Emails and Messages

Recently, we’ve been seeing anonymous comments, under certain posts, be they positive or negative, from some visitors/readers around the world. Despite the open platform that we encourage and defend the right of any person to express his/her opinion, however, we are also supporters of the online code of conduct and ethics. Therefore, we recommend and urge each commenter to mention his/her name and last name, so that healthy communication would take place. You can write to us at emmanuelchanitz[at]yahoo[dot]com, or add your opinion under each topic/post that interests you.

Administrator,
Raffi

Mrs. Lucy Basmajian (Aleppo, Syria): "Abriss Raffi, kezy bedk e mertsanag dank ayskan deghegoutyun dalout hamar amenous, your name must be written in the records book."

Mrs. Magguy Arslanian-Daoud (Beirut, Lebanon): "It's a great work you do in chanitz.org. Sometimes there are events or activities that are taking place around me, about which I do not hear, but later I read them through your blog."

Mr. Sarkis Karamekian Jr. (Brazil): "Pare tses Rafi jan
Ies hosnagem iev Armenia Eterna Radiojam gnem polor giragi 21h sгo pauloi jamun.Hayasdan aravodian jame 4,00h iev hqalep-suryan jame aravodian 2,00h
www.armeniaeterna.com.br"

Mr. Tom and Annie Hogland (Lebanon): "Enjoying your emails! Thanks!
If a gala for Haigazian can raise 217,000 US $ how much could a gala raise for Kchag?
Love,"

Ms. Arlen Arnekian (Norway): "I'm soooooooo pleased to get your e-mails."

Mr. Luis (Portugal): "Hello
It has a nice blog.
Sorry not write more, but my English is bad writing.
A hug from my country, Portugal "

Mrs. Anahid Artinian Jamgotchian (Saudi Arabia): commenting on
ՍԽԱԼ ԲԱՆ ՄԸ ԿԱՅ "Finally. thank you for voicing this issue. I thought, I was supersensitive for feeling offended when I didn't receive a "thank you" after offering a gift. I agree parents & school play an important role in fixing this. However, what if the parents themselves don't know how to or don't realize they need to say, "Thank you". Thank you for your thought provoking article. We need etiquette workshops for adults & kids."

Mr. Vako Nicolian (Canada): commenting on Chanitz.org Encourages the Use of Armenian Unicode... "I agree 100% in using UNICODE. Been trying to get Armenian sites to use it for a long time. The Unicode system enables all to read in Armenian without having to install any custom fonts."

Mr. Anton Ananyan (Germany): "Congrats for this great blog!"

Anonymous (France): commenting on Kids Camp in Anjar that took place during the summ... "hello
j'ai passé 7 ans de mon enfance ici 1975-1982 que DIEU bénisse ces lieux."

Anonymous (Canada): commenting on The Armenian Missionary Association of Canada Inc.... "Congratulation to all,
its about time that Mher Khatchikian is removed from AMAC, since he denies even being associated to any Armenian Evangelical Church but rather affiliate himself to United Church of Canada for convenient personal reasons.."

Anonymous (Kuwait): commenting on About Us "just tell me what do you represent and what is your mission? the name "Chanitz" has absolutely no meaning, and your role in the armenian society is to steal christian apostolic souls and tie them to a foreign-imported sect, there are bad news that your protestant sect is "buying" people and villages for money, flour and aid...in Armenia,"

Mr. Daniel Zeitounian (LA, USA): commenting on Three Armenian Evangelicals from Turkey defending ... "these are our kach heroes "

Mr. Hagop Gojigian (Lebanon): commenting on Chanitzagans Serving and Reaching Out in Their Com... "pavagan hachog or me er , payets yerani kordzatire darin ankame asng zerakirner chene , ayel haradev . anshoushd yete jamanag ounen dzeraklelou . "

Our Partners/Sponsors in Ministry

Haigazian University
Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning which operates on the United States model of higher education using English as the language of instruction. Its purpose is to provide quality education in a Christian environment where academic freedom and the search and dissemination of truth are predominant. It seeks to empower students both for leadership positions and as professionals to serve in the Armenian and non-Armenian Lebanese communities as well as in the Middle East.



P. & E. Torosian School
Torosian is a neighborhood school. Most of the students live a walking distance from school. The school implements the Lebanese Government Curriculum in Kindergarten, Elementary and Intermediate levels. The school's mission is to educate the Armenian new generation with Christian, Armenian, sound and decent education. Mrs. Seta Karageozian is the principal of the school.




Armenian Evangelical Trad School
The school was built specifically for disadvantaged children – the generation of the Armenian refugees who, because of their desperate situation, were left without education. The school, today, shares its building with the social center, which is available for the children after school hours, where they can study & receive help. The social center also reaches the children & the adolescents through spiritual & social activities. The present social worker is Mrs. Rita Lao Manjelikian. The present principal of the school is Mrs. Vera Svajian.


Armenian Evangelical Christian Endeavor Union
The Armenian Evangelical Christian Endeavor Union of Syria and Lebanon (Armenian: Լիբանանի և Սուրիոյ Հայ Աւետարանական Եկեղեցիներու Քրիստոնէական Ջանից Միութիւն) is the youth organization that is affiliated with the World Christian Endeavor Union and the Christian Endeavor International. The Armenian Evangelical CE Union mostly coordinates with the youth ministries of local churches and at the same time it runs two summer camp sites (Monte Verdi-Lebanon and Kessab-Syria) where various groups (Children, Teenage, Youth and Young couples) organize their summer camps and conferences.


Armenian Evangelical Trad Social Center
The center tries to reach to the needs of the Armenian community, bringing to it hope and improving their living conditions. It provides shelter, food, and medicine for the people. Under the wing of the center also operates its DVBS school, its youth group affiliated with CE Union, and it's kids group.




Howard Karageuzian Foundation
The Howard Karageuzian (HK) Commamorative Corporation was founded in New York in 1921 by Mr. and Mrs. Mihran and Zabel Karageuzians in memory of their son Howard who died of malaria while only 14.






Ջանասէր
Chanaser, the bimonthly magazine, is published by the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East.

Owner: Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East
Publisher: U.A.E.C.N.E. Publications Committee



Bible Bookshop
The Christian store for gifts, Bibles, and Christian books. Whoever likes to gift a nice present can find suitable gifts for suitable prices with quality products. The store is located next to the Armenian Brotherhood Church, in Armenia Street.





Soulahian Super Store
The store where you will find your needs met; whether you need kitchen equipments, or gifts that you need to buy, or toys, ornaments for your salon, or electrical equipments... The store is located near Shamlian Tatigian High School, in Bourj Hammoud, Sin el Fil Roadway.





Peter's Brass
Established in 1951 as a family business: Peter's Brass is one of the major firms in the awards, gifts and sign industry in Lebanon today.
Character and expression is the result of much given attention to the fine artistic and technical details.
Combined with modern technology and traditional hand finish, they cast the events of today into living history.




Learn Matrix and Montage your Videos
MATRIX has become an indispensable software that any jewel designer today is using to design much more accurately and satisfy their clients.

Moreover, they can also take care of the video-recording needs for your events and montaging the recordings for you.



Kardashian Printing Services
Kardashian Printing Services, the one-stop place for all your paper/paperless publication needs. Kardashian Printing Services is a commercial printing company based in the Industrial City in Bouchrieh, Lebanon.





High Bar
High Bar Dance group provides the ultimate new ideas for all kinds of cultural dances, varying from Armenian to Lebanese, Gulf, Greek, Modern, Latin, Spanish, Gipsy, and much more!
The aim of the group is to highlight the different cultural dances during wedding ceremonies, with affordable prices that best serve the couple.

Ordination of Badveli Razmig Minassian, USA

Many of the pastors recognized in this picture: the pastors Mike Mekredjian, Jason Matossian, Henrig Shahnazarian, Avo Boynerian, Joseph Matossian, Ara Jizmejian, Razmig Minassian, Aren Balabanian, Greg Haroutyounian, Serop Megerdichian.

Six Lebanese Armenian Choirs Join Together and Perform on April 24

Armiss, Shnorhali, Koussan, Aik, Groong, Arakelots, the six Lebanese Armenian choirs joined together to perform in April 24. The joint choir performed 5 songs conducted by 5 different Lebanese Armenian conductors.

In the youtube video, you will view the song "To Live Again" (Ապրիլ Կրկին) composed by Zakar Keshishian, lyrics by Vartan Tashjian, that was conducted by Garo Avessian, April 24, 2009, Emile Lahoud Hall, Dbayeh, Lebanon, on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated during 1915-1917, by Ottoman Turkey.

Beyond Borders and Beliefs

As a student of NEST I was invited for a work shop last summer which was organized by the FDCD (Forum for Development of Cultural Dialogue). And the topic was Peacemaking Through Dialogue.


I have attended conferences with different Christians and believers but this was a unique in kind; I met people from 9 different nationalities speaking 7 different languages. The participants were from Denmark, France, Australia, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Italy and Egypt. All of them had different beliefs and ideas. I was the only Lebanese of Armenian origin representing Lebanon. I was encouraged to participate because one of my professors was facilitating this conference. Prior to attending the conference, I had learned that there will be participants from Turkey. I had mixed feelings toward this idea because it was going to be my first meeting with them as an Armenian with my History of the Armenian Genocide! But as Christian I was happy to confront. The first day when I met the lady I welcomed her, then when she introduced herself I welcomed her with a big smile on my face and started talking with her in the Turkish language, since I had learned it by hearing my grandparents speak in Turkish. We became friends, sat together, shared together. We both were sharing about our cultures and finding some similarities. This encouraged us to be transparent and she invited me to go and visit her hometown. I wanted to express my thoughts and ideas and grievances about the loss of my ancestors, but I was trying to be polite! I'm not sure if I was pretending it or if it was real. I replied kindly and said yes I wish to visit the places where my ancestors lived. This was the first evening.

Then, some other ladies were around, one of whom was from Denmark. She asked me about the civil war and my experiences, because she has never had any experiences of this kind in her life! Later during the week, Khalise, the lady and I started having conversations together again. My grief was not tense because as Christian I believed that I had to forgive them! But not forget. Before the end of the one-week conference, we were going to go for shopping in Bourj Hammoud, where most of the people living are Armenian, and this lady was afraid. I asked her about the reason, and she was very transparent and told me "before I come to Lebanon my friends told me to be careful of the Armenians. They may revenge from you! But now I believe that it is not true because you are a good example in front of me!" I was happy to know this, and I protected her when we were walking in Bourj-hammoud.

The following day, we were all gathered together in the big lounge. Our leader who was Christian and from Denmark spoke this sentence "As a Christian, my God helps me to forgive." This word encouraged me to reveal my inner thoughts. I felt that I had a mission there … as if I was going to share about the Armenian believers. Khalise, the lady was sitting next to me, and I lifted my hand to share my idea. I was very confident and I said "I agree what Agnetta told, as an Armenian Christian I forgive what happened in the past. I was not there at that time and she was not there…… and that's why you see me sitting next to her and speaking with her even in her own language... The language of the so called enemy". When I finished my sentences and after concluding the session I noticed that khalise was not around. I knew that I hurt her. Directly I talked with Agnetta about my feelings, but she said "you were right, you were a good example in front of us. Do not be bothered go and talk with her, if she refuses we can talk together." It was late evening I didn't want to disturb her. Next morning, when we met during the breakfast we both welcomed each other. I felt that I had the green light to talk but then I also felt that there was a gap. She was avoiding to be with me. I kept silent but I wanted to talk to her.

The last day of the conference, I entered her room and gave a mug as a souvenir from Lebanon and one of my necklaces that she liked the first day when we met. And I said to her, "I wish to continue our friendship that we started during this conference, let neither our nationality nor the hurt even neither the border and the difference of our beliefs be a barrier for us." She shared that she was hurt on that day too. She shared about their History, which had a different perspective! We both hugged and started crying and promised to keep in touch. The next morning, I woke up early in order to wish her a safe trip. After I returned I wrote her twice, but there was no response unfortunately! I was sad but I know that I did my part.
I wish to hear from her and I'm open to write her again one day! But still I'm waiting the right timing...


To conclude at the end of the conference I learned the following:
• To be open to learn about the norms values and faith and traditions about the other person.
• Acknowledge the obvious differences between me and them.
• Acknowledge the reality of hardship and discrimination.
• Be sensitive in my comments and behaviors.
• Not to be afraid of silence, and not be offended.
• Avoid labeling, be patient and faithful.
• Build a desire to discover God's image in the person I'm dealing with and give value. Allow myself to grow and learn and be changed.
• Rely on God's wisdom and presence with me to serve across the cultures and effectively minister.

Silva Chilingirian,
Armenian Evangelical Nor-Marash Church

Three Armenian Evangelicals from Turkey defending the Armenian Genocide!

Hrant Dink believed in speaking the truth and he paid the price. Rev. Krikor AghabalOghlu believed in telling the Turkish community the truth about the Armenian Genocide, and he was imprisoned and receives threats on his life to this day. Yet, he continues to preach. Hrant Guzelian believed in his vision to bring all the Armenian orphans and children from Eastern Turkey to Istanbul and teach them Armenian. There was an attempt to kill him, but he survived and he was later imprisoned, only to leave to France by force.

Each of them were given the opportunity to leave Turkey, and Rev. Krikor AghabalOghlu still receives invitations to leave his birthplace, where the Armenian Evangelical Church was born, but he refuses to leave and decides to stay.

No... they are not the heroes of the 1915. These are our heroes today!

Would you do the same? Would you talk about injustice even if your own safety and security is at stake? Most of the time we are afraid to even write...


Hrant Guzelian, Hrant Dink, and Rev. Krikor AghabalOghlu

"Ays dune kuget e te ims” translated “ Is this your house or mine?

During the presentation, on May 2008, in the San Francisco Calvary Armenian Congregational Church Annual Banquet, Mr. Zaven Khanjian read:

...You see, every Armenian has a natural and justifiable resistance to place foot on the soil of modern day Turkey.
I had it too.

Time and circumstances well explained in my book came to change all that. And I went. I went, I saw and I experienced being home again. And the flow of my emotions, feelings, thoughts and experience was so immense that based on my daily detailed journals I wrote down the story of the pilgrimage which was first published in an extended series of articles in the Asbarez news paper and subsequently published in a book entitled “ Ays dune kuget e te ims” translated “ Is this your house or mine?”.

Undoubtedly we never cease to remember and respect our fallen victims. We cry for them as we cry for justice we have not witnessed and for recognition we have been denied.
Tonight however we are not going to talk about the victims of the crime. Tonight, we are going to leave them in peace and move to remember the other face of the genocide. That of our homeland, cultural monuments, churches, monasteries and of peaceful dwellings our fathers called their home. The genocide , my dear friends, had two faces. The human face and the material face. The material face is often and comparatively rightfully always left behind, second stage, rear wagon. But nothing minimizes its significance. Nothing belittles its importance.

AND IT IS IMMENSE.

Churches, monasteries, homes, gardens, mills, livestock, country side, hills, mountains, lakes and ponds, water and rivers, beyond, of course, the immeasurable value of handcrafted personal wealth destroyed and left behind.
But as much as it has been destroyed, it is still there.
There is still a lot to witness and discover.
A lot of inheritance,
A lot of legacy,
Some converted to mosques,
Others in plain ruins.
Some converted to cafes and restaurants
And some totally destroyed.
But one thing is certain and alive in the collective memory of people everywhere. Here and there. And that is the true story of what happened in that spring and summer of one of the darkest years in the history of mankind.
Today we shall march through a small sample of those monuments in whatever shape and condition they are, as they stand witness of a people who once thrived on their few thousand old historic homeland but are not there anymore.
We shall march through the eyes of a few pilgrims who walked through the land in September-October of 2006.

Emmanuel Church Soccer Team in 'Athletes In Action" Tournament

(left to right) back: Mano, Rev. Hovanness, Mike, Hagop, Armig, Kevork, Kevork
front: Samuel, Garo, Zouzou, Ara, Sevag

Chanitzagans Serving and Reaching Out in Their Community

Sunday, 15 February, was a special day for the Chanitzagans. After the church service, the chanitzagans from Marash church, Emmanuel church and Ashrafieh church gathered in the Armenian Evangelical Marash Church to get ready for their community service organized by the Executive Committee of the CE Union.

The program started with a worship, led by Mr. Garbis Deyirmenjian after which Mrs. Rita Lao-Manjelikian shared a brief message based on the book "Becoming Human" by Jean Vanier. She shared how those who feel "unwanted" in the community should be reached out to with a "human" hand.

Then the participants, around 25 were distributed among three centers:
1) Deir El Kamar Hospital of Abouna Yacoub Soeurs
2) Fanar Juvenile Detention Center
3) Jounieh Jeunesses Countre La Drogue (JCD)

The objective of this service day was coming face to face with the "different" - mentally (Deir El Kamar), socially (the juveniles, addicts), and the ones "left aside".

Torosian School's Easter Celebration

Our school celebrated Easter on Wednesday the 8th of April 2009. The celebration was held in 2 parts. The first part was indoors where students presented a mime skit accompanied with scripture reading and music. The scenes presented the story of Easter – the last supper, the crucifixion and the resurrection. The day’s message was delivered through what Jesus had said while on the cross.

The second part was outdoors, food, fun and games, where students ended this part with the annual egg hunt.

Christ has indeed risen.

Happy Easter