NEW YORK — The Armenian Bar Association hosted its annual Public Servants Dinner at the historic Yale Club of New York City on April 23, honoring the courage, endeavors, and sacrifices of all public servants. This year’s Public Servants Honorees were the prominent civil rights attorney, Armen H. Merjian, and Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System Joseph A. Zayas. The event brought together the leadership of the New York Courts, administrative and supervising judges, appellate and trial court judges, members of the federal judiciary, distinguished public servants, leaders of bar associations, and prominent attorneys.
Judge Frank (Hagopian) Caruso and Judge Deborah H. Karalunas served as the masters of ceremony. Following the national anthems performed by Hasmik Mekanejian and Anahit Zakaryan, Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, the Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, led the opening prayer.
Karalunas set the stage by delivering the opening statement, noting that the event is held on the eve of the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day and that “[f]or the Armenian people, public service is more than a professional calling; it is a moral one, reflective of our belief that the world will prosper when we stand united to promote justice and compassion, and protect one another’s dignity.”
Robert H. Tembeckjian, administrator and counsel to the NYS Commission on Judicial Conduct, delivered remarks recalling his native Armenian dialect from Tigranakert, and remembering the survivors of the Genocide who rose “up from the ashes of mass prosecution to write poetry, compose operas, build enterprises, churches, and schools all over the world.”
Souren A. Israelyan spoke on behalf of the organizing committee, acknowledging the prior honorees of the Public Servants Dinner and the sponsors of the event, whose generosity made the event possible.
The remarks on behalf of the New York State Bar Association were delivered by its immediate past president Kathleen Sweet. She congratulated the honorees whose “work while challenging and undervalued, and more often than not thankless, is recognized here tonight.”
