Church of the Holy Archangels

For the greater

part of the past

century, the

Jerusalem

Armenian

Benevolent Union

(JABU), popularly

known the

"Agoump" (club),

continued to act

as the nerve

center of the

social and cultural

life of the

kaghakatsi

Armenians of the

Old City.

       It   played   a   significant   role   not only   in   enhancing   the   education of   the   kaghakatsi   youth   with   its Scout     movement,     but     also     in providing    succor    and    shelter    in times of need.         One    of    its    most    cherished traditions        is        the        annual (Armenian)      New      Year's      eve celebration    when    everyone    who can   make   it,   wends   his   or   her   way to   the   club   hall   to   share   a   meal   or refreshments     and     drinks,     sing songs,    and    remember    the    old days.         Filled    with    good    cheer,    and good     wine,     the     revelers     then snake   along   the   winding   alleys   of the   Quarter,   led   by   an   accordion- wielding   Pied   Piper,   and   carry   the party     to     each     other's     home. Invariably,   the   evening   would   end at    the    home    of    the    head    of community      leader      and      JABU president Antranig Bakerjian.         His    table    would    always    be lavishly   laid.   The   genteel   host,   he would      personally      ensure      his guests,     who     would     sometimes number   over   a   hundred,   each   had a drink or finger food in hand.        More   songs   and   more   laughter, the    merriment    would    continue until     the     wee     hours     of     the morning.        The   next   day,   it   would   be   the children's    turn    to    have    a    party, with   a   heavily   laden   Santa   Claus to    regale    them    and    give    them presents.           In      the      afternoon,      JABU committee     member     Arshalouys Zakarian   would   lead   a   group   of ladies   to   the   homes   of   the   less fortunate     families,     to     bestow some   good   cheer   upon   them   along with     such     largesse     as     JABU's modest budget would allow.        Bakerjian   had   a   deep   love   of literature,   particularly   poetry   and drama.     One     of     his     perennial favorites    was    E.    A.    Poe's    "The Raven."   He   directed   and   produced several    plays,    among    them    the highly    popular    "Syv    Ho.yr"    and "Salome."         JABU   survived   and   thrived   on the    income    generated    not    by membership    dues,    which    were practically    nonexistent,    but    by the    sale    of    gate    tickets    to    the much-coveted   balls   held   on   three or   four   occasions   during   the   year in   the   club   hall,   as   well   as   the highly          anticipated          stage productions.   Lotteries   brought   in some    more    money.    There    were also   regular   film   shows:   the   first movie   ever   screened   by   JABU   was "The    Greatest    Show    on    Earth," (which    starred    Charlton    Heston and James Stewart).         JABU   also   helped   stage   other shows,   with   magicians   the   most popular   attraction.   The   club   once even   managed   to   stretch   a   tight- rope    above    the    audience    for    a trapeze artist's balancing act.      The   walls   were   decorated   with Disney      characters,      drawn      by nascent      artists      like      Kevork Koukeyan   ("Kawarek")   who,   alas, never    bothered    to    capitalize    on their talent.          Literary   activities,   like   dramas and      poetry      recitation,      were another   major   draw.   "Salome"   and "Sev    Hogher"    (Black    Earth)    won hands down as best productions.          The    Scout    movement    was    a solidly   established   feature   of   life for   the   young   kaghakatsi.   It   was unquestionably     male-dominated. The     children     were     trained     in various    kinds    of    Scout    lore    and craft,   went   camping   at   the   drop of   a   hat,   and   marched   in   glorious parades.     One     of     their     most memorable   exploits   was   a   three- trek   to   Wad   el   Quilt   and   the   Dead Sea, carrying full packs.        Although   community   numbers have    been    shrinking    alarmingly over   the   past   several   years,   the JABU       spirit       still       lives       in Jerusalem,   in   the   US,   in Australia, wherever     there     is     a     sizeable colony of kaghakatsis.           JABU      was      founded      in Jerusalem   in   1929,   the   same   year the   city   saw   the   establishment   of the    Tarkmanchatz    parish    school and      the      Gulbenkian      library. Among   its   original   founders   were Hagop      Hovsepian      (who      later changed        his        surname        to Hagopian),       a       "sefer       berlik" survivor.         During    the    1948    Arab-Israeli war,   it   fell   to   the   well-organized kaghakatsi   leaders   to   take   on   the duty       and       responsibility       of guarding      and      defending      the Armenian       Quarter       and       the Convent     of     St     James.     With whatever     weapons     they     could scrounge,     they     patrolled     the Armenian    compound,    ministered to     the     occasional     casualties, organized    food    distribution,    and herded people to shelters.        In   the   wake   of   the   1948   Arab- Israeli       war,       the       kaghakatsi community    leaders    (there    were nine   of   them)   decided   it   was   time to   refurbish   the   "Agoump"   whose roof    had    received    a    direct    hit during   the   fighting   between   the Arabs and Jews.          Hagop     Zakarian,     to     whom people   rarely   referred   by   name, preferring    to    call    him    by    his popular    sobriquet    "sab'    el    leil" (night   tiger),   picks   up   the   thread of the history of JABU.        Zakarian,   one   of   the   pillars   of the     modern     kaghakatsi     entity, who   now   lives   in   Miami,   Florida, was   one   of   those   nine.   The   others were        Arshalouys         Zakarian, Antranig        Bakerjian,        Kevork Kaplanian,     Ghazaros     Pashaian, Melkon           Babigian,           Krikor Mnatzaganian,                  Apraham Toumayan and Mourad Mouradian.          The     "transition"     that     took place     in     1948     was     aimed     at blending    "the    founders    with    the new   members   in   order   to   follow through   what   our   founders   were doing," Zakarian says.         "During   the   transition   a   new committee   of   nine   members   was elected         and         given         the responsibility   to   remain   identical to    the    same    work    the    founders were doing," he adds.        The   nine   included   merchants, businessmen   and   public   servants and    under    their    guidance,    the JABU    club    was    ushered    into    a golden age.        However,   the   1967   Six   Day   War and   relentless   attrition   among   the kaghakatsi    ranks    saw    its    glory begin to fade.         Echoing    the    feeling    of    all kaghakatsis,          Zakarian          is determined    to    see    the    Agoump "grow   and   remain   as   strong   as   it was in the past."        "This   will   make   everyone   of   us very    proud    of    our    heritage    and hard work," he adds.        He   notes   Bakerjian's   visit   to the    United    States    to    raise    the funds     required     to     repair     the damage    to    the    club's    roof    was highly    successful.    Bakerjian    also visited     Sydney,     and     returned home   to   Jerusalem   with   pledges of      continuing      support      from abroad.            After       graduating       from Jerusalem's    Terra    Santa    school, Bakerjian      became      a      teacher English.    In    the    1950s    he    joined the   the   United   Nations   Relief   and Works      Agency      (UNRWA)      for Palestinian        refugees,        rising through   the   ranks   to   attain   the status of Area Officer.        During   his   visit   to   the   United States,   he   was   asked   to   remain   at the   UN   headquarters   in   New   York but   he   declined   the   offer   because he   wanted   to   go   back   and   serve his    community    and    rebuild    and strengthen          the          Agoump's membership.      The   total   cost   of   repairs   at   the Agoump     stood     at     US$87,000. Rebuilding started in 1992.          Ghazaros     Pashayan     was     a Treasury     Department     employee with       the       British       Mandate government   when   he   volunteered his    financial    expertise    to    JABU. He   became   a   committee   member and   oversaw   the   Agoump's   books, keeping       a       tight       rein       on expenditures.        He   was   later   to   emigrate   to Australia   and   continue   serving   the community      by      managing      the finances   of   the   Sydney   branch   of JABU.         Krikor   Mnatzaganian   assumed the   duties   of   store   manager   and inventory    keeper,    ensuring    that the    Agoump    never    ran    out    of necessities.     But     he     was     most more    for    his    prowess    on    the dance    floor,    earning    for    himself the     label     of     "al     raqqas"     (the dancer).    Rare    was    the    girl    who could   stand   on   her   feet   after   a twirl with him.        Arshalouys   Zakarian   proved   to be     one     of     the     most     active members   of   the   JABU   board.   She was     appointed     specifically     to speak    for    the    women    of    the community.    She    was    their    voice and their hope.         "Her    commitment    and    hard work   was   to   get   as   many   women as    she    could    involved    in    the Agoump,"     Hagop     Zakarian     (no direct relation) says.        She   was   particularly   active   in JABU's   charity   and   social   welfare programs    and    nothing    delighted her    more    than    to    witness    the delight   of   the   community   children as    they    opened    their    Christmas presents,     whose     donation     she orchestrated.         Kevork   Kaplanian,   who   owned a     shoemaking     business     in     the Christian   Quarter,   volunteered   his time    and    efforts    as    manager    of the        club's        catering        and entertainment department.        "Whenever   the   Agoump   help   a party    or    had    a    celebration,    he used   to   get   up   very   early   in   the mornings   and   head   to   the   market to       purchase       the       necessary provisions,"    Jack    says.    His    skills extended   to   the   culinary   art   and the    mezzas    he    prepared    were mouth-watering indeed.        The   Agoump   hall   set   the   stage for    a    very    active    entertainment program,   for   children   and   adults as       well.       Under       Kaplanian's stewardship,    the    audience    was regaled       with       magicians,       a tightrope   walker,   and   movies!   The first    film    shown    at    the   Agoump was     "The     Greatest     Show     on Earth,"    starring    Charlton    Heston and James Stewart.        Melkon   Babigian   was   another successful         businessman,         a goldsmith   and   jeweller   by   trade, who    lived    in    the    nearby    Greek convent   of   St   George.   A   genial, imposing   figure,   he   found   time   to cater     to     the     needs     of     the community     as     a     JABU     board member.        Apraham   Toumayan   worked   in the    payroll    department    of    the United   Nations   Relief   and   Works Agency   (UNRWA),   and   assisted   the club's         treasurer,         Ghazaros Pashayan,   in   managing   the   JABU treasury   and   finance   department. A   bachelor   all   his   life,   he   became very active in Agoump affairs.      The   greatest   joy   in   his   life   was the   traditional   role   he   played   as the    guardian    and    transmitter    of the   miraculous   Holy   Fire   on   "sabt el   nour",    the   Saturday   of   Easter. He    would    be    perched    at    the mouth   of   one   of   the   several   small apertures        in        the        edicule containing   the   tomb   of   Jesus,   in the       rotunda       of       the       Holy Sepulcher,    waiting    for    the    light that   would   descend   miraculously on     the     tomb,     signifying     the resurrection of Christ.