“…One of the columns of our community has collapsed...”
Those were the words that the educator Mr. Bedrós Hadjian used to describe the pain of the whole Armenian community of Buenos Aires because of the death of Barón Kevork (Jorge) Sarafian.
Last 18th June afternoon Don Jorge Sarafian passed away at the age of 91. He was, I think, the most important generator of culture that the Buenos Aires community had ever. His father was killed by the Turks near the Euphrates River (Rakka). He survived and left Ourfa (Hetesia) his place of birth, to Aleppo to start a new life. He studied in the Haygazyan School of Aleppo and then in 1927 came to Buenos Aires. Last Friday 21st was the 75th anniversary of his arrival on this lands.
Don Jorge or Barón Kevork (the way people used to call him) manage to create his own business that then became an empire of wool called Lanas Hetesia. He was young when he started to work for the community. He organized the Administration of the Armenian Church in Buenos Aires, he was the president for many years of Homenetmen and he also gave his hand for the UGAB (AGBU) Institution. Kevork was the first great propagandist of the Armenian cause between non-Armenians. He wrote many books. Those books about Armenian literature, music, legends, religion, politics and more that he used to send as a present to all Argentinean and world wide intellectuals to know about our culture. Mr. Sarafian was baptized in Surp Asdvadzadzin Church in Hetesia, now Ourfa, Turkey. That church was converted to a Mosque so Don Jorge made real one of his final dreams. A pair of years ago he erected the Surp Asdvadzadzin Church in Nor Hetesia, Armenia in memory of the original. He was decorated with medals from Echmiadzin and Jerusalem and the Republic of Armenia gave him the double citizenship.
Don Jorge had two great families, the community and his own family that is quite big and respectful. He left six sons and more than ten grand sons. All of them are involved with the Armenian community, a community who suffered this lost. Wednesday 19th the Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church was filled up with people who wanted to say goodbye to Barón Kevork. Now his mortal remains rests in peace in the Britain Cemetery of Chacarita, Buenos Aires.
Note: In 1927 when Kevork took the ship to Buenos Aires he knew an Armenian that then became his friend: My grand father that I could not know, Mr. Kevork Abadjian. My grand father and he became friends there at that trip to a new horizon. He died very young.Maybe now their souls met again to a new travel some elsewhere.
I hope this world will receive more Kevork Sarafians…
Juan Augusto Abadjian
Those were the words that the educator Mr. Bedrós Hadjian used to describe the pain of the whole Armenian community of Buenos Aires because of the death of Barón Kevork (Jorge) Sarafian.
Last 18th June afternoon Don Jorge Sarafian passed away at the age of 91. He was, I think, the most important generator of culture that the Buenos Aires community had ever. His father was killed by the Turks near the Euphrates River (Rakka). He survived and left Ourfa (Hetesia) his place of birth, to Aleppo to start a new life. He studied in the Haygazyan School of Aleppo and then in 1927 came to Buenos Aires. Last Friday 21st was the 75th anniversary of his arrival on this lands.
Don Jorge or Barón Kevork (the way people used to call him) manage to create his own business that then became an empire of wool called Lanas Hetesia. He was young when he started to work for the community. He organized the Administration of the Armenian Church in Buenos Aires, he was the president for many years of Homenetmen and he also gave his hand for the UGAB (AGBU) Institution. Kevork was the first great propagandist of the Armenian cause between non-Armenians. He wrote many books. Those books about Armenian literature, music, legends, religion, politics and more that he used to send as a present to all Argentinean and world wide intellectuals to know about our culture. Mr. Sarafian was baptized in Surp Asdvadzadzin Church in Hetesia, now Ourfa, Turkey. That church was converted to a Mosque so Don Jorge made real one of his final dreams. A pair of years ago he erected the Surp Asdvadzadzin Church in Nor Hetesia, Armenia in memory of the original. He was decorated with medals from Echmiadzin and Jerusalem and the Republic of Armenia gave him the double citizenship.
Don Jorge had two great families, the community and his own family that is quite big and respectful. He left six sons and more than ten grand sons. All of them are involved with the Armenian community, a community who suffered this lost. Wednesday 19th the Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church was filled up with people who wanted to say goodbye to Barón Kevork. Now his mortal remains rests in peace in the Britain Cemetery of Chacarita, Buenos Aires.
Note: In 1927 when Kevork took the ship to Buenos Aires he knew an Armenian that then became his friend: My grand father that I could not know, Mr. Kevork Abadjian. My grand father and he became friends there at that trip to a new horizon. He died very young.Maybe now their souls met again to a new travel some elsewhere.
I hope this world will receive more Kevork Sarafians…
Juan Augusto Abadjian
posted by HovhanneSS at 12:56 AM
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