PARAMUS, N.J.—The Hamazkayin New Jersey chapter organized a gathering in honor of Rakel Dink, who was in New Jersey to participate in a panel discussion at Ramapo College.
Members of the Hamazkayin N.J. Executive with Rakel Dink: (L-R) Simon Barsemian, Varto Keshishian, Rakel Dink, Ani Tchaghlasian, Floria Kasparian, Tanya Balanian, Ani Panossian Mouradian (missing from photo Talin Baghdadlian)
The gathering took place in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Talar Sarafian. Guests included Hamazkayin Central Executive member Hrair Baronian, and Prof. Ishkhan Chiftjian, who teaches at Hamburg University and was also a panelist at the Ramapo College event.
Ani Tchaghlasian thanked Dink on behalf of Hamazkayin for accepting the invitation and taking part in the evening, and presented her with a painting by artist Rudik Petrosyan.
Rakel Dink delivers remarks.
Rakel Dink spoke next. She began from her childhood, when her Kurdish-speaking father sent her to the Tuzla Armenian Children’s Camp to learn Armenian. It was there that she first met Hrant, who was 11 years old at the time.
Rakel Dink talked about the phenomenal work done at the camp to teach Turkish- and Kurdish-speaking Armenian children their mother tongue.
Years later, Hrant and Rakel took on the responsibility of running the Tuzla boarding school and camp, until the Turkish state confiscated the property under the false accusation that the camp trained Armenian fighters.
Answering a question about Hrant’s legacy, Dink noted that the family and the community continue to do Hrant’s work.
—Ani Panossian
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