International Conference on Evagrius of Pontus at SNAS (June 4–6)

An international conference on Evagrius of Pontus—a philosopher, theologian, desert ascetic, spiritual writer, and intellectual of the fourth century, who had a significant impact on the curriculum, spirituality, and intellectual culture of medieval Armenian monasteries—is to be held at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary from June 4th–6th.

The conference, organized by SNAS professors Dr. Roberta Ervine and Dr. Ani Shahinian, is co-sponsored by St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and brings together most of the leading scholars working on Evagrius and his reception in the various languages of the medieval Christian world (Greek, Coptic, Latin, Syriac, Armenian, Arabic, etc.)

The Armenian reception of Evagrius is notable because Armenian manuscripts, along with Syriac, preserve works of Evagrius that were otherwise suppressed and lost in the original Greek, due to Evagrius’ embroilment in the “Origenist” theological controversies of the sixth century AD.

The hybrid conference may be followed by registering at this Zoom link.

Cocktails & Poetry: Celebrating Tenny Arlen’s To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here?

Join the Zohrab Center and Next Gen Leaders of the Eastern Diocese (@nextgeneasterndiocese) for an evening of cocktails, conversation, and poetry as we explore the powerful words and legacy of Tenny Arlen (1991–2015) and her groundbreaking collection, To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here?

Born in California, Tenny Arlen began learning Western Armenian at UCLA at the age of 20 and went on to become the first American-born author to publish a full-length creative literary work in the language. Though her life was tragically cut short in 2015 in a car accident, her voice continues to inspire readers through her posthumously published work, celebrated by Armenian literary circles around the world.

Now in a facing-page bilingual (Armenian and English) edition with a foreword by Jesse Arlen and afterwords by Arthur Ipek (NYU / Zohrab Center) and Hagop Gulludjian (UCLA), this profound poetry is now accessible to all readers, regardless of the level of their Armenian knowledge.

Come experience an intimate night centered on language, identity, creativity, and the enduring impact of Armenian literature. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Location: Park View Lounge (Youth Center at St. Vartan Cathedral)
Day: Thursday, June 11
Time: 7:00 PM
Advance Registration Required ($10): REGISTER AT THIS LINK

International Conference on Evagrius of Pontus at SNAS (June 4–6)

An international conference on Evagrius of Pontus—a philosopher, theologian, desert ascetic, spiritual writer, and intellectual of the fourth century, who had a significant impact on the curriculum, spirituality, and intellectual culture of medieval Armenian monasteries—is to be held at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary from June 4th–6th.

The conference, organized by SNAS professors Dr. Roberta Ervine and Dr. Ani Shahinian, is co-sponsored by St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and brings together most of the leading scholars working on Evagrius and his reception in the various languages of the medieval Christian world (Greek, Coptic, Latin, Syriac, Armenian, Arabic, etc.)

The Armenian reception of Evagrius is notable because Armenian manuscripts, along with Syriac, preserve works of Evagrius that were otherwise suppressed and lost in the original Greek, due to Evagrius’ embroilment in the “Origenist” theological controversies of the sixth century AD.

The hybrid conference may be followed by registering at this Zoom link.

Upcoming Talks in the Tri-State Area by Zohrab Center Director Dr. Jesse Arlen

This weekend Zohrab Center director Dr. Jesse Arlen will give two presentations as part of parish Lenten programming in the Tri-State area.

On Friday, February 20th, following the 7:30pm Lenten vigil at St. Leon Armenian Church in Fair Lawn, NJ and then on Sunday, February 22nd, following Badarak, at St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, NY.

His presentations will introduce the life and poetry of Tenny Arlen, whose 2021 book of verse Կիրքով ըսելու՝ ինչո՞ւ հոս եմ (To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here?) (Yerevan: ARI Literature Foundation) marked a watershed moment in the Armenian literary tradition, being the first full-length volume of creative literature published in Armenian by an American-born writer.

In 2025, a bilingual (English and Armenian) language edition was published by Tarkmaneal Press, along with afterwords by Hagop Gulludjian and Arthur Ipek.

In consonance with the season of Great Lent, Dr. Arlen will reflect on the some of the spiritual themes in Tenny’s poetry, such as solitude, iconic seeing, and the transcendence and immanence of the ineffable realm of the spirit.

Armenian Language Classes in-person at the Diocese this Fall: Eastern and Western standards

This Fall, from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM on Thursday evenings, September 18th–December 11th, Armenian language classes are being offered in-person at the Diocese, organized by St. Vartan Cathedral. The classes are open to learners interested in both Eastern and Western Armenian, and are taught by three dynamic instructors with years of teaching experience, including a native speaker of Eastern Armenian (Fr. Davit Karamyan), a native Western Armenian speaker (Dn. Hovannes Khosdeghian), and someone who learned to speak Armenian as an adult (Dr. Jesse Arlen).

The courses will cover the basics of Armenian grammar (Eastern and Western) and offer conversational practice.

Cost: One-time payment of $100 for the full course. Payment may be made online (https://givebutter.com/jpOA23) or by check. For questions, email vicar@stvartan.org

 

St. Nerses Shnorhali in His Context, May 8-10 (in-person & Zoom)

The Zohrab Center warmly invites you to an upcoming international conference, Շնորհալի եւ պարագայ իւր “Nerses Shnorhali in His Context,” to be held at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary from May 8–10, 2025.

You may register for the Zoom Webinar via this link.

The conference flyer and program are below. For more information, visit the St. Nersess seminary website.

 

REMINDER: Register for Գրաբար Medieval Armenian Poetry reading course

The Zohrab Information Center is hosting a Գրաբար reading course, “Medieval Armenian Poetry,” on Mondays 2:00–4:00pm ET via Zoom from January 13th to March 31st. Those unable to attend live can have access to the course materials and recordings of the sessions by registering via the Zoom registration linked below.

The course will be taught by Dr. Jesse Arlen with poetic texts chosen from the rich treasury of medieval Armenian literature. Writers include the 8th-century female hymn composers Khosrovidukht Goghtnatsi and Sahakdukht Siwnetsi, as well as Anania of Narek and St. Gregory of Narek, Gregory Magistros, St. Nersess Shnorhali, and others.

It is recommended that participants already be familiar with the basics of Classical Armenian grammar or have reading and writing knowledge of Modern Armenian in order to benefit from the course.

To register for the course, click here. For questions about the course, send an email to: zohrabcenter@armeniandiocese.org.

Armenian State Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall (June 27)

The Zohrab Information Center warmly invites you to the debut performance of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in New York, showcasing majestic music by Aram Khachaturian in a single concert at Carnegie Hall on June 27th.

Under the direction of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan, the concert features Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, with soloist Sergey Khachatryan, as well as Spartacus and other iconic masterpieces, including the all-time favorite Sabre Dance.

For tickets, please visit: https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2024/06/27/armenian-state-symphony-orchestra-0800pm

2024 Thalassa Benefit for the Orthodox Christian Studies Center (Tuesday, May 14)

You are cordially invited to attend the 2024 Thalassa Benefit for the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University on Tuesday, May 14 at Thalassa Restaurant (179 Franklin Street) in New York City.

Join us for a night of delicious food and drinks and celebrating the incredible students of the Center with the presentation of two distinguished awards:

  • The Fr. John Long, S.J., Award for undergraduate achievement in the Orthodox Christian studies minor and/or potential for postgraduate studies in the field; and
  • The Stella Moundas Award for Orthodox Christian Service, presented to a senior who has shown deep commitment to serving others during his or her undergraduate career.

Reception and Presentation | 6 p.m.

TICKETS
General Ticket | $150
Young Member Ticket (40 and under) | $75

Register 

Proceeds benefit the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University.

For more information, visit fordham.edu/thalassa2024 or email orthodoxy@fordham.edu.