor on November 1, 2003, alongside his wife Sonia.

This Sunday, May 19, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost (Hokekaloust), the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and the birth of the church. Jesus had commanded his apostles to “Go therefore to all nations and make them my disciples,” (Matthew 28:19). Recognizing the difficulty of this great responsibility, Christ had advised his disciples not to begin their teaching mission until after the “descent of the Holy Spirit.”         In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that on the day of Pentecost the apostles gathered in one place, and suddenly a strong wind seemed to fill the house in which they were assembled, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (see reading above). It was the Jewish feast of Pentecost (Shabuoth) commemorating the giving of the law on Mount Sinai and many people from different lands had come to Jerusalem. They marveled that they could understand the Apostles’ words. This day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles marked the beginning of the mission of the Church to spread the Good News throughout the world.         In a sense Pentecost is the opposite of what occurred in the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel when God disapproved of the building of a tower to reach the heavens and he created confusion by having the workers suddenly speak in different tongues, and unable to understand each other. At Pentecost he gave the disciples the ability to speak other tongues and thus be able to be understood by everyone everywhere.

Life-creating God, Spirit and lover of mankind, with tongues of fire you enlightened those united with one accord in love; therefore we also celebrate today your holy descent.         Filled with joy by your coming the holy apostles began in different-sounding tongues to call into unity them that had been divided from each other; therefore we also celebrate today your holy descent.         By spiritual and holy baptism through them you have adorned the universe in a new and radiant garment; therefore we also celebrate your holy descent.   (From the Canon for the First Day of Pentecost according to the Liturgical Canons of the Armenian Church)

Hamo (Hambardzum) Bek-Nazarian was one of the pioneers of Armenian cinema. Born in Yerevan in 1892, he moved with his family to Tashkent (currently the capital of Uzbekistan). He first became a cyclist, and then a wrestler. He participated in competitions outside the Russian Empire and even wrestled in the circus with the pseudonym of Maroni.         In 1914 he started his career in Russian cinema. His first role was a minor one in a film, significantly titled Enver-pasha – predatel’ Turtsii  (“Enver Pasha, Traitor of Turkey”), released in 1915. He appeared with the artistic name of Hamo Bek in more than 70 Russian silent movies, where he met his future wife, the actress Sofya Volkhovskaya (1888-1956).
He graduated from the Commerce Institute of Moscow in 1918. In 1921 he headed the movies section of the film studios of Georgia and then became a film director of the State Film of Georgia. In 1923 he moved to Armenia following an invitation by the government and founded the Armenfilm (Haifilm)studios. This was a real challenge, as there were no grounds for cinema in Armenia and Bek-Nazarian had to start everything from scratch. Two years later, he directed the first Armenian feature film, Namus (The Honor), based on the homonymous play by Shirvanzade (1858-1935). He also directed other important films, such as Zare (the first movie on Kurdish life) and the first Armenian comedy, Shor and Shor Shor, in 1926. He wrote the scenario of Shor and Shor Shor in one night and filmed it in eleven days. He also filmed three Georgian movies in 1924-1925, and would later film two Azerbaijani movies (1927 and 1941).         By 1935 Bek-Nazarian had written (alone or in collaboration) and directed sixteen films, both features and documentaries. He achieved another feat in that year: he directed the first Armenian sound film (“talkie”), Pepo, also based on a
classical play by Gabriel Sundukian (1825-1912). This was four years after the release of the first Soviet sound film, at a time when less than one out of a hundred film projectors in the Soviet Union were equipped for sound. Pepo became his masterpiece, as well as one of the masterworks of the Armenian movie industry. He earned the title of Popular Artist of Soviet Armenia in the same year.         He produced two other important films among his works: Zangezur (1938), which received the Stalin Prize of second degree in 1941, and David Bek (1943). The latter was based on the Armenian rebellion against Persian domination in the eighteenth century. However, he suffered a very big disappointment with his film Yerrort karavan (Third Caravan), dedicated to the subject of the repatriation to Armenia in 1946-1948, which was probably set to become his masterpiece. The filming of the movie, which was halfway, was forbidden and the production was shut down in 1951, probably as part of the change of heart of the Soviet regime with regards to repatriation and repatriates. Bek-Nazarian, deeply upset and disillusioned, abandoned both Armenfilm and Armenia, and went to work in the Central Asian republics, such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. He passed away on April 27, 1965, and was buried at the Armenian cemetery of Moscow beside his wife. His work was posthumously acknowledged and the movie studios of Armenfilm were named after him.

The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale, retold by Lucine Kasbarian and illustrated by Maria Zaikina, has won the 2013 Nautilus Silver Award in the Children’s Picture Book category. The book was published by Marshall Cavendish (now Amazon Children’s Books).
The Greedy Sparrow is an English-language retelling of a traditional Armenian folk tale about a bird that travels the countryside, encounters natives practicing traditional folkways, and gets a comeuppance for his trickery. Author Kasbarian and illustrator Zaikina convey ethnic authenticity in the adaption of this tale from the Armenian oral tradition.         The Nautilus Awards recognize books that promote positive social change, spiritual development and conscious living as they stimulate the imagination and inspire the reader to new possibilities for a better world. Formal announcements of the Nautilus Award winners will be made at BookExpo America that will take place in New York City from May 30 to June 1. The Greedy Sparrow was also named a 2012 Honor Book in the Storytelling World Awards.
Copies of The Greedy Sparrow can be purchased from the Prelacy Bookstore. For information contact the bookstore by email (books@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810).

THE ARMENIAD Visible Pages of History Text and Illustrations by Boris Baratov          This richly illustrated volume offers a panoramic view of the ancient civilization of Armenia and into the 20th century. Beautiful color photography accompanies the informative text based on the work of scholars and historians utilizing the latest research. The oversize format accommodates the photographs perfectly. The Armeniad was printed in Italy, which is noted for its exceptional production of art books. This is a lovely addition to your own library or a very distinctive gift for a special person.   336 pages $170, plus shipping & handling   To order this book, or for information about other books, contact the Prelacy Bookstore by email (books@armenianprelacy.org) or by telephone (212-689-7810).

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET OUR ONGOING RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN SYRIA WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT. THE NEED IS REAL. THE NEED IS GREAT. DONATIONS TO THE FUND FOR SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF CAN BE MADE ON LINE. TO DONATE NOW CLICK HERE AND SELECT SYRIAN ARMENIAN RELIEF IN THE MENU.   The Fund for Syrian Armenian Relief is a joint effort of: Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy); Armenian Catholic Eparchy; Armenian Evangelical Union of North America; Armenian Relief Society (Eastern USA, Inc.); Armenian Revolutionary Federation.