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. The course will be taught by Dr. Jesse Arlen with poetic texts chosen from the rich treasury of medieval Armenian literature.
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.
An Early-Eighteenth-Century Hmayil (Armenian Prayer Scroll): Introduction, Facsimile, Transcription and Annotated Translation (New York, NY: Tarkmaneal Press, 2024), by Matthew J. Sarkisian, edited and with a foreword by Jesse S. Arlen is now available in print in both hardcover and paperback formats.
The volume is the first in the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center’s Sources from the Armenian Christian Tradition series and was previously released online in digital format in 2022. The revised print edition features some updates and corrections and full-color photographs.
Cover of Matthew J. Sarkisian. An Early-Eighteenth-Century Hmayil (Armenian Prayer Scroll): Introduction, Facsimile, Transcription and Annotated Translation. Edited and with a Foreword by Jesse S. Arlen. Sources from the Armenian Christian Tradition, volume 1. New York, NY: Tarkmaneal Press, 2024 (revised print edition)
A hmayil is a handwritten or printed scroll containing prayers, supplications, Psalms, Gospel passages, hymns, and incantations. These scrolls, often richly illustrated, were a popular medium used for protection against maladies and other evils during the early modern period and were often carried or worn like a talisman. In this volume, Matthew J. Sarkisian and editor Jesse S. Arlen provide the Armenian text and an English translation of one such scroll printed in Constantinople in 1727. Together with facsimile images of the hmayil, this volume offers the reader an experience similar to unrolling and reading the original scroll. The translation is accompanied by an introduction, extensive annotation, and appendices, which bring to light the Scriptural and theological background as well as the folk and traditional characteristics of the hmayil’s texts and illustrations, making this fascinating artifact accessible to the general reader in the twenty-first century.
The publication of this volume was supported by a generous grant from Souren A. Israelyan. The book is available to purchase on Amazon.
Zohrab Center director, Dr. Jesse S. Arlen, will be on the road to present talks in the coming days. On Monday, October 28th at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., he will present on the rich manuscript heritage of Grner monastery in Cilicia under Bishop John (Yovhannes Arkayeghbayr), brother of King Hetum I.
Then on November 7th at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America he will participate in a program put together by the Western Diocese and the UCLA Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies, Prof. Peter Cowe, entitled “An Evening Honoring the Legacy of St. Nerses Shnorhali,” a literary, musical, artistic, and visual celebration of the saint’s liturgical music, including the Odes (տաղք), newly translated to English by Dr. Arlen and Matthew J. Sarkisian.
Both programs are open to the public.
While in Washington, D.C., Dr. Arlen presented today on medieval Armenian colophons at the Armenian Relief Society Norian “Youth Connect” Program at the Library of Congress and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, organized by Dr. Khatchig Mouradian.
A collection of hundreds of documents commemorating Armenian people, places, and anniversaries has recently been processed and is now available for the interested public to view at the Zohrab Information Center.
Two anniversary booklets for the Holy Cross Church of Armenia in New York, New York. The second booklet is also commemorative of the miraculous icon painting Charkhapan Soorp Asdvadzadzin by Simon Samsonian. Many of the parishes within this collection have booklets commemorating multiple anniversaries.
The collection includes commemoration books, pamphlets, event programs and flyers, yearbooks, orders of service for unique church events, and memorial materials for individuals.
A commemorative booklet for the 40th anniversary of the Khorenian Divine Liturgy, 2024. While the Zohrab Center has a liturgy collection, liturgy that was specific to one-time events was primarily placed in this collection.
This body of materials is a comprehensive look at the many ways in which Armenian people the world over have celebrated each other, organizations and groups, and milestones, a testament to the effort, especially in the Armenian diaspora, to preserve memory in the wake of genocide and exile.
A booklet commemorating the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of the Surp Pirgic Hospital of Istanbul, Türkiye, 1981.
The collection was processed by Linda Smith, an archival intern at the Zohrab Center who is beginning a graduate program through New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation in fall 2024. Additionally, Dr. Nareg Seferian assisted with processing and translation of the Armenian and other materials in the collection in non-English languages.
A booklet for one of the newer Armenian churches in the collection, which contains the Order of Consecration of a Church and the Divine Liturgy for St. Yeghiche Armenian Church in London, England, 2001.
The materials in the collection span over 120 years, originating from 1903 and continuing through to 2024. These items were acquired and donated over the years by various individuals.
A photographic spread from the 2023 booklet for the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary event 12 Vocations.
The collection’s first series comprises materials related to institutions and is broken down into three subseries: parishes, schools and seminaries, and organizations and other groups.
There is a wealth of commemoration books for Armenian churches all over the world (with a bulk of materials on churches in America) and several commemorative materials for the diocese itself.
Commemorative issue of The Mother Church (Մայր Եկեղեցի) magazine honoring the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America. That anniversary was in 2007, though this magazine was published at the end of 2006. This collection contains several materials commemorating anniversaries of the Western and Eastern dioceses in America and the Diocese of Canada.
These kinds of items give a glimpse into the rich history of Armenian churches and their impact within their communities. Many of the commemorative books feature letters of appreciation and well wishes from religious leaders as well as politicians, at the local, state, and federal levels.
The second subseries highlights a number of Armenian schools and seminaries around the world, and how they have fostered the education of Armenian students for decades.
A special issue of the AGBU Mari Manukean Varzharan (AGBU Marie Manoogian School) school serial Դպրոցական Կեանք (Dprots’akan Keank’, School Life) dedicated to the school’s 15th anniversary, 1991. Materials about the legacy of Marie and her husband Alex are also available in the philanthropists subseries of this collection.
This subseries is more global in scope, which allows visitors browsing the collection to get a sense of the span of the Armenian diaspora and its effort to foster spiritual and cultural education around the world.
A booklet and letter calling for admissions for the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy of Kolkata (Calcutta), India (Կալկաթայի Հայոց Մարդասիրական Ճեմարան), circa early- to mid-2010s.Commemorative booklet for the 150th anniversary and the occasion of the re-inauguration of Bardizatagh in Jerusalem, Israel, 1993. The booklet contains a history of the monastery, photographs of the grounds and clergy members, and a message from Archbishop Torkom Manoogian.
The third subseries focuses on various organizations and groups, mostly based in North America.
A booklet commemorating the centennial (100th) anniversary of the establishment of an Armenian community in Ontario, Canada, 1998.
These groups have supported Armenian camaraderie and causes for decades, with some groups providing specific assistance to children, seniors, and students. Many of these groups continue a legacy of accomplishment and support into the present day for Armenian people.
A pamphlet and booklet commemorating the centennial (100th) anniversary of the Armenian Students’ Association of America, Inc. (ASA), 2010.
Next in the collection is the individuals series. The people represented range from average citizens who worked in a variety of fields to priests and clergymen, from philanthropists to writers and artists of all sorts.
A program booklet celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, New York by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, 2002.
The clergy subseries has a plethora of materials, honoring the ordinations of various holy men in the Armenian Church and remembering their lives and legacies. They all come with their own stories and personalized material.
The ordination and consecration booklet for Benjamin Rith-Najarian as a priest, 2014. Some of these materials have notes from the presiding clergy, showing preparations taken for each ceremony.
Musicians, writers, and artists form three of the following four subseries. This collection features a varied breadth of materials from creative Armenians, who were active at various points from the end of the 19th century through the 20th century.
A program for an event honoring the artist Sarkis Katchadourian, 1956. The ZIC’s second special collection contains photographs of his wife Vava, many of which include Sarkis.
Their artistry continues to be appreciated and to inspire new actors, poets, authors, musicians, composers, visual artists, and singers to this day.
An Armenian Program booklet honoring poet Avetik Isahakian, 1958; and a commemorative booklet for the 120th anniversary of the birth of Hratch Yervant, 2006. Though many people worked in more than one field, individuals were placed within one subseries for clarity in organization.
The fourth subseries includes materials commemorating businessmen and entrepreneurs whose philanthropic efforts have been wide-reaching. Whether they generally supported the Armenian community, philanthropic organizations, and Armenian studies at universities like Alex Manoogian or championed public institutions including the New York Public Library like Vartan Gregorian, these individuals used their success to support people and groups in need throughout their lives.
A 2022 commemorative publication honoring the life and legacy of Vartan Gregorian one year after his passing.
The final series consists of events and milestones more broadly. These materials either cannot easily be associated with an institution or individual(s), or are of such a general nature that they are better studied in a separate category. A highlight of this series is several materials relating to the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, a milestone commemorated in 2001.
One of the collection’s many commemorative materials for the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Armenia, 2001. This booklet also honors a pontifical visit from Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians to the Diocese of Canada.
This collection brings together a plethora of resources. The collection shows how Armenians have acknowledged both tragedy and joy for over 120 years, honoring those people and places lost as well as remembering times of growth and prosperity.
A commemorative booklet containing the order of canonization of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, 2015.
All throughout the series highlights the efforts of Armenians, especially in the diaspora, to preserve memory and document their own history.
A spread from a bilingual booklet from an Armenian history contest held in honor of Archbishop Torkom Manoogian’s 20th year as primate, 1982.
This collection is now available for visitors who want to research commemorative events and materials and learn more about individuals, groups, and milestones integral to the history and legacy of Armenian people around the world. A searchable finding aid of the collection is available to view here.
A poster drawn by Yervant Nahabedian commemorating the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Nor Jougha/New Julfa, Iran, 2004.
On Monday, April 15th at 4:00pm ET, authors Jesse S. Arlen and Matthew J. Sarkisian will discuss their new book, Odes of Saint Nersess the Graceful: Annotated Translation, in conversation with Prof. George Demacopoulos. The Zoom webinar is hosted by the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University and co-sponsored by NAASR and the Zohrab Information Center.
The Zohrab Information Center cordially invites you to a book presentation and signing of Ted and Nune‘s Stone & Candle: Armenian Monasteries (Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg, 2023) to take place on Wednesday, April 10th from 7–9pm at the AGBU Central Office (55 East 59th Street, 7th floor, New York, NY 10022). At the event, Dr. Jesse S. Arlen will speak on “The Function of Monasteries in Medieval Armenian Society.”
Stone and Candle is a long-term photographic project examining ancient Armenian Monasteries.
The Zohrab Information Center is pleased to announce the release of Odes of Saint Nersess the Graceful: Annotated Translation by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen. The volume is the second in the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center’s series Sources from the Armenian Christian Tradition and is available to purchase on Amazon.
St. Nersess the Graceful (Nersēs Shnorhali, 1102–1173 A.D.), catholicos from 1166 until his death in 1173, was one of the great figures of the medieval Armenian Church. His most popular work is the prayer of twenty-four stanzas commonly known as “With Faith I Confess” (Havadov Khosdovanim), which has been translated into more than thirty languages. He was also a prolific author and composer of hymns and other poetic works, many of which remain little known today. This volume presents the Armenian text and an English translation of sixty of St. Nersess’s liturgical odes (tagh), fifty-eight of which have never been previously translated into English. These profound songs of praise were composed to enhance the celebration and reflect on the mystery of the various feasts and commemorations that make up the Christian liturgical year. The translation is accompanied by an introduction and extensive annotation, which brings to light the Biblical, theological, and poetic features of these literary treasures, making them accessible to the general reader in the twenty-first century.
Tarkmaneal Press was founded in 2024 by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen with the goal of bringing bilingual editions of classical Armenian texts with annotated English translations available to a wide audience. Sarkisian is a self-taught translator of Classical Armenian who lives in the Binghamton, New York area. He previously collaborated with Jesse Arlen on an annotated translation of an Armenian prayer scroll (hmayil), published in 2022 by the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center. Arlen is the director of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center at the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University. He has published a number of studies on late antique and medieval Christian spirituality and monastic literature.
Praise for the Volume
“St. Nersess Shnorhali, Nersess the Graceful, belongs to the rank of those Church Fathers and Doctors who rightfully can be declared “the lyre of the Holy Spirit.” One of the earliest European Armenologists, the Jesuit Fr. Jacques Villote, admiring the sublime touches of heavenly inspiration emanating from Shnorhali’s verses, called his poetic masterpiece — named in Armenian Յիսուս, Որդի (Jesus, Son) from its incipit — “The Divine Elegy.” Nersess Shnorhali is one of the most exceptional figures in the history of the universal Church for more than one reason, but above all for his passionate search for the unity of the Church, and for his deep understanding, in the wake of St. Gregory of Narek, of the fragility, the conventionality, the inadequacy of human language in speaking of Divine mystery. The Odes in this volume, masterfully translated and commented upon by Matthew J. Sarkisian and Jesse S. Arlen, are among the most vibrant, genuine, and touching expressions of Shnorhali’s spirituality.”
— Abp. Levon Zekiyan, Emeritus Professor of Armenian Studies, Ca’ Foscari, Venice, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome
“St. Nersess Shnorhali’s hymns are known for their literary beauty and spiritual sublimity. Sarkisian and Arlen convey both aspects in their mellifluous translation. The substantial annotation they provide further defines their mastery of the classical text.”
— Abraham Terian, Emeritus Professor of Armenian Patristics and Theology, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
“Thanks to Jesse Arlen and Matthew Sarkisian for this carefully prepared labor of love and learning. They have curated for us a trove of lesser-known, spiritual gems from the vast storehouse of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s writings.”
— Roberta Ervine, Professor of Armenian Christian Studies, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan will lead an ecumenical prayer service for Christian Unity at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral on Thursday, January 25th at 6:30pm. All are warmly invited to attend. For details, see the flyer below.
The international conference “Plenitude of Grace, Plenitude of Humanity: St Nerses Shnorhali at the Juncture of Millennia” took place Thursday and Friday (Nov 30–Dec 1) at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. The recordings of all sessions from both days are available to view online through the YouTube Channel of the Pontifical Oriental Institute or below.A conference flyer and schedule are also available to view below.
The international conference “Plenitude of Grace, Plenitude of Humanity: St Nerses Shnorhali at the Juncture of Millennia” is taking place this Thursday and Friday (Nov 30–Dec 1) at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. Among the invited speakers are Zohrab Center director Dr. Jesse S. Arlen, former Diocesan primate Bp. Daniel Findikyan, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Emeritus Professor Dr. Abraham Terian and current St. Nersess Seminary Professor Dr. Roberta R. Ervine, along with an impressive lineup of scholars and clergymen.
The conference was organized in conjunction with a series of events that were to take place in Rome and the Vatican, including concerts and an ecumenical prayer service, to honor the 850th year since the death of St. Nerses Shnorhali. Unfortunately, all events apart from the conference have been indefinitely postponed.
A conference flyer and schedule are available to view below:
