Review of Events

Gloggi Bazar 2015

The YMCA centre Glockenhof in Zurich opened on 28 November 2015 for the 5th time its doors for the annual Gloggi Bazaar. There was again a lot to buy, read, play, try, taste and sight. Young and old strolled on three floors at various booths, while the very young were looked after and entertained at the Child care.
At 15 o'clock there was also something to hear. Manuschak Karnusian read from her book, "Our roots, our life", in which she portrayed Armenians in Switzerland. The reading was accompanied by the stunning music instrument combination Talita Karnusian on violin and Araxi Karnusian on saxophone. Subsequently, images were shown from 2015 conducted study visit to Armenia.
Save the date for the next Gloggi Bazaar on 19. November 2016, 11.00 – 17.00.

Alpamare-Day 2015

It is Sunday, November 8th and we are at Pfaeffikon SZ, at the entrance hall of the aqua park called Alpamare. We are the members of the Armenian-Partner Team of Cevi Zurich, and today is our great chance to host a big event at this very place. Together with the regional association of Cevi, we have invited all the Cevi-leaders from the region to: Alpamare-Day 2015! We have prepared several fun-tasks, and the aquapark itself has many more attractions for our people. All Cevi-leaders have a 50% discount on the entrance-fee, and thanks to an additional support by the regional association, a part of the entrance fee will be donated to our partner-YMCA in Spitak. For the first hour, the aqua park is open only to Cevi-members, and from 10 o’clock, also other guests are allowed. For that reason, we have about 190 young people waiting in a line with shining eyes, on a Sunday morning, before 9 o’clock. As soon as the clockhand turnst o 9, our people are overtaking the whole aqua park. Who has ever had the chance to have Alpamare on his own? The leaders enjoy the action, and they also come to work at our tasks:  there are slide-races, several  relay-team races, and a rubber-duck-race. For one task, people are forced to go to the cold water pools. We are very greatful for the perfect hospitability of the Alpamare-staff; they support us wherever they can, and that’s why the day is a big success. 

100 Anniversary of the Genocide on the Armenian People
Armenian Concert with «Hekiat»

Saturday, May 16th 2015
Cevi Center Glockenhof, 6pm

This concert is part of the Cevi Sound Day in the scope of the music festival Cantars.

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Turkish genocide against the Armenian people. We contributed to the worldwide commemoration. We not only remembered the genocide, but also pointed out the present reality of presecution and genocide.

«Hekiat» is a music project from Basel that «jazzifies» traditional Armenian songs and inspires not only by its beautiful music, but also by storytelling. The stories presented the personal biography of the Armenian singer Houry Dora Apartian, who originates from the Syrian town Aleppo. The event included a short presentation about today’s Syrian-Armenians, who took shelter from the war in Syria in Armenia and who are building up an own branch within YMCA Armenia. 

Before the concert, we showed a short video message contributed by Syrian Armenian YMCA leaders in Armenia. You can watch the film here:

100th anniversary of the genocide on the Armenian people
Excursion to Hundwil (Appenzell)

Saturday, April 25th 2015

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the genocide on the Armenian people, the Armenia partnership of Zurich YMCA organized an excursion to Hundwil on April, 25th. This little village in Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden is the birthplace of Jakob Künzler, who lived in Urfa (todays Turkey) during the genocide and saved the lives of countless Armenians, especially orphans.

Program of the excursion: hike to Hundwil including inputs on the way, presentation and exhibition about Jakob Künzler in the church of Hundwil and an Armenian concert with Robert Virabyan in the evening.

Impressions of the day:

Presentation about Armenia in Hundwil 
Sunday, March 1st

Presentation and photo show about Armenia and Spitak during the shared soup lunch in the church of Hundwil in the Kanton Appenzell  Ausserrhoden.

Armenia Partnership at the November-Bazar of YMCA Zurich

This year, we were again part of the popular bazar of the YMCA Zurich. We offered products of our Armenian Shop and provided information about the partnership activities.

Public barbecue with guests from Spitak

Sunday, July 20th 2014
Gemeindezentrum Wollishofen

We are happy, that in summer 2014, another exchange visit of young leaders of YMCA Spitak and YMCA Zurich 10 successfully took place. In July, Shaqe Karapetyan and Susanna Kotoshyan, two young Ten Sing leaders of YMCA Spitak, visited Switzerland and participated in the YMCA Zurich 10 camp in Lenzerheide.

On July 20th - as a farewell event of this visit - we had a public barbecue with our guests from Spitak. Shaqe and Susanna shared their experience and impresssions of their stay in Switzerland with us. 

A report about this summer exchange visit, will be published in the next edition of our Newsletter Hamamlezi in October 2014. 

Memorial Concert
25 years after the earthquake in Spitak, December 7th 2013
 

It was on December 7^th 1988, 11:41 am when life in Spitak came to a full stop through an earthquake of the magnitude 6.9. The city was completely destroyed, and at least 25’000 people were killed.
On December 7^th 2013, 25 years later, the partnerteam and several guests came together in the old reformed church in Zurich-Altstetten to commemorate the earthquake. The motto of the memorial event was «memories – traces in today’s life – hope». Our friends in Spitak had agreed to remember these hard times once again and write down their memories of that day.
Their testimonies were read during the memorial event. Between the readings, we heard songs from Armenia, presented by the Armenian Bariton Robert Virabyan, who lives in St. Gallen. He was accompanied on the piano by Indira Imanzhussupova.
25 years ago, Robert Virabyan lived in Yerevan. In the beginning of the concert, he himself gave a moving testimony about how he remembers December 7^th 1988. In commemoration and solidarity with our friends, we lighted candles for Spitak after the concert – as it was done in many Armenian churches this day.

Text and translation: Thomas Rodemeyer

96th anniversary commemoration of the Armenian genocide

On Easter Monday, 25th of April 2011, a commemoration took place in the reformed church of Oerlikon as to remember the victims of the Armenian genocide. 24th of April was the 96th memorial day of the genocide.

Masis Arakelian, an Armenian tenor from Berlin, presented his program “ANTUNI-Homeless” for the first time in Switzerland. Accompanied on a grand piano he sang Armenian songs of art from the last three hundred years. With his unique voice he touched everyone’s heart. The audience was thrilled. The artist got a standing ovation for his performance.

Ensemble Sabil live at Gloggi

On 17th of october, the Gloggi visitors were welcomed with oriental sounds and a touch of Armenia and Switzerland.

As special this style of music sounds, as extraordinary was the composition of band members and instruments. Ensemble Sabil is conisting of egyptian musician Georges Kazazian and the four swiss musicians Patricia Draeger, Albin Brun, Luca Sisera and Chris Jaeger Brown. They presented melodious sounds with oud, accordion, bass and duduk. Ensemble Sabil bestowed an cosy musically afternoon on our guests.

Lecture of Prof.Dr. Richard Hovannisian

On Sunday November 28, 2010, Prof. Dr. Richard Hovannisian, Chair of Modern Armenian History at the University of California, Los Angeles, gave a lecture about the topic «In Search of Armenian Cilicia».