Ethiopian-Armenian Reunion

Sunday night marked the start of the Ethiopian-Armenian Reunion. This was the second reunion ever held, and the first in Armenia. Hampo and Marie Ghazarossian did an excellent job organizing it all the way from New York. They've also been active in creating websites and gathering photos and updates on the community. The turnout ended up at 128 people, about half the number who had originally planned to attend, but all the generations were there, and this week is being spent touring the country - for many it is their first trip to Armenia.

For those that don't know, the cause for the reunion is of course the dispersion of the Ethiopian Armenian community. It was a small but very cohesive and well organized/united community, with church, school, club. But the coming of the communists in the 70s meant an end to the lifestyle and freedoms the Armenians enjoyed, and the vast majority left. Today a handful hold down the fort there.