On April 23, the New York City Rutgers Presbyterian Church organized a reading of Leslie Ayvazian’s play “Nine Armenians,” with all proceeds from the event generously donated to All For Armenia. We are profoundly grateful to all the event organizers and 120 attendees for their support, which resulted in over $5,000 raised to assist our work in vulnerable border communities of Armenia. Thank you to Anoush Baghdassarian of our partner organization, Rerooted Archive, for presenting All For Armenia’s mission and ongoing activities to the audience.

“Nine Armenians” tells the story of three generations of Armenian-Americans embracing the future by connecting with their history. In her award-winning play, Ayvazian beautifully depicts the reality of facing a horrific past without shame or fear. She takes a risk by shedding light on the painful recollections of the past. The play was a great hit, with one audience member remarking, “The reading was a masterpiece — thank you for your efforts to bring this to fruition and for ensuring the proceeds go to a great cause. Abrik!”

Photo credit: Charles Chessler and Nancy Kricorian