Sunday, December 8, 2024
The Armenian Genocide: One Family’s Story
Deb Dagavarian
On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turks declared that the Armenians living in Turkey be eradicated. On that date Armenian authors, poets, artists, scientists, politicians, religious leaders, physicians, and military officers were arrested under the guise of deportation, and then killed. For the next few years, Armenians in Turkey were rounded up and deported or murdered outright. Deportations often led to starvation, disease, and early death. Many women were raped, and many Armenians were tortured. This session will touch on what it was like for the Armenians in Turkey at that time, based on recorded testimony, much of it from Debbi’s paternal relatives who survived the Genocide. Did Armenians’ faith in Christianity save them? Or did it condemn them?
BIO: Deb Dagavarian has been a member of this congregation since 2006, and has been a Unitarian since the 1960s. Her last professional position before retirement was Assistant Provost and adjunct professor at Stockton University. One of the courses she developed there was a Master’s level course on the Armenian Genocide, after years of having conducted extensive research using primary sources. She also is the descendant of survivors of the massacre. Debbi has published two books on baseball, and many articles on subjects ranging from learning assessment to accreditation to baseball. She also designs handcrafted jewelry, and enjoys reading and singing. Her doctorate is in Social Foundations of Education from Rutgers University. A baseball fanatic, she roots for the Mets, Phillies, and Yankees, but will watch any game.
Tune in remotely by visiting our Facebook page for Livestream of this service.
