PARAMUS, N. J. — The 75th anniversary of the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) was celebrated with an elegant gala organized by the New York Chapter on October 15 at the Terrace at Biagio’s. A highlight of the evening was the opportunity to honor Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for all he has accomplished on behalf of Armenians and human rights in general.
Nearly 200 guests, including a significant number of youth, came not only from New Jersey but from as far afield as California and Canada, in support of the TCA mission. A gala committee headed by Hilda Hartounian, chair of the TCA Greater New York Chapter as well as member of the Central Board of the TCA of the United States and Canada, put together the program, which included in addition to talks and a silent auction, entertainment by Tigran Asatryan and Ensemble, an eight-man Armenian band from Los Angeles, and by DJ Barko (Barkev Sanossian).
Program
The evening began with the playing of the American and Armenian national anthems and an invocation from Very Rev. Simeon Odabashian, vicar of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
Diran Jebejian kept the program moving smoothly and effectively as the master of ceremonies. A past member of the TCA Greater New York executive committee and performer in the TCA Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group, he is co-host for the Armenian Radio Hour of New Jersey and member of St. Nersess Seminary’s board of directors. Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the Borough of Fort Lee, NJ, Jebejian also owns an event photography business.
He called Hartounian to the podium after pointing out that she and her family have been involved in TCA for decades. Jebejian said that she is a firm supporter of other Armenian organizations as well, because she believes in one culture, one identity and one nationality, all working for the same cause.