New Jersey hosts weekend of Armenian culture and learning

PanARMENIAN.Net - The New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation—Youth Organization of the ARF (AYF-YOARF) hosted the first-ever Armenian Cultural and Educational (ACE) Weekend for the Mid-Atlantic Region from Oct. 20 to 22 in Ridgefield, N.J., The Armenian Weekly reports.

Juniors and Seniors from the New Jersey “Arsen,” Philadelphia “Sebouh,” D.C. “Ani,” New York “Hyortik,” and the newly established Manhattan “Moush” chapters were immersed in Armenian culture during the weekend.

Modeled after the now-nostalgic Junior Educational Weekend, ACE consisted of educationals and activities revolving around the many aspects of the ever-evolving, ever-interesting Armenian culture.

For the Friday night activity, the Juniors made Halloween-inspired crafts, including pipe cleaner spiders and pumpkins. They also made a large poster by tracing their hands and signing their names in both Armenian and English. The Juniors and Seniors took a break from their crafting to share stories and AYF memories over a pasta dinner. The first night ended with all attendees watching the festive film “Hocus Pocus” before bed.

On Saturday, the Juniors then learned about famous Armenian poets and read some of their work in both English and Armenian. They were given the opportunity to write their own poems and to create an accompanying picture. Digin Nadine Ariyan, whose daughters are all active members of the “Arsen” chapter, lectured about art. The Juniors viewed famous artwork by Armenians. They learned about various techniques and mediums, as well. Inspired by the many famous painters, the Juniors created their own works of art using watercolor and colored pencil.

After the lectures concluded, the Juniors had some free time, which they used to play games, finalize any of their work from the educationals, and continue watching the movie from the night before. The Seniors used that time to prepare for the dinner and showcase. “We couldn’t wait for the parents and community members to see just what their Juniors had made throughout the weekend. For quite a few of the Juniors present, this was their first AYF event, so I was excited for them to share their experiences with their families. In a moment like that, all you can hope is for the kids to ask their parents to continue sending them to these sorts of events,” said “Arsen” Senior President ungerouhi Arev Dinkjian.

Sunday morning, Juniors and Seniors returned home. The event was an incredible success, and attendees had a weekend full of learning new things, creating beautiful art, and meeting new friends.