BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
A few Sundays ago, I was at the Crescenta Valley Armenian Apostolic Church. Upon entering the premisses I ran into my friends and long-time supporters of Asbarez Nazareth Kevonian and his daughter, Tamar.
Because of the pandemic, it had been a while since I had seen either of them, although we had kept in touch via telephone calls and text messages.
After catching up with both, Nazareth told me: “It’s that time of the year again!” For more than a decade, around the beginning of summer, Nazareth and Tamar have either called or visited Asbarez and made a generous contribution of $10,000 ahead of our newspaper’s anniversary in support of our ongoing efforts to inform, empower and serve our community.
“For me it is important that Asbarez continues and prospers,” Nazareth told me last year, reiterating his conviction for the importance of Asbarez’s mission and the critical role that the Armenian press plays in our every-day lives.
“I am doing my part so that the Armenian press continues to prosper and becomes an important part of our schools and the community in general,” Nazareth added. “I like and read Asbarez because it’s very comprehensive and I like the variety of the issues it covers.”
Nazareth Kevonian is no stranger to Asbarez. His support for the newspaper goes back decades, when his daughter, Tamar, was a regular columnist for the newspaper’s English section, penning the weekly “People & Places” column.
Nazareth Kevonian also has a storied past in the Armenian community, having helmed the Land and Culture Organization for many years and seeing young Armenians going to Armenia where they worked to refurbish centuries-old churches and institutions. Kevonian believes that our cultural landmarks in Armenia are important reflections of our national heritage through which young Armenians can have a critical tie to the homeland.
Nazareth and Tamar Kevonian have also supported other organizations in the community, among them the Armenian Cultural Foundation, the Armenian National Committee of America—Western Region and the Western Prelacy.
On behalf of Asbarez, its staff and management, I would like to thank Nazareth and Tamar Kevonian for their continued support of our mission. We are humbled and grateful for their years of support, which enhances our efforts to serve the community. May they become an example to others to encourage and boost Asbarez.
