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12-29-2008 The biannual CBA election results were announced last night, and it appears that the incumbent Mr. Marwan Sholak’s ticket, according to some sources, narrowly defeated his opponent’s Mr. Badr (Bedar) Kardan. Mr. Khaldoun Hilmi also, an incumbent, will be the first vice president and Miss. Suha Kurmanov, believed to be the first female vice president in the history of the CBA,  will be the new second vice president. The winners for the auditing committee were the incumbents Mr. Hassan Abdallah and Miss. Jan Bachok, and the newly elected member Mr. Nazir Mamkej. It is believed that a record number of voters, over 80% of the current dues paying members reported to cast their votes. We wish the winners good luck.

 

 

08-19-2008 The annual Adyghe Day festivities were held this past Sunday at the CBA. And again, just like every year, the day was filled with fun and games. The event is normally held in late August; however this year it was held a little earlier.  Attendees enjoyed the delicious food, the camaraderie and each others company, as well as the beautiful weather. The children had a plenty of fun with the games and the rides. (Video)

 

 

07-27-08 The Circassian Community in NJ  arranged for a goodbye party for the communities guests Nadiljeel Ajadeed by having a barbeque in the Circassian Benevolent Association’s (CBA’s) backyard. A jougue was held at the event, as well as a presentation of gifts from the CBA to Nadiljeel and vise versa. Each member of the guest dance group was also presented with a gift from the CBA. (photos) (video).

 

07-20-2008 The Circassian ensemble from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Nadi al Jeel al Jaddeed, performed last night for the second consecutive evening in Wayne NJ to a full house. The dances included a variety of performances representing the various ethnic dances of the north Caucasus. The Adyghe qafa, Dagestan qafa, Mezdague Adyghe yslemey, as well as Chechen, Abkhaz, and Ossetian dances were all represented in the performance. The audience seemed to have enjoyed the event tremendously based on the numerous applause and the standing ovation at the end the troop received. The local Narts Ensemble participated in the event with several of their dances as well with equally superb routine. Unfortunately the writer of this article was prevented from taking short videos or stills to post on this site.

 

 

07/15/08 Nadiljeel Ajjadeed arrived here in northern New Jersey to perform to the Circassian community and their guests. A warm welcome was given to the guests at the CBA yesterday (photos) (video)

 

06/11/08 As you probably know David Urquhart was the Scottish diplomat involved in the Circassian cause in the 19th century, who also played a role in  the adoption of the Adyghe flag (designed by prince Safarbi Zaanoqu). But did you know that there might be ancient ties between the Circassian and the Scottish or Irish (Celtic) people. Read more: (ref1) (ref2) (ref3) (ref4).

 

05/24/08 The Circassian community here in New Jersey at the CBA commemorated again the Circassian Memorial Day (Suge Maxua) on 05/21/08 to remember the thousands who perished en route while being deported from the Caucasus by czarist Russia after their defeat during the Russo-Circassian war that ended in 1864. (see clip).

 

05/18/08 A fun filled evening was held last night at the CBA in the form of a fashion show and tricky tray

raffles. Several volunteers participated in making the event a success. Volunteer models and party organizers as well as many local businesses who sponsored the event helped in making the evening a total success.

 

4-20-08 Did you know that the Circassians had a navy? Read the following article by A. Y. Chirg another one by the pseudonym adyghe maf

 

4-13-2008 A discussion session was held today at the William Paterson University campus entitled “embracing Circassia, Building Our Future”. A panel of experts from the Circassian homeland, and other areas discussed contemporary Circassian affairs. The panel included Professor Paul Gable, Mr. Glen Howard (president of James Town Foundation), Professor Mathew light, Mr. Ibrahim Yagan, Ms. Fatima Tlisova, Ms. Setenay Dogan and others. (photos). The event was sponsored by the Circassian Culture Institute.

 

1-12-2008 The Circassian community in the United States lost a very dear person known to many Circassian here and through out the world for his unselfish dedication and work for all North Kavkaz nationalities.  Mr. Yahiya Kazan (married to my aunt Issam) passed away this afternoon of undisclosed cause. Our heartfelt condolences to his family. God bless his soul. (photo)

 

11-22-2007 A fun filled evening was held last night at the Browerstone Restaurant sponsored by the Circassian Education Foundation for its annual fund raising and scholarship award events. Numerous activities were held such as singing by the famous Circassian singer Jana Maremova, a folk dance by the CBA youths, a magic show, and a Qanoon (a Middle Eastern instrument) recital. Proceeded by the honoring of accomplished adyghes such as the physicist Refik Kortan and the athlete Celina Merza. Followed by the presentation of awards to 52 recipients. Some prominent guests were also invited, among them was US Congressman the Honorable Bill Pascrell who gave an eloquent speech about USA adyghes. Other guests included sheriff Jerry Speziale, and others. An auction was held to raise funds, as well as raffle drawings. The only disappointment was the absence of the  customary jogue at the end of the evening due to unexpected delays in the program. Otherwise the evening was a delight. (Photos)

 

11-18-2007 The CBA held a get together (haleva party) tonight to honor those who contributed to the purchase of the new land adjacent to the current property. All attendees enjoyed the Haleva (a favorite adyghe pastry) along with tea or coffee. A plaque was presented to those who worked hard collecting the contributions.

 

11-12-2007  A guest speaker, Mr. Anthony Wood, a young author from the United Kingdom was at CBA last night speaking and promoting his book about the Chechnyan conflict and other North Caucasus issues. The session lasted about one hour followed by question and answer period. The presentation was very interesting and informative. Several local Circassians and guests attended. (Photos)

 

10-20-2007 interesting stuff about islamey (yeslemey) music, (see additional information to 12-04-2006 below).

 

09-13-2007  It is in my opinion that the current use of the alphabets in the Adyghe language, whether in Cyrillic or Latin, is way too complicated. The use of compound letters makes writing and reading, especially to the untrained reader and writer extremely hard.

The Adyghe language is inherently complicated due to the use of numerous consonants. More so than most world languages. Due to this characteristic, the use of the alphabet is equally complicated

So when Adyghebze became a written form of language an alphabet was devised using other nations scripts. First Arabic, then Cyrillic, then Latin, and again Cyrillic. Circassian writers and poets saw the necessity to use compound letters such as; гу, кхь, лI, in Cyrillic (believe it or not (кхьу) is actually one letter), and to a lesser extent in the Latin form dz, kIu, kx”u, etc.

With the advent of fast computers and convenient word processing programs these days  it can be very easy to create a new set of alphabets that can be used with ease. It may be necessary however to end up with slightly more letters than currently used. But at least in my opinion the writing and reading will be more practical and easy (see the difference).

I propose getting rid of the compound lettering all together in either form of the written scripts (Cyrillic or Latin) and devising symbols or letters if you will, for the unrepresented letters such as the ones mentioned above.

I am working on creating a sample of alphabets using Microsoft symbols (see it). Any word processing program can be easily programmed to produce the letters needed (see how in MS word). I was able to do so within a short period of time. (If I can do it, anyone can do it)

I can not say the alphabets I created are in any way complete and without faults, and I am sure many others have tried and succeeded, but it is a start hopefully in the right direction. What do you think??

 

09-05-2007  On Sunday 08/19/2007 the Adyghes in the USA celebrated Adyghe day.The festivities were held at the CBA grounds in Wayne, NJ. Several local Circassians and their guests attended. A good time was had by all. Children enjoyed the rides, and the food was delicious. The day ended with the usual jogue (see it) which was also very nice. Even the occasional rain that day did not put a damper on the occasion.

 

 06-10-07 Last night apshena maxwawas held at the CBA, several talented individuals played the accordion, and the keyboard. Music played was in a variety of styles, diaspora, kavkaz, and other styles. Every one in the audience appeared to have enjoyed the event, which was the brainchild of Mr. Nart Majagah, greatly.

 

06-04-2007 Do you, like myself, aspire for the day when us Adyghes will achieve nationhood? A state that is well respected by other nations. Existing peacefully among its neighbors. Has a representative form of government where the rules of reasonable laws apply without bias toward its citizens and minorities. And has respect and tolerance to all beliefs. A country with embassies all over the world. Has a thriving economy and commerce that is well trusted domestically and internationally. Its ships and aircraft flying the green and yellow colors of our flag that is seen at seaports and airports throughout the globe. Has a police force, an army, air force and even a small navy, all for self defense. A state that contributes to the well being of its Adyghe citizens, humanity, and the environment. --- The world is different today from the 19th and the 20th centuries one. Our nation has suffered enough, and people of the world once cognizant of our plight will be sympathetic toward us, but we have to show initiative that we like the phoenix will rise again, and show that our unfortunate past will never render us extinct. We are no less or more important than the current 120 + nations represented at the United Nations that have statehood status, so why not us Adyghes too. I think its high time we peacefully and diplomatically, and I emphasize peacefully and diplomatically try to achieve this goal. Nothing is impossible. --- Please discuss,  go to my forum page (or click here forum).

 

05-21-2007 A solemn ceremony was held today at the CBA commemorating the annual

shugha maxua or Adyghe day of mourning in remembrance of the hundreds of thousands men women and children who perished while en rout to their destinations in the ottoman empire. This was as a consequence to the Adyghes forced deportation from their beloved homeland in the Caucasus by tsarist Russia. (The unknown holocaust, or ethnic cleansing if you will) --- Several Adyghe speakers spoke eloquently about this day and its importance. ---- But the most moving and touching event was a performance by some Adyghe youths depicting the horrific circumstances endured by the exiled Adyghes during their trek to their new landing places. The presentation put several adults in the audience  in tears. I will try to obtain videos or still photos of today's events and post them on this site and YouTube. Stay tuned.

 

04-04-2007 last week on 03-26-2007 at around 830 am ---  i had a minor heart attack ---- checked myself into the

 hospital--- 5 arteries were found plugged and bipases were done---- thank God iam doing ok now. --- and please if you have not done so recently have yourserlf and your loved ones checheked for vascular disease (sterss test) as soon as possible. ---- thank you everyone for your kindness towards me during my hospital stay.

 02-17-2007 The presidents of Kabardino-Balkaria, Adyghea, and Ingushia met King Abdullah II (1) (2) (3) as they discussed important matters regarding their respective nations. King Abdullah II promised to visit the Circasian republics when he visits Russia soon (4). An airway link from Amman to Nalchik via Baku, Azerbaijan (presumably with a regular and reliable schedule) may be a reality in the near future as indicated by president konokov (KBR) in an interview with a Jordanian newspaper. He also indicated that programs in the Circassian language will be broadcasts via satellite (5). photos

 

 

02-10-2007 According to Kavkazweb.net, and radioadiga.com, a delegation from the Russian Federation headed by Presidents Putin (RF) and Konokov (KBR/RF) will be visiting Amman, Jordan on Feb 12, 2007. Among other events, a meeting will be held with prominent Circassians in Amman to discuss various issues faced by the Circassians in the Diaspora (1), (2)

 

12-31-2006   Immigration records from Ellis Island, in New York reveal that two of my distant relatives, Taleb , and Batiabek (Baterbeck), arrived in the United States in  1913. The two brothers left their homeland in the Caucasus, boarded a ship called Czar at Libau, Latvia (the German name for the town of Liepaja in present-day Latvia), and disembarked at Ellis Island in March of that year. When my late parents visited the Kabarday just before the disintegration of the USSR in 1990, our relatives there had mentioned to them that, long time ago, two Kaghdou brothers left their homeland to settle in America and nobody heard from them ever since. And of course we all were very eager to find anything relating to our immigrant relatives.  Then my brother Darial recently found some information online about our relatives from Ellis Islands website (1) , (2) .  And that was great news. However no one that I know of had any more information on those two Kaghdous. This seems to be the earliest that any Circassian ever landed in the United States. We are still searching to locate any information about these two pioneers, and hopefully someone with any knowledge about them or their offspring can get in touch with us, we will be greatly thankful.

 

12-22-2006          While surfing the web the other day I stumbled on this interesting view of, as far as i know, a natural rock formation in the Caucasus. Showing sculptured Mount Rushmore type figures, where the heads of two men with clearly typical Circassian features can be observed (see it ). I think this is a wonderful reminder from God who that land belongs to (source ). 

 

12-04-2006 Did you know that there are many things in the world that refer to Circassians; For instance there is the Circassian Walnut (see it) which is a kind of wood that is derived from the walnut tree which grows in the northwest Caucasus. Used for fine furniture and gunstocks. --- There is also the Circassian hound (photo)  which is a rare bread of hound dog that resembles the greyhound known for its elegance and grace. --- And there is the Circassian Ovtcharka also known as Caucassian Ovtcharka (photo) these animals are well known for their strength, bravery, alertness, andpowerful urge to protect”. --- And  when it comes to horses, the Kabarda (photo)  breed is famous for its speedThe breed's speed record is 1 min 54 sec for 1600 m and 2 min 44.2 sec for 2400 m. The record for the 50 km long distance is 1 hour 41 min 25 sec”. It is best known as an excellent mountain horse.--- Did you also know thaw the Irish have a dance called  Circassian Circle. I have not seen the dance but heard the music (listen) . There are instructions on how to dance (see it)  . (added 12-10-2006) And here is another Circassian item many parts of the world know us for, it is called the Circassian Chicken. And no it is not an Adyghe who is deathly afraid of the dentist. Nor is it some kind of a holy fowl roaming the foothills of the Caucasus. It is actually a very popular and tasty dish we Adyghes call shipspasta or shipsra-pastara, more known in the Arab world as shibs wo basta,  al sharkassieya in Egypt, or more commonly known as cherkess tavuk in Turkey. There are many recipes for this dish and here are some websites (1) , (2) , (3)  you can check. Naturally, the main item in this dish is of course chicken that is very well boiled, with lots and lots of garlic, roasted flour, and although not added in the Caucasus, many recipes elsewhere call for walnuts. If you have not tasted this dish yet I recommend you do soon, you will not regret it. (Added 10-20-07): Another phenomenon the world knows us for, is a piano musical piece (islamey)  by the 19th century russian composer Mily Blakirev. This  is a piano fantasy composed in 1869 after a circassian prince played it for the composer earlier on a shika pshina (a violin like instrument). It doesnot sound like the actual islamey we are accustomed to because of the classical overtones but at least it gives us adyghes a slight recognition. (listen to it). More to be added later.

 

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12-02-2006 Today I, my brother, and sister mark our 37th year anniversary as immigrants to the USA. Cheers you all.

 

12-01-2006          The Adyghe republics within the Russian Federation currently consists of three entities  1) Adygheya, 2)Karachayrvo-Cherkesiya, and 3)Kaberdino-Balkariya. map    flags ). These political divisions existed for some time now. However, there is currently  the threat of dissolving one republic; Adygheya,  into its much larger neighboring republic; Krasnodar.  This action is absolutely not acceptable ---- I think the most practical thing our Adyghe people can do at this juncture in history (at the risk of oversimplifation) is to  peacefully acquire a mere 300 square kilometers, linking Cherkesiya with Adygheya (map ), then unite these three sister republics into one, calling it something like the Greater Adyghe Republic, etc. ---- I think this will save the Adygheyan republic from extinction, and will benefit all of our Adyghe  people tremendously. My hope is for some federation legislator(s) to introduce this proposal soon to the respective Dumas, and hopefully bring this idea into fruition. Dreams sometimes have peculiar ways of coming true. I wish us luck in this one. (revised 12-24-06)

 

11-29-2006 King Abdullah II of Jordan met President G.W. Bush in Amman, Jordan at his palace where the Circassian Royal Guards stood at attention in the background. What an impressive, powerful, and touching sight. photo

 

11-28-2006 I like to pass this good idea to all for all its worth; why tie yourself to a 2 year contract when getting a cell phone. There are many what are called "pay as you go" plans, Where you litterarily could save hundreds of dollars. I personally have a plan where I purchased the phone (around $30), and purchase air time on line whenever i want to (around $20/hr air time). I save no less than $10 to $15 every month. Of course you will not get the bells and whistles with the more expensive cell phones and if you talk a lot on the cell this plan may not be for you, but at least you can always throw the phone away and get another one whenever you like

 

11-26-20066         The CBA elections were held today and it appears that Mr. Marwan Sholakh's ticket won. That puts Mr. Khaldoun Hilmi    as the first Vice President, and Mr. Munzir Ghoujal as the 2nd Vice President.

 

 

 11-25-2006          This website was established.

 

 

 

 

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