New York Armenian Bar celebrates public service at annual banquet

New York — The Armenian Bar Association hosted its annual Public Servants Dinner at the historic Yale Club of New York City, honoring the courage, endeavors, and sacrifices of all public  servants. This year’s Public Servants Honorees were the prominent civil rights attorney, Armen H.  Merjian, and the Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System, Hon. Joseph A.  Zayas. The event brought together the leadership of the New York Courts, administrative and  supervising judges, appellate and trial court judges, members of the federal judiciary, distinguished  public servants, leaders of bar associations, and prominent attorneys.

Hon. Frank (Hagopian) Caruso and Hon. Deborah H. Karalunas served as the masters of ceremony.  Following the national anthems performed by Hasmik Mekanejian and Anahit Zakaryan, Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, the Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, led  the opening prayer.

Hon. Deborah H. Karalunas set the stage by delivering the opening statement, noting that “for the Armenian people,  public service is more than a professional calling; it is a moral one, reflective of our belief that the world will prosper when we stand united to promote justice and compassion, and protect one another’s  dignity.”

Robert H. Tembeckjian, the Administrator and Counsel to NYS Commission on Judicial Conduct,  delivered remarks recalling his native Armenian dialect from Tigranakert, and remembering the  survivors of the Genocide who rose “up from the ashes of mass prosecution to write poetry, compose  operas, build enterprises, churches, and schools all over the world.”

Souren A. Israelyan spoke on behalf of the organizing committee, acknowledging the prior honorees of  the Public Servants Dinner and the sponsors of the event, whose generosity made the event possible.

The remarks on behalf of the New York State Bar Association were delivered by its President Kathleen M. Sweet. She congratulated the honorees whose “work while challenging and undervalued, and more often than not thankless, is recognized here tonight.”

Hasmik Mekanejian, a mezzo-soprano, and Anahit Zakaryan, a soprano, with the piano accompaniment  of Diana Gabrielyan, treated the audience with a performance of classical Armenian, Italian, and  Broadway songs.

At the presentation of the Public Servant Awards, Hon. Claire Chadirjian Cecchi introduced Armen H.  Merjian. Merjian is one the leading civil rights attorneys in the United States, and likely the most significant advocate for those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. In 2025, Amelia Hanibelsz, an award-winning  filmmaker, produced a documentary short about Merjian titled The Good Fight. The film has won 10 awards in international film festivals. With the filmmaker’s permission, a segment of the film was shown during the event. During his remarks, Merjian shared that all four of his grandparents were orphans of the Armenian Genocide, and his Armenian heritage shaped who he is. «Ես փաստաբան եմ, որովհետև հայ եմ» – “I am lawyer because I am an Armenian.” “To be an Armenian and conscious of your history is to be in a constant quest for justice for those who have nothing.”

Hon. Deborah H. Karalunas introduced Hon. Joseph A. Zayas. Judge Zayas is the Chief Administrative  Judge of the State of New York, the highest-ranking administrative position within the New York State  Judiciary, overseeing the day-to-day administration and operations of 3,300 state and local judges and  17,000 non-judicial employees in over 300 locations across the state. During his remarks, Judge Zayas  expressed that he “wanted to understand the reasons why Armenians place such a high value in public  service.” His enquiry elucidated that Armenians are deeply connected with their heritage, and the  history of their own suffering creates a “moral bridge” with the struggles of others. “The ‘moral bridge’ that is ‘uniquely Armenian’ is aligned with our country’s highest ideals and embodied in our constitutions, the rule of law, and judicial precedents. Armenians understand, as much as anyone, how quickly these ideals and principles can collapse into authoritarianism and tyranny if not vigorously  guarded.” He underscored: “I can only hope that our democracy and the rule of law are as resilient as your great heritage.”

Hon. Jenny Rivera, an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, delivered the closing  statement. Judge Rivera shared that because of her Puerto Rican heritage and her family’s experiences, “I really do appreciate the Armenian concerns of maintaining identity, preserving culture and language; your commitment to justice, to human rights, to the rule of law, and of course, to the norms of  international law speaks very deeply to me.”

The event was closed by a benediction delivered by Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, the Prelate of  the Armenian Prelacy.